UMC drops Asbury seminary from approved schools list over marriage stance

The Asbury Theological Seminary reported Thursday that the United Methodist Church removed the multidenominational Kentucky school from its list of approved schools for candidates pursuing UMC ordination. Asbury served over 75 different denominations as an evangelical seminary rooted in the Wesleyan tradition, and was first approved by the Methodist Church in 1946, according to the school.

Asbury Theological Seminary is separate and distinct from Asbury University.

Did the UMC give a reason for its decision? Seminary President Dr. David F. Watson cited theological disagreements, specifically over marriage and human sexuality. The UMC made headlines in 2024 after its general conference attendees voted to redefine marriage as a sacrament between two people of faith rather than between a man and a woman. Attendees also voted to remove a portion of the church code that declared the practice of homosexuality as incompatible with Christian teaching.

Asbury affirmed that God sanctioned marriage as an exclusive lifelong union between one man and one woman, establishing the sole context for sexual intimacy, Watson stated. Seminary leaders remained honest and clear about their doctrine and ethical standards, even when they did not align with the UMC's new social principles, which resulted in a unilateral decision to delist Asbury, Watson said.

The school’s theological commitments to teaching the unchanging truth of orthodox Christianity rooted in Scripture have remained unchanged for over a century, according to the school’s president. More than 4,000 living Asbury alumni serve or have served around the world with the UMC, Watson said. About 9% of Asbury’s active student body is also identified as UMC, he added.

What will happen to students pursuing UMC ordination who are already studying at Asbury? Any current Asbury students with UMC affiliation and other students seeking UMC ordination who begin coursework at Asbury by this fall will be grandfathered into the UMC, according to Asbury’s Thursday statement.