Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

What Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary does

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (LPTS) is a private nonprofit theological seminary founded in 1853 and headquartered at 1044 Alta Vista Road in Louisville, Kentucky. The institution delivers graduate theological education through four core degree programs—the Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Arts in Religion (MAR), Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT), and Doctor of Ministry (DMin)—plus dual-degree combinations (e.g., MDiv/MAMFT) and specialized tracks such as Black Church Studies and Field Education. Beginning Fall 2024, the MDiv and MAR programs offer asynchronous online delivery alongside in-person options to accommodate working adults, and a new joint Doctor of Ministry in Adaptive Leadership launched in December 2025 through the Seminary Extended collaboration with Union Presbyterian Seminary and Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Operational technology runs on Canvas LMS for course delivery, Populi for student information management, and SharePoint for internal workflows.

LPTS generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees across its degree programs, complemented by charitable donations administered through the Office of Advancement under three funds (Seminary Fund, Scholarship Fund, and Student Assistance Fund). Institutional aid is anchored by the $20,000-per-year Presidential Scholarships and the needs-based Whosoever Tuition Scholarship Program. Major grant inflows from Lilly Endowment Inc. ($1M Sun-Walking Fellowship in 2022; $10M Seminary Extended in 2025) and the Association of Theological Schools ($25K in 2023) supplement core revenue. Beyond degree programs, the institution operates the Louisville Seminary Counseling Center (community-based therapy services), the E.M. White Library (open to the public), the Louisville Institute (a Lilly Endowment–funded research grant program since 1990), and the LouSem Hope Cafe (food security/community engagement).

The seminary serves prospective ministers and chaplains, experienced ministers seeking continuing education, marriage and family therapy students and clients, scholars studying North American religion, and the broader Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and ecumenical constituencies. It is led by an 11th president, Rev. Dr. Andrew D. Pomerville, with a Board of Trustees governance structure, and maintains COAMFTE accreditation for its MFT program through 2030. The seminary co-administers the Grawemeyer Award in Religion—an annual $100,000 prize—with the University of Louisville.

Name

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Legal name

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Website

https://lpts.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1853

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a private, nonprofit graduate theological seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, founded in 1853. It educates prospective pastors, chaplains, and marriage and family therapists through MDiv, MAR, MAMFT, and DMin degree programs, serving Presbyterian and broader ecumenical constituencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theological Education / Higher Education Seminary

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry) (EDAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Theological education
• Graduate seminary programs
• Marriage and family therapy
• Pastoral leadership training
• Ministry formation

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from student tuition and fees for degree programs including Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Religion, Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, and Doctor of Ministry. Financial aid and scholarships are available.
2. Donations and Charitable Giving: The Seminary Fund provides flexible, immediate-use dollars; the Scholarship Fund supports student financial aid; the Student Assistance Fund supports day-to-day student needs. Donations are managed through the Office of Advancement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a private, nonprofit theological seminary that delivers graduate theological education and ministry formation, offering degree programs including the Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Arts in Religion (MAR), Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT), and Doctor of Ministry (DMin), along with community services such as the Louisville Seminary Counseling Center. It supplements academic instruction with field education, Black Church Studies, lifelong learning, and a research library, and partners with other seminaries on joint programming funded by philanthropic grants.

Product overview

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary offers a portfolio of theological education products centered around its degree programs. The core academic offerings include four degree programs: Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Arts in Religion (MAR), Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT), and Doctor of Ministry (DMin). A notable addition is the joint Doctor of Ministry in Adaptive Leadership developed with Union Presbyterian Seminary and Eastern Mennonite Seminary through the Seminary Extended initiative. Beyond degree programs, the seminary provides community services including the Louisville Seminary Counseling Center (offering clinical therapy), the E.M. White Library (providing research resources), and the LouSem Hope Cafe (addressing food insecurity). The institution also operates the Louisville Institute (granting research fellowships funded by Lilly Endowment), administers the Grawemeyer Award in Religion (a prestigious annual $100,000 prize), and offers continuing education through Lifelong Learning programs. Specialized academic programs include Black Church Studies and Field Education. The seminary utilizes Canvas for online learning delivery and Populi for student information management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LouSem Hope Cafe: A community dining space operated in partnership with The Hope Buss, Inc., addressing food insecurity, housing insecurity, health and wellness, violence interruption, and community engagement.

Products and services

• Master of Divinity (MDiv)

Quantifiable outcome

• COAMFTE accreditation renewed for MFT program through November 1, 2030
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Union Presbyterian SeminarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2025Collaborative partnership in Seminary Extended initiative awarded $10 million by Lilly Endowment. Joint Doctor of Ministry in Adaptive Leadership program with shared faculty. Deliver congregation-embedded leadership development, shared courses, in-person intensives, coaching, and yearlong congregation cohorts. First-of-its-kind collaboration to strengthen pastoral formation.
• Eastern Mennonite SeminarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2025Collaborative partnership in Seminary Extended initiative awarded $10 million by Lilly Endowment. Joint Doctor of Ministry in Adaptive Leadership with shared faculty across three institutions. Goal to make leadership development accessible to local churches across many Protestant traditions.
• The Hope Buss, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership to launch LouSem Hope Cafe inside Winn Center on LPTS campus. The Hope Buss, led by LPTS alumna Stachelle D. Bussey (MDiv '20), addresses food insecurity, housing insecurity, health and wellness, violence interruption, and community engagement. Food service provided Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays during academic year.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• San Francisco Theological Seminary: PC(USA)-affiliated seminary offering MDiv and DMin programs with a strong commitment to inclusive theological education. Closely comparable in denomination, progressive ethos, and degree mix.
• Princeton Theological Seminary: PC(USA)-affiliated graduate theological school offering MDiv, MAR, and doctoral programs. Shares denomination, ecumenical admissions posture, and comparable degree offerings with LPTS.
• McCormick Theological Seminary: PC(USA) seminary in Chicago offering MDiv and DMin programs. Comparable in denomination, urban location, and progressive theological orientation.
• Columbia Theological Seminary: PC(USA)-affiliated seminary in Decatur, GA, offering MDiv, MAR, ThM, and DMin programs. A direct peer in denomination, degree portfolio, and field-education focus.
• Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary: PC(USA) seminary in Austin, TX, offering MDiv and DMin programs with a strong bilingual and distance-learning tradition. Comparable in denomination, scale, and theological education model.
• Pittsburgh Theological Seminary: PC(USA)-affiliated seminary offering MDiv, MAR, and doctoral programs. The current LPTS president earned his DMin here, and the institutions share theological and pedagogical lineage.
• Eastern Mennonite Seminary: Anabaptist seminary in Harrisonburg, VA, partnering with LPTS in the Seminary Extended initiative and joint Doctor of Ministry. Directly comparable through the shared leadership-development program focus.
• Union Presbyterian Seminary: PC(USA)-affiliated theological seminary in Richmond, VA. LPTS's primary partner in the Seminary Extended initiative and joint Doctor of Ministry in Adaptive Leadership, making it the most direct peer in denomination, program mix, and collaborative structure.

Broad incumbents

• Fuller Theological Seminary: Large multi-denominational evangelical seminary offering MDiv, MFT, and doctoral programs. Comparable as a broader incumbent in theological education with an established MFT program, though larger and more evangelical in orientation.
• Duke Divinity School: University-affiliated divinity school at Duke University offering MDiv, MAR, and doctoral programs. A broader incumbent in mainline Protestant seminary education with significantly larger resources and research footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LPTSNow
• Facebookfacebook.com/Louisville-Seminary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/louisville-seminary
• Instagraminstagram.com/louisvilleseminary
• Xx.com/lptsNOW

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary