Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1424954
4 In 1996, Dr. Clyde McDowell was named Denver Seminary's fifth president. Of special interest to Dr. McDowell was the revitalization of inner-city churches of all ethnicities. Dr. McDowell led Denver Seminary to reinvent its approach to seminary education by incorporating an intensive, contextualized mentoring experience into its core curriculum. His presidency ended with his death from a brain tumor. In 1999, the board of trustees appointed Dr. Leith Anderson as interim president of Denver Seminary. The Board appointed Dr. G. Craig Williford as Denver Seminary's sixth president in August 2000. Dr. Williford's desire to integrate theory and practice helped the Seminary continue to develop and expand the training and mentoring program which has become an essential part of a Denver Seminary education. Under his leadership, the student body grew to around 900 students, and the institution realized a level of economic health not experienced in previous years. In July 2005, Denver Seminary relocated to a beautiful, new and debt-free campus situated next to the Platte River in Littleton, Colorado. Built specifically for the Seminary, the campus features three buildings: an academic center; a learning resource center, which is home to the library with over 175,000 books and bound periodicals (28,000 of which are volumes from the library of Dr. Vernon Grounds), and the student center; and an administrative building with offices for faculty and staff, plus the Shepherd's Gate Counseling Center. In 2008, the Board of Trustees appointed Pastor Gordon MacDonald as interim president of Denver Seminary. In March 2009, Dr. Mark S. Young was appointed the seventh president by the board of trustees. Dr. Young brings to Denver Seminary extensive experience as an international educator and theologian, as well as an abiding commitment to mission and transformation. His life's passion is to align all that he is and all that he does with the eternal purpose of God—the redemption of all peoples. In 2014, Denver Seminary partnered with First Baptist Church of Glenarden, Washington D.C. to begin a seminary extension campus. With both Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and Higher Learning Commission (HLC) permissions, the Extension Campus opened in 2015 offering two degree programs and a certificate program. The Washington D.C. extension campus continues to serve the leadership training needs of the churches and ministries in the D.C. area. To meet the needs of an ever-changing market, Denver Seminary launched its first fully online degree in the fall of 2017. The esteemed Master of Divinity degree was made available to students fully online, allowing individuals to stay connected in their current place of work, ministry, and community. Today, almost 5,000 graduates of Denver Seminary serve Christ throughout the world. Thus, the dream of a group of pastors is now a vibrant reality and a significant factor in reaching the world for Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. MISSION Denver Seminary prepares men and women to engage the needs of the world with the redemptive power of the gospel and the life-changing truth of Scripture. Through our educational programs and mentoring process, the Seminary challenges students to grow spiritually, intellectually, and professionally in order to lead God's people in the accomplishment of His mission in the world.