Case Study: GRTS
Grand Rapids Theological Seminary hasn’t been providentially exempted from the difficulties highlighted in our previous post. In this sequel I want to reflect on the school’s historic brand, discuss its niche in evangelicalism, and speak to its current situation. This is something of an update to a series of posts that I wrote for the GRTS Talking Points Blog in 2018 (here, here, and here). My goal is to inform the school’s stakeholders about the current situation and encourage mutually accountable dialogue between the school’s constituency and its administration. This is my own personal, conflicted take on GRTS—I’m speaking for myself and nobody else. This is the 64th post on this site since I started it in July 2018, and it’s by far the hardest one I’ve written. I think Bill Taylor was right when he argued that dissent is an obligation, but that doesn’t make it easy.
Identity: What is the GRTS Brand?
GRTS began in 1941 as the Baptist Bible Institute, an evening school that met in the basement of Wealthy Street Baptist Church. By 1963 Grand Rapids Baptist Bible College and Seminary was granting state-approved bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Undergraduate education was broadened to include a liberal arts curriculum by 1972. Cornerstone College was granted university status by the state of Michigan in 1999. The seminary’s name was changed to Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2003. Today the Cornerstone University umbrella covers a residential undergraduate program and a Professional and Graduate Studies division in addition to Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. The University also sponsors 91.3 WCSG Radio in West Michigan and Asia Biblical Theological Seminary, headquartered in Chiang Mai Thailand.
In the late 1980’s–early 1990’s, Dean Jim Grier had the GRTS faculty thinking about the relationship of theory and practice in theological education. Jim was influenced by Edward Farley and Thomas Groome, who viewed theological education as ecclesial reflection in a context of shared praxis. In this model, theory (biblical exegesis, systematic theology, etc.) informs ministry practice (preaching, mentoring, counseling, etc.). In turn, ministry practice leads “back to the drawing board” to renew and refine the theoretical roots. This approach helped GRTS relate to a broader spectrum of evangelical protestants, and today it’s compatible with the CBTE approach to seminary education discussed in our previous post. GRTS classes accordingly have often emphasized methodology (not just content) and investigation (not just indoctrination). How to think has been emphasized at least as much as what to think. Through the years more and more of the students who came to GRTS were already involved in various ministries, so this approach helped them learn to “fish for people” more effectively.
Two additional developments were significant. In the early 2000’s, President Doug Fagerstrom and Dean John VerBerkmoes introduced a new ministry residency program that linked classroom instruction to mentored ministry practice. This approach to theological education provided an approach to ministry practice that was both theory-informed and field-mentored. In 2008 GRTS President Fagerstrom and Dr. Royce Evans pioneered an urban cohort program where urban ministry leaders could reflect together on biblical studies, theology, and ministry leadership. Both of these developments enhanced GRTS’s implementation of the theory-based practice model of theological education.
In my later years at GRTS, I sometimes heard the narrative on campus that GRTS was no longer the narrow-minded little Baptist school that it used to be. In my view it wasn’t that school for long, if it ever was. Sure, some people outside the GRTS community have claimed that GRTS is a reactionary, isolated place, but there have been others who have claimed GRTS is alarmingly progressive. Apparently the current administration is countenancing the latter view, but neither of these narratives accurately represents the historic model of education at GRTS. If the folks who promote the “GRTS is too conservative” and “GRTS is too liberal” narratives would and sit in on a GRTS class and participate in the GRTS community, maybe they would get what’s been going on. Hopefully they would see that neither mindless indoctrination nor reckless subversion are on the agenda.
So, what is the GRTS brand? The school seal puts it succinctly in words dating back at least to the seventeenth century: Ecclesia semper reformanda: “the church always being reformed.” The Cornerstone Confession, affirmed annually by the faculty, lays out the conservative evangelical theological stance that informs and guides the classroom work, framing a biblically-based education that emphasizes critical thinking in a diverse evangelical community.
Constituency: Who does GRTS serve?
When Victor Matthews’ retirement led to my coming to Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary in 1986, about 60% of the students identified as Baptist or baptistic, and the rest came from other denominations. More recently demographics show that GRTS students represent over 20 different denominations, ranging from Pentecostal to Presbyterian and Wesleyan to Reformed. Around 40% of GRTS students identify as independent or non-denominational. The largest denomination represented is still Baptist (around 20%). When the views of many independent churches are taken into account, baptistic students still make up roughly half of the GRTS student body. About 75% of the students are Caucasian, 16% African-American, and 4% Hispanic. In recent days the number of male and female students is nearly equal. Much of this increasing diversity comes from the wide appeal of the Counseling and Urban Cohort programs. During Doug Fagerstrom’s tenure as president, enrollment at GRTS rose to around 350 students, double what it was when I arrived in 1986. Unfortunately, enrollment has dwindled in recent years. Given the turmoil of the last 12 months, further decline is expected.
The current Cornerstone Confession reflects the development of GRTS’ constituency. The school’s original doctrinal statement was very much like that of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches. As the GARBC ended its practice of approving colleges and seminaries, President Rex Rogers led the emerging Cornerstone University community toward a broader constituency. In the mid-1990’s the board authorized a three-tiered statement that articulated the school’s common heritage with all orthodox Christians, its baptistic distinctives, and its role as a Christ-honoring biblically-based academic institution. Under the leadership of President Joe Stowell, the more succinct Cornerstone Confession was formulated. This document articulates Cornerstone University’s unchanging affirmation of fundamental Christian doctrine from a conservative evangelical viewpoint.
At GRTS, the more things have changed, the more they have remained the same. The school has changed by being blessed with a wider vision of the body of Christ, resulting in a more diverse community of learners. The school has remained the same as a community that is normed and reformed by the Word of God and the Spirit of Jesus Christ. The greater breadth of the GRTS community has not compromised the depth of its theological commitment—the wider the branches, the deeper the roots should be. The ethos that has long informed and enlivened GRTS classrooms is still sufficient to guide GRTS in the difficult days ahead.
Vision: Where is GRTS going?
The current season at GRTS began when President Joe Stowell resigned in the spring of 2021 and was succeeded a few months later by Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño. The new administrative direction soon proved to be too abrupt to be called a transition. Tensions arose immediately over the new president’s administrative style and approach to political and social issues. During the first year of Dr. Moreno-Riaño’s presidency, a great many administrators, faculty, and staff left the school, which left students in a confused quandary. The new administration’s dubious narrative seems to be about getting the school back on track after years of alleged theological drift, spiritual decline, and financial problems. I don’t believe the school ever left its track.
Sadly, the precipitous administrative change at the university led to the departure of the longtime GRTS dean and the majority of the faculty. The seminary dean position is currently open after being filled temporarily filled by an interim dean. Counseling, the seminary’s largest program, is being moved from GRTS to the Professional and Graduate Studies Division of the university, with its Bible and theology requirements removed. A steep decline in enrollment is expected.
What can be done now? Since the departure of seminary president Doug Fagerstrom in 2012, the University administration has focused on building facilities and promoting new programs for the traditional undergraduate program. The previous momentum of the seminary has turned to inertia. Proactive leadership has been lacking, and now the situation is exacerbated by current trends and the recent administrative sea change. GRTS stakeholders should consider engaging in prayerful discussion with the administration, especially President Gerson Moreno-Riaño, Vice President for Academics Bradford Sample, Chair of the Board of Trustees Carol Bos, and other trustees. Crucial issues begging for attention include:
- Allegations of theological and spiritual drift versus reaffirmation of the seminary’s historic brand and its niche in evangelicalism
- Need of trustees who are conversant with theological education as well as pastoral ministry, forming a seminary oversight committee on the university board of trustees.
- Need of a seminary Dean who is committed to the GRTS brand and conversant with current trends in theological education.
- Renewed communication with and service to the GRTS alumni/ae community
- Churches and individuals who will fund seminary scholarships, especially for the MDiv program
Is it too late? When I came to GRTS in 1986, a high berm pierced by a rather narrow entrance separated the college campus from the busy East Beltline highway. The berm was originally installed to insure the tranquility of the campus, shielding it from the noise of the heavy traffic rushing by. However, some saw it as symbolic of the school’s desire to be separate from the larger West Michigan community. During Rex Rogers’ presidency, the berm was lowered, and the main entrance to campus was considerably widened. This development in landscaping pictures the developments in the identity, constituency, and vision of GRTS. The identity of the school, in terms of its core beliefs and educational values, has remained the same. What has changed is the school’s vision, which has become less myopic and more welcoming to a wider constituency. All this is hanging in the balance now. I’m concerned the berm may be rebuilt.
We conclude this post as we did the last one. This may be the end of GRTS as we know it, but Jesus’ promise to build the Church holds true. The Battle Belongs to him.
Use the comment option below if you’d like to share your thoughts on this matter, especially if you’re a GRTS stakeholder.
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Ecclesia reformata et semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei. Soli Deo gloria.
The church reformed and continually being reformed according to the Word of God. To God alone be the glory.
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I remember when I heard about everything happening. I was filled with so much sadness because GRTS was used by God to heal me and show me that you don’t have to sacrifice academic integrity to “fight the good fight.” My interactions with you and all of the professors there changed me for the better. I have a strong foundation thanks to all of you. Everything that’s been going on in evangelicalism lately (the last couple of years really) has been super discouraging but it was that foundation that has kept me from quitting. I remember thinking, “well at least GRTS is still one of the good places.” I really wanted to go back for a ThM once I gained enough experience in instructional design. I don’t mean to be dramatic but that has been the case. Thank you for your thoughts and reflections!
Thanks for your comments Michael. Don’t give up on GRTS and its ongoing role in equipping people to fight the good fight. The work goes on despite the issues. Let your views be known to the administration and the board.
If I am concerned about anything, it is that we have lost our laser-sharp focus on mission, equipping those who will build the church, rather than concentrating on students as ongoing sources of revenue. Perhaps more professors should have a missionary perspective? Perhaps churches should take more of a role in sponsoring the seminary? If current leadership cannot renew their calling to value students as investments, we will all surely suffer.
“students as ongoing sources of revenue” Ouch.
The sad reality is that for schools like GRTS, student tuition $$ provide most of the income. Those tuition $$ come in many cases from students taking on massive debt to federal loan programs. This will continue until individuals and churches who believe in what GRTS is doing get serious about the mission of equipping the next generation of teaching pastors and other servants for the church.
And amen to mission-minded faculty!
Thank you for your helpful history and insights.
You’re welcome Bill. I hope you and other longtime GRTS stakeholders can find a way to speak into the situation.
So sad to see our Alma Mater struggling. Many pastors in GR think the theological drift is real. Students and parents from our church say the same. Crawford and Matthews were never right wing legalists but they were anchored theologically.
Thanks for the comment Chip. You’re right, there are pastors, parents, and students who sincerely subscribe to the drift narrative. As I acknowledged in the post, this sort of thing isn’t recent—people with self-confirming hypotheses have been saying this for decades. The Cornerstone Confession is the arbiter of these matters, and concerns about theological drift have to be based on this confession, not on rumor and innuendo. I hope you will bring your concerns to the administration and board of the school.
I didn’t know Victor well, but I know many of the students who are his legacy. Joe was my colleague for over ten years, and I still remember him at the copy machine before every class, updating his lecture notes. Unfortunately, Victor’s openness to the Holy Spirit and Joe’s willingness to find truth in theologians like Karl Barth led to both of them being unfairly charged with theological drift.
These sad days are not unprecedented.
Dr. Turner,
Thank you for taking the time to put your thoughts into words. As an MDiv grad from GRTS under Joe Stowell, this is tremendously valuable information. This saddens and frustrates me, as much of what you’re describing Is what I benefited greatly from, in learning how to sort through various disciplines taught from evangelical perspectives that were in tension with each other.
You’re welcome Jimmy. I remember our discussions about what it means to walk in the Spirit. I’m glad GRTS has been a place where evangelical differences on matters like this can be openly aired with mutually acccountable brothers and sisters. I hope you are able to make your views known to the administration and trustees.
It is interesting how a change in leadership focus can cause a mass exodus. That happened when I was in graduate school at OSU. Many of the graduate students and faculty left. I was one. The board picked a focus that they felt was economically more feasible. They were wrong. It took many years. It is sad.
Just an observation.
Thanks for the comment Leslie. You see this commonly in the business community. Should it be different at a Christian educational institution?
“not so with you” Matthew 20:25-28
Thanks for this post. I’ve been in conversation with folks from both sides of the campus pond. My heart breaks as I watch this unfold. Cornerstone University really seemed to be building up a lot of steam until 2018, and then from 2019-2021 both sides of the pond were really hit hard. I am praying for your above mentioned action points to happen.
You’re welcome Ben. You and your wife both have “skin in this game.” I hope you convey your views to the administration and board.
Thank you for this post David and for filling in some of the missing information I was looking for after I heard that many faculty left. I will continue to keep GRTS and CU in my prayers. I had a wonderful, life-changing experience during my time there, and I would not be where I am now if God had not used Spirit-filled faculty, staff, and students to shape me. Also, you were the first professor to sit down and talk to me about the school. I appreciate your heart and ministry!
You’re welcome Nathan. Keep praying. Greet Chris for me. Blessings on your ministry.
Thanks for this article, Dr. Turner! I know this has been a difficult time for many people. I am currently in the middle of working on a ThM and suddenly all the Bible faculty have departed. I have had many conversations with many different people and have had a really difficult time figuring out exactly what is changing and why. “The new administration’s dubious narrative seems to be about getting the school back on track after years of alleged theological drift, spiritual decline, and financial problems.” I have not been able to get anyone to identify what the “theological drift” is. Communication with current students has been nonexistent. I am hoping and praying that the core of what GRTS has been will be maintained somehow. I benefitted from the diversity of thought that was represented among the faculty.
You’re welcome Ian. Somehow reading your comment reminded me of when we were riding donkeys at Petra. I think you and your wife were just ahead of Beverly and me.
I’m sorry for your ThM experience. Two capable prof’s have been hired, so I think you’ll be able to complete the program. Concrete examples that prove the narrative are lacking. I hope you are able to network with other students and communicate concerns to the administration.
Hi Dr. Turner!
Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. As a missionary working outside of the US for the last 25 years, I don’t follow the happenings of GRTS that closely. What are some of the specific actions the new president / school have taken that will narrow its constituency? Having more concrete examples would help me to understand exactly what is taking place. Thank you.
Jeff GRTS ’95
You’re welcome Jeff. I hate dodging your question about examples, but I can’t speak about individuals here. You can click on the “tensions arose immediately” link in the post to see the religion news service story on the faculty vote of no-confidence. There’s another more recent story there as well. It comes down to concerns about administrative fiat and perceptions of political intolerance. My hope is that alumni/ae like you contact the CU administration and board and ask them about what’s going on.
Blessings on your ministry in Quebec.
I am a graduate of Grace Theological Seminary where you Dave were a teacher of mine. I find the same problems there. I attended when about 400 did. Now it’s much smaller. I am concerned.
Thanks for the comment Steve. No doubt Grace is facing the sort of challenges I discussed in my first “Seminaries at the Crossroads” post. A new president was appointed there recently. They are promoting a CBTE program. Hopefully they can avoid the sort of implosion that has happened at GRTS.
Prof. Turner: This was an ausgezeichnet post. So grateful for how God used you in my life (2005-2008) to increase my love the Greek NT as the powerful and active Word of God, but also to love sisters and brothers from many diverse theological views on the many issues that arise from the text. I’m praying now for GRTS not to shrink into a narrow-minded obscurity, but expand in passion for the the love of Christ and the the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Thanks for the kind words Mark. I hope you will find a way to communicate your appreciation for the historic GRTS brand to the administration and trustees.
As a GRTS grad, this brings great sadness. My time there was instrumental in preparing me for the pastorate as well as equipping me to study the Scriptures for the rest of my life. The faculty I studied under were top-notch academics who loved the Lord. I would not trade those years for anything. Even during my time in the early 2000s, there were folks on the outside who thought the school had “drifted”. I suspect the name change to Cornerstone from GRBC&S many years ago was the beginning of this mindset. It seems it has never gone away.
Thanks for the comment Tim. The rumors of theological drift are about as old as the school. Leon J. Wood, the guy they named the seminary building for in 1977, was accused of drift because he did not believe in recent creationism. The name change from GRBS to GRTS in 2003 did alarm some people, but that change was done to market what was being taught, not to drift away from it. I hope you will find a way to communicate your appreciation for the historic GRTS brand to the administration and trustees
Thanks for sharing on this!
You’re welcome!
Dr. Turner,
Your words are deeply troubling. The spiritual component to the counseling program is one of the key reasons I chose GRTS. To think we can adequately help others to heal wounds by ignoring one third of their being is foolish. However, given the state of division in our country, it is no surprise that things are changing. My time at GRTS was filled to overflowing with spiritual and practical growth. I will affirm your statement regarding how to think vs what to think. Those experiences have brought light to many in need of healing. I will pray for the school, that God’s will be done. We know He will win the day! Blessings to you professor.
Good to hear from you York. It’s been a long time.
To be fair, the new CU/PGS counseling courses will be taught by people who profess agreement with the Cornerstone Confession and a Christian worldview. Bible and theology courses will be available as add-ons but not required.
Seminary enrollment will obviously take a huge hit with this decision. The seminary community will lose a great deal of diversity, not just on paper but in enriching conversations and relationships between pastors and counselors. Counseling students will be able to get through the program more quickly. Costs will sharply decrease, but so will value. Shouldn’t soul care be done by people with formal education in Bible and theology as well as counseling theory and techniques?
Sure, pray for the school, but also contact the administration and prayerfully express your concerns.
Thank you for your informative post which prompts me to pray for GRTS and CU. I am saddened by the results the recent transition has had on people within the GRTS family. As a graduate of GRTS, I could really relate to your description of the academic focus under Dr Grier, and as a former employee of CU my heart always desires it to be a shining light in the community and around the world through its graduates.
Good to hear from you David. It’s been about 45 years since BBC, eh?!
I’m sure many GRTS alumni/ae echo your concerns and prayers. I hope you will prayerfully bring those concerns to the CU/GRTS administration and board.
You wrote: “When I did my M.Div. in the early 1970s…we tended to think that a seminary education was mainly about theory – learning how to do biblical exegesis would enable us to prove orthodox doctrines, leading to sound teaching, God’s blessing, church growth and nearly everybody living happily ever after.” After reading this I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry. When I went to seminary in the late 1980’s I felt that God was calling me to be a healthcare and/or a military Chaplain. I believed that seminary was going to teach me what to say to a person who has six months or less to live. I also felt that seminary was going to teach me what to say to a Sergeant whose wife ran away with another man. I learned that “the husband of one wife” had seven different interpretations and that I Peter 3:18 had two different Greek words depending on which Greek text we would use. Nobody outside of the four walls of the seminary cares anything about this. Seminary was very disappointing.
Thanks for the candid comment Mark. I’m trying to recall whether we’ve ever met. Sounds like I drank the Kool-Aid back in the day during seminary and you didn’t.
I’m sorry that the seminary failed you. In my view the problem isn’t what you were taught but what you weren’t taught. You received information without implication. You were taught about exegesis and textual criticism but not shown how knowledge of these disciplines can impact the practice of ministry. You were given a box full of tools but you weren’t shown how to pop the hood and change the spark plugs. This is where the “theory-laden practice” model of education that I spoke of in the post comes in, along with the requirement of residencies with seasoned ministry leaders. I’m sorry you didn’t experience that.
If you had simply been given rote answers to recite in the sort of ministry situations you mention, that wouldn’t have been useful either. Simplistic answers aren’t helpful even if a seminary curriculum could anticipate all of them and there was enough time to go over all of them. It comes down to wisdom in applying biblical truth in all kinds of situations under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
So, I think it’s not an either . . . or (theory or practice), it’s a both . . . and. Would you agree?
I agree with David’s comments. So glad that Grace Seminary gave me a system, but also taught me to think on my own.
Thanks for another comment Steve.
I’m guessing your time at Grace was in the 1980’s. Not to cheapshot Grace, but when I was an MDiv student there (1971-74) there wasn’t a lot of emphasis on critical thinking. Exegesis classes were more about listening to the prof’s exegesis and reproducing it on the exam than about learning how to do exegesis. Theology classes used syllabi containing propositions supported by proof texts. Every once in a while there was a blank that had to be filled in. The exams were all about the blanks, so you had to pay attention and fill them in. Chuck Smith was an exception to the norm—he raised questions occasionally about the accuracy of the propositions and the appropriateness of the proof texts. I didn’t like that at the time, but later I was thankful that Chuck was subtly showing us that theology was a verb, and that there was still theology to be done. We were expected to know how to think when we wrote research papers for Chuck, but so much for many of the other classes.
I need to add that at the time I liked the “what to think” part more than the “how to think” part. As I explained in the post above, I’ve changed, and so has Grace Seminary, and in my view that’s a good thing.
Hi Dr. Turner.
I graduated in 2013 with an MA from GRTS as part of pursuing a second career after retiring from 30 years in K-12 Ed. I am almost 63 years old and just beginning my second pastorate. As I have been serving churches in northern Michigan since 2015, I have been out of touch with things in Grand Rapids. I’m very sorry to hear these developments and I will be praying for healing and proper correction.
I was so pleased with the seminary education I received at GRTS for the very reasons you have stated. Students were solidly reinforced in the value of orthodox teaching, but we were taught “why we believe what we believe”. People preparing for any ministry role must know the answer to that if they are going to guide people to be anything more than programmed robots.
God bless you sir and thank you for the updates. I enjoy reading your regular blog entries.
Jim Huber (MA 2013)
Pastor, First Union Church of Cedarville, MI
Thanks for your kind words Jim. I remember your time at GRTS. I didn’t realize you were in the UP now. Beverly and I were just up there on vacation. I especially love the Whitefish Point area.
Your concerns and prayers are needed for sure. As a stakeholder in the seminary, perhaps you will also express those concerns directly to the administration and board of the school.
Blessings on your ministry in Cedarville!
I think the new President of the school was dealing with the tendency seen in much “progressive” evangelicalism to emphasize social justice, to change the focus from theological education to what is termed “wokeness” and everything that goes along with that, and to go in a direction that takes emphasis off of theology, biblical exegesis, and original languages and instead focuses on sociological matters. This is a broad trend in evangelicalism; and there is a reaction against it in many circles. And, to return to the original theme of this discussion, why go to seminary when what you are learning could as easily be mastered with a degree in sociology? Why work to master Greek and Hebrew when the real mission of the church to “help people” with matters better done by social workers?
Good to hear from you David. Thanks for this thoughtful take.
No doubt the school was trying to open the campus to Christian voices from the “woke” community. To me this was an appropriate move which should have engendered critical engagement with Christians on both sides of the issues humbly seeking wisdom from one another under the Lordship of Christ, the authority of Scripture, and the unity of the Spirit. But, for whatever reasons, that didn’t happen, and the initiative led to division. What a missed opportunity! Apparently the abrupt administrative sea change signals the board’s disapproval not only of the sad outcome of the initiative, but of the initiative itself—yet another missed opportunity.
All this aside, I do disagree with your point about a shift from exegesis and theology to sociology at GRTS. Those advocating for social justice, whether we agree with them or not, were doing so from an exegetical/theological foundation, one that should have been critically engaged. Exegesis and theology were not being downplayed at GRTS. Ironically, under the new administration, biblical and theological requirements have been removed from the counseling program. Revision of the MDiv curriculum, mandated by the new administration, will inevitably result in fewer required hours in Bible and theology. We’ll wait and see where this leads the seminary in the difficult days ahead.