Mission and Values

Phillips Theological Seminary is an accredited institution of higher education, affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), whose purpose is to prepare women and men for varied Christian ministries in church and society. One single aim dominates its educational programs: to help the church make the Christian faith effective in human life and society through a competent, educated ministry.

The following three core values undergird the seminary's mission, programs, and ethos.

-rooted in the ecumenical life of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ);
-centered on the spiritual formation of effective Christian leaders;
-committed to student-oriented academic excellence.

About Us:

Phillips Theological Seminary is a graduate seminary, affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), dedicated to learning the way of Jesus in order to cultivate vital communities, vital conversations, and the public good. We are a community of teachers and learners seeking to be faithful to God through disciplined, reasoned, and reflective study of scripture, religious tradition, and human experience.

We exist primarily to serve the church's need for educated leaders, ordained and lay. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, we offer a unique brand of theological education in this region of the country: the pairing of ecumenical, in-depth theological education with denominational formation involving partners in several denominations. In addition, we welcome students who are not pursuing ministerial degrees but who want to explore and deepen their faith by taking specific courses in our curriculum. Furthermore, as an ecumenically-oriented seminary, we employ faculty and staff and welcome students from over 20 denominations.

The Phillips community is comprised of 25 trustees, 110 current students seeking graduate credit plus another 42 who have taken courses recently for personal enrichment, approximately 1,700 living alumni/ae, about 1,000 donor individuals and supporting congregations annually, and a dedicated faculty (full-time, affiliate, and adjunct) and staff.