OUR philosophical roots
Pilgrim Seminary is in many ways a continuation of the work begun in the late 1800s by Rev. John Heyl Vincent, a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was one of the earliest pioneers of what is today called distance education.
Bishop Vincent and several colleagues established the Chautauqua College of Liberal Arts and the Chautauqua School of Theology, allowing students to study in their own community through a rigorous program of directed self-study. He and Lewis Miller also founded Chautauqua Institution which still flourishes today in Western New York as a center for arts, religion, and culture.
We have built upon Bishop Vincent’s belief that the opportunity for life-long education should be available to everyone.
As a relatively new institution, we have considerable distance to travel before reaching many of our goals. Gaining full accreditation, a process which generally takes several years, is one of the highest priorities of our Board of Governors, as well as developing new and innovative educational programs to serve our students and the wider Christian community.
Bishop Vincent and several colleagues established the Chautauqua College of Liberal Arts and the Chautauqua School of Theology, allowing students to study in their own community through a rigorous program of directed self-study. He and Lewis Miller also founded Chautauqua Institution which still flourishes today in Western New York as a center for arts, religion, and culture.
We have built upon Bishop Vincent’s belief that the opportunity for life-long education should be available to everyone.
- It is our belief that a person should be limited in the pursuit of higher education only by their desire and ability.
- We believe that the door to higher education, especially theological education, should be a wide open door.
- We reject the corrosive concept that higher education must be thought of as a high priced commodity to be bought and sold rather than as a precious inheritance that one generation passes on to the next.
- We believe that it is the right and duty of every individual to perfect their God given talents and to have access to the kind of education that will enable him or her to do so. None of us has all of the gifts that God can bestow, but each one of us has at least one gift which can be a blessing to another.
As a relatively new institution, we have considerable distance to travel before reaching many of our goals. Gaining full accreditation, a process which generally takes several years, is one of the highest priorities of our Board of Governors, as well as developing new and innovative educational programs to serve our students and the wider Christian community.
OUR core theological beliefs
All theological education programs are based upon certain core beliefs. Such beliefs influence the selection of faculty, the development and delivery of programs of study, and the overall educational mission of any institution of higher learning. Pilgrim Seminary adheres to the historic beliefs of the Christian faith community found in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. The seminary's statement of theological foundations is as follows:
God - We believe in the one true, holy and living God, Eternal Spirit, who is Creator, Sovereign and Preserver of all things visible and invisible. He is infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness and love. His mercy is over all his works and his will is ever directed to his children's good. We believe that the one God reveals himself as the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, distinct but inseparable, eternally one in essence and power.
Jesus Christ - We believe in Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man, who is the gift of the Father's unfailing grace, the basis for our hope, the promise of our deliverance from sin and death. In Christ the divine and human natures are perfectly and inseparably united. He is the eternal Word made flesh, the only begotten Son of the Father, who was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. As ministering Servant he lived, suffered and died on the cross. He was buried, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and will come again to Earth. He is the Savior and Mediator, who intercedes for us, and by him every person will be judged.
The Holy Spirit - We believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from and is one in being with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit convinces the world of sin, righteousness and judgment and leads men and women through their faithful response to the gospel into the fellowship of the Church. He comforts, sustains and empowers the faithful and guides us into all truth.
The Bible - We believe that the Bible, Old and New Testaments, reveals the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice. Whatever is not revealed in or established by the Holy Scriptures is not to be made an article of faith, nor is it to be taught as essential to salvation.
The Church - We believe that the Christian Church is an inclusive community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ. It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is faithfully preached by those divinely called, and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's own appointment. Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers, and the conversion and redemption of the world.
The Sacraments - We believe that the Sacraments, ordained by Christ, are symbols and pledges of the Christian's profession of faith and of God's love toward us. They are means of grace by which God works invisibly in us, enlivening, strengthening and confirming our faith in him. We believe that the act of baptism signifies entrance into the household of faith. Baptism symbolizes repentance, inner cleansing from sin, new birth in Christ, and is a mark of Christian discipleship.
We believe that the Lord's Supper, or Eucharist, is a sign of our redemption, a memorial of the suffering and death of Christ, and a token of love and union that Christian's have with Christ and with one another. Those who rightly, worthily, and in faith participate in Holy Communion partake of the body and blood of Christ in a spiritual manner until he comes.
Reconciliation and Salvation through Christ - We believe humanity is fallen from righteousness and, apart from the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, is destitute of holiness and is inclined to evil. Unless a person has a spiritual change of heart, he or she cannot see the Kingdom of God. We believe God was in Jesus Christ reconciling the world to himself. The offering Christ freely made on the cross is the perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, redeeming humanity from all sin. We believe that salvation is a free gift of God's grace and is received through personal faith in Jesus Christ. In him all those who believe have eternal life, a perfect righteousness, adoption into the family of God, and the spiritual blessings needed for life.
Justification, Regeneration, and Sanctification - We believe that no person is accounted righteous before God through his or her good deeds or merit, but that those who are truly sorry for their sins and have faith in Jesus Christ are justified before God.
We believe that regeneration is the renewal of humanity in righteousness through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. By this new birth the believer becomes reconciled to God and is enabled to serve him with heart, soul, mind and strength. Although we have experienced regeneration, it is possible to fall into sin; yet, even then, we may be renewed in righteousness by the grace of God.
We believe that sanctification is the work of God's grace through the Word and the Spirit, by which those who have come to faith are cleansed from sin in their thoughts, words and deeds, are enabled to live in accordance with God's will, and to strive for holiness in their daily lives. We believe that this experience does not deliver us from the infirmities, ignorance and mistakes common to all men and women, or from the possibility of further sin.
Good Works - We believe that good works are the necessary fruits of faith that follow regeneration. They do not have the ability to remove our sins or to enable us to avert divine judgment. We believe that good works, which are pleasing and acceptable to God, spring from a true and living faith. Through and by our actions our faith is made evident.
Christian Marriage - We believe that Christian marriage is a holy union of one man and one woman in which they commit, with God's help, to build a loving, life-giving, faithful relationship that will last for a lifetime. We affirm the Christian ideal of chastity in singleness and fidelity in marriage.
The Judgment and the Future State - We believe all people stand under the righteous judgment of Jesus Christ, both now and in the last day. We believe in the resurrection of the dead; the righteous to life eternal and the wicked to condemnation.
Public Worship - We believe divine worship is the duty and privilege of humanity who, in the presence of God, bows in adoration, humility and dedication. We believe divine worship is essential to the life of the Church, and that the assembling of the people of God for such worship is necessary for Christian fellowship and spiritual growth. We believe the order of public worship need not be the same in all places but may be modified by the Church according to circumstances and the needs of the people.
God - We believe in the one true, holy and living God, Eternal Spirit, who is Creator, Sovereign and Preserver of all things visible and invisible. He is infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness and love. His mercy is over all his works and his will is ever directed to his children's good. We believe that the one God reveals himself as the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, distinct but inseparable, eternally one in essence and power.
Jesus Christ - We believe in Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man, who is the gift of the Father's unfailing grace, the basis for our hope, the promise of our deliverance from sin and death. In Christ the divine and human natures are perfectly and inseparably united. He is the eternal Word made flesh, the only begotten Son of the Father, who was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. As ministering Servant he lived, suffered and died on the cross. He was buried, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and will come again to Earth. He is the Savior and Mediator, who intercedes for us, and by him every person will be judged.
The Holy Spirit - We believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from and is one in being with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit convinces the world of sin, righteousness and judgment and leads men and women through their faithful response to the gospel into the fellowship of the Church. He comforts, sustains and empowers the faithful and guides us into all truth.
The Bible - We believe that the Bible, Old and New Testaments, reveals the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice. Whatever is not revealed in or established by the Holy Scriptures is not to be made an article of faith, nor is it to be taught as essential to salvation.
The Church - We believe that the Christian Church is an inclusive community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ. It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is faithfully preached by those divinely called, and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's own appointment. Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers, and the conversion and redemption of the world.
The Sacraments - We believe that the Sacraments, ordained by Christ, are symbols and pledges of the Christian's profession of faith and of God's love toward us. They are means of grace by which God works invisibly in us, enlivening, strengthening and confirming our faith in him. We believe that the act of baptism signifies entrance into the household of faith. Baptism symbolizes repentance, inner cleansing from sin, new birth in Christ, and is a mark of Christian discipleship.
We believe that the Lord's Supper, or Eucharist, is a sign of our redemption, a memorial of the suffering and death of Christ, and a token of love and union that Christian's have with Christ and with one another. Those who rightly, worthily, and in faith participate in Holy Communion partake of the body and blood of Christ in a spiritual manner until he comes.
Reconciliation and Salvation through Christ - We believe humanity is fallen from righteousness and, apart from the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, is destitute of holiness and is inclined to evil. Unless a person has a spiritual change of heart, he or she cannot see the Kingdom of God. We believe God was in Jesus Christ reconciling the world to himself. The offering Christ freely made on the cross is the perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, redeeming humanity from all sin. We believe that salvation is a free gift of God's grace and is received through personal faith in Jesus Christ. In him all those who believe have eternal life, a perfect righteousness, adoption into the family of God, and the spiritual blessings needed for life.
Justification, Regeneration, and Sanctification - We believe that no person is accounted righteous before God through his or her good deeds or merit, but that those who are truly sorry for their sins and have faith in Jesus Christ are justified before God.
We believe that regeneration is the renewal of humanity in righteousness through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. By this new birth the believer becomes reconciled to God and is enabled to serve him with heart, soul, mind and strength. Although we have experienced regeneration, it is possible to fall into sin; yet, even then, we may be renewed in righteousness by the grace of God.
We believe that sanctification is the work of God's grace through the Word and the Spirit, by which those who have come to faith are cleansed from sin in their thoughts, words and deeds, are enabled to live in accordance with God's will, and to strive for holiness in their daily lives. We believe that this experience does not deliver us from the infirmities, ignorance and mistakes common to all men and women, or from the possibility of further sin.
Good Works - We believe that good works are the necessary fruits of faith that follow regeneration. They do not have the ability to remove our sins or to enable us to avert divine judgment. We believe that good works, which are pleasing and acceptable to God, spring from a true and living faith. Through and by our actions our faith is made evident.
Christian Marriage - We believe that Christian marriage is a holy union of one man and one woman in which they commit, with God's help, to build a loving, life-giving, faithful relationship that will last for a lifetime. We affirm the Christian ideal of chastity in singleness and fidelity in marriage.
The Judgment and the Future State - We believe all people stand under the righteous judgment of Jesus Christ, both now and in the last day. We believe in the resurrection of the dead; the righteous to life eternal and the wicked to condemnation.
Public Worship - We believe divine worship is the duty and privilege of humanity who, in the presence of God, bows in adoration, humility and dedication. We believe divine worship is essential to the life of the Church, and that the assembling of the people of God for such worship is necessary for Christian fellowship and spiritual growth. We believe the order of public worship need not be the same in all places but may be modified by the Church according to circumstances and the needs of the people.
our seminary program
The academic program of Pilgrim Theological Seminary is designed to help meet the educational needs of men and women who:
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OUR EDUCATIONAL GOALS
It is the seminary's goal that students who graduate from this institution will be able to:
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EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCARCERATED PERSONS
Pilgrim Seminary offers opportunities for theological education in federal and state prisons and county jails throughout the United States. Courses are made available through correspondence, tablets when available, and in-person instruction.
To understand our approach to educational ministry with incarcerated persons, one must understand that prisons are really communities. Many are larger than the small towns that surround them. There are approximately one thousand federal and state prisons in the United States and inside each of those prisons the Church is present, made up of the believers who live there. We call this the church-behind-the-wall.
It is a wonderful thing that congregations on the outside extend ministries of many kinds with those who are incarcerated. However, only so much can be done by the church-outside-the-wall. The primary work of the Kingdom in prisons is entrusted to the believers who live on the inside. They know the language and culture of prison life. They are there 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just as it is the task of God's people everywhere, it is their task to teach, proclaim, evangelize and serve in an effort to transform their prison community.
The believers in prison are often educationally under equipped to best fulfill their critical mission. Pilgrim Seminary is committed to educationally supporting the church-behind-the wall and to helping every incarcerated man or woman make the most of their God given gifts, talents, and abilities.
As Christians, we believe in the redemptive power of Christ that rescues us from who we once were and makes us new people. God's grace is never bound by human expectations but is freely given to all who will believe. And among those who believe, God especially calls some who once knew the depths of sin to now proclaim the heights of redemption through the set apart ministries of the church. We encourage those persons to educationally prepare to fulfill that calling through one of our degree programs.
To understand our approach to educational ministry with incarcerated persons, one must understand that prisons are really communities. Many are larger than the small towns that surround them. There are approximately one thousand federal and state prisons in the United States and inside each of those prisons the Church is present, made up of the believers who live there. We call this the church-behind-the-wall.
It is a wonderful thing that congregations on the outside extend ministries of many kinds with those who are incarcerated. However, only so much can be done by the church-outside-the-wall. The primary work of the Kingdom in prisons is entrusted to the believers who live on the inside. They know the language and culture of prison life. They are there 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just as it is the task of God's people everywhere, it is their task to teach, proclaim, evangelize and serve in an effort to transform their prison community.
The believers in prison are often educationally under equipped to best fulfill their critical mission. Pilgrim Seminary is committed to educationally supporting the church-behind-the wall and to helping every incarcerated man or woman make the most of their God given gifts, talents, and abilities.
As Christians, we believe in the redemptive power of Christ that rescues us from who we once were and makes us new people. God's grace is never bound by human expectations but is freely given to all who will believe. And among those who believe, God especially calls some who once knew the depths of sin to now proclaim the heights of redemption through the set apart ministries of the church. We encourage those persons to educationally prepare to fulfill that calling through one of our degree programs.