Welcome to Bethany Theological Seminary through our website. Here you will get a glimpse of Bethany’s rich history, its purpose, and the educational programs available to you. Bethany seeks to provide academically excellent education that is both affordable and accessible in order that we might more effectively and faithfully “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8).

Founded in 1905, the Seminary remains committed to educating and empowering Christian leaders who

• engage in thoughtful dialogue on questions of faith and values;
• embody Beatitude values in a world of arrogance and aggression; and
• practice spiritual disciplines of prayer, contemplation, and reconciliation in an era plagued with anxiety and dread.

Bethany’s mission is to prepare people for Christian ministry and to educate all those seeking to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Christ’s Way of Love in the cities and communities of the world.

Bethany’s educational partnerships will provide a wealth of educational opportunities grounded in our own faculty and strengthened by the rich resources of nearby seminaries and colleges, area congregations, and denominational agencies. The Earlham School of Religion, our most immediate educational partner, provides Bethany’s students with an exciting ecumenical learning environment that complements Bethany’s own Christian heritage marked by the beliefs, practices and testimonies of the Church of the Brethren.

While the heart of Bethany’s program resides in the educational classroom in Richmond, Indiana, we have sought to extend the accessibility of Bethany’s graduate degrees through Connections, a program that combines short-term intensive courses at the Bethany Center, online courses, and off-site courses hosted by the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center in Pennsylvania.

Three specialized programs supplement our ministry and research degree programs.

• Peace and Cross-Cultural studies insist that we take seriously alternatives to violence in our own communities and in communities very different and distant from ours.
• The Institute for Ministry with Youth and Young Adults features the distinctive skills involved in ministry to and with the emerging generations.
• The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership provides a certificate program empowering leadership in bi-vocational ministry as well as courses designed to strengthen the ministries of those currently in leadership.

We look forward to your inquiries and are eager to welcome you to the campus where you can experience the vibrant community of faith and learning.

Ruthann K. Johansen, President