Why a new Seminary?

The Presbyterian Church’s decline in the United States has taken place over the last forty years with hundreds of thousands members lost to other churches, or to general apathy and attrition. Since 1965, Presbyterians have lost over 50% of their members. In 2009, Presbyterians lost 63,000 members. Unlike many non-denominational churches and even some mainlines, the Presbyterian Church has lagged dramatically behind in the building of new churches and in the planting of new congregations. Unless this trend is reversed,based on the current rate of losses, Presbyterians can expect to be out of business, or, at best, only operating as a fringe, marginal institution, a far cry from our deep, rich American heritage, which played a pivotal role in the shaping of democracy and religious freedom in our country. Our spiritual and intellectual heritage helped define America.

What has transpired in the last fifty years(huge losses in membership) could have been avoided with a systematic plan of new church development and with a way in which men and women could be specifically trained to start congregations from the ground up. If Presbyterians wish to survive, new churches are essential. It comes down to a response to the simple mandate of Christ:

“Go ye into the world and make disciples of all the nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

Seminary of the Rockies will address this issue head on with a plan to train candidates to start new churches with some of the best faculty, including current pastors, skilled professors, and business and management leaders. With God’s support and direction we can look forward to a bright future for the Presbyterian Church!

Benefactors

Thanks to benefactors like you, our students will thrive in their seminary education, preparing to lead future congregations of Christians. If you can help support the preparation of new pastors to do God’s work throughout our nation, please e-mail us at inquiries@seminaryrockies.org . Whatever you are able to contribute will help ensure solid leadership in the Presbyterian church for years to come.

What’s at Stake?

With consistently declining membership, the Presbyterian church needs new leaders and new church starts to guarantee a prosperous future. Seminary of the Rockies is committed to providing just that: a generation of young, well-educated, enthusiastic pastors ready to build and support new Presbyterian churches.