except for the hippies, who would not notice.
LSTC News Release
LSTC's President Reflects on McCormick Theological Seminary's Decision
Posted Jun 3, 2009
Following the May 13-14, 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees of McCormick Theological Seminary and its decision to pursue an “orderly disengagement” from the real estate portion of its relationship with LSTC, President James Kenneth Echols said, “LSTC will always give thanks for the partnership of the two schools in the ministry of theological education that began in 1975. The seminary also regrets the strained financial circumstances that have led McCormick to make its decision."LSTC’s Special Finance Task Force, appointed by the Board of Directors in November 2008, is currently assessing the impact of McCormick’s orderly disengagement which will take place as early as June 2010. The Task Force is developing plans that include potential building reconfiguration and new campus partners and working in other areas to strengthen the seminary.
Simultaneously, the seminary is implementing its new strategic plan that will guide LSTC into a bright future. The plan includes having the faculty review the institution’s degree and non-degree offerings to ensure that LSTC remains on the cutting edge of what the church needs to form gifted LSTC students to be faithful and effective missional leaders proclaiming Jesus Christ in the 21st century. President Echols noted that, “LSTC is uniquely positioned and strategically located to form the next generation of leaders, and LSTC is committed to doing just that. For in a great city, a great Christian tradition deserves a great seminary!”
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Wikipedia:
After the Young Lords take-over and facing a dire financial situation and declining enrollment, McCormick sold the Lincoln Park campus to DePaul University and moved to the Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago, in 1975. This move divested the institution of infrastructure while reinforcing its commitment to urban ministry. Sharing facilities with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC), McCormick began to help foster important ecumenical cooperation between the Presbyterian and Lutheran churches. In 2003 McCormick reinforced and recommitted itself to its ecumenical partnership with LSTC by building a new building situated on the LSTC campus.
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GJ - McCormick Presbyterian Seminary sold its campus after the Young Lords takeover and financial difficulties. They put a building on the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago campus and merged the libraries. I think Roman Catholics threw a weak seminary in too.
LSTC saw their president resign - no plans announced for a young, apparently single Black man with a Yale PhD. McCormick has a new president - the first Presby sem president who is also Asian.
If I am wrong about any facts, Bruce Foster will jump onto email about it. I will be happy to fix up factual errors.
The McCormick-LSTC arrangement seems to have misfired, as most coop and merger efforts do.
