State of the Seminary 2024
At the 2025 State of the Seminary address at Christian Theological Seminary, President David Mellott lifted up CTS’s achievements, reiterated the seminary’s support of our students, alumni, and community members, and outlined several key points and commitments for the future of the institution.
President Mellott highlighted the significant progress made by the seminary over the past few years, including increases in enrollment, expansion of lifelong learning opportunities, improvements in institutional infrastructure, and accomplishments in various academic programs. The address emphasized the importance of aligning the seminary’s efforts with its mission and essence statement, which declares CTS as a catalyst for bringing God’s love, justice, and liberation to the world. This mission serves as the guiding principle for all future endeavors.
The seminary unveiled five concrete commitments for the next three years, grouped under three specific areas: Clergy, Christian Community, and Mental Health.
Clergy
1.) CTS is committing to equipping seminarians and clergy for spiritual, mental, and financial well-being.
2.) CTS is committing to equipping seminarians and clergy with a Gospel-rooted moral imagination of belovedness, healing, welcome, and beauty that fosters interfaith collaboration, racial justice, and justice for LGBTQ+ people.
Christian Community
3.) CTS is committing to revitalizing Christian community by teaching students to embody radical inclusion, embrace preaching as a form of life, read the Bible contextually, and support new churches.
4.) CTS is committing to educating and equipping Christian Communities to act on behalf of children at risk in metro Indianapolis.
Mental Health
5.) CTS is committing to better meet the mental needs of Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ people and their communities in Indiana by doing two things: first, by expanding our training, education, and competencies of all our counseling students to effectively meet the needs of these communities, and secondly by increasing the number of Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ therapists we graduate.
President Mellott emphasized the importance of collaboration, integration, and community engagement in fulfilling these commitments. He encouraged supporters to introduce others to CTS, connect faith communities with educational opportunities, recruit pastors and mental health clinicians, and participate in fulfilling the promises through financial support. The address concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders to actively participate in the seminary’s transformative work, recognizing that God is already at work in their midst.
View the full State of the Seminary Address on YouTube:
