International Baptist Theological Seminary of the European Baptist Federation
International Baptist Theological Seminary of the European Baptist Federation, or simply The International Baptist Theological Seminary (IBTS), was located in Prague in the Czech Republic.
It was wholly owned by the fifty Baptist Unions of the European Baptist Federation and aspired to be a leading centre of post-graduate theological study for Baptist Christians and other evangelical believers in Europe and beyond.
In 2014 the Seminary ceased to function in Prague and a new institution the International Baptist Theological Study Centre (also known as IBTS Centre or IBTSC) was established in Amsterdam. IBTSC is established as a Dutch Vereniging (Association). Members of the European Baptist Federation are entitled to apply to become members of the IBTSC Association.
The Seminary was founded in 1949 in Ruschlikon, Switzerland. It transferred to Prague, Czech Republic, in 1997. Over the summer of 2014 the International Baptist Theological Study Centre was established in Amsterdam.
The IBTS Centre forms part of a new community of organisations known as the Baptist House in Amsterdam. The other members of the community are the Baptist Union of the Netherlands, the Dutch Baptist Seminary and the office of the European Baptist Federation.
The Centre houses a significant collection of books primarily in the areas of Baptist Identity, Mission and Practice.
Lecturing and supervision is in English and faculty are drawn from throughout Europe. The post graduate student community is currently about 50.
The Centre offers flexible post-graduate opportunities for study and research in conjunction with two other institutions, the VU (Vrije Universiteit) Amsterdam and Manchester University in the UK.
IBTS Centre is recognized as a collaborative Centre within the Faculty of Theology of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to offer PhD programmes. Students continue to research and publish on a wide range of historical, missiological, ethical and theological issues with special attention to practical theology which takes seriously the cultural context and local church realities.
IBTS Centre is an approved partner of the Manchester University for the delivery of a Masters programme. Students who successfully complete the IBTS Centre Masters are awarded a Master of Arts degree by Manchester University.
It is a founding member of the Consortium of European Baptist Theological schools.
The current Rector of IBTS Centre is the Rev. Dr Stuart Blythe. He is the first head of the institution to be an IBTS graduate alumnus, obtaining his BD degree magna cum laude at Rüschlikon in 1989.
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