Knox Theological Seminary - Viewpoint

Viewpoint

Named after the Scottish Reformer John Knox, Knox Theological Seminary was founded in 1989 by D. James Kennedy (1930–2007), the senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. Kennedy wanted to build an institution that would teach and equip men and women who would become conduits to bring Christian renewal and blessings to the nations. They would be pastors, teachers, evangelists, and lay workers who would fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and the Cultural Mandate (Genesis 1:28).

In 1988, Kennedy assembled a working committee to formulate the principles that they believed were essential for the institution that came to be known as Knox Theological Seminary, including:

• Commitment to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms;
• Governance by a board which is a commission of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church Session;
• Bible-based, confessionally Reformed programs distinguished by academic excellence;
• An emphasis on practical, church-related, “hands-on” experience.

Kennedy often spoke of his desire that Knox would become "the Princeton of the South," referring to the first hundred years of Princeton Seminary, when it employed the Princeton theologians.

In September 1990, Knox opened its doors as a graduate school of theology, and in January 2005, the seminary received full accreditation by the Association of Theological Schools.