The John Leland Center for Theological Studies is a Baptist theological institute in Arlington, Virginia, with several satellite locations elsewhere in Virginia.[1] Leland is partnered with the Baptist General Association of Virginia[2] and the District of Columbia Baptist Convention,[3] though the center has ties with a range of denominations and churches.[4] Leland is a member of the Washington Theological Consortium.[5]
Type | Private |
---|---|
Established | 1998 |
Affiliation | Baptist |
President | Rev. Dr. Kenneth R. Pruitt |
Location | , , 38°53′08″N 77°10′00″W / 38.8856°N 77.1668°W |
Website | http://www.leland.edu |
The center's namesake, John Leland, was an 18th- and 19th-century Baptist minister in the United States who was a proponent of the separation of church and state[4] and an opponent of theological seminaries.[6]: 235
At a 1997 Baptist World Alliance meeting, several Baptist leaders discussed developing the Washington Metropolitan Area's first Baptist seminary.[7][8] These individuals resolved to create the center which began offering classes the next year.[7][8]
Randel Everett, the center's first president, stepped down in late 2006.[4][9] Mark J. Olson became Leland's second president in 2007.[10] In 2019, William H. Smith became Leland's president.[11]
The seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).[12][13] The seminary offers the following ATS-approved degrees: Master of Divinity, Master of Christian Leadership, and Master of Theological Studies.[12][14] The seminary also offers several graduate certificates.[15][1]
Leland's School of Ministry offers the center's undergraduate-level courses, including a diploma in theology program.[16] Students seeking a bachelor's degree may be able to transfer credit from the School of Ministry into two Bluefield College Bachelor of Arts degree programs.[17][18]