Asbury Theological Seminary announces the creation of two new schools: the School of Counseling and the E. Stanley Jones School of Mission and Ministry, launching July 1, 2022.

The new School of Counseling represents a transition from a department of Counseling to an official school.  It will position the Seminary for many years of effective growth and fruitfulness in preparing men and women for licensure within mental health professions and training for ministries of soul care and healing within church and society.  The launch of the new school will coincide with the expansion of the VanTatenhove Center for Counseling and eventually the move into a newly remodeled Jones Foundation Building on the Wilmore campus. Dr. Jaqueline Smith is the Founding Dean of the School of Counseling. The school will oversee counseling degree programs on the Kentucky campus and throughout our Asbury Seminary Global delivery, in addition to the VanTatenhove Center for Counseling.

“I am enthusiastic about the potential of this new school to extend and expand our deep commitment to the training of both professional, licensed counselors, as well as pastors who need deeper training in counseling that will increasingly be such a crucial part of ministry in the decades ahead,” Dr. Timothy C. Tennent, President of Asbury Seminary, said.

The E. Stanley Jones School of Mission and Ministry will combine two existing schools (E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission and Evangelism and the Beeson School of Practical Theology) into one new integrated school. This will allow for greater interdisciplinary collaboration between the critical areas of mission, discipleship, worship, preaching, church planting, and leadership (to mention just a few). Students will benefit from increased integration between the disciplines of mission and ministry to better equip pastors, leaders, missionaries, evangelists, church planters, and other ministries in service to church and society. Dr. Steven Ybarrola will be the Dean, and Dr. Jonathan Powers will be the Associate Dean. The school will oversee mission and ministry degree programs on the Kentucky campus and throughout our Asbury Seminary Global delivery.

The E. Stanley Jones School of Mission and Ministry will house two Centers: the Beeson International Center for Preaching and Leadership; and the Center for Church Multiplication. These two outward-facing Centers will facilitate innovative co-curricular activities in the critical areas of preaching, leadership, missional discipleship, and church planting.

“From our founding, Asbury Seminary has been committed to ‘spreading Scriptural holiness throughout the world.’  The new E. Stanley Jones School of Mission and Ministry will continue that legacy with greater integration in our global witness. It is fitting that the emergence of this new school coincides with our centennial celebration as we extend the good news of the gospel into the next 100 years,” Dr. Tennent said.

Effective July 1, 2022, Asbury Seminary will have four academic schools: E. Stanley Jones School of Mission and Ministry; School of Biblical Interpretation; School of Counseling; and the School of Theology and Formation.