In an “Exciting and Important Update” email to alumni/ae on March 29, Cornerstone University President Gerson Moreno-Riaño announced that Grand Rapids Theological Seminary is no more. The school is now known as Cornerstone Theological Seminary. The email also announced the appointment of Rev. Dr. Jeff Halsted as the new dean of the seminary. He will remain in his pastorate as he leads the seminary. You can learn more about Dean Halsted here.
In this latest post in our series on theological education, we lay out what led up to the name change and assess what it may mean for the seminary’s future.
What’s in a name?
The previous appellations of Cornerstone Theological Seminary amount to a history of the development of the school’s identity and mission:
- 2023 Cornerstone Theological Seminary. The university envelops the seminary to project a single conservative image and provide revamped programming to a post-COVID audience enthralled with online education.
- 2003 Grand Rapids Theological Seminary of Cornerstone University. In keeping with student body demographics and the desire to appeal to a wider evangelical market, the word Baptist is dropped from the name.
- 1999 Cornerstone University and Grand Rapids Baptist Theological Seminary. The state of Michigan approves the school as a university.
- 1994 Cornerstone College and Grand Rapids Baptist Theological Seminary. The new name reflects a merger of sorts after the failing Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music is absorbed into the institution.
- 1972 Grand Rapids Baptist College and Theological Seminary. Liberal arts programs are added to the Bible and ministry-related disciplines.
- 1963 Grand Rapids Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary. The school is now approved by the state of Michigan to offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in Bible and ministry. The next year the school moves to the East Beltline campus.
- 1948 Grand Rapids Baptist Theological Seminary and Bible Institute. The name change reflects the state of Michigan’s approval of a B.D. program. [The Bachelor of Divinity degree is now known as the M.Div.]
- 1941 Grand Rapids Baptist Bible Institute. The seminary begins as an evening school with around 200 students in the basement of Wealthy Street Baptist Church in Grand Rapids. The top program is a 3-year diploma in Bible, theology, and ministry studies.
As is true of many Christian ministries, name changes have been a regular part of the seminary’s history. The question is what led to this most recent change, and what does the change augur for the seminary’s future?
Why the change?
President Moreno-Riaño’s email opined that the name change will benefit the seminary by identifying it with the current and expanding brand recognition of Cornerstone University. He added that the change signals the institution’s continued uncompromising commitment to one university with one mission, one vision, and one statement of faith. While the word “efficiency” wasn’t used in the email, the stress on one university implies that the administration believes the name change will simplify and improve public relations, internal governance, and the utilization of faculty. The name change means the seminary will be marketed as one of the graduate schools of Cornerstone University. In the previous administrative season, as a seminary tethered to a university, yet with its own brand, GRTS had become the proverbial stepchild, an afterthought in administrative priorities. The current administrative vision is to grow the university brand. With the seminary now folded into that brand, marketing it to prospective students, donors, and other stakeholders is simplified and arguably improved.
Was it a good idea?
I’ve already posted about the tumultuous times at the university and the seminary since President Moreno-Riaño arrived. In this post I’m still speaking from a position of informed realism or loyal dissent. I still think dissent is an obligation born from loyalty.
We have a saying down in Appalachia that you may have seen on a bumper sticker: “If it ain’t broke, don’t be a’fixin’ it. Was GRTS broken, or just neglected? Hopefully the name change may mark the end of a period of administrative indifference. Will it signal a new season of seminary advancement, or will the seminary continue to be an afterthought? Only time will tell. We can only hope and pray that the seminary does not get lost in the shuffle. It’s not like the previous model was unworkable. Several well-known Christian universities have theological seminaries with distinct names. That list includes Samford University/Beeson Divinity School, Biola University/Talbot Theological Seminary, and George Fox University/Portland Seminary.
One seminary alum told me that the name change “seems like an erasure of history.” One has to wonder about the wisdom of a move that discards an 80-year-old brand with a track record of faithfulness to the Lord of the church. It’s not like the Cornerstone moniker carries any unique cachet. The name Cornerstone was first applied to the university about 30 years ago. There are a handful of other Christian academic institutions that bear the name Cornerstone, not to mention thousands of churches and para-church ministries, many in Grand Rapids. One has only to google the word “cornerstone” to be inundated with such organizations.
What was wrong with identifying the seminary with the city of Grand Rapids, especially considering the rich and diverse Christian tradition that is a key strand of the city’s fabric? Several evangelical seminaries are known by the cities they serve—Dallas, Denver, and Phoenix, to name a few. In 2017 George Fox University changed the name of its seminary to reflect its location in Portland Oregon. It’s not like a seminary named for the community it serves is unusual or unworkable.
Another alum wryly remarked that a new name might be a good idea for a school that is at the crossroads, with a future that may diverge from the seminary’s historic values and identity. Sadly, although we hope and pray for better things, this could turn out to be true. The presidential email referenced above stressed the new seminary’s uncompromised commitment to its statement of faith. This is all well and good, but it seems to imply the mistaken narrative that GRTS had drifted from that commitment. Banging the orthodoxy drum plays to a certain part of the school’s constituency, but with plans to scale back MDiv requirements and shorten academic terms, one would like to hear the boom of the academic integrity drum as well.
Up to this point, throughout all the developments in nomenclature, there has been a consistency in what happened at the seminary. Whether the classrooms were in the basement of Wealthy Street Baptist Church, at the Beltline campus on the site of a dairy farm purchased by W. Wilbert Welch, or in the Leon J. Wood Seminary Building on Leonard Street with folks zooming in from all over. Students received rigorous training in biblical studies and theological thought as preparation for faithful ministry engagement. The seminary inculcated critical thinking skills—investigation—not rote indoctrination. Plenty of schools teach people what to think. Not that many also teach them how to think. Will Cornerstone Theological Seminary continue that worthy tradition?
What’s not in a name?
Promotional hype and nay-saying aside, the new name on the sign will mean next to nothing unless it marks a renewed commitment to promoting the seminary’s historic values, identity, and mission. The appointment of Rev. Dr. Halsted as dean is a crucial step toward casting a vision that motivates faculty, engages pastors, and attracts prospective students. We hope and pray that the name change brings with it a new initiative to bring together students, professors, pastors, trustees, and administrators. The path forward should include the sort of steps I wrote about six months ago in my previous post about the seminary:
- Reaffirmation of the seminary’s historic brand and its niche in evangelicalism
- Appointment of new trustees who are conversant with theological education as well as pastoral ministry, forming a seminary oversight committee on the university board of trustees
- Improved communication with and service to the seminary alumni/ae community
- Cultivating churches and individual stakeholders who will fund seminary scholarships, especially for the MDiv program.
We trust the administration will take appropriate steps like these. Please comment constructively below on your thoughts about G̶r̶a̶n̶d̶ R̶a̶p̶i̶d̶s̶ T̶h̶e̶o̶l̶o̶g̶i̶c̶a̶l̶ S̶e̶m̶i̶n̶a̶r̶y̶ Cornerstone Theological Seminary.
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Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.
Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things. (2 Timothy 2:1-7 NLT)
David, I cannot improve on your review of recent changes at Cornerstone. You have been gracious as well as probing.
Since my retirement in 2011, I am a distant observer. My information is second hand. Consequently, I may have blind sides. I do, however, have near 50 years of experience in ministry with over 40 years in theological education. So, this is not the first dozen eggs that I’ve taken to town…to use a southern expression.
To me, the one impression I have with events and decisions since the presidential change is the absence of broad-based process (contrast the seminary name change during President Rogers’ era). Collegiality, rather than a corporate model, and “shared praxis” (cf. Thomas Groome), rather than a singular “leader,” are the marks of an educational institution. The so-called “Red Book” of the AAUP (American Association of University Professors) records the history of education in America. It also defines the various aspects of an educational organization. This includes the Board, Administrative Posts, and Faculty. By legal precedent (case of Yeshiva University), faculty are “officers of the institution” not employees. This is because they make judgments to grant degrees. And, by the standards of undergraduate and graduate accrediting organizations, programs and curriculum and their enactment are the territory of the faculty. The present administrative model violates educational process and faculty space. The sad fact is that Christian school leadership seems prone to disrespect process and claim the divine trump card, like “divine right kingship” in the Old Testament.
[Note: Gary Meadors is Emeritus Professor of New Testament at
GRTSCornerstone Theological Seminary. He taught there from 1995-2011.]Gary, I’m not aware of the process that led to the name change, and I don’t know whether there was collegial input.
At Cornerstone these days it’s not so much the divine right of the administration as it is the apparent carte blanche board support of the administration.
Thank you Dr. Turner for providing past Graduates like me with this information and historical time lines.
Good to hear from you Joelle. I don’t think we’ve spoken since Israel 2019. Keep praying for the school and Dean Halsted.
Hello Dr. Turner,
I’m saddened to learn this. I have great respect and appreciation for GRTS and the faculty and staff. I greatly admire Dr. Stowell and feel like the changes could be seen as failures in his leadership.
“Was GRTS broken, or just neglected? Hopefully the name change may mark the end of a period of administrative indifference.” I hope this isn’t the case. I also hope that the new President didn’t just announce the change rather than conduct a thorough process of conversations with knowledgeable people about it.
I feel like I no longer have an alma mater. It’s gone. I’m glad it’s more about what’s in my head and in my heart. GRTS was great for me.
Semper Fi, Sir.
Hello again Matt. It is unfortunate that the current admin seems to promote its initiatives by subtly dissing the previous admin.
What’s done is done, so let’s pray for the seminary and Dean Halsted. Maybe in God’s providence your alma mater isn’t gone after all.
David, well written. The name change is rather puzzling. I confess that as I hear the rationale for unifying the seminary and college through labels I ask “Who cares”? …. and as you pointed out it signals some sort of move from the heritage of the school. I wish the resources (thought, time, finances) used in changing the name had been invested in bolstering the theological and academic integrity of the school, and in working on the seminary’s undercarriage to effectively navigate the educational and ministerial landscape of the 21st century.
Good to hear from you Dan. It seems the new admin wishes to put its imprimatur on the seminary by changing the name and bring it more directly into the university structure. Like you, I believe putting a new name on the sign is a relatively small matter, compared to bolstering the seminary’s mission. Pray for Dean Halsted along these lines.
When I learned of the name change, I was disappointed. I do think it discards history and the link to the community. There are many “cornerstones,” and the new name does not reflect anything unique. I have learned since I was at GRTS of the quality of the education and training that I received. I can hardly praise enough the professors that I was blessed with: Drs. Hoch, Crawford, Greer, and Bennett! I am most thankful to them and our gracious God for them.
Good to hear from you Dennis. You’re not the first person to opine on the ubiquity of the word cornerstone as a name for evangelical ministries. I’m thankful for the privilege of teaching with colleagues like those you mentioned. Let’s keep praying for the school and for Dean Halsted.
I am likewise thankful for the godly men who have invested in my life during seminary, including you, Drs. Grier, Kennedy, and Crawford. We should be thankful for their choosing to follow the Lord in training future pastors and missionaries. I pray that the M.Div program won’t get further diluted.
Thanks Marcellus, I know that prayers right now are especially appreciated by Dean Halsted. Consider contacting him with your concerns.
As you rightly outlined your timeline, the integration of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary into the Cornerstone University umbrella began years ago. You used the word efficiency as a possible reason for the name change at this point of time. In my study of the disappearance of institutional names (far more than 5000 since WWII) from the higher education scene, efficiency seems to be a synonym for consolidation of power or control. Also every time an institution changes its name, you will find some alumni and other constituents disappointed and disenfranchised. It is almost never a happy occurrence for everyone.
Thanks for this info By. As far as I know, serious consideration was given to renaming GRTS as Cornerstone Theological Seminary as early as 2003. Libertarian-leaning faculty like me who believe in collegial process hate to hear that name changes are connected to consolidation of administrative power. At this point the last thing the new CTS needs is alum’s who feel disenfranchised.
Have you published your study of disappearing institutional names?
[Note: Dr Baylis’ 40 year career in higher education administration included serving as provost of Cornerstone University from 2004-2009]
Unfortunately, I haven’t published it yet. It’s part and parcel of a larger study, on a Vitality/Morbidity Index for organizations. It started out as a study of colleges that disappeared, via closure, acquisition, or merger. In my career, I’ve been on both sides of the closure issue. I’ve worked to save institutions from closure, and I’ve searched for weaker institutions to acquire. My health problems of the past decade have slowed my work. I keep plugging along, hoping to someday finish it, along with a raft of other works that I never had time to work on during my time as an academic administrator or faculty member.
My experience is similar to yours By. Keep plugging!
I appreciate the gracious spirit of the critique and the expressed desire to see the seminary flourish. I do think that the seminary was broken to some degree. It seems that several faculty hires in the last 10-15 years were intended to broaden the constituency and be more inclusive of other denominational traditions (although in fairness, I don’t know the motivations behind the hires). But I think the result is that the seminary lost its niche. I do think the seminary drifted from its historic values and identity. They didn’t deny the virgin birth or the deity of Christ. But in the last 10 years, there was a growing focus on social justice issues and what seemed to be a soft endorsement of women as pastors. And securing certification for the counseling program, required a compromise on how they would respond to LGBTQ issues. There was a shift in focus that left many of our area churches somewhat ambivalent toward the seminary. And of course, toward the end, even Ada Bible Church was raising red flags regarding the teaching of certain faculty members (who are no longer with the school). As you pointed out, some of this could have been addressed with better oversight. There were certainly other factors as well. I have to think that the growing Southern Baptist influence at Cedarville played a role as well. Anecdotally, it would seem that at one time perhaps half of GRTS students came from Cedarville. Having said, that I don’t believe that a name change is going to change any of that. My prayers are certainly with CU’s leadership through this process.
Nice to hear from you Jeff, I hope the new ministry is going well.
You raise some legit points. I’ve already spoken to some of these in my previous
GRTS-related post, Seminaries at the Crossroads.2.
No doubt GRTS did make some hires that were in keeping with an already broadening student body and constituency. That was a good thing in my view. Those hires did not involve violation of the Cornerstone Confession.
Social justice is part of living out the biblical gospel; the problem comes when Christians align themselves uncritically with political movements, whether woke-ism or maga-ism. Unfortunately, the university administration and students alike did not handle political differences as a matter of individual freedom under the lordship of Christ.
There is not a word in the Cornerstone Confession, pro or con, about women pastors. Whatever you or I may think about that, it’s not a matter of evangelical orthodoxy.
The certification for the counseling program generated internal disagreements at the seminary for sure, but it’s not clear that this would have necessitated compromise. Many theologically conservative schools, like Liberty, Regent, and Grace (IN) have achieved this certification.
You’re correct that one faculty member left the school rather precipitously over theological issues. That ought to give constituents confidence about the school’s willingness to stand on its statement of faith.
I’ll stop here with matters we agree on. The name change in itself doesn’t fix any problem, real or imagined. I’m with you in calling for prayer for the school, in particular for the new dean Jeff Halsted. Let me add another I think you’ll like—there needs to be mutual accountability and conversation between seminary administrators/faculty and ministry leaders, especially when many of those leaders are seminary alum’s.
Thanks for posting.
Cornerstone Theological Seminary? This has to be an April fools joke.
Lol Mark! But a day late . . .
I hate to correct a person with two doctorates but it is my understanding that the official name of the school was Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, at least between 1986 and 1990. Theological wasn\’t in the name
I may still stand in need of correction, Mark, but I think the official name included “Theological.” We tended to shorten it in everyday lingo—GRBS was actually GRBTS. One way to resolve this weighty question would be for you to take a look at that diploma hanging on your wall.
I too benefited greatly from you and professors Grier, Hoch, Kennedy and Crawford (I kept the piece of chalk he threw at me as a memento). BTW, my diploma (1993) says “Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary.” I think the change to GRTS was wise, but share the concerns expressed above about CTS. Thanks for the blog and glad to see the beard is back! Greetings to Beverly.
Long time Dean, good to her from you.
Doubt Joe could get away with hurling chalk today. That’s sorta sad.
Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary
OK, I concede, I wuz wrong.
“Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a matter be established.”
My diploma from 1985 says “Grand Rapids Baptist Theological Seminary”. The fancy matted frame that I bought for it years later at the college bookstore has “Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary of Cornerstone University” printed on the matt. I think I got it on a markdown price since another name change had just happened or had been announced. I graduated the year before you came, Dr Turner. I’m sorry to have missed you at GRBTS, but glad to have found you here on your blog. Thank you for your posts on CU/GRTS. I had really lost touch in recent years, and I was unaware of much of what you have written. Grace and peace to you.
Hello Dr. Turner.
First, I love Chapel Pointe! Second, I am a Pittsburgh Pirates fan – I hope we can still be friends!
I am a graduate of Asbury and Pittsburgh Theological Seminaries. Interesting assessment of GRTS/CTS. Curious, isn’t there precedent for this within local churches? I have noticed that many churches (United Methodist, Reformed, Baptist) have changed their name as a way to have a new start. Thoughts?
Ray
Glad to meet you Ray. Do you live in W MI now? We can be friends as long as you’re not a University of Michigan football fan. Well, actually, I do have several good friends who are UoM fans. We enjoy needling one another each fall. O-H! . . .
You’re right to point out church name changes as a similar trend. I’m a member of a baptistic congregation that renamed itself and moved into a new building in the community. The doctrine and polity changed very little but the image projected to the community was transformed, and the church has grown exponentially.
So we’re back to the “it it ain’t broke don’t fix it” question. Apparently my congregation was broken, at least in terms of its relationship to its community, and the name change along with a servant mindset is fixing it. In my view the GRTS/CTS situation is rather different. It wasn’t broken but they broke it anyway. Now we’ll see whether they can rebuild/fix it while maintaining its historic values and identity. I hope they can and will do that.
You may have noticed By Baylis’s informed comments above to the effect that institutional name changes typically amount to consolidating power. I’m asking myself whether that’s the real reason for church name changes, and hoping the answer is “no”.
Dr. Turner,
Thank you for your gracious and honest assessment of the changes taking place. As a 2014 graduate of GRTS, I am not a fan of the name change. It is sad and disappointing. However, I loved my time and growth at GRTS, and I loved having you as my professor for Hermeneutics. Brief life update: I went on to earn a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of North Texas and now serve as a staff psychologist at the Grand Rapids Veterans Affairs hospital. I love what I’m doing and am grateful for the biblical worldview GRTS established for me as a psychologist.
– Steve Coomes
Good to hear from you Steve. I recall your excellent work in the classroom, and I’m really happy to learn of your post-GRTS career developments. Unfortunately, counseling students are no longer required to take hermeneutics.
I hope concerned alum’s like you will remain engaged with the school. You should communicate your concerns constructively to Dean Halsted. You might even get involved as an adjunct prof.
All the best!