Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School

Founded in 1806 in Massachusetts, Andover Newton Seminary has long been known as “the school of the church” in denominations whose polity is “congregational,” meaning faith communities that are covenanted together but self-governing. Having formed an affiliation with Yale in 2017, Andover Newton Seminary is now the third YDS partner on the Quad. The seminary’s mission is: “Deeply rooted in Christian faith and radically open to what God is doing now, Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School educates inspiring leaders for faith communities.”

In some ways a distinct entity focused on preparing leaders for pastoral ministry, and in other ways fully integrated with and open to the whole YDS community, Andover Newton has its own advisory council, programs, affiliate faculty, and offices on the Quad. It funds scholarships and faculty positions directly related to its mission to educate faith leaders in the traditions of its covenant partners, the United Church of Christ and American Baptist Churches USA. Andover Newton also hosts four named lectures annually or biennially. All Andover Newton students are fully enrolled as YDS students.

Based on its congregational heritage of a learned clergy, where pastors are fully part of the community, a key thematic focus for all of Andover Newton’s programs is integration: connecting classroom learning with experiential learning, fostering a keen sense of connectedness within the Andover Newton and YDS communities, and broadening students’ perspectives to include cross-cultural learning and attunement to matters of social justice. Attentive to the leadership requirements of local faith communities, whose self-governance demands organizational management skills from their clergy, Andover Newton connects students with opportunities within Yale and in the wider community to become knowledgeable and effective nonprofit professionals.

Applicants to the Andover Newton Seminary program should submit an application through the YDS Admissions Office. On the YDS application, prospective students specify their intent to enroll through Andover Newton in pursuit of their YDS degrees. Those who wish to learn more can read about Andover Newton Seminary at https://andovernewton.yale.edu or contact Andover Newton Seminary’s administrator at 203.436.9970.