Erskine Seminary Columbia site to award degrees

DUE WEST, S.C. (March 19, 2010) — The Columbia extension site of Erskine Theological Seminary has been awarded degree-granting status by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

The ATS Board of Commissioners voted to grant approval for Erskine to offer the complete Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Practical Ministry, and Doctor of Ministry degree programs in Columbia.

For Erskine students, the action means it will now be possible to earn those degrees entirely in Columbia. Beginning in the summer term 2010, students based in Columbia will no longer be required to take half their courses on the Due West campus.
The Columbia campus is located in the facilities of Columbia’s First Presbyterian Church.

“The joint vision set forth in 2003 by First Presbyterian Church and Erskine Theological Seminary is now poised to bear fruit for Christ and His Church,” said the Rev. Dr. Neely Gaston, executive vice president of the seminary. “The future is bright for many denominations as the Columbia campus will provide training for the next generation of church leaders and pastors. 

“The central location of the Columbia campus will make theological education more readily available to students from the many constituencies represented in the state. We give thanks to God for His continued blessings on Erskine Theological Seminary,” Gaston said.

In addition to the action concerning the Columbia campus, the ATS Board of Commissioners granting ongoing approval for the seminary’s Master of Theology (Th.M.) program.