The oldest Episcopal seminary in America, educating church leaders since 1817 in Manhattan's Chelsea.
General Theological Seminary offers a hybrid Master of Divinity program designed to prepare students for ordained ministry, primarily in the Episcopal Church and full communion partners. The curriculum combines rigorous theological education with contextual learning in parishes, dioceses, and nonprofit organizations. The seminary has been accredited by the Association of Theological Schools since 1938. In 2021, the Board authorized a fully hybrid MDiv program, which welcomed its first cohort in 2022 and replaced the residential program entirely in 2023, allowing students to study while remaining in their home ministry contexts.
The seminary occupies a 5.5-acre urban campus in Chelsea, Manhattan, centered on Chelsea Square between 9th and 10th Avenues and 20th and 21st Streets. The campus features neo-Gothic buildings arranged around the Close, a private enclosed garden space characteristic of English cathedral precincts. The Chapel of the Good Shepherd, completed in 1888, is known as the 'Jewel of Chelsea Square' and contains the oldest extant set of tubular bells in the United States. The Christoph Keller, Jr. Library, opened in 2011, houses the seminary's extensive collection of theological texts and rare books, including ancient Bibles and manuscripts.
Founded in 1817 by the Episcopal Church's General Convention, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church. The seminary relocated to its current Chelsea location in 1827 on land donated by Clement Clarke Moore. Under Dean Eugene Augustus Hoffman (1878–), the seminary underwent major expansion with the construction of neo-Gothic buildings. In 2022, GTS entered a formal affiliation with Virginia Theological Seminary, sharing common leadership and support services while remaining separate institutions. In 2024–2025, Vanderbilt University entered into a lease agreement to occupy the seminary campus, with GTS retaining separate space.
The Christoph Keller, Jr. Library, dedicated in 2011, serves as the seminary's primary research facility. The library's collection includes ancient Bibles (including a Hebrew Bible from 1264 and tenth-century Gospels), a complete Latin Bible from circa 1250, and significant theological manuscripts. The library's first donation came from John Pintard in 1820, and by 1821 it had grown to over 2,500 volumes. In 2024, GTS announced plans to move 6,500 rare books and 13 archival collections to the Virginia Theological Seminary campus library for improved scholar access.