Christ’s Peace,
Lance
You may have already heard the news – the summer 2017 trimester will be the last in which courses will be offered by Winebrenner Theological Seminary at the Scotland, Pennsylvania location. The Board of Trustees made the decision to discontinue educational operations at this site at a regularly scheduled meeting on May 26, 2017. This was a very difficult decision and came after a lengthy discussion and review of enrollment and financial data beginning with the fall 2013 trimester, the first session of courses at the Scotland Campus.
In the wake of this decision by Winebrenner’s Board, the needs and interests of our students have been prioritized over the past month. Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that each student affected by this decision has been notified by email and postal letter, and contacted by his or her academic Program Director. You can learn more about what options are available to students by clicking here: http://www.winebrenner.edu/ScotlandPALocation/TransferTeachOutInformation.aspx.
Although Winebrenner will no longer be offering courses on the Scotland Campus, the campus itself will continue under the leadership of Dr. David Newell and the Scotland Campus Board of Directors. Earlier this year, both the debt held by the Home Mission Council as well as the ownership of the Scotland Campus property was transferred from the Winebrenner Theological Seminary Board of Trustees to the Scotland Campus Board of Directors. This transaction was anticipated at the time of the original purchase of the campus in 2012 but was delayed due to some questions from the Higher Learning Commission, one of our accrediting agencies.
I recognize that this information may come as a complete surprise to you. In fact, it makes perfect sense that you may be working through a combination of confusion and disappointment as you read through this. My hope is that by providing these details you will be able to make better sense of all that has transpired.
As I have come to better understand the relationship between Winebrenner Seminary and the Scotland Campus, I am continually reminded of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 3: 5-9:
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Winebrenner Theological Seminary “planted” the project that has now become the Scotland Campus. As Paul writes in verse 9, we are now “co-workers in God’s service” as we seek to train and equip leaders in God’s kingdom. Your investment helped Winebrenner plant the seed and now the Scotland Campus Board will nurture it to growth. It is God who makes things grow and, ultimately, reaps the reward from our efforts.
For those of you who are wondering “how did we get here?” I encourage you to reflect upon Acts 15: 36-41. This passage recounts the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over whether Mark should accompany them on their next missionary journey. Barnabas, ever the encourager, wanted Mark to join them even though he deserted them on an earlier trip. Paul disagreed. Despite their differing viewpoints, the work of God’s kingdom continued and was expanded. In a similar way, while we may not fully understand the reasons for all of the changes outlined in this post, I firmly believe that the work of God’s kingdom will expand as a result of our joint efforts.
In conclusion, please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns about any information contained in this post (my email address is [email protected] and Winebrenner’s phone number is 1.800.992.4987). I welcome the opportunity to discuss the future of Winebrenner Theological Seminary with you.
It’s a privilege to work alongside you as we serve God together.
Brent C. Sleasman, Ph.D.
President, Winebrenner Theological Seminary