General Information

Mission

The mission of Brite Divinity School, affiliated with Texas Christian University and related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is to educate women and men–through its programs of instruction, research and scholarship, and other forms of church and community service–for ministry, witness, and outreach of the church of Jesus Christ in the world.

Its primary emphasis is preparing persons, in an ecumenical setting, for ordained and lay vocations in parish ministry and in chaplaincy, counseling, and higher education. The Divinity School offers other aids to understanding the church’s faith and calling, including scholarly resources as well as opportunities for continuing education of the laity and ordained ministers.

Through its teaching, scholarship, and community services, Brite seeks to nurture the formation of Christian identity, spiritual disciplines, and faith-based moral responsibility in keeping with awareness of the rich heritage, the resources and challenges, and the international and religiously diverse context of ministry.

Brite Divinity School’s commitments include:

• Maintaining distinctive relationship to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and to Texas Christian University by uplifting this church’s and this University’s commitments to free inquiry, intellectual integrity, ecumenicity, and sound education for ministry;
• Diversity in its faculty, its course offerings, and its student body supported by extensive named scholarships, designated scholarships, stipends, and loans;
• Programs of instruction leading to six degrees–Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Christian Service, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Philosophy–as well as a Certificate of Theological Studies;
• Providing opportunities for lay, continuing, and advanced professional education, as illustrated by such educational events as the Gates of Chai Lectureship, Hispanic Summer Program, the Kirkpatrick Summer Institute, and TCU Ministers Week;
• Reflection and engagement relating to the meaning of Christian faith in dialogue with the concerns and goals of justice and reconciliation in today’s world.

Relationship with Texas Christian University

Brite Divinity School and Texas Christian University are independent institutions. They have a rich historical relationship and enjoy a shared heritage, affiliation, traditions, and values with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Both institutions recognize the tangible and intangible benefits of a supportive and collaborative relationship especially in areas of teaching and scholarly programs. In 2004 Brite and TCU signed a Joint Resolution on Continuing Affiliation and Services that articulates the University’s contractual commitment to provide essential administrative support, operational, and maintenance services and the vision of both institutions to assure a continuing spirit of mutual involvement, cooperation, and support for the benefit of students, staff, and faculty.

 

Relationship to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Brite Divinity School is related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in many official and unofficial ways. It reports biennially to the Plenary Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest. It is a member of the Council on Theological Education of the Division of Higher Education of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It receives financial support through the denomination’s Church Finance Council. Many of the administrative officers, faculty and students of Brite Divinity School serve the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) at the local, regional and general levels

Ecumenical Spirit and Relationships

The student body is interracial, international and ecumenical. While the largest numbers of students at Brite are Disciples and United Methodists, nearly twenty-five different denominations are represented in the student body. Faculty and staff are active members in eleven different religious bodies. The ecumenical spirit is also strengthened by Brite’s membership and participation in the Council of Southwestern Theological Schools embracing fourteen Protestant and three Roman Catholic institutions. Faculty and students are engaged in local, state and national ecumenical organizations and programs.

United Methodist Studies: Approval by the University Senate

The University Senate of the United Methodist Church has approved the Divinity School to teach United Methodist students. The courses taught at Brite in United Methodist history, doctrine, and polity–which are required for ordination in the United Methodist Church–have been officially approved by appropriate denominational offices. With the assistance of the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, students preparing for deacons’ ordination may meet UMC expectations with either the Master of Arts in Christian Service or the Certificate of Theological Studies.

Baptist Studies Program

The Baptist Studies Program is an integral part of the Divinity School. Designed to meet the special interests and needs of Baptists, this program offers graduate courses in Baptist history, thought, and polity and provides opportunities for Baptist students in field settings in Baptist churches, worship, and other community experiences. Special lectures and workshops by Baptist professors and ministers enrich the seminary experience of Brite students. A special committee of Baptist ministers, pastoral counselors, and lay people advises the Divinity School in shaping and carrying out this program. Financial undergirding is provided by The Alliance of Baptists and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, including CBF Leadership Scholarships.

Presbyterian Studies Program

The Presbyterian Studies Program supports Presbyterian women and men who are in the process of discerning a call to ministry. By mentoring, providing a Reformed and Presbyterian focus, and enriching Brite’s work through relationships with Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Cumberland Presbyterian Church presbyteries as well as Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, the program seeks to prepare a student to meet all constitutional requirements for ordination or certification to ministry in Presbyterian congregations. The Program embraces students in all degree plans, but focuses primarily on those preparing for professional ministry in local churches as pastors or directors of Christian education.

Asian (Korean) Church Studies Program

The Asian (Korean) Church Studies Program provides resources for Brite students to learn about the history, culture, and theology of Asian and Asian-American Christianity. This is done through regularly offered courses on the subjects and lectures offered by visiting scholars and church leaders in Asian/Asian-American communities. The program also serves as a center for promoting Asian/Asian-American theological studies and training leaders for Asian-American churches (especially those affiliated with the Christian Church [Disciples of Christ]).

Black Church Studies

In Fall 2002 Brite Divinity School affirmed its commitment to the importance of diversity in theological education by becoming the new headquarters of the Black Religious Scholars Group, a nation-wide organization committed both to nurturing Black religious scholars and also relating the work of Black religious scholars to the larger Black community and its churches. In Spring 2005 Brite approved the Black Church Studies Concentration in the Master of Divinity program. This concentration offers an interdisciplinary range of courses for shaping ministerial preparation and theological reflection for seminarians of all races, aimed at providing wider knowledge of the issues of Black life and American Christianity. Also, the Black Church Studies program offers events throughout the academic year in an effort to educate the public and promote the vitality of Black religious scholarship and the legacy of the Black Church. The Power of Black Preaching Interdenominational Forum, the State of the Black Church Studies Summit and Awards Banquet, and the B.L.A.C.K. Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence Series.

Borderlands Center for Latina/o Church Studies

Since Fall 2001 Brite Divinity School has sponsored the Borderlands Center for Latina/o Church Studies. The Center and its Coordinator aid in recruitment of Latina/o students at Brite; coordinate programs for the Divinity School and community such as the Borderlands Intersections Lecture Series; sponsor continuing education seminars and workshops for Latina/o pastors, including the annual Hispanic Summer Program; and network with Latina/o pastors in the community, including licensed ministers. In Spring 2005 Brite approved two affiliation agreements that provide an alternate route for theological education for Latina/o pastors and laity: a non-degree four-semester Certificate Program in Pastoral Counseling, in affiliation with the Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health, San Antonio, Texas; and an introductory level extension program in the Metroplex and the south Texas area, in affiliation with the Hispanic Center for Theological Studies (Centro Hispano de Estudios Teológicos) in Bell Gardens, California.

Jewish Studies

Texas Christian University and Brite Divinity School together sponsor the Jewish Studies Program, designed to support the teaching and scholarly study of Judaism and to promote the historical contribution of Judaism to civilization. The Program fosters a better understanding of the faith heritage of Christianity, as well as more informed dialogue and understanding among Jews and Christians. The Program is committed to serving people of all faiths and to contributing to the education of the local community. With the generous support of numerous donors, elements of the program include Rosenthal faculty positions for courses available to students at both Brite Divinity School and Texas Christian University, the Barnett International Scholarship, the Gates of Chai Annual Lectureship in Contemporary Judaism, the Jack B. Friedman Judaica Library in Honor of Barbara Friedman Rakoover in the TCU Mary Couts Burnett Library, and the Bermont Family Undergraduate Jewish Student Scholarship Fund.

Women’s Studies Certificate for Th.M. and Ph.D. Students

In 2005, Brite began cooperating with TCU graduate departments and schools in offering a Women’s Studies Certificate Program. This program is currently open to Brite Th.M. and Ph.D. students and to others on a case-by-case basis. To earn the Certificate, students must complete twelve hours of course work: BRIT 90003: Graduate Colloquium in Feminist Methodology and Theory, and three additional Brite courses approved for the program. For further details, see the Assistant Dean for Advanced Programs.

A Seminary Affiliated With a University

Brite Divinity School is affiliated with Texas Christian University. The University has a fulltime faculty numbering more than 460 and a student enrollment of approximately 8,600. The University offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in 60 fields of study and 10 doctoral degrees. The resources and facilities of the University enrich and complement the Divinity School programs. Students are urged to consult the online Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Bulletins of the University for details regarding the many opportunities and services available to them as members of the University community.

Development of the Divinity School

Texas Christian University has had a concern for the education of ministers since its founding as AddRan College in 1873. In the early years it fulfilled this concern within the framework of the regular undergraduate B.A. program. Classes in Bible were offered to all students; those wishing to prepare for the ministry simply devoted a large part of their junior and senior years to concentration in Bible and religion. What was essentially a Department of Bible began to be referred to as a Bible College about 1895. In 1907 the first B.D. degree was awarded. The B.A. was regarded as a prerequisite of this new program, but the two curricula were scarcely distinguishable and there was only one faculty in religion.

Brite College of the Bible received its name and its first permanent building in 1914 as the result of a gift from L.C. Brite, cattle rancher of Marfa, Texas. Though it was now a full-fledged seminary, Brite College continued to serve also as the Department of Religion for AddRan College for another twenty-five years.

In 1939 a standard three-year curriculum for the B.D. degree was initiated, and Brite College became a member of the American Association of Theological Schools. Two years later this body recognized Brite as a standard accredited seminary–the second Disciples seminary to receive this accreditation.

In 1963 the charter was renewed and the name was changed to Brite Divinity School. The name of the basic degree earned at Brite was changed from Bachelor of Divinity to Master of Divinity in 1967. Two years later the Divinity School began to offer a program of study leading to the Doctor of Ministry degree. In 1988 the Master of Theological Studies and the Certificate of Theological Studies were introduced. In 1997 the American Association of Theological Schools granted Brite preliminary approval to offer the Doctor of Philosophy in two areas: Biblical Interpretation and Pastoral Theology and Pastoral Counseling. In 1999, Brite introduced two new accredited degree programs, the Master of Theology and the Master of Arts in Christian Service. Two years later, Brite initiated a new Doctor of Ministry program.

In the early years, administrative tasks were carried as an added responsibility by persons whose primary concern was teaching. In recent years the Divinity School has had a series of deans who have given major attention to administration with part-time teaching responsibilities. They are Colby D. Hall (1914-47), D. Ray Lindley (1947-50), Roy C. Snodgrass (1950-55), Elmer D. Henson (1955-71), William E. Tucker (1971-76), M. Jack Suggs (1976-89), Leo G. Perdue (1989-99), Mark G. Toulouse (1999-2002), Interim Dean David J. Gouwens (2002-2005), and Nancy J. Ramsay (2005-present).

In 1999 the Board of Trustees created the Office of President: Leo G. Perdue (1999-2002), Interim President D. Duane Cummins (2002-03), and D. Newell Williams (2003-present).

In 1953, Brite Divinity School moved into the south wing of the TCU Religion Center which was completed that year. In 1998, this main building of the Divinity School was renamed to honor contributions made to the life and work of the Divinity School by Jo Ann and Wayne Moore. The central unit of this complex is the Robert Carr Chapel which dominates the skyline of the campus. In 2001 Leibrock Village, Brite’s new student housing complex, opened for occupancy and the Brite Board of Trustees has approved plans to construct a new academic building that will provide Brite with an additional 47,000 square feet of classroom, library, and office space, and 14,000 square feet of parking.

Accreditation and Affiliation

Brite Divinity School is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award masters and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Brite Divinity School.

Brite is also accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS). This organization was established in 1936 to provide an accrediting agency in the field of theological study. Brite Divinity School achieved ATS accreditation in 1941, and has sustained an unbroken relationship in the organization to the present time. Brite is also a member of the Division of Higher Education of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The Pastoral Care and Training Center of Brite Divinity School is accredited by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

Brite maintains a relationship with Texas Christian University as an affiliated school of TCU. A member of the leading educational and professional organizations in the United States, Texas Christian University is accredited and approved by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and other recognized educational bodies requiring high standards of training. Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and other high academic societies are active at Texas Christian University.

Facilities

Classes and many other activities of Brite Divinity School are conducted in the Moore Building, which is located at the heart of the TCU campus. Robert Carr Chapel, the Mary Couts Burnett Library, the Brown-Lupton Student Center, the TCU Recreation Center, and other facilities of the University are also available for the use of Brite Divinity School students and faculty.

World Wide Web

Brite Divinity School maintains an attractive and informative presence on the World Wide Web. The address is http://www.brite.tcu.edu. Look us up and see what’s new. Current information is posted there.