Lancaster Theological Seminary: Where God Transforms Us to Transform Others and the World
Lancaster Theological Seminary is a richly diverse and dynamic graduate school of theology located in the historic city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
An open and affirming ecumenical seminary affiliated with the United Church of Christ, Lancaster Seminary is home to an engaged community of students and faculty from many Christian traditions and backgrounds.
Our mission is to educate and nurture leaders to join in God’s redemptive and liberating work so that all creation may flourish.
As a student at Lancaster Theological Seminary, you are both encouraged and challenged in your beliefs, and your spiritual formation is nurtured. You will enjoy meaningful access to our renowned faculty and build lasting bonds with your peers as you learn and worship together.
Our programs integrate intellectual, spiritual, and vocational learning that is grounded in real-world contexts through interaction with local and global communities of faith.
In 2021, we announced a partnership with Moravian University and Moravian Theological Seminary that would combine the two historic seminaries. In 2022, Moravian University opened a dedicated space in the Seminary library to introduce online programs to Lancaster area residents. Learn more at moravian.edu/lancaster.
As the joint faculties of Moravian Theological Seminary and Lancaster Theological Seminary move forward with a common curriculum, to launch in the fall of 2024, we assure our students, alumni, and friends that we share several common commitments. These commitments will shape our work in curriculum development, teaching, worship, and common life. Although we cannot claim that we have fulfilled these commitments fully, we do aspire to live them out and hold ourselves accountable to them.
- We honor the heritage of both Moravian and Lancaster seminaries, including the distinctive ways in which each school expresses ecumenical and interfaith diversity.
- We aspire to build learning communities in which every person experiences agency and belonging.
- We affirm that diversity of all kinds benefits our common learning and personal formation.
- We strive to build a community life marked by love of God and neighbor, expressed in life that is respectful of all races and nationalities, anti-racist, open and affirming toward LGBTQIA+ persons, and accessible to all.
- We promote deep engagement with Christian traditions and other spiritual heritages, with openness to diverse expressions and emerging perspectives. We value critical reflection on self, society, church, and faith.
- We promote a community that involves the whole person: understanding, practicing, and being.
Lancaster Seminary Values:
- Critical theological reflection in scholarship and practice
- Diversity of perspectives and faith traditions
- Students for who they are and who they are becoming, not just for what they know
- Social justice
- Faithful stewardship of time, talent, and resources.
We are a Worshipping Community
Worship is central to the life of Lancaster Seminary. Faculty, students, and staff gather in beautiful Santee Chapel every Wednesday and Saturday for worship and communion. Our worship services reflect a variety of religious traditions and liturgical practices indicative of our ecumenical community.
Worship leaders incorporate their musical and theatrical talents as well as their language and other aspects of their religious and ethnic backgrounds into our worship life. Everyone is welcome!
We are a Diverse Ecumenical Community
A vibrant and inclusive community of learning and spiritual formation, Lancaster Seminary values diversity and the integration of intellectual, spiritual, social, and vocational learning. Our scholars and teachers represent different faith traditions, and share a commitment to bring faith and intellect to bear in educating leaders for faith communities and the wider world.
At Lancaster Seminary, we’re committed to engaging the differences among people as a resource for learning and faith. We seek to help you learn from the diversity of God’s people without insisting on particular doctrines or a single theological perspective.
Lancaster Seminary is open and affirming, supporting full inclusion and safety of all LGBTQIA+ individuals and families. We are a proud member of the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ.
Our Historic Location
Historic, beautiful and vibrant Lancaster, one of the oldest inland towns in America, was incorporated in 1742. It is the second largest metropolitan area in south central Pennsylvania with a population of over a half million. Lancaster City, with 60,000 residents, is easy driving distance to Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC, the Jersey shore and Delaware beaches. The city is culturally and ethnically diverse, boasts a vibrant arts, music, and restaurant scene and is frequently listed as one of the “Best Places in America” to live.
Learn more
“Lancaster is a great place to engage in innovative urban ministry. This entrepreneurial spirit, coupled with deep theological reflection and formative programs at Lancaster Seminary provides fertile ground for exploring the possibilities of the 21st century church.”
“Every student I’ve talked to – Latino, African-American, white, LGBTQ – has expressed that this is an affirming place, a warm and welcoming safe space, a place for learning about who they are in relation to themselves, their community, and God.”
“While I am not pursuing traditional ministry, I will carry the seeds of my Lancaster Seminary education into everything I do because what I learned and experienced here deeply informs how I choose to be.”
"The new joint curriculum will enhance the unique virtues embedded in the legacies of both seminaries: Lancaster’s history of placing the riches of the Christian traditions in conversation with the urgent challenges and opportunities of the future, and Moravian’s heritage of nurturing devout hearts that inspire passionate social engagement."
"The work of our joint faculties in preparing the joint curriculum was a labor of care that sought to preserve values and courses integral to the ethos of each seminary while being innovative in response to changing needs in students' ministry settings. I am hopeful that our new curriculum will be attractive to students who wish to ground themselves in the essentials of theological education while also being open to difference and discovery."
“Lancaster is a great place to engage in innovative urban ministry. This entrepreneurial spirit, coupled with deep theological reflection and formative programs at Lancaster Seminary provides fertile ground for exploring the possibilities of the 21st century church.”
“Every student I’ve talked to – Latino, African-American, white, LGBTQ – has expressed that this is an affirming place, a warm and welcoming safe space, a place for learning about who they are in relation to themselves, their community, and God.”
“While I am not pursuing traditional ministry, I will carry the seeds of my Lancaster Seminary education into everything I do because what I learned and experienced here deeply informs how I choose to be.”
"The new joint curriculum will enhance the unique virtues embedded in the legacies of both seminaries: Lancaster’s history of placing the riches of the Christian traditions in conversation with the urgent challenges and opportunities of the future, and Moravian’s heritage of nurturing devout hearts that inspire passionate social engagement."
"The work of our joint faculties in preparing the joint curriculum was a labor of care that sought to preserve values and courses integral to the ethos of each seminary while being innovative in response to changing needs in students' ministry settings. I am hopeful that our new curriculum will be attractive to students who wish to ground themselves in the essentials of theological education while also being open to difference and discovery."
“Lancaster is a great place to engage in innovative urban ministry. This entrepreneurial spirit, coupled with deep theological reflection and formative programs at Lancaster Seminary provides fertile ground for exploring the possibilities of the 21st century church.”
“Every student I’ve talked to – Latino, African-American, white, LGBTQ – has expressed that this is an affirming place, a warm and welcoming safe space, a place for learning about who they are in relation to themselves, their community, and God.”
“While I am not pursuing traditional ministry, I will carry the seeds of my Lancaster Seminary education into everything I do because what I learned and experienced here deeply informs how I choose to be.”
"The new joint curriculum will enhance the unique virtues embedded in the legacies of both seminaries: Lancaster’s history of placing the riches of the Christian traditions in conversation with the urgent challenges and opportunities of the future, and Moravian’s heritage of nurturing devout hearts that inspire passionate social engagement."
"The work of our joint faculties in preparing the joint curriculum was a labor of care that sought to preserve values and courses integral to the ethos of each seminary while being innovative in response to changing needs in students' ministry settings. I am hopeful that our new curriculum will be attractive to students who wish to ground themselves in the essentials of theological education while also being open to difference and discovery."
“Lancaster is a great place to engage in innovative urban ministry. This entrepreneurial spirit, coupled with deep theological reflection and formative programs at Lancaster Seminary provides fertile ground for exploring the possibilities of the 21st century church.”
“Every student I’ve talked to – Latino, African-American, white, LGBTQ – has expressed that this is an affirming place, a warm and welcoming safe space, a place for learning about who they are in relation to themselves, their community, and God.”
“While I am not pursuing traditional ministry, I will carry the seeds of my Lancaster Seminary education into everything I do because what I learned and experienced here deeply informs how I choose to be.”
"The new joint curriculum will enhance the unique virtues embedded in the legacies of both seminaries: Lancaster’s history of placing the riches of the Christian traditions in conversation with the urgent challenges and opportunities of the future, and Moravian’s heritage of nurturing devout hearts that inspire passionate social engagement."
"The work of our joint faculties in preparing the joint curriculum was a labor of care that sought to preserve values and courses integral to the ethos of each seminary while being innovative in response to changing needs in students' ministry settings. I am hopeful that our new curriculum will be attractive to students who wish to ground themselves in the essentials of theological education while also being open to difference and discovery."
“Lancaster is a great place to engage in innovative urban ministry. This entrepreneurial spirit, coupled with deep theological reflection and formative programs at Lancaster Seminary provides fertile ground for exploring the possibilities of the 21st century church.”
“Every student I’ve talked to – Latino, African-American, white, LGBTQ – has expressed that this is an affirming place, a warm and welcoming safe space, a place for learning about who they are in relation to themselves, their community, and God.”
“While I am not pursuing traditional ministry, I will carry the seeds of my Lancaster Seminary education into everything I do because what I learned and experienced here deeply informs how I choose to be.”
"The new joint curriculum will enhance the unique virtues embedded in the legacies of both seminaries: Lancaster’s history of placing the riches of the Christian traditions in conversation with the urgent challenges and opportunities of the future, and Moravian’s heritage of nurturing devout hearts that inspire passionate social engagement."
"The work of our joint faculties in preparing the joint curriculum was a labor of care that sought to preserve values and courses integral to the ethos of each seminary while being innovative in response to changing needs in students' ministry settings. I am hopeful that our new curriculum will be attractive to students who wish to ground themselves in the essentials of theological education while also being open to difference and discovery."