Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary

Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary (G-ETS) is a graduate school of theology of The United Methodist Church located in Evanston, Illinois. It is located a few miles north of Chicago on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. The seminary offers a number of masters and doctoral-level degree programs in theology and is actively engaged in outreach to congregations focusing in the Midwest but with influence around the world.

History^[2]

Founded in 1853^[3] through the liberality of Mrs. Eliza Garrett,^[4] Garrett-Evangelical is the result of the interweaving of three institutions:

• Garrett Biblical Institute, the first Methodist seminary in the Midwest, was established in 1853 by largely the same church people who founded Northwestern University. Its founders hoped that the school would shape mind and spirit toward an educated ministry.
• The Chicago Training School, established in 1885, was an important force for women in ministry and for developing service agencies throughout Chicago. Chicago Training School merged with Garrett Biblical Institute in 1934.
• Evangelical Theological Seminary, located in Naperville and founded as a seminary of the Evangelical Church (later the Evangelical United Brethren) in 1873. Garrett-Evangelical was formed in 1974 when the Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston merged with the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville, Illinois (both UMC schools). The merged school occupied the Garrett campus.^[3]

Garrett-Evangelical is on the campus of Northwestern University and continues many associations with the university. The school was a pioneer institution in preparing women for ministry.^[5] The Chicago Training School for Home and Foreign Missions for women was merged into Garrett Biblical Institute in 1930. Dr. Georgia Harkness was the first woman to hold the post of professor of theology at any seminary in the United States. The Center for the Church and the Black Experience was one of the earliest centers focusing on ministry and the African American experience.

Degree programs^[6]

Masters Level

• Master of Divinity
• Master of Arts in Christian Education
• Master of Arts in Music Ministry
• Master of Arts in Pastoral Care and Counseling
• Master of Arts in Pastoral Care and Counseling - Clinical Training Track
• Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation & Evangelism
• Master of Theological Studies (MTS)

Doctoral Level

Garrett-Evangelical offers six Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) concentrations:

• Biblical Studies^[7]
• Christian Education & Congregational Studies^[8]
• History of Christianity and Historical Theology^[9]
• Liturgical Studies^[10]
• Pastoral Theology, Personality and Culture (Clinical Training Track also available)^[11]
• Theological and Ethical Studies^[12]

Garrett-Evangelical also offers five Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) tracks:

• Community Organizing^[13]
• Congregational Leadership^[14]
• Spiritual Direction^[15]
• Strategic Leadership for Black Congregations^[16]
• Preaching (in cooperation with ACTS, the Association of Chicago Theological Schools)^[17]

UM Programs

• Basic Graduate Theological Studies: For those seeking Deacon's orders in the United Methodist Church
• Certification Studies: For those seeking Certification in the United Methodist Church

• Children's Ministry
• Music Ministry
• Christian Education
• Spiritual Formation
• Evangelism
• Youth Ministry

• Course of Study School: For United Methodist local pastors
• Advanced Course of Study: For local pastors who have completed Course of Study School and are seeking Elder's orders in the United Methodist Church

Connections^[18]

Northwestern University

Garrett-Evangelical and Northwestern University have a relationship that is almost a century and a half old. Common founders established both institutions to provide an educated ministry for an educated church. Over the decades, the institutions have shared numerous resources, including courses, buildings, faculties, libraries, parking, and technology.

Today, the Garrett-Evangelical learning community is deeply enhanced through its relationship with Northwestern:

• Library resources and access (both physical and virtual);
• E-mail and other forms of information technology;
• Ph.D. coursework and dissertation advising;
• Recreational facilities and opportunities;
• International student assistance;
• Many cultural events and special lectures and programs.

The Association of Chicago Theological Schools

The Chicago area boasts the greatest concentration of seminaries per capita of anywhere in the U.S. The Chicago area schools are organized into a cluster called The Association of Chicago Theological Schools. Garrett-Evangelical is one of the 11 member schools. The ACTS website states:

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 3,000 students currently enrolled at its member schools is a faculty of more than 350, more than 1,000 courses offered annually, and library collections of 1.7 million volumes and nearly 5,000 currently received periodical subscriptions.^[19]

Ecumenical Theological Seminary Program

Garrett-Evangelical cooperates with the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit in a program that enables students to take up to half of their work toward a master's degree in Detroit.

Dual Degree in Social Work with Loyola University

Garrett-Evangelical and the School of Social Work of Loyola University of Chicago have a cooperative agreement for a dual degree program leading to the MSW at Loyola and the MDiv at Garrett-Evangelical. Selected courses may be applied to the respective degrees at each school. Students must be admitted to both schools.

Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education

Garrett-Evangelical has historically collaborated with SCUPE (Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education), which used to exist as a program to empower seminarians for urban ministry.^[20] In February 2017, SCUPE underwent restructuring and became OMNIA Institute for Contextual Leadership, which is now focused on global training in all walks of life.^[21] As OMNIA moves its mission away from the seminary focus, it has maintained its relationship with Garrett-Evangelical, but classes no longer count for credit. In place of the SCUPE classes, Garrett-Evangelical has worked to offer more contextually appropriate and public theology-focused classes.

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary

Garrett-Evangelical and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) have partnered to provide students at AMBS seeking ordination in the United Methodist Church the opportunity to earn a certificate in United Methodist Studies from Garrett-Evangelical. In return, AMBS will provide a set of courses for a concentration and/or certificate in Peace Studies for Garrett-Evangelical students.

Some of these courses will be made available online, some by intensive courses in January and the summer, and some during regular semester terms on the campuses in Evanston or Elkhart. Another component of the partnership is that each school will also provide staff to advise students in fulfilling the expectations for these certificates.

Notable alumni

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

• Edsel Albert Ammons (B.D., 1956) - a Bishop of the United Methodist Church
• Hobart Baumann Amstutz (B.D.) - a Bishop of The Methodist Church
• James Hal Cone (M.Div.) - Father of Black Liberation Theology
• Don Wendell Holter (B.D., 1930) - a Bishop of the United Methodist Church
• Jonathan D. Keaton (M.Div., 1971; S.T.D., 1979) - a Bishop of the United Methodist Church
• David J. Lawson (B.D., 1959) - a Bishop of the United Methodist Church
• George McGovern (No degree, 1946) - Historian, Politician, and 1972 Democratic Presidential Candidate
• J. Gordon Melton (M.Div., 1968) - a research specialist in religion and New Religious Movements
• Smokie Norful (attended) - American gospel singer and pianist who won a Grammy at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 2004
• Lloyd John Ogilvie (M.Theology) - Presbyterian minister, author, and former Chaplain of the United States Senate
• John S. Stamm (graduate of Evangelical Theological Seminary-Naperville, Illinois [E.T.S.]) - Bishop of the Evangelical Church
• John McKendree Springer (B.D. from Garrett Biblical Institute, 1901) - pioneering Methodist missionary in Africa and bishop
• Elmer Towns (M.R.E. from Garrett Theological Seminary) - Co-Founder of Liberty University^[22]
• Bruce R. Ough (M.Div., 1978) - a Bishop of the United Methodist Church
• Henry C. Schadeberg (B.D., 1941) - politician
• James Zwerg - a freedom rider before attending seminary
• Distinguished alumni/ae identified by the seminary^[23] include John Kurewa, Lyle Schaller, Bishop Rueben Philip Job, Bishop Donald Ott, Bishop Sharon Rader, Myron McCoy (President of St. Paul School of Theology, Dr. John Wesley Kurawa, Bishop Beverly J. Shamana, Bishop Charlene P. Kammerer, Bishop Jesse DeWitt, Howard Clinebell, the Rev. Sanford Brown, and Dr. Abraham Vereide.

Faculty/former faculty

• Edsel Albert Ammons - Professor, 1968–76
• Wayne K. Clymer - Professor of Pastoral Care, 1946–57; Dean, 1957–67; President, 1967-72 (all at Evangelical Theological Seminary, Naperville, Illinois); Bishop of the United Methodist Church (1972-)
• Don Wendell Holter - Professor of Church History and Missions (1949–58); then Founding President of St. Paul School of Theology
• Rosemary Keller - Historian and United Methodist scholar
• Robert Jewett - Biblical Scholar and commentator
• Jonathan D. Keaton - Graduate Teaching Assistant in Communications, Ethics and Society, and Church and the Black Experience (1970's at Garrett and Garrett-Evangelical)
• Larry Murphy - Historian specialising in African Religions
• John S. Stamm - Professor of Systematic Theology at E.T.S. (1919–26)
• Helmer Ringgren
• Georgia Harkness
• Rosemary Reuther—Progressive Catholic & Feminist Scholar

References

External links

• Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Homepage