RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond will celebrate the 20th anniversary of inaugural classes that first met in the fall of 1991 with a celebration dinner Oct. 17 at First Baptist Church in Richmond, Va.
A highlight will be an update on “Opening the Door to the Future: Our One Million Dollar Challenge.” Five donors initiated the campaign, which will match any new gifts to the seminary up to $500,000 during the next year.
“We are making very good progress as we have only $350,000 remaining to be matched,” said BTSR President Ron Crawford.
The dinner event is part of a larger, two-and-a-half year celebration which has been going on since March 2009, when current and former faculty, staff and students gathered for a banquet to commemorate the March 1989 decision to create the seminary.
Since the founding vote in Greenville, S.C., by what is now called the Alliance of Baptists, BTSR has grown in size and reputation through a focus on its distinctiveness as a freestanding Baptist seminary with an emphasis on preparing women and men to be ministers.
“I chose to attend BTSR because it’s a seminary specifically geared toward training ministers for the church,” said Dan Schumacher, class of 2012. “They do this by incorporating elements of spirituality and practical application without denying rigorous academic training. You’re a student not just of the textbook, but of the life and movement of the church.”
The seminary uses a balanced approach of academics and hands-on ministry, stressing classical theological disciplines while pursuing new avenues of education. It balances a commitment to Baptist heritage with an ecumenical and global perspective and promotes gender and racial inclusion among its faculty, staff and students.
From the original 32 students who enrolled when classes began in 1991, the student body has grown to over 140 degree-seeking students.
Along with a smaller class size allowing personal connection between professors and students and varied learning experiences offered in cooperation with Union Theological Seminary, Virginia Union University and Virginia Commonwealth University, students are drawn to the required Mission Immersion Experience. In it they gain a global perspective by immersing themselves in an unfamiliar culture guided by Christian leaders worldwide.
As of May 2011, BTSR has 609 graduates serving all around the world in local congregations, social service agencies, educational institutions, chaplaincies and on the mission field.
Reservations for the Oct. 17 dinner are limited but still available by following the link at www.btsr.edu or by calling Ivy Haga at 804-355-8135.
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Jennifer Law is communications director at BTSR.