Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary will confer degrees upon eleven potential graduates who plan to complete their degree requirements in December. With a mid-year graduation date, established in 2000, these students will not have to wait until the May 23 Commencement exercises to receive their degrees. Marriage and Family Therapy graduates can begin their work toward licensure immediately, and graduates from the Master of Divinity degree program, who have met their ordination exam requirements, can begin the process toward finding a call to a ministry location.

Of the December 2003 potential graduates, five are women and six are men. Five graduates will receive the Master of Divinity degree; four will receive the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy degree; one will receive the Master of Theology degree; and one will receive the Doctor of Ministry degree.

Master of Divinity Ms. Peggy French - Louisville, KY BA, Spalding University-KY Mr. Steven T. Pace - Frankfort, KY BA, Western Kentucky University Ms. Kathleen V. Rankin - Mount Holly, NC BSHE, University of Georgia The Rev. Adam E. Shourds - Rockport, IN BA, Kentucky Wesleyan College Mr. John D. Sweet - Springfield, MO BS, Southwest Missouri State University Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy Ms. Melinda F. Crawley - Kokomo, IN BA, Indiana University-Kokomo

Ms. Jennifer L. Lindsay - Grovetown, GA BA, Davidson College-NC Ms. Ellen A. Marting - Saint Louis, MO BA, Westminster College-MO Mr. Keith W. Williams - Louisville, KY BA, Spalding University-KY Master of Theology The Rev. Dr. Stephen E. Aschmann - Richmond, VA BA, University of Pennsylvania Doctor of Ministry The Rev. Thomas W. Smith - Senior Minister, St. Matthews United Methodist Church, Louisville, KY Thesis: Developing a Wesleyan Understanding of Giving

The Master of Divinity program combines education in three academic areas—Biblical studies; theology, history, and ethics; and practical theology—with four semesters of required field education in churches and agencies in the Louisville area. Most who earn the M.Div. degree are seeking ordination; however, the degree can focus on Christian education and can be combined with other concentrations such as law, social work, business administration, and education in partnership with Bellarmine University and the University of Louisville.

The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy program is one of few accredited seminary-based programs in the United States, composed of courses in theology and Biblical studies, training in marriage and family therapy, at least 500 hours of client contact and 100 hours of supervision. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC), which has ranked the program one of the top in the nation.

The Doctor of Ministry degree is a professional credential offered to persons who are already engaged in ministry and who wish to develop excellence in ministerial practice in three basic tracks: General Practice of Ministry, Pastoral Counseling, and the newest, Interim Ministry.

Louisville Seminary also offers the Master of Arts in Spirituality with Bellarmine University and the Master of Theology, which is for pastors and other Master of Divinity graduates who wish to study, at an advanced level, Bible, Theology, Church History, or one or more areas of ministry.

Courses for these degrees are taught by faculty who are distinguished in academic fields vital to training church leadership. The Louisville Seminary faculty consists of 20 professors with credentials from some of the world’s leading theological institutions and universities, including Duke, Emory, Harvard, Oxford, Princeton, University of Wisconsin, Vanderbilt and Yale. These nationally recognized scholars teach classes in the Bible, Reformed theology, homiletics, pastoral skills and biblical languages, as well as specialized topics in ethics, marriage and family therapy, contemporary theology and other subjects important to today’s church and society.

Contact the Office of Registrar if you have questions regarding the above graduates and the Office of Admissions for information about the Seminary’s degree programs and requirements, e-mail: admissions@lpts.edu or call toll-free 1 800 264-1839.