LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABP) — With a joint convocation on Aug. 30, a new Baptist divinity school and a Disciples of Christ seminary that has existed since 1865 became intimately acquainted.
The service marked the beginning of the 2005-06 academic year for both the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky and the Lexington Theological Seminary.
The Baptist school, founded by moderate Kentucky Baptists in 2002, just granted its first master's degrees last spring. It and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) school have agreed to jointly exist on the historic campus near downtown Lexington.
The Baptist Seminary of Kentucky has approximately 50 students enrolled for the academic year. They will join about 170 Lexington Theological Seminary students on the campus.
Baptist Seminary of Kentucky staffers moved to the campus Aug. 1-4. The school had, since its establishment, used the facilities of Lexington's Calvary Baptist Church as a temporary home.
According to a press release from the Disciples school, “both institutions believe this sharing of space is good Christian stewardship and a positive expression of community among scholars and students. Each seminary will maintain its own identity and traditions and each will hold its fiscal assets separately.”
The release called the concept “shared space and shared grace,” and noted that the arrangement will include shared lectureships, worship services and faculty collaboration, as well as shared physical facilities.
The Baptist school maintains relationships with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship and a nearby Kentucky Baptist undergraduate institution, Georgetown College. Its president is Greg Earwood.