A Welcome from the Office of the President
David H. Crawford, President of McCormick Theological Seminary
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:27
Welcome to McCormick Theological Seminary! On this site you will find the many ways in which we strive to embody Paul’s exhortation to the church in Corinth to be the body of Christ.
McCormick is a learning community that is cross-cultural, urban, Reformed, and ecumenical. In our delivery of theological education and among our students and extended community, we believe that we are participating in a vision of what the Church is and will become—a living image of God’s life-giving presence among a diverse humanity.
We are a graduate institution of higher learning within the rich intellectual and theological tradition of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Founded in 1829, McCormick has a long history of being on the cutting-edge of theological education. From the time that it moved to Chicago in 1860, the seminary’s identity has been deeply connected to this thriving urban center in all of its rich complexity.
Leaders in theological education have declared that McCormick has one of the most diverse, if not the most diverse, student body in North America. When I describe our learning community to prospective students, I invite them to imagine being in a class with African-American, Latinx Asian-American, Euro-American, and international students from around the globe. Our student body and our students represent the full range of the theological spectrum. All engage traditions that are both ancient in their wisdom and contemporary in relevance. They study with professors whose vocational identity has been transformed by the rich diversity that our setting provides. This is truly a place of transformation.
Come and catch a glimpse of the future. Come and be challenged to study with a world-class faculty. Come and learn at McCormick, amidst a community where diversity is not an idea, but our reality. Come, “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).
Peace and grace,
David Crawford
President, McCormick Theological Seminary