Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

The purpose of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is to serve the church and the world by educating men and women for participation in the continuing ministry of Jesus Christ. The seminary's primary goal is to serve the church by equipping those preparing for ordination as ministers of the Word and Sacrament. In addition, the seminary provides education for counselors, educators and other church leaders whose vocation invites professional training integrated with theological reflection. The seminary also serves as an educational resource through continuing education programs for ministers and other officers and members of the church. Through its commitment to scholarly research and teaching, the seminary provides a theological resource for the church by striving to interpret the gospel in an ever-changing world.

History and Location

Founded in 1853, Louisville Seminary shares the heritage of the earliest "western" seminaries and universities created to train ministers.

The present seminary has represented both the northern and southern streams of the Presbyterian Church since 1901, when Danville and Louisville Seminaries joined to support the oldest and best example of a unified Presbyterian witness after the Civil War.

The seminary's wooded 69-and-a-half-acre campus stands on a hilltop overlooking Seneca and Cherokee Parks, both of which were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who also designed New York City's Central Park. The seminary grounds include the historic Gardencourt mansion, a rare example of Beaux Arts architecture that is surrounded by fourteen acres of formal gardens and landscaping, also designed by Olmstead. The seminary is close to downtown Louisville and the Ohio River, and its students benefit greatly from the seminary's proximity to the national center of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The location provides students and faculty with many opportunities to practice and learn about ministry in smaller congregations and communities throughout central Kentucky and southern Indiana.

What programs does Louisville Seminary offer?

Louisville Seminary has more than 250 students studying in the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Religion, Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, Master of Theology, and Doctor of Ministry degree programs.

Louisville Seminary is one of four theological schools in the United States with an accredited master's program in marriage and family therapy. In addition, the seminary is home to The Louisville Institute, a program of the Lilly Endowment, Inc. dedicated to leadership education and the scholarly support of American religion. The seminary is also home to the Center for Congregations and Family Ministries, which works to strengthen the church's ability to support families and their capacity to nurture the life of faith. In November1998, Louisville Seminary became the recipient of a $1.5 million Lilly Endowment grant for the instruction and support of the use of the Bible in the spiritual development of congregations.