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Background
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Seminaries
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Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) is one of six official seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention. It is located in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary also houses an undergraduate college, Midwestern Baptist College, SBC. Although the seminary focuses primarily on graduate level education, there are diploma options available. The current president is Dr. R. Philip Roberts.
Midwestern Seminary was officially founded on May 29, 1957 when the Southern Baptist Convention voted to establish the institution and elected a board of trustees. Since that time, the trustees have been regularly and exclusively elected by the Southern Baptist Convention. Under the leadership of the original board of trustees, the seminary was established in 1958 in northern Kansas City, Missouri with six faculty members and 136 students. Most of the property on which the seminary is housed was donated by the Vivion family to the seminary. The Vivion farm home has been restored and is now used for special events and to house special guests of the seminary.
Doctrinally, MBTS is controlled by the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message. Every member of the faculty and administration is required to sign a statement agreeing to the precepts of this document. While students are required to be Christians, they are not required to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.
Educationally, MBTS is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) and The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC). The seminary is accredited to offer several Master's degrees that are generally classified as Master of Divinity (MDiv) and Master of Arts. In the MDiv program, concentrations are available in the traditional MDiv, Christian Education, Collegiate Ministries, International Church Planting, North American Church Planting, Urban Ministry, Worship Leadership and Youth Ministry. Master of Arts degrees are available in Christian Education Degree, Christian Education Degree plus Worship Leadership Concentration, Church Music, Counseling, Biblical Archaeology and Biblical Languages. At the doctoral level, MBTS offers two professional doctorates: Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) and Doctor of Educational Ministry (D.Ed.Min.) and a research doctorate PhD in Old Testament or New Testament studies. The seminary also offers a Graduate Certificate in Christian Foundations for Lay Ministers. Midwestern Baptist College, SBC offers undergraduate degrees.
In 2010, Midwestern Baptist College launched a Master of Arts in Theological Studies degree 100% online. Additionally, in 2010 ground was broken on a new 1000 seat chapel.
The purpose statement of Midwestern Seminary was revised in 2008 to read, "Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary serves the church by biblically educating God-called men and women to be and to make disciples of Jesus Christ."
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