Fuller Theological Seminary

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Full Name: Fuller Theological Seminary
Founded: 1947

Website: http://www.fuller.edu

Email / Contact Form: https://www.applyweb.com/public/inquiry?ftsinq

Phone: 1-800-2FULLER
Address: 135 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena, CA  91182, USA

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Purpose Statement:

Fuller Theological Seminary, embracing the Schools of Theology, Psychology, and Intercultural Studies, is an evangelical, multidenominational, international and multiethnic community dedicated to the equipping of men and women for the manifold ministries of Christ and his Church. Under the authority of Scripture it seeks to fulfill its commitment to ministry through graduate education, professional development and spiritual formation. In all of its activities, including instruction, nurture, worship, service, research and publication, Fuller Theological Seminary strives for excellence in the service of Jesus Christ, under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of the Father.

Institutional Student Learning Outcomes

Fuller Theological Seminary continues to develop an academic posture of learning-centered education. We as a faculty, staff, and administration are committed to providing the highest level of educational effectiveness possible through a healthy “culture of assessment.” This culture includes institution goals above and beyond accreditation standards, regular program review, and clear communication of criteria and standards to students, creating equal accountability between the student, faculty and the pedagogy. Student Learning Outcomes are articulated by each academic program and for each course. The Institutional Learning Outcomes are as follows:

* Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of Christian theology, ministry, and spirituality
* Graduates will be aware of and critically engage ecclesial, societal, and global issues from Christian theological perspectives and demonstrate the ability to make informed choices toward positive change
* Graduates will demonstrate the ability to identify critical issues of diversity and make appropriate responses
* Graduates will be able to pursue careers consistent with their education

The Mission Beyond The Mission

Beyond the immediate purpose of the nurture and training of students for the ministries of Christ, the faculty and Board of Trustees of Fuller Theological Seminary see a further mission. In 1983, they adopted a statement entitled “The Mission Beyond The Mission,” which sets forth the vision that will give further direction to the seminary’s planning and priorities. The statement is organized around five imperatives:

* Imperative One: Go and make disciples
* Imperative Two: Call the church of Christ to renewal
* Imperative Three: Work for the moral health of society
* Imperative Four: Seek peace and justice in the world
* Imperative Five: Uphold the truth of God’s revelation

These imperatives form an important part of the seminary’s long-range planning process.

Description:

As one of North America’s largest seminaries, Fuller is training Christian leaders for service in the new millennium.

Fuller provides students with a university-style education in its Schools of Theology, Intercultural Studies , and Psychology. The seminary is widely known for its racial and denominational diversity, with more than 4,300 students from over 67 countries and over 108 denominations.

Noted for helping to shape today’s evangelicalism, Fuller remains on the front lines of evangelical thought, while committed to evangelism and mission that is grounded in scholarship.

Fuller currently has 80 resident and 84 adjunct faculty. The main campus is located in Southern California, a veritable laboratory for men and women dedicated to ministry, mission, and service. Fuller prepares followers of Christ to become leaders in his service.

Regions Served:

School of Theology

* Master of Divinity
* Master of Arts in Christian Leadership
o Laity
o Youth, Family, and Culture
* Master of Arts in Evangelism
* Master of Arts in Family Life Education
* Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry
o African-American Church Format
o Latino Church Format
* Master of Arts in Recovery Ministry
* Master of Arts in Theology
o General Format
o Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literature
o Biblical Studies and Theology: Basic
o Biblical Studies and Theology: Biblical Studies Emphasis
o Biblical Studies and Theology: Theological Studies Emphasis
o Theology and the Arts
* Master of Arts in Worship and Music Ministry
* Master of Arts in Worship, Theology and the Arts
* Master of Arts in Youth, Family, and Culture
* Doctor of Ministry
* Korean Doctor of Ministry Program
* Doctor of Philosophy
* Master of Theology
* Certificate of Christian Studies
* Certificate in Recovery Ministry
* Certificate in Youth Ministry

School of Psychology

Department of Clinical Psychology

* Doctor of Philosophy
* Doctor of Psychology

Department of Marriage and Family

* Master of Science in Marital and Family Therapy
* Master of Arts in Family Studies
* Certificate in Marriage & Family Enrichment

School of Intercultural Studies

* Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies
* Master of Arts in Crosscultural Studies
* Master of Arts in Global Leadership
* Korean Language Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies
* Master of Theology in Missiology
* Korean Language Master of Theology in Missiology
* Doctor of Missiology
* Doctor of Philosophy in Intercultural Studies
* Korean Language Doctor of Ministry in Global Ministries
* Certificate of Christian Studies
* Certificate in Crosscultural Healthcare
* Certificate in Global Christian Worship
* Special and Cooperative Programs
o Dual Degrees with M.A. ICS or M.A. CCS
+ MBA in International Development with Hope University
+ M.A. in TESOL at Biola University

All-Seminary Program

* Certificate in Urban Youth Ministry

Statement of Faith:

Evangelical Commitment

The Fuller Theological Seminary community– trustees, faculty, staff and students–believe that Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Holy Scripture and proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit, is the only ground for a person’s reconciliation to God. The seminary assumes, then, a commitment to:

* An evangelical fervor which flows out of an emphasis on the character of God himself;
* The practice of evangelism in every culture of the world;
* A constant engagement with Scripture, testing all things by it;
* Engagement in responsible Christian community through corporate worship and mutual supporting love in the bonds of the grace of Christ;
* Godly living; Christlikeness in word and deed;
* Confidence in the unity of God’s truth in its application to the spiritual, psychological and cultural development of men and women.

Doctrinal Perspective

Doctrinally the institution stands for the fundamentals of the faith as taught in Holy Scripture and handed down by the Church. Consistent with this purpose, the faculty and trustees of the seminary acknowledge the creeds of the early church and the confessions of the Protestant communions to which they severally belong, and, among recent evangelical statements, the Lausanne Covenant (1974).

Statement Of Faith

Under God, and subject to biblical authority, the faculty, administrators, and trustees of the seminary bear concerted witness to the following articles, to which they subscribe, and which they hold to be essential to their ministry.

I. God has revealed himself to be the living and true God, perfect in love and righteous in all his ways; one in essence, existing eternally in the three persons of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

II. God, who discloses himself through his creation, has savingly spoken in the words and events of redemptive history. This history is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, who is made known to us by the Holy Spirit in sacred Scripture.

III. Scripture is an essential part and trustworthy record of this divine self-disclosure. All the books of the Old and New Testaments, given by divine inspiration, are the written word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice. They are to be interpreted according to their context and purpose and in reverent obedience to the Lord who speaks through them in living power.

IV. God, by his Word and for his glory, freely created the world of nothing. He made man and woman in his own image, as the crown of creation, that they might have fellowship with him. Tempted by Satan, they rebelled against God. Being estranged from their Maker, yet responsible to him, they became subject to divine wrath, inwardly depraved, and, apart from grace, incapable of returning to God.

V. The only Mediator between God and humankind is Christ Jesus our Lord, God’s eternal Son, who, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, fully shared and fulfilled our humanity in a life of perfect obedience. By his death in our stead, he revealed the divine love and upheld divine justice, removing our guilt and reconciling us to God. Having redeemed us from sin, the third day he rose bodily from the grave, victorious over death and the powers of darkness. He ascended into heaven where, at God’s right hand, he intercedes for his people and rules as Lord over all.

VI. The Holy Spirit, through the proclamation of the gospel, renews our hearts, persuading us to repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Lord. By the same Spirit we are led to trust in divine mercy, whereby we are forgiven all our sins, justified by faith alone through the merit of Christ our Savior and granted the free gift of eternal life.

VII. God graciously adopts us into his family and enables us to call him Father. As we are led by the Spirit, we grow in the knowledge of the Lord, freely keeping his commandments and endeavoring so to live in the world that all may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.

VIII. God, by his Word and Spirit, creates the one holy catholic and apostolic church, calling sinners out of the whole human race into the fellowship of Christ’s body. By the same Word and Spirit, he guides and preserves for eternity that new, redeemed humanity, which, being formed in every culture, is spiritually one with the people of God in all ages.

IX. The church is summoned by Christ to offer acceptable worship to God and to serve him by preaching the gospel and making disciples of all nations, by tending the flock through the ministry of the word and sacraments and through daily pastoral care, by striving for social justice and by relieving human distress and need.

X. God’s redemptive purpose will be consummated by the return of Christ to raise the dead, to judge all people according to the deeds done in the body and to establish his glorious kingdom. The wicked shall be separated from God’s presence, but the righteous, in glorious bodies, shall live and reign with him forever. Then shall the eager expectation of creation be fulfilled and the whole earth shall proclaim the glory of God who makes all things new.

History:

The Founding. The founding of Fuller Theological Seminary resulted from the combination of the dreams of two well-known evangelical leaders, Charles E. Fuller, famous radio evangelist, and Harold John Ockenga, pastor of the Park Street Church, Boston. In Dr. Ockenga, Dr. Fuller found one who not only shared his zeal for evangelism and mission, but one whose academic achievements suited him well for a role in founding a theological seminary.

In May, 1947, the two men and four other evangelical scholars met in downtown Chicago for a time of seeking God’s will concerning the feasibility of launching a new theological seminary. So strong was the spirit of prayer that the participants were convinced that God was indeed leading them into this venture of faith, and Fuller Theological Seminary was launched. As the result of announcements made on the “Old Fashioned Revival Hour” that summer, 39 students enrolled in the first entering class in the fall of 1947. Charter members of the faculty were Drs. Everett F. Harrison, Carl F. H. Henry, Harold Lindsell and Wilbur M. Smith. Trustees Herbert J. Taylor of Chicago, Arnold Grunigen of San Francisco, Dr. R. C. Logefeil of Minneapolis, together with Drs. Ockenga and Fuller (chairman), formed the founding Board of Trustees.

Fuller Seminary was named after Henry Fuller, a devout Christian layman who actively supported many Christian causes in this country and overseas.

The Early Years. For the next six years, the seminary was housed in the buildings of the Lake Avenue Congregational Church of Pasadena. During this time, it grew to a student body of 250 and a faculty of 15, with 152 graduates. In the fall of 1953, the seminary moved to its present location and a suitable building which had been constructed specifically for its use.

The Presidents. By making frequent flights from Boston to Pasadena, Dr. Ockenga served as president until 1954, when Edward John Carnell was appointed the first resident presiding officer. Dr. Ockenga became the chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Dr. Fuller, honorary chairman. A number of notable advances were made during Dr. Carnell’s five years as president, among which were receiving full accreditation by the American Association of Theological Schools in December 1957, the addition of several key faculty and board members, and an increase in student enrollment to over 300, with 524 graduates.

President Carnell resigned his position in 1959 to give himself fully to teaching and writing, and Dr. Ockenga again became president. During his second term (1959-1963) the McAlister Library was completed.

In 1963 the Board of Trustees appointed David Allan Hubbard to the office of president. A Fuller graduate (B.D., Th.M.), Dr. Hubbard had proved his potential for Christian leadership through doctoral studies at St. Andrews University in Scotland, a professorship at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, and a widespread college conference ministry. Major advancements under President Hubbard’s guidance included the introduction of the core curriculum, the inauguration of the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in the School of Theology, and the founding of the Schools of Psychology and World Mission. Accreditation for the three schools by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges was received in 1969.

When Dr. Hubbard retired in June of 1993 after 30 years as president, an international search culminated in the appointment of Richard Mouw as president. Dr. Mouw had come to Fuller in 1985 as professor of Christian philosophy and ethics after 17 years on the faculty of Calvin College, and had served since 1989 as provost and senior vice president at Fuller.

The School of Psychology. In May 1961, Dr. John G. Finch, consulting psychologist from Tacoma, Washington, delivered a series of lectures at Fuller on the theological and psychological dimensions of humankind. Dr. Finch’s vision sparked the idea for a School of Psychology parallel in theory and training to the School of Theology.

Through the interest and generosity of a trustee of Fuller Theological Seminary, Mr. C. Davis Weyerhaeuser, and Mrs. Weyerhaeuser, further study and planning for the school was made possible. A steering committee, consisting of distinguished psychiatrists, psychologists and theologians, was formed in 1962 to work with nationally-known authorities in psychology. In November 1964, the opening of the Pasadena Community Counseling Center, under the direction of Dr. Donald F. Tweedie, Jr., initiated the first phase of the new program. A strategic three-year grant totaling $125,000 from Lilly Endowment, Inc., in 1964 enabled Fuller to plan on accepting students for the 1965-66 school year.

Dr. Lee Edward Travis was appointed dean of the School of Psychology in the fall of 1964 and assumed his duties in January 1965. That September, 25 full-time and four part-time students, a faculty of six, a visiting faculty of five and one postdoctoral fellow initiated the program of the new school. In December of 1972, the American Psychological Association granted approval to the doctoral program in clinical psychology (Ph.D.) of the School of Psychology.

The School of Psychology expanded its community service/training/research programs by opening the Child Development Clinic in 1968, the Church Consultation Service in 1969, the Victim Assistance Program in 1976, Covenant House (a residential treatment facility for children) in 1979, Heritage House for Gerontology Services in 1979, the Inter-Community Alternatives Network (I-CAN) in 1980, the Stop Abusive Family Environments (SAFE) Program and the Community Assistance Program for Seniors (CAPS) In-Home Services in 1981, The Project IV Family Outreach (developed in cooperation with several other community agencies) in 1981, the CAPS Day Treatment Program for Seniors in 1983, Gero-Net in 1985, the Sponsors Project and The Junction in 1986, and the Relationship Counseling Clinic in 1987. Beginning in 1976 all training components in the School of Psychology were organized under The Psychological Center. Reorganization within the Center in 1990 has brought all gerontological services together as the Center for Aging Resources, while the outpatient services for children, adult individuals and marriage and family have come together as Fuller Psychological and Family Services.

In 1987, the academic program of the School of Psychology was expanded with the addition of a second doctoral degree, the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree, and the move of the Marriage and Family program from the School of Theology to the School of Psychology. A professional doctorate in marriage and family therapy (D.MFT.) was added to the Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy and Ph.D.s in Marriage and Family Studies and Marital and Family Therapy in 1988. The M.A. curriculum was revised and renamed as a Master of Science in Marital and Family Therapy in 1991.

In 1991 the Lee Edward Travis Institute for Biopsychosocial Research was inaugurated. The Institute provides a distinctive research unit within the Fuller School of Psychology in which interested faculty, research collaborators and students can engage in regular and ongoing activities with a common focus. It also fosters collaborative research in the broad areas of health psychology, behavioral medicine, neuropsychology, psychoneuro-immunology, psychophysiology, and others. The Travis Institute became the second entity of its kind in the School of Psychology, joining the Institute for Marriage and Family, which had been in existence since the early 1980’s when the Marriage and Family Program was a part of the School of Theology. The goal of this institute is to strengthen the effectiveness of marriage and family ministries in the worldwide church by utilizing research to develop materials, technologies, media, and other practical applications that support Christian marriage and family living.

The School of Intercultural Studies (formerly World Mission). In 1961, Dr. Donald A. McGavran founded in Eugene, Oregon, a graduate research and teaching center based on the belief that the growth of the church is the chief and irreplaceable function of Christian mission. The Institute of Church Growth flourished, supported by Northwest Christian College.

In 1964, under the leadership of President Hubbard, a faculty committee was appointed at Fuller to explore the founding of a school of world evangelism. It thoroughly canvassed the field and reviewed programs of seminaries and missionary training schools across the nation. A steering committee of 24 noted missionary leaders was appointed to guide the formation of the school and the choice of the faculty.

In the spring of 1965, the seminary’s plan having matured, Dr. McGavran was invited to become dean of its School of World Mission and to bring to it his colleague, Dr. Alan R. Tippett. Northwest Christian College cordially agreed to the proposal, and on September 1, 1965, the School of World Mission and Institute of Church Growth became the third in the Fuller complex of schools, offering master’s degrees in missiology. In 1970, the professional doctorate (D.Miss.) was launched, and in 1976, the Ph.D. program in missiology. In 1975, the In-Service Mission Research Program was started to provide graduate/research courses on the field. Men and women could now shorten the time they must be away from their mission field for formal study by completing a portion of the work in the field.

For many years, courses in the In-Service Program were available only to students outside the United States, except for missionaries on furlough and qualified mission executives. Approval was received from the Association of Theological Schools in 1993 to expand the delivery of these courses to include all students residing in the United States. In 1995 this program became part of the seminary’s new Individualized Distance Learning program, administered by the Division of Continuing and Extended Education.

Facing the need for a quality training program for candidates preparing for service in the mission field, the School of World Mission in 1975 began the Cross-Cultural Studies Program. Men and women preparing for service in all kinds of cross-cultural situations could pursue a specially designed program leading to the Master of Arts degree in the School of World Mission or the Master of Divinity degree in the School of Theology. This emphasis was expanded with the inauguration of the Ph.D. program in intercultural studies in 1981.

The School of World Mission expanded its outreach in 1980, when Fuller Theological Seminary joined with the Fuller Evangelistic Association in the establishment of the Charles E. Fuller Institute of Evangelism and Church Growth. This institute, no longer affiliated with Fuller Seminary, provided churches with training, research, and service in evangelism and church growth until its closure.

In 1992, the School of World Mission expanded its M.A. and Th.M. offerings and shifted the curriculum to reflect more of an adult learning perspective. The shift included the design of fifteen concentrations in missiology and a much wider potential in individually designed, ministry focused specializations.

In 1994, the School of World Mission initiated the Doctor of Ministry in Global Ministries to meet the needs of international church leaders, missionaries, and mission executives who are seeking in-service, advanced, professional missiological education to be better equipped for their ministries. Beginning in 1996, the School extended its international offerings through an increased focus on cooperative arrangements and partnerships with other educational institutions, missions, and interested agencies.

In 2003, after two years of careful consideration, the name of the school was changed to the School of Intercultural Studies. In the midst of rapid changes globally, graduates shared urgent concerns that the former name, the School of World Mission, created obstacles for their work. In order to address the needs of its alumni/ae and their efforts to serve Jesus Christ, the change was proposed by the faculty and adopted by the Board of Trustees.

The School of Theology. During the 1970s several innovative programs were developed by the School of Theology. In 1970, Fuller introduced a new emphasis on the ministry of lay persons, inaugurating a Master of Arts program to help them assume a larger role in the leadership of the church. The theological studies program for minority ministers began in 1973. Mature African-American and Hispanic pastors who had not had the opportunity to complete a standard baccalaureate degree were invited to enroll in an M.A. program designed to strengthen their performance as community and church leaders. By fall, 1979, approximately 112 African-American and Hispanic pastors were studying in this program, both at the Pasadena campus and in the extension centers. At this time a program for Asian pastors was inaugurated, with 11 students enrolled in the M.A. program and 34 students in the D.Min. program within six months. In October, 1977, 90 Young Life staff trainees entered the Institute of Youth Ministries, a cooperative program between the School of Theology and Young Life. The Institute combined the theological resources of Fuller Seminary with the field training expertise of Young Life to offer the Master of Arts and the Master of Divinity with concentration in youth ministries. In 1997, the Seminary redesigned the Institute of Youth Ministries as an outreach to youth workers from a variety of youth ministry parachurch organizations.

During this same period, a number of concentrations were developed within the M.A. and M.Div. programs of the School of Theology, giving students the opportunity for special preparation in the areas of Christian formation and discipleship, family pastoral care and counseling, marriage and family ministries and youth ministries. The Graduate Studies Program expanded to offer both Th.M. and Ph.D. degrees with majors in Old Testament, New Testament, biblical studies, hermeneutics, historical theology, systematic theology, and philosophical theology. In 1988, the Graduate Studies Program was reorganized as the Center for Advanced Theological Studies. A major in practical theology was added in 1993.

The School of Theology began a new decade of innovation in 1990 with the inauguration of two new concentrations in the Master of Arts in Theology program, family life education and Christian higher education. A special concentration in spirituality and spiritual direction was added in 1996-1997. In June of 1992 a new degree program, the Master of Arts in Christian Leadership, was approved by the Association of Theological Schools. Enrollment in this program, with concentrations in ministry of the laity, adolescent ministries, and Christian higher education, began in the fall of 1992 on the Pasadena campus and at Fuller’s Extended Education sites.

Continuing and Extended Education. In 1973, Fuller Seminary opened extension centers in other cities for the training of lay persons in the context of the local church. By the fall of 1979, extension programs were operating in six cities in the western United States, with the MA in Theology available through the Seattle, San Francisco Bay and Southern California Extensions. In the 2003-2004 academic year, Fuller enrolled over 1,300 students in its Southern California, Northern California, Northwest, Southwest, and Colorado Extended Education areas. The seminary broke new ground in theological education in 1992 with the development of a new cohort model for the Master of Divinity degree which allows selected students to complete the entire degree in Seattle. This program, approved by the Association for Theological Schools, has since been made available in Menlo Park, California and Phoenix, Arizona as well.

In 1995 Fuller expanded the work begun by the School of World Mission’s In-Service Program to include courses in biblical studies and theology, renaming the program the Individualized Distance Learning (IDL) Program and giving responsibility for its administration to the Division of Continuing and Extended Education. In 1999, the renamed Distance Learning Office began the development of Fuller’s first online courses, with a selection of of School of World Mission courses available in Fall 1999.

The School of Theology began a continuing education program for professional ministers in the fall of 1974. A specially planned model of the Doctor of Ministry offered the resources of the three schools of Fuller Seminary in intensive instructional modules designed to develop the minister’s professional skills in the context of his or her ministry. In 1978, a new phase of Fuller’s ongoing concern for the continuing education of pastors and lay leaders was inaugurated with the National Convocation of Christian Leaders at Stanford University. In 1985, the Doctor of Ministry program, Extended Education, The Lowell W. Berry Institute for Continuing Education in Ministry, and the Institute for Christian Organizational Development were organized to form a fourth administrative unit in the seminary, Continuing and Extended Education. In 1999, this part of Fuller became the Horner Center for Lifelong Learning, named in honor of a member of Fuller’s Board of Trustees.

In 1995, building on a long history of assisting in providing theological education in Korea, Fuller Seminary inaugurated a Korean Doctor of Ministry program, providing a specialized course of study for Korean-American and Korean pastors based on instruction in the Korean language and allowing students to complete half of their course work in Korea.

Fifty Years of Service. During the academic year of 1997-1998, the Fuller Seminary community celebrated its fiftieth anniversary of training men and women for the manifold ministries of Christ and his Church. Hundreds of alumni/ae serving throughout the world returned to the Pasadena campus to join with faculty, administration, students, and friends to celebrate fifty memorable years. The theme of the Jubilee Celebration, “An unchanging focus for an ever-changing world,” was heralded by worship services, seminars, and special events to help launch Fuller, now the largest multidenominational seminary in the world, into the twenty-first century.