United Methodist Church Drops Asbury Theological Seminary From Approved Schools List
The United Methodist Church removed Asbury Theological Seminary from its list of approved schools for ordination candidates, ending an 80-year relationship. The split follows Asbury's refusal to align with the UMC's updated social principles, which redefined marriage as a covenant between two people rather than between a man and a woman. Asbury called the decision a matter of biblical faithfulness.
The United Methodist Church has removed Asbury Theological Seminary from its list of approved schools for ordination candidates, ending a relationship that stretched back more than 80 years.
The decision came after Asbury refused to adopt the UMC's updated social principles, which redefined marriage as a covenant between two people. Asbury holds to a traditional definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.
The UMC's Board of Higher Education and Ministry made the removal official in late June 2026. Asbury, based in Wilmore, Kentucky, has trained thousands of United Methodist clergy over the decades.
Asbury President Timothy Tennent said the seminary would not change its position. "We believe Scripture is clear on this matter," Tennent said in a statement. "We cannot in good conscience adopt language that contradicts what we believe the Bible teaches."
The UMC has been navigating a years-long split over human sexuality. Thousands of theologically conservative congregations left the denomination in 2023 and 2024 to form the Global Methodist Church. The removal of Asbury from the approved list signals the UMC's continued move toward a more progressive theological stance.
Students currently enrolled at Asbury who are pursuing UMC ordination will need to transfer to an approved institution or seek ordination through another denomination.
Baptist Press reported that the UMC's decision reflects a broader pattern of the denomination distancing itself from institutions that hold traditional views on marriage and sexuality. Asbury said it plans to continue training ministers for other denominations and independent churches.
