Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary
Encyclopedia
Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (GGBTS) is one of six official Southern Baptist seminaries. The main campus is located in Mill Valley, California
.
GGBTS was originally founded in 1944 in Oakland, California
, at the Golden Gate Baptist Church. The seminary was moved to Berkeley
shortly thereafter. After some time the seminary moved again and in 1959 it held its first classes at its current main campus in Mill Valley. Since its establishment GGBTS has expanded to include several satellite campuses in addition to the Mill Valley site. Regional campuses can be found in Brea, California
; Vancouver, Washington
; Scottsdale, Arizona
; and Centennial, Colorado
and total aggregate enrollment stands at roughly 1,100 students. The seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
http://www.wascsenior.org/wasc/MI_Directory.htm#G.
(M.Div.), the Master of Theological Studies
(MTS), the Master of Theology
(Th.M.), the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership (MAEL), the Master of Missiology (MMiss) and the Doctor of Ministry
(D.Min.). Beginning in 2007, GGBTS began offering a Doctor of Philosophy
(PhD) in Biblical studies with plans to expand the program to include theology and Church history.
Golden Gate focuses on multicultural and cross-cultural ministry to a significant degree. As a result, a large number of Golden Gate students become missionaries working with the International Mission Board
of the Southern Baptist Convention
.
There is also an on-site preschool, Golden Gate Academy, that serves as a lab school for the seminary.
Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The population was 13,903 at the 2010 census.Mill Valley is located on the western and northern shores of Richardson Bay...
.
History
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, at the Golden Gate Baptist Church. The seminary was moved to Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
shortly thereafter. After some time the seminary moved again and in 1959 it held its first classes at its current main campus in Mill Valley. Since its establishment GGBTS has expanded to include several satellite campuses in addition to the Mill Valley site. Regional campuses can be found in Brea, California
Brea, California
Brea is a city in Orange County, California. The population, as of the 2010 Census was 39,282.The city began as a center of crude oil production, was later propelled by citrus production, and is now an important retail center because of the large Brea Mall and the recently redeveloped Brea Downtown...
; Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
; Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
; and Centennial, Colorado
Centennial, Colorado
The city of Centennial is a Home Rule City located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States, and part of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. The city was to have a total population of 100,377 in 2010 census. Centennial is the tenth-most populous municipality in the state of Colorado and its...
and total aggregate enrollment stands at roughly 1,100 students. The seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has more than 250 member institutions...
and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
http://www.wascsenior.org/wasc/MI_Directory.htm#G.
Educational Focus
As a theological seminary, GGBTS offers a variety of theological degrees. Among these are the Master of DivinityMaster of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
(M.Div.), the Master of Theological Studies
Master of Theological Studies
A Master of Theological Studies is a general academic degree that gives students an introduction to advanced theological studies. The M.T.S usually requires two years of program study to complete. The Latin equivalent for M.T.S...
(MTS), the Master of Theology
Master of Theology
A Master of Theology is an advanced theological research degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries.-North America:In North America, the Master of Theology is considered by the Association of Theological Schools to be the minimum educational credential for teaching...
(Th.M.), the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership (MAEL), the Master of Missiology (MMiss) and the Doctor of Ministry
Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry degree is, according to The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada , a doctoral level degree oriented toward ministerial leadership often in an area of applied theology, such as missions, evangelism, church leadership, pastoral psychology or the...
(D.Min.). Beginning in 2007, GGBTS began offering a Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
(PhD) in Biblical studies with plans to expand the program to include theology and Church history.
Golden Gate focuses on multicultural and cross-cultural ministry to a significant degree. As a result, a large number of Golden Gate students become missionaries working with the International Mission Board
International Mission Board
The International Mission Board is a missionary sending agency affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention which operates in virtually every nation except the United States and Canada...
of the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
.
There is also an on-site preschool, Golden Gate Academy, that serves as a lab school for the seminary.
Notable alumni
- Dr. Henry T. Blackaby - Minister and author of the popular Bible study "Experiencing God".
- Debby Kerner RettinoDebby Kerner & Ernie RettinoDebby Kerner & Ernie Rettino are American best known as the creators of the characters from the Psalty the Singing Song Book in the Kids' Praise! series of Christian children's musical albums. Together, they have also created Solomon the Supersonic Salamander, and Hi-Tops .Debby started off as a...
- Christian worship leader - Dr. Charles W. Hedrick - New Testament Scholar, Fellow of the Jesus SeminarJesus SeminarThe Jesus Seminar is a group of about 150 critical scholars and laymen founded in 1985 by Robert Funk under the auspices of the Westar Institute....
, and Professor Emeritus Missouri State UniversityMissouri State UniversityMissouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
.