Houston Baptist University is pleased to announce the formation of Houston Theological Seminary. Classes for Houston Theological Seminary will begin this fall semester on HBU’s campus, other campuses, as well as online. Students will be able to participate in these classes in multiple ways including by pursuing their Master of Divinity degree or by attending in a not for credit capacity.
According to HBU’s President, Dr. Robert B. Sloan, Jr., a nationally recognized theological scholar and leader in Christian higher education, “HBU has long emphasized the importance of ministry preparation, and we are pleased to add the Master of Divinity to our other graduate programs. Our outstanding faculty will now have the ability to provide ministry preparation in a seminary setting that is based in Houston and is specifically geared for the ministry needs of this great city”.
Houston Theological Seminary will feature innovative programs designed to train pastors for the needs in the 21st century. Resourcing distinguished experience of local church leaders and the unique and diversified scholarship of professors, ministry programs at Houston Theological Seminary will be distinctive and reflect scholarship highly applicable for ministry. “We are excited about the opportunity to impact our community and nation for Christ through the training of ministers in an educational setting where students will have excellent theoretical and practical experiences,” says HBU Provost Cynthia Simpson.
Houston Theological Seminary and the Master of Divinity program will feature professors internationally known for their research and teaching. The dean of The School of Christian Thought, Dr. Craig Evans, is the John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins. Dr. Evans’ primary teaching focus is New Testament and background to the New Testament. He has published more than 600 scholarly studies, including more than 70 books. Among the first classes to be offered in Houston Theological Seminary will be Dr. Evans’ course on defending the Bible.
“Our outstanding faculty will now have the ability to provide ministry preparation in a seminary setting that is based in Houston and is specifically geared for the ministry needs of this great city”.
– Robert B. Sloan, Jr., President
Degrees offered through Houston Theological seminary will include Master of Arts degrees in Apologetics, Biblical Languages, Christian Leadership, and Theological Studies, and the Master of Divinity. Programs will be offered both for graduate credit and in a not-for-credit format across Houston and will vary depending on the campus. Among the locations, Houston Theological Seminary will be offering classes at the Woodway campus of Second Baptist Church. Second Baptist Church was founded in 1927 in downtown Houston. Second is one church with six campus locations throughout the Houston metro area with a current membership just over 70,000. Under the leadership of Dr. Ed Young the church has grown from an average weekend attendance of 500 in 1978 to over 24,000 today on six campuses in the Houston area metroplex. Dr. Ben young will serve as the director for the contact for those individuals pursing the MDiv at the Woodway campus of Second Baptist Church. Dr. Ben Young is an author, speaker, and associate pastor at Second Baptist Church where he preaches each week at a contemporary worship service. Ben has written six books including his most recent release, “Why Mike’s Not a Christian: Honest Questions about Evolution, Relativism, Hypocrisy, and More.”
HBU has a long, reputable history of theological excellence. HBU was founded in 1960 and has faithfully followed its mission of providing a learning experience that instills in students a passion for academic, spiritual, and professional excellence as a result of its central confession, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Since the beginning, the study of Christianity has been part of HBU’s curriculum. In recent years the School of Christian Thought has seen exciting growth in graduate programs including newly established Masters of Arts in Apologetics, Biblical Languages, Christian Leadership and Philosophy along with a Master of Divinity program.
Students can find more information about the programs offered at HC.edu/HTS and can apply for graduate programs at HC.edu/grad.