ENGAGING THE WORLD

The church and the world need leaders who can communicate well even when beliefs and cultures differ. At Louisville Seminary, our community engages topics of race, gender, and social justice inside and outside of the classroom.

Activism

Living out our faith can take the form of community organizing and the public ministry of protest. Our students, employees, and alums are often present at marches and rallies crying out against racism and other injustices such as LGBTQIA+ discrimination and attacks on women’s rights.

Lecture Series

Louisville Seminary hosts lecture series and other special events throughout the year, inviting renowned scholars from all over the world to present on theological topics such as faith-based efforts for peace and justice, civil rights, church planting and renewal, global mission, the Black Church, ecumenical and interfaith relations, and many others. These events are open to the public and may be available in a hybrid format.

Travel Seminars

Regular travel seminars are offered in January and May/June and have included locations such as Israel/Palestine, El Camino de Santiago, Cuba, Brazil, and South Africa.

Lpts By The Numbers

2021-2022 FISCAL YEAR

Investment in Plant, Less Depreciation = $14.1M

Plant Replacement Insured Value = $30.1M

Cost of Operating Physical Plant = $1.2M

Endowment = $82.6M*

Tuition Income

Masters = $909,000**

DMin = $50,000

FACULTY

Number of Faculty as of Fall 2022

Full-Time: 16

Adjunct: 5

Tenured: 10

Student/Teacher Ratio: 4:1

ALUMS GIVING (FY 2021-2022)

Living Alums (as of 12/22): 2,419

Board Participation: 100%

Faculty/Student: 40%

Alum Participation: 11%

Living Donors Total Giving: $1,083,596

Annual Fund: $575,030

Non-Annual: $508,566 [includes PC(USA) churches]

STUDENT ENROLLMENT STATISTICS / SPRING 2023 / TOTAL HEADCOUNT: 98***

DMin Students: 28

RACE

African American: 21%

Asian: 11%

Caucasian: 50%

Hispanic: 14%

2+ Races: 4%

AVERAGE AGE: 50

GENDER

Male: 32%

Female: 68%

DENOMINATIONS

AME: 3%

Baptist: 15%

Church of God: 3%

Church of Christ: 3%

Episcopal: 3%

PC(USA): 54%

Restoration Temple Ministries: 3%

Seventh-Day

Adventist: 8%

United Methodist: 8%

Masters Students: 62

RACE

African American or Black:16%

Asian: 2%

White: 75%

Hispanic: 2%

2+ Races: 3%

Unknown: 2%

AVERAGE AGE: 37.6

GENDER

Male: 31%

Female: 67%

They/Them: 2%

DENOMINATIONS

Baptist: 8%

Church of Brethren: 2%

Christian Church: 2%

Church of God: 2%

Disciples of Christ: 3%

Jewish: 2%

Non-Denominational: 16%

PC(USA): 31%

Presbyterian/Other: 2%

Roman Catholic: 3%

United Methodist

Church: 13%

Unitarian: 2%

United Church of Christ: 6%

Other: 3%

*As of February 2023

**Amount to cover tuition at full rate

***Count includes students on leave

Unknown: 5%

COMMON PURPOSE INITIATIVE (CPI)

COMMON PURPOSE INITIATIVE (CPI)

Louisville Seminary recently completed a “Common Purpose Initiative (CPI)” to help consider anew our institutional ethos, to understand and assess the systems and structures in which we currently operate, and to appreciate the gifts and sensibilities of one another.

The CPI called on participation from trustees, administrators, faculty, and students who assessed the functions of and interwork among critical areas of seminary operations. Workgroups focusing on education, strategic envisioning, institutional systems development, governance, and communications were established. Each workgroup identified common goals among all areas of our institutional structure to streamline operations and ensure institutional productivity and sustainability.

Louisville Seminary recently completed a “Common Purpose Initiative (CPI)” to help consider anew our institutional ethos, to understand and assess the systems and structures in which we currently operate, and to appreciate the gifts and sensibilities of one another.

Improvements of technology sits at the top of Louisville Seminary’s operational priorities. Digitally integrated learning, accessible and technologically flexible housing, an environmentally sustainable physical plant, and enhanced connectivity to seminary alums, donors, and the general public are among the targets for a better technology infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed our vulnerabilities to this commitment, revealing our inadequacies when it comes to online instruction, virtual library resources, operational efficiencies, student recruitment and onboarding, HIPAA compliant counseling services, fundraising and donor stewardship, and campus-wide technology integration.

A notable series of technological improvements have recently begun to take place on our campus. Our library has added new resources for students and faculty. A new learning management system, Canvas, was acquired to support a digital learning environment, and a new student information system, Populi, was acquired to streamline work among various campus offices.

The CPI has renewed our institutional faith, vitality, and functionality. From the initiative, Louisville Seminary developed new mission and vision statements as well as institutional goals and core values. This will help to shape Louisville Seminary’s future and provide clear, concise, and compelling messages that are shared across all facets of the seminary – fundraising, admissions, academics, student engagement, alum relations, board engagement, partner organizations, and the general public. Much has been accomplished, but there is much left for us to do.

A commitment to anti-racism is a critical priority in every facet of Louisville Seminary from the development and delivery of curriculum to the management of human, financial, operational, and other resources. In fact, Louisville Seminary’s commitment to anti-racism is a component of the Quality Enhancement Project submitted to one of the seminary’s accrediting bodies, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Students will be able to define and identify racism, critically engaging and practicing anti-racism during their matriculation through Louisville Seminary and then as practitioners in their chosen vocation. Employees (faculty, senior administration, and staff) will do the same in their service to Louisville Seminary.

MILESTONES & NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS (PAST FIVE YEARS)

Grawemeyer Awards

H. Charles Grawemeyer served with distinction on the boards of trustees at Louisville Seminary and the University of Louisville, created the Grawemeyer Awards in 1984. The annual awards recognize innovative ideas in various academic disciplines. In 1990, the Grawemeyer Award in Religion was established and is presented in partnership between Louisville Seminary and the University of Louisville.

Black Church Studies Program

Louisville Seminary established its Black Church Studies Program in 2009 to renew and cultivate partnerships between Louisville Seminary and African American churches and institutions across the region.

Raise The Roof Campaign

In the spring of 2021, the Raise the Roof campaign for Caldwell Chapel successfully raised over $600,000 to repair and restore our beloved Caldwell Chapel.

Land Sale To Olmstead Park Conservancy

In recognition of the fiscal responsibility to our students, employees, and constituents, the former residence housing was sold as part of the land to Olmsted Park Conservancy. The resources afforded to us by this sale will support the future and vision of Louisville Seminary and will also ensure that God’s creation will be stewarded by those who also have a deep commitment and understanding of LPTS values.

In 2021, Louisville Seminary revised its Mission, Vision, and Values statements, as well as its stated short-term and long-term goals. The purpose for this effort was to better articulate the ethos of Louisville Seminary in the rapidly changing landscape of theological education.

Moving forward, Louisville Seminary will continue to prepare individuals for ministry and service in an increasingly pluralistic world. In doing so, Seminary celebrates the unconditional and everlasting love that God has for all people of every creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, and circumstance. And so the Louisville Seminary Community accepts the invitation, the challenges, and the rewards of emphasizing “Whosoever” as the foundation for engaging the world and building bridges between God and humanity.