KANSAS CITY, Kan. (ABP) — One hundred and five years after it became the first Baptist seminary west of the Mississippi River, Central Baptist Theological Seminary has announced plans to move, mostly to help defer rising maintenance costs on its 16-acre campus.
Administrators at Central had fought the financial drain by offering online classes and operating out of a fraction of its 11 buildings, but a Resource Mobilization Team, formed by board members, alumni and administration, eventually voted to cut losses and find a new location.
Seminary President Molly Marshall said in a letter to students and faculty that after 82 years at it current campus, finding a new location would help Central Seminary continue its mission.
“Missionally, the seminary is taking a bold step toward contextualized theological education by reaching out to those who historically have been considered ‘non-traditional,'” Marshall said, referring to commuters and second-career students who prefer night and weekend classes.
Marshall's letter also said the new class format at Central, which offers three-hour block classes and weekend seminars, appeals to Central's main student demographic and will serve as a driving force in the future of the seminary. School officials were unavailable for comment.
Perhaps more acute than the need for a schedule change, however, was Central's financial condition before the decision to move. The facility at 31st Street and Minnesota Avenue in Kansas City, Kan., faces roughly $5 million in deferred maintenance costs, and the move will save more than $400,000 a year, according to Marshall.
Board members have yet to sell the current campus or name a new location for the school, but The Kansas City Star listed schools and churches as potential buyers. The seminary plans to host a gala celebration during its May commencement activities as a way to bid the campus adieu.
Central Seminary offers three degrees and has 130 students, including those taking courses in Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Neb., and Murfreesboro, Tenn. Founded in 1901, the school spent its first 22 years in a mansion in downtown Kansas City. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches convention.
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