RICHMOND — Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond will move this summer to a new location in an office complex about four miles north of its current campus, seminary officials announced April 2.
The nearly 17,000-square foot building in Villa Park, near the intersection of Brook and Parham roads and about a half mile from Interstate 95, is being refurbished to provide classrooms, offices, a study area and a student lounge. Renovations will be completed in time for the fall semester.
The commercial complex is named for nearby St. Joseph’s Villa, a 179-year-old children’s home started by a Catholic religious order but which now maintains a non-sectarian identity.
BTSR trustee chair Virginia Darnell and Bert Browning, chair of the seminary relocation committee, unveil a sign in front of a building that will house the school’s new campus. (BTSR photo)
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“A diligent search has led us to a property uniquely suited for BTSR’s commitment to theological education in the 21st century,” Bert Browning, a Richmond pastor who chairs the seminary’s relocation committee, said in a press release. “The new site will allow the seminary flexibility and a fresh setting in which to engage a new generation of students. It will give BTSR a platform like no other seminary for fulfilling its mission."
The relocation will complete a process begun in March 2011, when trustees approved the sale of the seminary’s campus and eventual move, both to broaden BTSR’s mission and to achieve financial stability. The 21-year-old school has been at its current location since 1997, when it bought buildings originally owned by the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, across the street from Union Theological Seminary.
Trustees authorized president Ron Crawford to sign a lease on a new site at their meeting March 18.
BTSR is selling about 60 percent of its campus to Veritas School, a private K-12 Christian academy. The seminary will temporarily retain ownership of one building — Kraemer Hall — for student housing and has put another building adjacent to the current campus on the market.
Crawford said the “strategically-located venue” will enhance BTSR’s mission.
“In some ways the seminary is moving nearer the intersection with modern life — off an interstate exit in a quaint setting near a commercial center with Starbucks, Walmart, Lowe’s, two grocery stores, Firehouse Subs, Subway, a beer distributor, a laboratory, a community college, a banking data center and historic St. Joseph’s Villa, which ministers to children in crisis,” he said. “This new location will facilitate our mission of preparing women and men for ministry in a rapidly changing world.”
Trustee chair Virginia Darnell of Richmond echoed Crawford’s assessment.
“I’m excited. This move is a big step forward for the seminary,” she said. “We will have a state-of-the-art facility that has been built out just for BTSR. This new facility will help us grow and continue to fulfill our mission. We are the same school, with the same values and dreams in a new location.”
Students were given an advance look at the seminary’s new home April 1. “This location is so much more than I ever expected,” said student government moderator Lacy Kendrick. “I can’t wait to start classes here in September.”
Charlotte Evans said the site “embodies the energy, enthusiasm and educational excellence of BTSR.” Another student, Kristen Koger, was struck by future possibilities. “The space gives us plenty of opportunity for growth and creativity,” she said.
The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, which has leased space on BTSR’s campus, will join the seminary at its new site. “The Hymn Society has enjoyed being a part of the BTSR community over the past three years and we look forward to continuing our partnership in a new location with space designed especially for our needs,” said executive director Deborah Carlton Loftis.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia, which maintains offices on the current campus, has been considering relocation options but has not yet announced plans. CBFVA field coordinator Rob Fox said in January he was exploring space at churches in the Richmond area.
Robert Dilday (rdilday@religiousherald.org) is managing editor of the Religious Herald.