Nazarene Theological Seminary - History

History

The Church of the Nazarene, founded in 1908, has since its beginning stressed the importance of education. It started and developed a number of denominational colleges to meet the demand of its constituents for college training, and for some time it relied on the religion departments of its colleges as the principal means for training students preparing for ministry. However, during the quadrennium of 1940-44, sentiment favoring the establishment of a central theological school grew rapidly and finally crystallized in an action of the Annual Conference of the District Superintendents held in Kansas City, January 5–6, 1944. The conference recommended that the Board of General Superintendents appoint a Seminary Commission to study the need for such an institution. On January 10, 1944, the Board of General Superintendents appointed the commission: Russell V. DeLong, chairman, M. Lunn, secretary; E.O. Chalfant; M. Kimber Moulton, and Harlan Heinmiller.

The commission reported its findings to the Eleventh General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene held in Minneapolis in June 1944. This assembly authorized the establishment of the Seminary as a graduation institution of the Church of the Nazarene. The first Seminary Board of Trustees was then elected and the name Nazarene Theological Seminary was chosen. The Board of Trustees unanimously selected Kansas City as the Seminary's location.

At a special meeting in Kansas City, September 1944, the Board of Trustees unanimously elected Hugh C. Benner as the Seminary's first president.

Meeting in January 1945, the Board of Trustees elected the following full-time faculty: Russell V. DeLong, district superintendent of the Northwest Indiana District, as Dean and Professor of Philosophy of Religion; Ralph Earl, Eastern Nazarene College professor, as Professor of Greek and Bible; L. A. Reed, pastor of Chicago First Church of the Nazarene, as Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Ministry; Mendell Taylor, Bethany Nazarene College professor, as Registrar and Professor of Church History; and Stephen S. White, Olivet Nazarene College professor, as Professor of Theology.

The Seminary started its first school year in September 1945 in temporary quarters with 61 enrolled. The Nazarene Publishing House generously provided space for administrative offices and a classroom on the first floor of the General Editorial Building, 2901 Troost; and the management of the denominational headquarters building extended a similar courtesy in providing the Seminary with its main classroom and chapel. The library was house in the renovated coach house of the Headquarters property.

In January 1950, a 10+1⁄₂-acre (4.2 ha) site was purchased at 1700 East Meyer Boulevard, Kansas City. An administration and classroom building was erected on this campus in 1954. A library building was added in 1966.

A history of the first fifty years of the Seminary is contained in the book More Preachers Better Preachers by Dr. Harold E. Raser in 1995.