June 11, 2014

In recent years, debate within the Church in America has intensified around what the appropriate Christian position should be on any number of cultural issues. As disagreements escalate, arguments tend to move away from the underlying fundamental questions to focus instead on shifting points of view.

While cultural standards may change, Asbury Theological Seminary stands firm. In the Wesleyan tradition, we uphold the authority of Scripture, the missional nature of the Church, and the prevenient grace of God in the lives of all people. It is because of these strong beliefs, that Asbury Seminary is willing to run contrary to the tide of culture on any number of issues in order to bring the glorious news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into all the world.

Recently, the debate on human sexuality has gripped the Western Church. Some argue that Christian love demands the acceptance of homosexual relations, while others contend that standing firm on Scripture requires excluding homosexuals from the church all together. Again, Asbury Seminary’s stance has not shifted, but remains clear. We will continue to demonstrate God’s love for all people even as we affirm the Bible’s teaching that all sexual relations outside of a committed heterosexual marriage between one man and one woman constitute sin.

When Henry Clay Morrison began Asbury Theological Seminary in 1923, he fashioned a seal for the Seminary that has served as both the foundation and the mission for the institution for more than nine decades: “The Whole Bible for the Whole World.” We affirm the authority of Scripture and seek to live out its dictates with a missional mind-set and love for all of humankind.