Trinity Anglican Seminary
Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry (TESM) is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) located in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. The newest of the major Episcopal seminaries, it is generally associated with the Low Church (evangelical) wing of the Episcopal Church.
History
In the mid 1970's, several prominent evangelical leaning Episcopal clergymen and lay leaders became disillusioned with what they considered the drift of existing Episcopal seminary education toward liberal theology and "theological relativism". They began to meet and plan a new seminary with a curriculum based on orthodox Protestant theology and evangelical principals.
In 1976, The Rt. Rev. Alfred Stanway, a retired Australian missionary bishop to Tanganyika, accepted the call to become the first dean of TESM. Beginning with 17 students and meeting in rented space, Trinity held its first classes in September 1976. Stanaway served for two years before retiring. His successor, the Rev. Dr. John Rodgers, oversaw major growth during his 12 year tenure. The Very Rev. Paul Zahl was elected Trinity's fifth dean in 2004.
Trinity now serves over 200 full and part time students on its campus in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Five graduates and two former professors have gone on to become bishops in the Episcopal Church or other Anglican bodies around the world.
Evangelical leadership
Founded by leaders of the evangelical wing of the Episcopal Church, TESM has become a central player in the renewal movement in the ECUSA. Although the seminary does not discriminate based on theological perspective, the over 400 graduates who currently serve as clergy are overwhelmingly evangelical or traditionalist. The, alumni, faculty, and trustees of the school have been among those in the forefront in support of orthodox theology within the ECUSA such as the virgin birth, deity of Jesus, and the literal resurrection of Jesus. They also have generally been leaders in the opposition to the ordination of gay clergy, such as Bishop V. Gene Robinson.