Association of Chicago Theological Schools

The Association of Chicago Theological Schools, known as ACTS, was formed in 1984 by 12 theological schools located in the Chicago area to provide means for cooperation among the member institutions in the areas of student cross-registration, library access and acquisitions, interchange among faculty members in the disciplines of theological education, and communications between the schools. Prior to 1984, these schools had had many years of successful ecumenical cooperation, primarily through the Chicago Cluster of Theological Schools, the Chicago Theological Institute, and the Library Council. In addition to ACTS, various agreements between two or more institutions further cooperation on the basis of geographic proximity or an interest in specific programs.

All 11 schools that currently make up ACTS are accredited members of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. Each is affiliated with or sponsored by a denomination, a diocese, a religious organization, or several religious orders. Each offers professional degree programs for ministry at the master’s and doctoral levels, and most also offer other academic degrees. All offer a variety of opportunities for continuing education for clergy and lay leaders, as well as conferences, lectures and other programs of interest to a wider public.

Together, the schools within ACTS offer a rich network of resources for theological education, making the association one of the outstanding centers of theological education in the world. Available to the approximately 2,500 students currently enrolled at its member schools are about 350 faculty, some 750 courses offered annually, and library collections of 1.7 million volumes and nearly 5,000 currently received periodical subscriptions. New this year, several schools are offering a number of courses online for the first time. Several schools have well-stocked theological bookstores. In addition, ACTS makes it possible for students and faculty to pursue their work, study, and reflection in interaction with people from many different cultural and theological traditions.

Students in ACTS schools also have access to other resources pertinent to theological education through institutions related to ACTS. Many also draw on the vast resources of other institutions of higher education and the numerous religious organizations and agencies in the Chicago area related to one or more of the institutions in ACTS.

ACTS itself does not offer either courses or degrees. Application for enrollment must be made to one of the member institutions.

An essential tool for cross-registration purposes, this catalog also includes information on the many resources for theological education available to students enrolled in the member schools of ACTS.

The current chairperson of ACTS is Gary Riebe-Estrella of Catholic Theological Union. Kurt Gabbard of McCormick Theological Seminary is treasurer. Inquiries regarding ACTS should be directed to Gary Riebe-Estrella, S.V.D., Catholic Theological Union, 5401 South Cornell Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60615-5698, phone: 773.753.5307.

ACTS Vision Statement

The Association of Chicago Theological Schools approaches its future with hope. We seek to develop a strong collaboration and urgency for the mission of ACTS. Our collaborative mission will manifest itself in many ways as we:

Creatively serve new constituencies

• Invite new partners to join in the Association
• Support each other in ways that strengthen all member schools
• Provide public venues for the discussion of important issues
• Model dialogue and conversation as modes of theological inquiry and reflection
• Find new ways of deploying and utilizing faculty
• Learn to speak with a common voice
• Focus on major theological and institutional issues together
• Introduce programs and patterns to develop and form leaders and leadership
• Share new forms and modes of technology
• Work to develop collaborative curricula and academic life

We enter the next millennium with confidence and vision. We are assured of the necessity for the ACTS alliance and mission as an important strength for member institutions. We will pursue our service in the rich context of the Chicago metropolitan area with consequences that extend nationally and internationally. We proceed into the future with thanksgiving and a sense of the grace and guidance of God.

ACTS Mission Statement

The Association of Chicago Theological Schools is a collaborative effort by eleven theological schools in the Chicago metropolitan area whose aim is to enhance the educational activities at each of the schools through the sharing of resources and cooperative planning. Each of the eleven schools in ACTS shares a common purpose of preparing men and women for ministry. Recognizing that by cooperating together the ACTS schools can provide more than the sum of their individual efforts, the ACTS schools are committed to seeking ways in which their cooperation benefits schools individually and collectively. By cooperating in joint planning and the sharing of resources, the schools of ACTS are able to live out certain values that are commonly held:

• Good stewardship of assets
• Ecumenical witness in the Church and world
• Theological discussion across traditions

Through the Common Council comprised of the presidents and academic deans, ACTS supports a number of activities and joint ventures that are reflective of its values. These activities and joint ventures include:

• Coordinated library collection development and cooperation
• Cross-registration among schools
• Joint education programs
• Facilitation of collegial discussions among faculties

In addition to the cooperative preparation of men and women for ministry, ACTS seeks to encourage critical thinking about the major issues that currently challenge the Church and the world.

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The Member Seminaries

• Catholic Theological Union
• Chicago Theological Seminary
• Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
• Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
• McCormick Theological Seminary
• Meadville/Lombard Theological School
• Mundelein Seminary
• North Park Theological Seminary
• Northern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
• Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Catholic Theological Union

A collaborative school serving 33 religious orders, founded to promote diverse theological and ministerial traditions within the Roman Catholic Church. Emphasis is on preparation for ministry with flexible academic patterns augmented by strong field education programs. Other special features: D.Min. concentrations in cross-cultural ministries, liturgy, or spirituality; fully individualized research or general academic M.A.; M.Div. concentrations in Bible, pastoral theology, world mission, or word and worship; World Mission Program designed to prepare American and international student to minister in other cultures; studies in African American and Hispanic ministry programs open to all serious students, men and women.

Degree Programs
M.A.P.S. M.Div. M.A. in Theology D.Min. (5 years in ministry prerequisite)

5401 South Cornell Avenue
Chicago, IL 60615-5698
773.324.8000
Fax: 773.324.4360
Web page: www.ctu.edu

President’s office: 773.753.5309
Academic Dean’s office: 773.753.5307
Registrar’s office: 773.753.5320

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Chicago Theological Seminary

An ecumenical seminary related to the United Church of Christ with a style fostering rigorous theological inquiry and development of students’ own intellectual and professional integrity in an atmosphere of diversity and freedom. The basic professional degree program is the three-year Master of Divinity, but the Master of Arts in Religious Studies may be awarded at the end of the second year as a terminal master’s degree. The post-M.Div. Doctor of Ministry is available for full- or part-time students with experience in ministry. Joint programs with pastoral care institutions and a dual-degree program with the School of Social Service Administration of the University of Chicago are available. The Ph.D. programs focus on Christian-Jewish relations and on theology, ethics and the human sciences.

Degree Programs
M.A. in Religious Studies M.Div. S.T.M. D.Min. Ph.D.

5757 South University Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637-9990
773.752.5757
Fax 773.752.0905
Web page: www.chgosem.edu

President’s office: 773.322.0223
Academic Dean’s office: 773.322.0251
Registrar’s office: 773.322.0227

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Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

 

Garrett-Evangelical is a graduate school of theology of the United Methodist Church. While the majority of the faculty and the students are affiliated with the school’s denominational heritage, the seminary is ecumenical. The curricula emphasize theory and practice; they include the institutional centers for the Church and the Black Experience, Hispanic ministries, Asian-American ministries, Wesleyan studies, ethics and values, religion and the news media, and women in ministry. The basic programs lead to the Master of Arts, Master of Divinity, or Master of Theological Studies degrees. The advanced professional program leads to the Doctor of Ministry degree, while the Doctor of Philosophy degree focuses on teaching and research for theological seminaries, the church and universities.

Degree Programs
M.A. in	Christian Education Ethics, Church and Society Music Ministry Pastoral Care and Counseling Spiritual Formation and Evangelism
M.Div. M.T.S. D.Min (3 years in ministry prerequisite) Ph.D.

2121 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60201-2926
847.866.3900
Fax 847.866.3957
Web page: www.garrett.nwu.edu

President’s office: 847.866.3902
Dean’s office: 847.866.3903
Registrar’s office: 847.866.3905

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Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, LSTC offers preparation for professional ministry in the church, advanced studies in ministry, academic study of theology. The M.Div. curriculum features a strong accent upon study of the traditions of the church and a comprehensive field education program, with special emphasis on cross-cultural ministry and global awareness. Opportunities offered for specialization in Hispanic ministries and in ministry and social work and for coordinated M.Div./Ph.D. degrees (with the University of Chicago).

 

Degree Programs
M.A. M.Div. Th.M./Ph.D. D.Min (3 years in ministry prerequisite)

1100 East 55^th Street
Chicago, IL 60615-5199
773.256.0700
Fax 773.256.0782
Web page: www.lstc.edu

President’s office: 773.256.0728
Dean’s office: 773.256.0721
Registrar’s office: 773.256.0717
To send e-mail to any faculty or staff member, use the person’s first initial
and up to seven letters of the last name plus @lstc.edu

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McCormick Theological Seminary

McCormick is a theological center for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It also welcomes many students from outside this denomination. Focusing its resources on education for the ministry, it emphasizes both preprofessional (M.A.T.S. and M.Div.) and professional (D.Min.) studies. Its programs in Hispanic ministries, Korean American ministries, African American ministries, and urban ministry, its dual-competency programs in social work and other fields, and its emphasis on internationalization add to its other offerings. Students are encouraged to plan, with advice, their own courses of study.

 

Degree Programs
M.Div. M.Div./M.S.W. M.A. in Theological Studies D.Min.

5555 South Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637-1692
773.947.6300
Fax 773.288.2612
Web page: www.mccormick.edu

President’s office: 773.947.6301
Dean’s office: 773.947.6306
Registrar’s office: 773.947.6285

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Meadville/Lombard Theological School

Meadville/Lombard is an independent theological school affiliated with the University of Chicago and with the Unitarian Universalist Association. The mission of the school includes empowerment of liberal religious congregations and voluntary associations through preparing men and women for ministry, religious education and community outreach. Meadville/Lombard’s educational process includes teaching, research, critical reflection and institutional outreach, and dialogue with persons of non-Christian faiths. The school offers the M.Div., D.Min. (in sequence), and the M.A. in Religious Education degrees and is accredited.

 

Degree Programs
M.A. in Religious Education M.Div. D.Min (in sequence)

5701 South Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637-1602
773.256.3000
Fax 773.256.3007
Web page: www.meadville.edu

President’s office: 773.256.3000 ext. 224
Registrar’s office: 773.256.3000 ext. 234

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Mundelein Seminary of the University of St. Mary of the Lake

With roots in a charter granted more than 140 years ago, Mundelein Seminary of the University of St. Mary of the Lake prepares candidates academically, formationally and spiritually for the Roman Catholic priesthood. As a canonically erected Pontifical Theological Faculty, Mundelein Seminary of the University of St. Mary of the Lake is empowered to confer the bachelor, licentiate and doctoral degrees in sacred theology. Although originally most of the students attending Mundelein Seminary came from the Archdiocese of Chicago, its alumni now include students from other dioceses in the state of Illinois and throughout the country.

 

Degree Programs
M.Div. S.T.B. S.T.L. D.Min.

1000 E. Maple
Mundelein, IL 60060-1174
847.566.6401
Fax 847.566.7330
Web page: www.vocations.org

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North Park Theological Seminary
of North Park University

North Park Theological Seminary, founded in 1891, is the graduate school of theology of the Evangelical Covenant Church. It is a professional school designed to educate people for ministry, whether as pastors, missionaries, church educators or trained laity. The seminary is a community of professors, students and staff gathered not only for the purpose of theological study but also for worship, fellowship and the deepening of the spiritual life. The seminary also includes in its purposes the continuing education of ministers. It sees itself as a servant of the Church of Jesus Christ, and particularly of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

 

Degree Programs
M.Div. M.A.C.E. M.A.C.M. M.A.T.S. M.Div./M.B.A. M.Div./M.M. M.A.T.S./M.S.N. M.A.T.S./M.B.A. M.A.T.S./M.M. D.Min

3225 W. Foster Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625-4895
773.244.6210
Fax 773.244.6244
Web page: www.northpark.edu/sem

President’s office: 773.244.6214
Faculty Dean’s office: 773.244.6214
Seminary Registration: 773.244.6211

Records Office (transcripts): 773-244-5558

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Northern Baptist Theological Seminary

Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, founded in 1913, is a graduate seminary committed to the education of men and women for leadership in the churches. Our evangelical heritage commits us to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture for informing mission and ministry in the world. The seminary is a community of faith, theological inquiry, and worship and service, preparing persons for ordained ministries and other leadership roles in the church and relating Christian faith to life and vocation. The seminary is related to the American Baptist Churches, U.S.A., and welcomes students from all denominations and Christian traditions.

 

Degree Programs
M.A. M.A. in Worship and Spirituality M.A. in Youth Ministry M.A. in Christian Ministries M.Div. D.Min. (3 years in ministry prerequisite)

660 East Butterfield Road
Lombard, IL 60148-5698
630.620.2100
Fax 630.620.2194
Web page: www.seminary.edu

President’s office: 630.620.2101
Dean’s office: 630.620.2103
Registrar’s office: 630.620.2105

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Seabury-Western Theological Seminary

Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, one of 11 accredited seminaries of the Episcopal Church, is a largely residential seminary committed to providing excellence in academic preparation for congregational leadership. Worship, offered three times a day, is central to community life. The student body reflects the breadth of Anglican tradition, drawing students from 25 or more states each year. Located just across the street from Garrett-Evangelical Seminary, the two schools have joined forces to form the United Library, which provides an outstanding theological library of 340,000 volumes. Students studying at Seabury-Western experience the distinctive eclecticism that characterizes Anglicanism.

 

Degree Programs
M.Div. M.T.S. D.Min.

2122 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60201-2938
847.328.9300
Fax 847.328.9624
Web page: www.seabury.edu

President’s office: 847.328.9300 ext. 17
Associate Dean’s office: 847.328.9300 ext. 25
Registrar’s office: 847.328.9300 ext. 26

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Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
of Trinity International University

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is maintained by the Evangelical Free Church of America to educate men and women for a worldwide Christian ministry as pastors, missionaries, teachers, and lay workers who are committed to God for a particular service for which they recognize a need for seminary studies. The divinity school welcomes the opportunity of assisting students from all denominations and independent nondenominational churches who are seeking preparation for fruitful Christian life and ministry.

President	Gregory L. Waybright
Chancellor	Kenneth M. Meyer
Provost	Barry J. Beitzel
Executive Vice President/Operations	Milo D. Lundell
Senior Vice President of Business, Finance and Technology	Wesley L. Anderson
Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement	Theodore Y. Rodgers IV
Vice President for Enrollment	Roger Kieffer
Interim Academic Dean/Dir., Ph.D. Program, Intercultural Studies	Harold A. Netland
Associate Academic Dean	James R. Moore
Associate Dean of Academic Doctoral Programs	Paul G. Hiebert
Director of the Ph.D. Program in Theological Studies	Willem A. VanGemeren
Director of the Ph.D. Program in Educational Studies	Perry G. Downs
Director of Supervised Ministries	Michael P. Green
Director of Placement Director of Professional Doctoral Programs	Eugene Swanstrom Martin R. Crain
Director of Admissions	Kenneth V. Botton
Director of Records	TBA
Dean of the Chapel	H. Wayne Johnson
Dean of Students	Hutz Hertzberg
Interim Registrar	Donna Peterson

 

Degree Programs
M.A. (10 areas)	D. Min. (3 years’ experience prerequisite)
M.Div.	Ph.D. in Educational Studies (4 years’ experience prerequisite)
Th.M.	Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies (4 years’ experience prerequisite)
M.A.R.	Ph.D. in Theological Studies

2065 Half Day Road
Deerfield, IL 60015-1283
847.945.8800
Fax 847.317.8141
Web page: www.tiu.edu

President’s office: 847.317.8001
Academic Dean’s office: 847.317.8002
Director of Records: 847.317.8050

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Common Council of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools

Donald Senior, C.P.	Catholic Theological Union (CTU)
Gary Riebe-Estrella, SVD	Catholic Theological Union
Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite	Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS)
W. Dow Edgerton	Chicago Theological Seminary
Ted A. Campbell	Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (G-ETS)
Jack L. Seymour	Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
James Kenneth Echols	Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC)
Kathleen D. Billman	Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Cynthia M. Campbell	McCormick Theological Seminary (MTS)
David V. Esterline	McCormick Theological Seminary
William R. Murry	Meadville/Lombard Theological School (M/L)
John F. Canary	Mundelein Seminary (MS)
John G. Lodge	Mundelein Seminary
John E. Phelan, Jr.	North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS)
Stephen R. Graham	North Park Theological Seminary
Ian M. Chapman	Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (NBTS)
Timothy P. Weber	Northern Baptist Theological Seminary
James B. Lemler	Seabury-Western Theological Seminary (S-WTS)
Newland F. Smith 3d	Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
Gregory L. Waybright	Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS)
James R. Moore	Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

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Faculty Area Groups

(See ACTS Personnel section for biographical data.)