Mid-America Reformed Seminary is a graduate-level theological institution located in

Dyer, Indiana Dyer is a town in St. John Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 16,517 at the 2020 census. It is a southeastern suburb of Chicago. Geography Dyer borders Munster to the north, unincorporated St. John Township to ...

, offering a biblical and theological education in the classic Reformed (

Calvinistic Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Calv ...

) tradition. The seminary offers a three-year

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and ...

degree program for students seeking ordination. A two-year Master of Theological Studies degree is offered for students who desire a theological education without seeking the ordained ministry. The school is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by TRACS and

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Relationship to the Church

The school is not governed by any particular denomination, thereby allowing it to serve a variety of churches with ministerial training. Throughout its history Mid-America has prepared students for ordained ministry in the following confessionally Reformed and Presbyterian churches: * Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) *

Orthodox Presbyterian Church The Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) is a confessional Presbyterian denomination located primarily in the United States, with additional congregations in Canada, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. It was founded by conservative members of the Presbyteri ...

(OPC) *

Presbyterian Church in America The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second-largest Presbyterian church body, behind the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the largest conservative Calvinist denomination in the United States. The PCA is Reformed in theology and pr ...

(PCA) *

Reformed Church in the United States The Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS) is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. The present RCUS is a conservative, Calvinist denomination. It affirms the principles of the Reformation: ''Sola scriptura'' (Scriptur ...

(RCUS) *

United Reformed Churches in North America The United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA) is a theologically conservative federation of Reformed churches founded in 1996. Many churches joined the URCNA after splitting from the Christian Reformed Church in North America denominatio ...

(URCNA) Mid-America's commitment to theological education is based on confessional allegiance rather than denominational affiliation. Most faculty and board members were formerly associated with the Christian Reformed Church but are now affiliated with the United Reformed Churches. Additionally, about a third of the faculty are associated with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. All members of the faculty and of the Board of Trustees are committed to the Holy Scriptures as the infallible and inerrant Word of God, and in conformity with the Word are committed to the ecumenical creeds of Christendom (the

Apostles' Creed The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". The creed most likely originated in 5th-century ...

Athanasian Creed The Athanasian Creed, also called the Pseudo-Athanasian Creed and sometimes known as ''Quicunque Vult'' (or ''Quicumque Vult''), which is both its Latin name and its opening words, meaning "Whosoever wishes", is a Christian statement of belief ...

, and

Nicene Creed The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is ...

) and the Reformed Confessions (the

Belgic Confession The ''Confession of Faith'', popularly known as the Belgic Confession, is a doctrinal standard document to which many of the Reformed churches subscribe. The Confession forms part of the Three Forms of Unity of the Reformed Church, which are stil ...

, the

Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), one of the Three Forms of Unity, is a Protestant confessional document taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Calvinist Christian doctrine. It was published in 1563 in Heidelberg ...

, the

Canons of Dort The Canons of Dort, or Canons of Dordrecht, formally titled The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands, is the judgment of the National Synod held in the Dutch city of Dordrecht in 1618– ...

, and the

Westminster Confession of Faith The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the " subordinate standard ...

) as faithfully setting forth the system of truth taught in Scripture.

History

The seminary was founded on April 21, 1981, when a group of Christian Reformed ministers and laymen met at the Hilton Hotel at

O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop busines ...

in Chicago. At this meeting, it was decided to establish a seminary society and board of trustees, to purchase the Harmony Youth Home in

Orange City, Iowa Orange City is a city in, and the county seat of, Sioux County, Iowa, United States. Its population was 6,267 in the 2020 census, an increase from 5,582 in 2000. Named after William of Orange, the community maintains its Dutch settler tradition ...

, to serve as the seminary's campus, and to name the seminary Mid-America Reformed Seminary. The seminary was intended as an alternative to Calvin Theological Seminary, the denominational seminary of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, which the founders of Mid-America believed was straying from its confessional Reformed identity. In 1995 the seminary moved its campus to

, where it currently resides. On April 8, 2006, Mid-America held a celebration of its 25th anniversary in the West Commons at

Dordt College Dordt University is a private evangelical Christian university in Sioux Center, Iowa. It was founded in 1955 and is affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America. The university name is a reference to the Synod of Dordt (Dordrec ...

, and held other 25th anniversary celebrations throughout the United States and Canada in 2006. The school boasts faculty members Cornel Venema, J Mark Beach, Alan Strange, Marcus Mininger, Andrew Compton, Mark Vander Hart, and Paul Ipema.

Publications

*
Mid-America Journal of Theology
' - published annually with scholarly articles and book reviews *
The Messenger
' - a quarterly newsletter *''Called to Preach'' - a booklet by Dr. John Sittema written to those considering the gospel ministry

Notes

Mid-America E-Notes 24 April 2006. Ibid.

External links

Mid-America Reformed Seminary"Mid-America Reformed Seminary 20 years old" ''Christian Renewal'' December 16, 2002
{{authority control Presbyterianism in Indiana Seminaries and theological colleges in Indiana Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Reformed church seminaries and theological colleges in the United States Educational institutions established in 1981 1981 establishments in Indiana