History
During the 1950s, a special committee on theological education reviewed the need for establishing a sixth Southern Baptist Convention seminary. Feeling that a new school, especially one located near the so-called pioneer areas of Southern Baptist work, would be of great value to convention ministry, this committee recommended that a seminary be established and placed in Kansas City, Mo. Thus, during its annual convention in Chicago, the SBC founded Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on May 29, 1957, and elected a board of trustees for the new school.
The school began its educational training in rented facilities in Kansas City's Calvary Baptist Church. However, during the first academic session, Midwestern began constructing permanent facilities. By Sept. 1959, the facility consisted of an administration and classroom building, an auditorium and a library. Two years later, another classroom building was added. The seminary then began to answer the need for student housing, completing a residence hall in May 1963. From 1965 to 1973, a complex of 103 student apartments and modular homes was constructed. In 1983, 12 additional apartment units were built and in 1988, 28 two- and three-bedroom apartments were constructed. In 2009, to keep up with the growing on-campus population, several older units were demolished and 16 more two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments were built bringing the total to 123 housing units.
New faculty offices were constructed and the classroom building was renovated in 1977. The classroom building received another facelift in 2009 -- improving classrooms, faculty office space, a student break area and a renovated campus bookstore.
Dr. Millard J. Berquist, former pastor of the First Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla., served as the school's first president. Dr. Berquist presided 15 years, retiring in 1972. The trustees then elected Dr. Milton Ferguson, former faculty member at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, as president of Midwestern.
The school began its educational training in Sept. 1958, with a nucleus of six outstanding faculty members and 136 students from 21 states and Mexico. The seminary has experienced gratifying growth in both physical numbers and in its ministerial outreach ever since. By its second year, Midwestern had 10 faculty members, 275 students, and a larger staff. Currently, 23 faculty members, several adjunct professors, a 60-member staff and more than 1,200 master's and doctoral students (including on-campus, distance learning and online) and 500 undergraduates in 2008 - 2009 make up what the seminary community warmly refers to as "the Midwestern family."
Milton Ferguson retired in Aug. 1995, and the Midwestern Seminary board of trustees elected Dr. Mark T. Coppenger as Midwestern's third president. He served from Aug. 1995, until Sept. 1999.
In Jan. 2001, Midwestern's trustees unanimously elected the fourth and current president, Dr. R. Philip Roberts. Roberts previously served as director of the Interfaith Witness Department of the North American Mission Board, pastored churches in England, Germany and Belgium and served in a number of theological education roles here and abroad.
In response to a vision placed in their hearts by God, the leadership of Midwestern launched its undergraduate school, Midwestern Baptist College, SBC., in 2004. With associate and bachelor degree programs available in multiple disciplines, Midwestern opened its doors to a new genre of students, increased the on-campus population and continued Midwestern Seminary's mission of serving the church by biblically educating God-called men and women to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ, thus fulfilling the Great Commission.
