About Portland Seminary

Who We Are

We are a Christ-centered community earnestly committed to preparing you spiritually, academically and professionally to think with clarity, live with integrity and serve with the heart of God.

Founded in the Wesleyan tradition and embedded in a Friends university, we prepare women and men across denominational traditions with the biblical understanding, theological depth and spiritual maturity needed to lead faithfully in the church and in the world.

By keeping our shared focus on Jesus Christ, we cultivate a space that engages a broad range of perspectives, backgrounds and ideas, reflecting the reality of ministry in our current cultural moment. We believe today's church and communities need leaders who can navigate complexity with wisdom, humility and grace, offering guidance grounded in Scripture and shaped by the character of Christ.

Why Choose Portland Seminary?

Inspired by the “three-strand cord” of Ecclesiastes 4:12, we weave together spiritual formation, academic depth and practical leadership. We believe that when Christian leaders are abiding in Christ and equipped for their calling, they help build churches and communities that are powerful reflections of the kingdom of God.

This vision isn't just a statement. It guides our curriculum, our leadership structure and our relationships with colleagues, students and the people we serve.

A mixed group of 4 individuals pray together with hands clasped

Christian Spiritual Formation of the Whole Person

Spiritual formation is not a peripheral concern, it is the center of all we do. We believe faithful Christian leadership flows from a life rooted in Christ, grounded in Scripture and responsive to the work of the Spirit. Out of this interior life flows the capacity to be a healthy leader for the long-term, providing attentive care, sound judgment and practices that strengthen the communities in a divided world.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

A woman leads a congregation in the George Fox University Chapel

Equipping Women and Men in Ministry

We believe that women and men are both called to share in all roles of ministry leadership. It is our conviction that God’s story of redemption and re-creation supports women in leadership, and we are dedicated to teaching, training and formation that encourages men and women to flourish according to God’s calling.

Three Portland Seminary students discuss in their cohort together

Transformational Hybrid Format

Through our relational and experiential hybrid model—featuring formational cohorts and annual intensives—we prepare leaders whose inner lives are rooted in Christ and whose outer lives are dedicated to his mission. This is not an online-only or content-delivery experience; it is formation for steady and faithful leadership.

Our hybrid approach allows you to experience the flexibility of online education through weekly Monday Zoom sessions and coursework that can be completed on your schedule, along with formative, relational in-person experiences with faculty and other students.

Rev. Dr. Kurtley Knight from Portland Seminary reads from the Bible in the aisle of the chapel on campus

Broadly Evangelical, Interdenominational Identity

We value a diversity of thought and cultivate a culture of curiosity by having a faculty who are committed to a historical evangelical approach, willing to engage a wide variety of perspectives, and create a space where students from nearly 50 denominations can engage and contribute.

We choose to move beyond labels, which often oversimplify complex beliefs and fail to reflect the true reality of who people are.

Two Portland Seminary graduates have a conversation on the waterfront in the city

Preparing Leaders Inside and Outside of the Church

Our graduates are equipped for a wide range of callings. While many of our students already serve in vocational ministry as pastors, church planters and missionaries, many others serve in specialized roles as chaplains and spiritual directors.

We also empower marketplace leaders—including nonprofit executives and professionals in every sector—who view their daily work as a vital form of Christian ministry.

Core Beliefs

As the embedded seminary of George Fox University, Portland Seminary adheres to the university’s statement of faith.

In particular, Portland Seminary is defined by its theological commitment to three core convictions:

Biblical Authority

We believe the Bible is God-inspired, uniquely authoritative and our essential guide for Christian life and thought.
Historical Christian Teaching on Marriage

We uphold the historically orthodox view of marriage between one man and one woman.
Equality of Women and Men in Ministry

We believe that both women and men are called to share in all roles of ministry leadership. This egalitarian partnership is the model established at the Church’s founding—a result of Christ’s redemptive work making all things new.