The Hearth

Spotlighting students, alumni, faculty, and events, The Hearth is the go-to source for all things related to Urbana Seminary. 

Current Issue

Feature: 20th Anniversary

Fall 2023

Urbana Theological Seminary traces its roots to the founding of the Christian Studies Center in 1994 when a broad cross-section of evangelical churches and parachurch ministries in the Champaign-Urbana area came together with a shared vision to bring seminary training to east central Illinois. The first classes were offered in the Fall semester of 1994 through a contract with a Chicago area seminary. In 2001, sensing that our location was strategic and that there was high local interest in developing a more extensive education, the Board voted to seek approval and accreditation to operate as a standalone school.

In 2003 the Board chose the name Urbana Theological Seminary and appointed Dr. Kenneth Cuffey as the Seminary’s first President. We began offering courses towards the Graduate Certificate of Christian Studies, our inaugural program.

On April 5, 2005, the Illinois Board of Higher Education granted the Seminary operating authority, and in May we graduated the first two Graduate Certificate students…

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