The Seminary’s motto—The Whole Gospel for the Whole World through Whole Persons—captures Palmer’s distinctive values in the arena of theological education. Palmer is committed to equipping whole persons to incorporate God’s good news into all the various contexts and relationships in which they are involved. We are concerned not only with the intellectual development of our students, but also with their personal, social, and spiritual development.

“The Whole Gospel” refers to teaching and preaching that address not only the spiritual condition of human beings, but also the social and political structures of society, particularly as they affect those who are most vulnerable. As opposed to emphasizing only evangelism on the one hand or a “social Gospel” on the other, Palmer regards both evangelism and social justice as equal priorities for the church.

Much of the education that takes place in a seminary setting results not from the curriculum or course content but from the varying cultural and theological perspectives. Those cultural and theological perspectives find a voice here at Palmer and in this regard, the Palmer community is “a microcosm of the world” because of the diversity that exists among faculty members, staff, and the student body. An education in a diverse environment enables students to expand their intellectual and spiritual horizons while preparing them for ministry to the whole world in an authentic way. Palmer’s diversity encompasses ethnicity, culture, denomination, age, and gender. Palmer students, staff, and faculty come from many nations, including Ethiopia, Liberia, South Africa, India, Romania, Mexico, Myanmar, South Korea, and Hong Kong. Students in recent years have ranged in age from their early 20s to their early 80s. While American Baptists constitute the single largest denominational grouping among students at Palmer, other denominations are well represented. These include the National Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Church of God in Christ, the Evangelical Free Church, the Lutheran Church, Brethren in Christ, the Assemblies of God, the Mennonite Church, Pentecostals, among others. People find unity in a common mission.

The Palmer experience goes far beyond an academic education. It includes a high emphasis on the development of practical ministry skills and on the spiritual formation of students. Chapel services, Days of Prayer, luncheons, and many other co-curricular activities combine to support students in the effort to find their place in and to affect the ethnically, culturally, politically, and theologically diverse world community in which they will minister.