Premier Baptist theological seminary training gospel ministers since 1859 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary offers rigorous theological education through three schools. The School of Theology provides foundational training in biblical studies, systematic theology, church history, and preaching. The Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry trains pastors and missionaries for cross-cultural ministry. Boyce College provides undergraduate education grounded in biblical worldview. Graduate programs include Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, Master of Theology, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Ministry, and diploma/certificate options. The seminary pioneered several innovations: the first PhD program in religion (1892), first department of Christian missions (1902), first curriculum in religious education (1925), and first accredited seminary-based social work program (1984).
The 100-acre suburban campus in Louisville's Crescent Hill neighborhood features 10 academic and residential buildings in Georgian architecture, designed by the Frederick Law Olmsted firm. Three housing villages accommodate married students. Campus facilities include a chapel, library, health and recreation center, campus clinic, dining facilities, and bookstore. The seminary maintains active student life programming and hosts events throughout the academic year. Housing and dining services support both residential and commuting students.
Southern Seminary's mission is to train ministers of the gospel under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, committed to the Bible as God's Word and the Great Commission. The institution is governed by the Abstract of Principles (established 1858), which all faculty members sign, pledging to teach in accordance with its doctrinal foundations. The seminary also requires faculty affirmation of the Baptist Faith and Message, the doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention. This confessional heritage emphasizes biblical inerrancy and theological fidelity.
Founded in 1859 in Greenville, South Carolina, the seminary relocated to Louisville in 1877 and moved to its current Crescent Hill campus in 1926. It became one of the world's largest theological seminaries, with over 3,300 FTE students by 2015. The seminary played a historic role in civil rights: in 1951, President Duke McCall integrated the campus in defiance of Kentucky segregation laws, and in 1961 it hosted Martin Luther King Jr., the only SBC agency to do so. In 2018, the seminary released a comprehensive report on its historical connections to slavery.