Pittsburgh Theological Seminary - George H. Long Hall
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Type | Seminary |
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Established | 1794 |
Religious affiliation
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Presbyterian Church (USA) |
Location |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States 40°28′00″N 79°55′18″W / 40.46667°N 79.92167°WCoordinates: 40°28′00″N 79°55′18″W / 40.46667°N 79.92167°W |
Campus | Urban |
Website | www |
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, founded in 1794, is a graduate seminary in the Reformed tradition teaching theology and preparing students for service in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and other Christian churches. Teaching is grounded in scripture and ecumenically minded. The Seminary is located in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and houses one of the largest theological libraries in the tri-state area.
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary was formed in 1959 by consolidating the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.'s Western Theological Seminary and the United Presbyterian Church of North America's Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary. The consolidation was the result of the 1958 merger between the PCUSA and the UPCNA to form the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.
Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary began with the founding of Service Seminary (Associate Theological Seminary in the town of Service, Beaver County, PA) in 1792 by the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania. Prior to that time, the Presbytery was dependent on a supply of ministers sent from Scotland. The Rev. John Anderson, D.D., was elected as the first teacher of divinity and the school began with an enrollment of six students. Service Seminary moved several times, from Service to Canonsburg, PA, then to Xenia, Ohio, where it became Xenia Theological Seminary. This occurred in the 1850s and was prompted by a desire to locate nearer to the growing population in the midwest. The Rev. Joseph Kyle joined the faculty in 1900 (leaving 4th U.P. Church in Allegheny, PA). In approximately 1914 Kyle was appointed president. In 1920 the trustees determined to move the seminary to St. Louis, MO, also to be nearer to potential students in the plains states. In 1921 the Rev. Dr. Kyle died unexpectedly. This loss of leadership at a crucial transition period created problems for the fledgling institution and it never really took root. In 1930 it merged with a seminary that was founded in Pittsburgh in 1825 and together they formed the Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary. This institution was later augmented by the resources of Newburgh Seminary, founded in New York City in 1805 by John Mitchell Mason.