The seminary will shift to a more nimble model that will maintain its enduring commitment to educating leaders for Christian communities

After engaging in careful consideration and faithful conversation about Luther Seminary’s important mission and future, the seminary’s board of directors voted unanimously to begin the process to shift to a more nimble model and divest from its current physical campus in Saint Paul.

Luther Seminary will initiate a process to seek new space in the Twin Cities area that aligns with its needs going forward and helps maintain the seminary’s enduring commitment to ensuring Christian leaders are equipped for the realities of ministry today and into the future.

“Our mission to educate leaders for Christian communities remains as vital and necessary as ever,” Luther Seminary President Robin Steinke said. “To remain sustainable over the long term, how we fulfill this mission will be transformed going forward. Seeking new space and shifting to a more nimble model will allow us to steward our resources more effectively and serve students and learners from all walks of life.”

Luther Seminary anticipates remaining on its current campus through the 2026-2027 school year and intends to find new space that will better meet its needs around teaching, learning, scholarship and community—including an ongoing commitment to strategic, periodic in-person learning.

“Led by our core values of being gospel-centered, student-focused, innovative, and community-oriented, we are leaning into our mission in new, exciting ways,” Carlos Peña, Chair of the Luther Seminary Board of Directors, said. “We are taking bold, faithful steps to meet the needs of the global church and our students while continuing our dedication to theological depth and academic rigor. We will continue to deliver faithful and high-quality online education experiences alongside strategic in-person learning, all in service to Christian communities around the world.”

For more than 150 years, Luther Seminary has prepared leaders to serve the needs of the church. During its first several decades, the seminary moved 14 times, but its main campus has been in Saint Paul for the last 120 years. Today, 70% of the seminary’s students primarily engage online from all over the U.S., and most students are also learning in the church communities and ministries they serve.

“The way students learn and prepare for ministry has changed. Now is the right time to align our resources with that reality and evolve how we deliver on our mission,” Steinke said. “While this is an ending, it is also a beginning rooted in God’s promise toward a future full of hope and promise.”

Luther Seminary will share more information on opportunities for the community to join in honoring this transition.

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