About

Northern Seminary educates Christian leaders to be spiritually mature, biblically grounded, theologically competent, pastoral, evangelistic, and prophetic. We deliver a multi-denominational educational experience that is international, interracial, and intercultural to prepare women and men called by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to advance and nurture the ministries of the Church. We teach the gospel of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the authority of Scripture.

Our vision is to lead the church and engage the world by igniting Spirit-led innovation; forming and graduating resilient, mature, and joyful students; and delivering personal, accessible, and affordable biblical training to disciples.

Our community is committed to and values:

• Biblical Leadership. We train leaders to serve churches, shepherd the flock under their care, and teach others to do the same. We educate leaders to be resourceful and courageous, guiding congregations, ministries, and nonprofits to advance the kingdom of God.
• Diversity. We demonstrate Christ’s peace, justice, and love globally across cultural, ethnic, and racial boundaries. We are agents of reconciliation through Christ’s church.
• Academic Richness. We emphasize scholarship and knowledge in service of the church and the world.
• An Innovative Community of Learners. We foster spaces of biblical community, learning, and connectivity through innovative digital platforms. We embrace technology, accessibility, and innovation.
• Pastoral/Missional Mindset. We equip women and men who are committed to discipleship, prayer, faith, and compassion.
• Financial Affordability. We create affordable pathways to receive quality seminary education.

Northern students are enthusiastic, embracing celebration and joy as part of the Christian journey and witness. They are curious, always seeking to better understand God and his work on our world. They are diverse, reflecting the reality that the kingdom of God is made of people from all backgrounds and that all have an equal seat at the table. Finally, they are relational, living as though we are always better together and that as we pursue life together, we grow as individuals and as Christ’s Church.

Northern’s faculty, administrators, and Trustees are fully in harmony with this statement of faith of Northern Seminary as a testimony of their common commitment to Christ and to the advancement of His Church.

Our life of worship, instruction, prayer, and fellowship together centers on our shared commitment to Christ.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

• The Bible is the revealed Word of God, given by the Holy Spirit through chosen authors, and so is fully inspired, authoritative, and the sufficient rule of faith and practice for the believer.
• God exists eternally in three persons revealed in Scripture as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are one.
• God is the creator of all things and sustains creation by God’s providential will.
• Humanity was made in the image of God in a state of original righteousness. All humans are now fallen and are by nature and choice sinners unable to escape from their sinful state on their own.
• God’s only way of reconciling sinful humanity is provided in the work of Christ, the incarnate Son, fully human and fully divine; In His sinless life, sacrificial death on the cross, resurrection, ascension, and present intercession, He reveals God’s grace and loving provision for humanity. Humans are reconciled to God by faith and are enabled by the Holy Spirit to follow Jesus as Lord.
• The Church is that universal and spiritual body of which Christ is head and which includes all the redeemed; the church in the local and visible sense is a group of believers, who make a profession of faith in Christ, united under the direct, personal, undelegated lordship of Christ, joined together for the worship of God, service to others, and for carrying out the work of the Great Commission as given by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
• The Ordinances/Sacraments include Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations, teaching them, and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism symbolizes the death of the old life and the rising of the new. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper symbolizing His atoning death, and Himself as the Bread of Life, the one through whom we have spiritual life and vitality.
• Our Lord will return in glory in His second coming. The ultimate hope of the believer is in Christ’s return when God finally makes all things new. The culmination of history takes place in the final judgment in which the unredeemed will suffer eternal separation from God, and the redeemed will enter into a state of eternal peace and righteousness, worshiping God and enjoying God forever.

Every Christian believer is called by God’s grace into sanctified living to become more Christ-like in holiness. Especially because a seminary seeks to develop leaders for the Church, we hold one another to high standards in our work, study, relationships, and ministry, seeking to develop spiritual maturity that evidences the fruit of the Spirit. Commitment to right living in Christ produces a radical common witness to God’s power at work to redeem, restore, and empower God’s people in God’s mission to transform the world.

Christian formation and community are core values of Northern Seminary and are, therefore, foundational to these Standards. All members of the community — employees, students, board members, and residents — are called to respect one another in regard to diversity of denomination, ethnicity, culture, and calling. All members are expected to refrain from behavior that Scripture forbids, including sexual misconduct, theft, academic or personal dishonesty, substance abuse, misuse of property, threats to the health and safety of others, physical or emotional abuse (including intimidation or bullying), misogyny, financial irresponsibility, disrespect to seminary employees and students, or violation of campus regulations. These behaviors destroy community and the personal wholeness which Christ purchased through his life, death, and resurrection.  

The Seminary may deny admission, place on probation, suspend, expel, withhold a degree, terminate employment, or take other action in response to personal conduct outside of these Standards. Please refer to the Northern Seminary Catalog, Faculty Handbook, Employee Handbook, or Student Housing Manual for policy statements governing institutional disciplinary processes.

Northern Seminary has a unique personality. We are driven by the Mission of God, broadly evangelical, committed to the authority of scriptures and personal in our approach to education.

Global Ministry

Northern remains steadfast to the dream of its first president, Dr. John Marvin Dean, whose hope in 1913 was that alumni fearlessly spread the gospel far and wide and influence the world for Christ. Our alumni have served around the world in over 30 countries and in all 50 states.

Biblical

Northern is focused on the authority of scriptures and how they impact and shape your ministry.

Missional

Focused on the Mission of God, Northern provides an education that brings together the best of theory and practice. Powerful ministry is based on an understanding of your ministry context and your ability to apply your knowledge.

Personal

From the quality of service to the mentoring relationships between our faculty and students, the Northern experience is personal in nature. We also care deeply about holistically developing leaders for ministry. Knowledge is not enough for transformational ministry. You must have knowledge, strong integrity, application and missional skills, self-awareness, and a deep relationship with Jesus Christ.

Evangelical

What do we mean by evangelical? We believe that to be evangelical is to be Christ-centered and to have an intensely personal, but not private, faith—because salvation in Christ compels us to share the Good News with others. It means being personally formed and transformed in holiness, experiencing life together in Christian fellowship with other believers, and having a commitment to the values of God’s Kingdom for social transformation.

Women in Ministry

Did you know that the first student to enroll at Northern Seminary was a woman? Amy Lee Stockton enrolled in 1913, graduated, and went on to become one of the nation’s leading evangelists–reaching thousands for Christ. Today, that tradition continues in the hundreds of women that have attended and graduated from Northern, and lead ministries in growing and vibrant churches.

Spiritual Formation

We believe spiritual formation is an integral part of the education process. Spiritual formation is as necessary to ministry training as theological reflection and practical hands-on experience. Through a process of self and group assessments, internship opportunities, student cohort groups, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and faculty guidance, students are strengthened personally, spiritually, and practically to understand themselves and others in Christ.

Diversity

Since 1913, Northern Seminary has welcomed men and women from various Christian faith traditions, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and ministry experiences. Our students have enrolled from almost 30 denominations and alumni have served in over 30 countries. Our students also range in age from recent college graduates to second career and retirees who have answered a call to ministry.

Since our founding, we have graduated over 4,000 students. Our alumni serve in all 50 states and in 30 countries around the world.

Our alumni were influential in founding Fuller Seminary, Denver Seminary, Moscow Theological Seminary, Youth for Christ (Torrey Johnson), Christianity Today magazine (Carl Henry), and The Living Bible and Tyndale House Publishers (Ken Taylor).

Some of the evangelical world’s greatest names have either attended or graduated from Northern Seminary:

• Torrey Johnson, founder of Youth for Christ
• Carl Henry and Kenneth Kantzer, first editors of Christianity Today
• J. Edwin Orr, international evangelist, historian, revivalist
• Kenneth Taylor, publisher of The Living Bible
• Amy Lee Stockton, evangelist and Bible teacher
• Louis S. Rawls, former pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Chicago
• Ruth Haley Barton, founding president of The Transforming Center, author, spiritual director
• Trinette McCray, former president of American Baptist Churches USA