Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
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| Type | Seminary |
|---|---|
| Established | 1830 |
| Dean | Rev. Dr. David C. Ratke |
|
Academic staff
|
7 |
| Postgraduates | 71 |
| Location |
Columbia, South Carolina 34°02′34″N 81°02′19″W / 34.0427°N 81.0386°WCoordinates: 34°02′34″N 81°02′19″W / 34.0427°N 81.0386°W |
| Campus | 17-acre (6.88 ha) |
| Affiliations | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| Website | http://www.lr.edu/ltss |
Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS), located in Columbia, South Carolina is a theological seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) offering first and second professional theological degrees. In 2012, it merged with Lenoir-Rhyne University, also affiliated with the ELCA. Although Lenoir-Rhyne is based in Hickory, North Carolina, LTSS operates as a satellite campus in Columbia.
LTSS was founded in 1830 to help serve the needs of educating pastors for Lutheran Churches in the South. Rev. John Bachman was the first to call for the formation of a seminary, and LTSS owes much of its existence to his impassioned call for a place to educate future pastors. Originally, the campus was located in Pomaria, South Carolina. The first class graduated in 1834 and consisted of one person, Fredrick F. Harris. Harris was not awarded a degree, but was later ordained and thus is considered to be the first “graduate” of the seminary. The first persons on whom a degree was conferred were William Berly, Elijah Hawkins, and P.A. Strobel, all of whom graduated in 1836.
In 1834, the school was relocated to Lexington, South Carolina where it remained from 1834-1856. A surviving building from that period is the Fox House. The seminary maintained continuous enrollment until the time of the Civil War, when the entire student body, at this time consisting of exactly three students, left the school to join the Confederate Army. Only one, Jefferson A. Sligh, survived the conflict, and though he never returned to complete his degree, he was eventually ordained by the South Carolina Synod. The seminary was again closed in 1865 due to a lack of students, but was reopened the following year.
In 1868 the seminary was again relocated, this time to Walhalla, South Carolina. The move was temporary as in 1872 the seminary was moved once again to Salem, Virginia, where it would remain until 1884. LTSS was again moved in 1885, this time to Newberry, South Carolina, to the campus of Newberry College, a four-year college sponsored by the South Carolina Synod. In 1903 LTSS was moved to Mt. Pleasant, SC, near Charleston, and was moved once more to Columbia, SC, in 1911 where it remains today. Its first building, Beam Hall, was built on the highest point in Columbia, Seminary Ridge.
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