New Geneva Theological Seminary is an independent Reformed seminary, founded in 1993 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that is committed to the inerrancy, inspiration, and authority of the Bible and affirms the historic doctrines contained in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. Standing in the historic Reformed and Presbyterian theological tradition, New Geneva trains students whose convictions are formed by Scripture and articulated by the confession the church has used since 1646.
Scripture Comes First
New Geneva is committed to the inerrancy, inspiration, and authority of the Bible. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God written — breathed out by God, without error, and the final authority in all matters of faith and life.
This is also the order the Westminster Confession itself observes. Its first chapter is not about God, the church, or salvation; it is about Scripture (WCF I) — because until you know where authority lies, nothing else can be settled. The Confession teaches that Scripture is sufficient for all things necessary to God’s own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life; that its saving truths are plain enough that the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain a sufficient understanding of them; and that no council, tradition, or private impression may stand above it.
The Westminster Standards at New Geneva
New Geneva holds to the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms as faithful summaries of the teaching of Scripture.
The Standards are not a second Bible. They do not stand alongside Scripture, and they do not stand above it.
They are subordinate standards — the church’s careful, tested account of what Scripture teaches, held because it is scriptural and open in principle to correction by Scripture alone, through the churches and their assemblies. When New Geneva says it affirms the Westminster Standards, it is not adding to the Word of God; it is stating publicly how it reads the Word of God.
New Geneva holds the Westminster Standards in the American revision received by Presbyterian churches in this country (1788–89), which differs from the original 1646 text principally in its treatment of the civil magistrate.
What this means for a student is that nothing is hidden. The doctrinal frame of instruction here is a public document, and you can read it in full before you apply.
A Reader’s Guide to the Confession
The Standards speak for themselves, and we encourage you to read them in full. What follows is a brief orientation to the Confession’s own chapters — a reading guide, not an expansion of what New Geneva has stated above.
- IOf the Holy Scripture
- II–IIIOf God, and of the Holy Trinity; Of God’s Eternal Decree
- IV–VOf Creation; Of Providence
- VI, IXOf the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof; Of Free Will
- VIIOf God’s Covenant with Man
- VIIIOf Christ the Mediator
- X–XVOf Effectual Calling; Justification; Adoption; Sanctification; Saving Faith; Repentance unto Life
- XVIOf Good Works
- XVII–XVIIIOf the Perseverance of the Saints; Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
- XIX–XXOf the Law of God; Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience
- XXIOf Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day
- XXII–XXIVOf Lawful Oaths and Vows; Of the Civil Magistrate; Of Marriage and Divorce
- XXV–XXVIOf the Church; Of the Communion of Saints
- XXVII–XXIXOf the Sacraments; Of Baptism; Of the Lord’s Supper
- XXX–XXXIOf Church Censures; Of Synods and Councils
- XXXII–XXXIIIOf the State of Men after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead; Of the Last Judgment
The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms are public-domain documents, freely available in full online from a number of Reformed denominations and archives. Prospective students are welcome to read them before applying.
Serving Churches Beyond One Tradition
New Geneva is an independent institution. It is not owned by, and is not officially affiliated with, any single denomination. Its graduates have been ordained in the PCA, the OPC, the RCUS, the URCNA, and numerous other Reformed and evangelical denominations.
That list deserves a word of its own. Some of those churches — the RCUS and URCNA among them — hold the Three Forms of Unity: the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort. New Geneva’s own confessional standard is Westminster, stated plainly above. The continental Reformed confessions set forth the same Reformed faith with their own emphases and history, and the seminary is glad to train students who will serve churches that hold them. Ordination is granted by the courts and assemblies of the churches, not by the seminary.
New Geneva trains pastors, ministry leaders, and everyday believers. Students preparing for ordination are trained toward the standards their own church requires.
Independence is not vagueness. New Geneva’s convictions are stated above without qualification. What independence means here is that the seminary is governed by its own board and serves churches across several Reformed communions — so that a Presbyterian, a continental Reformed, and a confessionally-minded evangelical student can all study here without being asked to become something other than what their own church has made them.
Institutional Standing
New Geneva Theological Seminary was founded in 1993 and is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 84-1449678).
New Geneva is an affiliate member of the Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries (ARTS). It is authorized by the Colorado Department of Higher Education under the Degree Authorization Act as a religious institution.
Who Will Teach You This
If this is the theology you want shaping your ministry, the next question is who will teach it to you. Meet the faculty — their degrees, their churches, and their fields — on the Faculty page, or read the seminary’s history and mission on About New Geneva. If you would rather ask a person than read a page, Dr. Mark House, our registrar, takes fifteen-minute calls by appointment.
