A milestone in Adventist history, the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The first of the commemorative events took place on Oct. 14, 2004, during a special celebratory session at the Women and the Word Conference. John McVay, Seminary dean, gave a presentation on the history of the Seminary and Beverly Stout of the Office of University Relations provided a biographical history of women faculty of the Seminary. Jane Thayer, assistant professor of religious education, presented statistics on current women Seminary students. Following the session was a birthday cake reception.

Other events throughout the year have included mounting a time-line highlighting key events in the Seminary’s history on the first floor of the building, as well as a second presentation titled “The Seminary at Threescore and Ten: A Lifetime of Mission” delivered by McVay at the year-end meetings for the North American Division on Oct. 29, 2004.

A Seminary Fellowship on Feb. 7, 2004, titled “Bringing the Past to Life” featured presentations by Russell Staples, World Mission professor emeritus, Leona Running (via an audio recording), Biblical Languages professor emerita, and Robert Johnston, New Testament and Christian Origins professor emeritus.

Still to come this year is a Seminary student event commemorating the last 70 years, organized by Jennifer Sutton, Seminary student forum president. Also, a Seminary chapel aimed at students is scheduled to take place later this year and will feature a presentation on the history of the Seminary. The anniversary will also be remembered at the pre-General Conference ministerial meetings to be held in Berrien Springs.

“It’s an exciting thing to be part of a seminary that is 70 years old,” said McVay. Although he said the Seminary is focused on the work still to be done, “we do that better with a sense of what God has done for us in the past.”

Bjorn Karlman, University Relations student newswriter