The Birth of Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
On March 19, 1925, at two in the afternoon, six ministers gathered at 1701 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia to discuss their shared vision of Christ-centered, world-changing education. It all started with a $26.00 investment.
The conviction of Revs. Charles T. Ball, Harry W. Barras, Groves W. Drew, Ralph L. Mayberry, John A. Hainer, and Gordon H. Baker laid the framework for what would become Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (EBTS) and later Eastern University. The religious landscape in the U.S. was in the midst of a seismic shift in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Darwinism, archaeological discoveries, and new approaches to Biblical scholarship sent rifts through Christianity in the States, prompting the founders of EBTS to create an academic institution that was “conservative, yet progressive,” with the salvific work of Christ serving as the cornerstone, grounding them in an ever-changing culture.
The summer of 1925 was devoted to designing an educational philosophy and recruiting faculty. The Board of Trustees of this new seminary purchased a building on South Rittenhouse Square and recruited a staff of nine full-time faculty and six additional instructors, intentionally made up of both men and women. With a week before the start of classes, EBTS faced a critical challenge: it had no curriculum. The Seminary's first president, Rev. Charles Ball, tasked William W. Adams with creating one over the weekend of September 19.
A few days later on September 22, 1925, the Seminary welcomed its first students, who were separated into four schools: the School of Theology, the School of Religious Education, the School of Missions, and the School of Sacred Music. EBTS even welcomed Miss Edith Gardner, a female student, into the inaugural cohort. The curriculum, initially written entirely in longhand thanks to Adams' very productive weekend, was revised and adjusted over the first year to meet the needs of each of those schools. In May of that year, the Seminary celebrated its first 11 graduates.
The next several years brimmed with innovation and experimentation. In November of its first year, EBTS launched its initial foray into distance education. A correspondence program was created to provide both pastors and laypeople affordable, convenient, and robust theological education all through the mail. By 1930, the Seminary’s Correspondence Course received the endorsement of the Baptist State Convention of New York.
EBTS continued to grow. More property was purchased around Rittenhouse Square to accommodate resident students. Dr. Austen K. de Blois was voted in as the second seminary president in 1926. Dr. de Blois, a widely respected scholar, aimed to build an institution whose graduates were as intellectually equipped as those from more established or historic seminaries. He also developed EBTS’s iconic library, saying, “I see no reason why, by patience and diligence, we should not gather a thoroughly representative Baptist library which will compare favorably with any in the world.”
Over the decades, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary continued to navigate societal and economic shifts. Under its third president, Dr. Gordon Palmer, the Seminary moved in 1940 from the city to Wynnewood on Lancaster and City Avenues, where it would reside until 2012. Its commitment to providing theological training to those who normally would not be considered for graduate education led to the birth of Eastern Baptist College, now Eastern University.
In 2003, EBTS rejoined the University and was renamed Palmer Theological Seminary in 2005 after President Palmer.
The descriptor “conservative, yet progressive” persists and is exemplified in Palmer’s mission, “The Whole Gospel for the Whole World through Whole Persons.” Palmer’s commitment to uplifting marginalized voices that began with female instructors later included faculty of color, such as Wallace Smith, Orlando Costas, and many others. The Openseminary program, online Master of Divinity and doctoral programs, the West Virginia location, and the Maestría en Estudios Teológicos en Linea all sojourn ahead on the trail blazed by the foundations established 100 years ago.
Through many transitions, some of which were not without heartache, Palmer Theological Seminary continues to innovate to provide robust theological and pastoral training to the diversity of Christ’s Church across the world.