Northern Seminary
American Christian seminary in Illinois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Northern Seminary is a private Baptist seminary in Lisle, Illinois. Historically known as Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, it is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA.
Former name | Northern Baptist Theological Seminary |
|---|---|
| Type | Private seminary |
| Established | 1913 |
Religious affiliation | American Baptist Churches USA |
Academic affiliations | Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada |
| President | Ingrid Faro (interim) |
| Faculty | 9 (2025) [1] |
| Postgraduates | 161 (2025)[2] |
| Location | Lisle, Illinois, United States 41°48′33″N 88°03′22″W |
| Campus |
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| Website | www |
 | |
History
The Seminary was founded in 1913 by the Second Baptist Church of Chicago named as Northern Baptist Theological Seminary as a theologically conservative alternative within the framework of its association with the American Baptist Churches USA.[3][4] In 1920 a collegiate department was founded, and the American Baptist Churches became a seminary partner.[5] In 1963, it moved to Lombard, Illinois.[6] In 2004, it was renamed Northern Seminary.[5] In 2017, it moved to Lisle, Illinois.[7]
It is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.
On March 13, 2023, the president, William D. Shiell, resigned from his position amid controversy.[8] After several interim presidents, Joy J. Moore officially became the president of Northern Seminary on December 1, 2024.[9] On January 2, 2026, Moore and the Board of Trustees mutually agreed that she would resign from the position of president of the seminary.[10][11] Ingrid Faro was named interim president.[10]
Presidents
| No. | Name | Term | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Marvin Dean | 1913–1918 | [12][13] |
| 2 | George W. Taft | 1918–1936 | [12] |
| 3 | William Law Ferguson | 1936–1938 | [14][15] |
| 4 | Charles W. Koller | 1938–1961 | [16][17][14] |
| 5 | Benjamin P. Browne[a] | 1960–1964 | [18][19][20] |
| 6 | Bryan F. Archibald | 1965–1975 | [19][21] |
| 7 | William R. Myers Sr. | 1975–1988 | [22][12] |
| 8 | Ian M. Chapman | 1988–2001 | [12] |
| 9 | Charles W. Moore | 2001–2006 | [12][23] |
| – | John F. Kirn[b] | 2006–2008 | [12][23] |
| 10 | Alistair Brown | 2008–2016 | [24][12] |
| 11 | William D. Shiell | 2016–2023 | [25] |
| – | John C. Bowling[b] | 2023 | [8][26][27] |
| – | Karen Walker Freeburg[b] | 2023–2024 | [28][29] |
| 12 | Joy J. Moore | 2024–2026 | [30][9] |
| – | Ingrid Faro[b] | 2026–present | [10][11] |
Notable people
Alumni
- David Breese, evangelist, author, and radio broadcaster
- Millard Erickson, 20th-century theologian and author
- Clay Evans (pastor), 20th-century African-American evangelical pastor
- Derwin Gray, professional football player and pastor
- Carl Henry, founder and first editor of Christianity Today
- Torrey Johnson, first president of Youth for Christ
- Stephen R. Lawhead, fiction writer
- Tara Beth Leach, pastor and author
- John Osteen, first pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas
- Kenneth N. Taylor, creator of The Living Bible paraphrase and founder of Tyndale House publishers
- Warren W. Wiersbe, author, teacher, and minister for Moody Church and Back to the Bible
- Gideon B. Williamson, general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene
- Mildred Bangs Wynkoop, Wesleyan-Holiness preacher, evangelist, and theologian
Faculty
- Lynn H. Cohick, former provost, dean of academic affairs and professor of New Testament
- Harold Lindsell, former professor
- Nijay Gupta, Professor of New Testament
- Greg Boyd (theologian), Adjunct Professor
- Scot McKnight, former Julius R. Mantey chair of New Testament
- Joy J. Moore, former president of Northern Seminary
- Robert E. Webber, former Myers Professor of Ministry
