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Northwest Baptist Seminary was
established at a time when modernism had
overtaken many Baptist theological
schools where pastors were trained.
Bible-believing Baptists were
protesting, but as long as they were
dependent upon institutions whose
faculty members did not believe the Word
of God to produce their pastoral
leadership, the spiritual darkness would
only get worse. The chosen course was
to establish seminaries--schools of
pastoral training that would be loyal to
the truths of God's Word and send out
men who believed the Book.
Dr. William Matthews, pastor of the
Memorial Baptist Church in Los Angeles,
California, gathered a founding
committee to establish the Los Angeles
Baptist Theological Seminary (now known
as Northwest Baptist Seminary). The
first home of the seminary was the
Calvary Baptist Church of Los Angeles.
The school was incorporated on May 25,
1927. Dr. Matthews served as the first
president until his death in 1943.
In 1946 at the suggestion of the then
president, Henry Thiessen, the
undergraduate division of the seminary
began to offer classes as a liberal arts
college. The schools became known as
"Los Angeles Baptist College and
Theological Seminary." In 1953 Dr.
Hermann Austel, a graduate, had begun
teaching in the seminary and served as
the dean for many years. He continues
on our faculty today providing a
valuable and spiritual link to our godly
heritage.
The next major event in the history of
NBS, took place in 1959. Dr. John R.
Dunkin assumed the presidency of the
school, and a beautiful campus was
acquired in Placerita Canyon in Newhall,
CA. The school moved to this campus in
1961.
After prayerful consideration, it was
felt that the seminary would prosper in
a greater way if it were separated from
the college. Thus, in December of 1973,
the seminary was transferred to Tacoma,
Washington and renamed Northwest Baptist
Seminary. Dr. Charles Wagner, pastor of
Temple Baptist Church, was appointed
president. After meeting the first year
in Temple Baptist Church, the former
J.P. Weyerhaeuser estate was purchased
and became the home of the seminary.
Dr. Charles Wagner served as president
until 1983. After three further
administrative changes, Dr. Mark Wagner,
son of Charles and a board member at the
time, became president.
Since Dr. Mark Wagner became president
in 1993, the long-term debt has been
eliminated, renovation projects of the
education building and the lower level
of the chapel have been completed, the
heating system in the various buildings
have been replaced or updated and a
campus-wide computer network has been
installed. God has been faithful to the
work at Northwest Baptist Seminary for
over 75 years. We look forward to
seeing how God will direct Northwest
Baptist Seminary and the lives and
ministries that are impacted here in the
years to come.
THE SEMINARY AT A GLANCE
Accreditation
Northwest Baptist Seminary is accredited
by the Transnational Association of
Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS)
to award master’s degrees.
Transnational Association of Christian
Colleges and Schools, P.O. Box 328,
Forest, VA 24551; phone: 434-525-9539;
web site:
www.tracs.org
Recognitions and Approvals
The Washington Higher Education
Coordinating Board has determined that
Northwest Baptist Seminary qualifies for
religious exempt status from the Degree
Authorization Act for the following
programs: Master of Divinity; Master of
Ministry; Master of Sacred Theology;
Master of Theological Studies; Master of
Theology and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.).
Any person desiring information about
the requirements of the Act or the
applicability of those requirements to
the institution may contact the Board at
P.O. Box 43430, Olympia, WA 98504-3430.
Selected academic programs of study
offered by Northwest Baptist Seminary
are approved by the Higher Education
Coordinating Board State Approving
Agency (HECB/SAA) for enrollment of
persons eligible to receive educational
benefits under Title 38 and Title 10,
U.S. Code. Approved by the United States
Department of Justice for the education
of international students
Admission and Nondiscrimination Policy
Northwest Baptist Seminary admits
students of any gender, color, national
and ethnic origin to all the rights,
privileges, programs, and activities
generally accorded or made available to
students at seminary. NBS does not
discriminate in the administration of
its admissions and education policies,
nor in financial scholarship and aid
programs. Since the seminary does not
prepare women for ordination, the above
is governed by the exemption granted by
the United States Department of
Education.
Rights and Privacy
Northwest Baptist Seminary complies with
the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act of 1974 which governs
students’ rights to privacy and access
their educational records. A statement
on the policy concerning the release of
Student Directory information is found
in the Student Handbook.
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