Association of Theological Schools elects Dr. Mouw to top board position for two-year term
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07/07/10
Fuller President Richard J. Mouw has been elected president of the board of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS). The election, which took place at the ATS Biennial Meeting held June 23 to 25 in Montreal, Canada, confirmed Dr. Mouw as president for a two-year term. He previously served as vice president.
The stated mission of ATS is “to promote the improvement and enhancement of theological schools to the benefit of communities of faith and the broader public.” Its more than 250 member schools offer graduate-level degree programs that prepare students for the practice of ministry and for teaching and research in the theological disciplines.
Evaluating and granting accreditation to seminaries and other schools of theology is a key function of ATS. Its Commission on Accrediting both accredits institutions and approves degree programs offered by accredited schools.
The Association began in 1918 as a conference of theological schools that met biennially to consider issues of common interest and concern. From its beginning, it has been representative in membership of both the United States and Canada. It became an association in 1936, adopted standards for judging quality, and in 1938 established its first list of accredited schools.
Today ATS, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, includes 253 member schools—217 in the U.S. and 36 in Canada. Of these, 56 percent are Protestant denominational schools, 22% are inter/nondenominational schools, 20 percent are Roman Catholic schools, and 1 percent are Orthodox schools.
Dr. Mouw has served as president of Fuller since 1993. A philosopher, scholar, and author, he joined Fuller’s faculty as professor of Christian philosophy and ethics in 1985, having previously served for 17 years as professor of philosophy at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mouw has authored 17 books and served on many editorial boards, including currently Books and Culture. In 2007 Princeton Theological Seminary awarded Mouw the Abraham Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Life.