Welcome to Washington Theological Seminary!
Washington Theological Seminary was founded by a group from within the Korean Presbyterian Church of Washington (KPCW) under the leadership of their Senior Pastor Rev. Taek Yong Kim, ThD, on July 11, 1983.
The purpose of founding Washington Theological Seminary was to train qualified ministers wholly committed to the Word of God. The Seminary’s vision was to launch true ethnic Christian Theological training, with the aim of reforming Korean-American Churches across the United States.
Now, our Seminary welcomes students from over 25 countries and a multitude of ethnic backgrounds. We welcome all who want to further the work of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
Washington Theological Seminary was chartered under the Commonwealth of Virginia on July 27, 1983. The Seminary is a religious institution exempt from state regulation and oversight in the Commonwealth of Virginia under Code of Virginia § 23-276.2 (C)
CODE OF ETHICS AND INTEGRITY
Washington Theological Seminary is committed to ethical and responsible behavior. WTS operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through structures and processes that involve the entirety of the school, including the Board of Trustees, the faculty, the staff, and the students. This code of ethics and integrity also applies to individual contractors of the seminary and any individual providing services to or on behalf of WTS.
The members of the WTS family are encouraged to consider the ethics of their decisions, exercise a Christian conscience, and act with integrity in all things. The WTS Code of Ethics invites all to serve the common good and to monitor their actions according to the highest ethical and professional standards of conduct.
STATEMENT OF ACADEMIC FREEDOM FOR STUDENTS
WTS fully supports the ideal of academic freedom. Our faculty members are free to discuss any subject matter in the classroom and to introduce students to any and all perspectives on those subjects. As a Christian institution, we believe that academic freedom must be tempered by religious conscience; therefore, our faculty are not free to advocate perspectives that are contrary to the seminary’s Statement of Faith or core values in the classrooms. Faculty are free to use whatever books, music, art, and other materials they deem necessary for adequately introducing students to subject matter and perspectives, as long as those materials are not explicitly inappropriate We take a traditional definition of the word "inappropriate" which is that material or subject matter that is not suitable or appeals primarily to prurient interest.
Students are free to research and publish on any topic; however, students are not authorized to speak on behalf of the seminary in publications without the expressed, written consent of the Board of Trustees. Students should also avoid publishing material that could discredit the seminary or its administrators, faculty, staff, and students. WTS encourages students to be actively engaged in their communities and churches; however, they may not speak in an official capacity as a representative of the seminary without specific authorization (verbal or written) from the appropriate administrators or the Board of Trustees. In all interactions with faculty, fellow students, and the public, inside or outside of the classroom, students should strive to ensure that their actions and conduct reflect favorably on the seminary and on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.