Historical Sketch

The Center for Urban Theological Studies (CUTS) dates back to 1971 when four pastors from the African-American community of Philadelphia approached Westminster Theological Seminary through Reverend William C. Krispin. The pastors specifically requested that informal seminars be initiated to provide biblical and theological seminary level training to urban ministry leaders in the Philadelphia region because the vast majority had virtuously no seminary or college level training.

Many urban pastors were bi-vocational working full-time jobs in addition to fulfilling their pastoral responsibilities and they faced unique circumstances in their local ministries. This was largely due to the wide spread disagreement confronting the Church in Philadelphia in the early seventies, as it was the height of the Black Power Movement in the African-American community. The youth were challenging the Church and pastors found themselves theologically and academically unprepared to handle the opposition by the younger generation. The pastors knew they needed training to help equip them to appropriately respond to the challenges that besieged the Church.

In response to that initial training request, Westminster Theological seminary initiated the "Westminster Saturday Seminar" a series of short-term tutorials on selected topics that were offered from 1971 through 1973 to urban ministry leaders. An advisory group of six pastors led the seminars, and in consultation with Westminster Seminary administration, the group also helped identify and appoint faculty for the training.

By late 1973 it became evident that the Westminster Saturday Seminar needed to be further developed into a formalized program of study. Because the Seminary's charter solely allowed graduate level degree work, a decision was reached to initiate a non-degree diploma program offered in the evenings for urban pastors. Under the direction of Dr. Harvie M. Conn who had assumed the responsibility of Program Director, a three-year curriculum comprised of theological, biblical, and ministerial studies was developed and implemented. Subsequently the diploma program name was changed to the "Westminster Ministerial Institute" and by 1975 more than seventy-five urban church leaders benefited from the curriculum.

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania-based Geneva College learned of the pastor advisory group's commitment to college level training for urban ministry leaders. Geneva's sitting Dean of Religious Services, Dr. John H. White decided to explore the feasibility of initiating a program in urban Philadelphia. As a result, CUTS, as it exists today, was formally organized in 1978 when the Westminster Ministerial Institute was incorporated as the Center for Urban Theological Studies. The program was also relocated from the Westminster campus to Philadelphia. In 1979 Geneva College then entered into a collaborative venture with CUTS to offer a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry for urban church leaders in Philadelphia.

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