50th Anniversary Celebration
Missio has reason to celebrate—and celebrate all year long. As of 2021, MISSIO is celebrating 50 years of faithful ministry to the Philadelphia region (1971-2021). The Holy Spirit is alive and well and will not be quarantined.
Our celebration will look back but also look forward. We will recognize the foundation that was laid by our two founders: Dr. Allan MacRae and Dr. Jack Murray—one was a scholar and the other an evangelist. Together they embodied a spirit that joined serious Bible study a with a missionary’s zeal to share the Gospel—but always with a gracious and respectful understanding of the cultural context—”theirs was a Gospel with legs.”
One of the signs of a healthy organization is growth. I am not talking about numerical growth (although that has happened). I am talking about spiritual growth. We have grown in our self-understanding; we have grown in our understanding of Scripture; and we have grown in compassion, grace, and love of God and neighbor. We have recommitted ourselves to metro Philadelphia—urban and suburban.
Nothing demonstrates that growth better than the missional turn nearly 20 years ago. Dr. David Dunbar led what was then Biblical Seminary to become one of the first seminaries in the US to embrace a full throttled missional theology. It has been my privilege to continue the missional emphasis by changing our name to reflect better our missional commitment and then to move into the city to live out God’s mission. We have tried our best to be strategic, wise, and faithful to the original vision of MacRae and Murray as we seek to serve Philadelphia and the North East corridor from New York City to Washington DC. It has been quite a ride even if it has been bumpy at times. Today, we still stand on the shoulders of remarkable leaders. And we intend to celebrate.
Join me in celebrating God’s blessings upon MISSIO Seminary for the last 50 years with a view to how He will bless in the next 50 years.
Frank A. James III, DPhil, PhD
President and Professor of Historical Theology
Missio Seminary
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Missio Events
October 24: Connection & Conversation Night
Join Dr. David Lamb, fellow alums, students and friends for some fun, laughter, learning, prayer and light dinner.
November 21: Night of Praise
Drop by for worship and celebration for all that God has done and continues to do at Missio and in the city of Philadelphia and beyond.
November 14: Engaging the Next Generation
Come hear Dr. Frank James speak on engaging the next generation. He will address questions such as, "Why should we engage?" and "How do we…
September 26: Engaging Post-Christian America
Come hear Dr. Frank James III speak on Engaging Post-Christian America. He will be addressing questions such as: Why engage? How do we…
June 8 Event: 48th Annual Commencement
Please join us on June 8, 2019 at 11 AM to celebrate our 48th annual commencement!
May 13 Event: Blood Drive
ALERT! Right now, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of most blood types, and blood products are being distributed to hospitals…
Faith in the Marketplace 2019: Living Missionally in the Everyday
Michael Gonzalez, Gino Curcuruto and Matt Murphy will provide expert advice in this practical enrichment seminar on living missionally in…
May 7 Event: Church Planting Information Session
Missio will be hosting a church planting information session on Tuesday, May 7 in Room 25
July 30 Event: Phillies Game with Missio
Mark your calendars for Tuesday evening, July 30th and RSVP for the Missio Family and Friends Night at the Ballpark!
April 9 Event: Bible/Theology Programs Open House
You are invited to the Missio Seminary Bible/Theology Programs Open House on Tuesday, April 9th from 6 to 8:30 pm.
Faculty & Alumni Blog
4 Things That Can Derail Missional Leaders
This post by Seth Richardson on the Missional Alliance web page caught my attention. It’s titled, “Addicted to Dysfunction: Healing from…
The Blessing of Numbers
Don’t you feel bad for the book of Numbers? Seriously, the fourth book of the Bible gets no respect. I think the primary reason the book…
A Walk through African American History and Culture
Professor Todd Mangum and Dr. Larry Anderson Reflect on their walk through The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and…
Christmas For The Broken: A Devotional
Christmas songs are meant to be cheery and fun, and bearable for a short while. They are meant to bring about smiles, laughter, and to…
Eugene Peterson: The Man Who Translated – and Lived – The Message
My wife called me Monday afternoon with the expected, but untimely news that my mentor and friend Eugene Peterson had passed away. “I’m…
Learning the How-To’s of Pastoral Ministry
Several years ago, when I graduated from Biblical Seminary, I was equipped with valuable theological, missiological and philosophical truth…
Remembering September 11, 2001
Today we remember the 9/11 tragedy of 17 years ago — the abrupt loss of life, the dazed faces of dust-covered women and men who made it out…
Can Christians Call God Allah?
“[Christians and Muslims] worship the same God.” These words on a Facebook post by a Wheaton College professor, Larycia Hawkins, whose…
Confessing Sexual Sin: Psalm 51
“When a pastor commits a sexual sin does he need to confess it to the entire church?” This question was asked during my Psalms class last…
20 Questions That Shaped World Christian History
A man living on a small but significant stretch of land in the Middle East was walking with a ragtag group of fellow Jews in what is now…
Happenings & News
December 3 Webinar: Saving the Season
This conversation will explore ways to ways to bring meaning to this challenging season and facilitate excellence in worship of our savior.
December 2: Student Christmas Celebration
Put on your festive Christmas red and green and join us via Zoom for a time of Christmas joy and celebration!
November 16: PULPIT Clergy Celebration
PULPIT will kick-off our next retreat by honoring the Pastors/Mentors who have supported Cohort I in their ministries.
Classes Remain Online for Spring 2021
As we continue to monitor the situation with COVID-19, Missio has decided to continue holding classes in an online format through Spring…
October 1: PULPIT Information Session
Missio is pleased to announce its Program for Urban Leaders and Pastors in Transition is currently accepting applications for Cohort II.
August 20 Webinar: Sexism and Racism
Join us as we continue our discussion on racism, with an emphasis on sexism as manifested in the workplace and the church.
PULPIT Now Accepting 2020-21 Applications
Missio is pleased to announce its Program for Urban Leaders and Pastors in Transition is currently accepting applications for Cohort II.
Classes Remain Online for Fall 2020
As we continue to monitor the situation with COVID-19, Missio has decided to continue holding classes in an online format through Fall…
Summer Retreat 2020
The Program for Urban Leaders and Pastors in Transition held its first retreat at the Conference Center of Valley Forge.
July 30 Webinar: Racism and the American Church
On Thursday, July 30, 2020 from 7:30-9 PM, Missio Seminary will foster authentic discussion on the history of racism within American…
Newsletter Archive
New Opportunities for the Missio Community: Highlighting Collaboration and Our Commitment to the Church
Missio Seminary has been richly blessed with remarkable opportunities as we follow Jesus into the world, and we are thrilled to share that even more promising possibilities are on the horizon! At its summer meeting, the Board of Trustees of Missio Seminary unanimously voted to deepen our collaboration with Kairos University. Read More.
Spring 2025
Summer 2024
Summer 2023
Winter 2021
- February 22 – Missio Update
- January 25 – 50th Anniversary Announcement
- January 7 – Message from Dr. James
Fall 2020
- December 22 – Missio Update & Christmas Message from Dr. James
- November 24 – Missio Update
- October 22 – Missio Update
- September 2 – Missio Update
Summer 2020
- August 19 – Missio Update
- August 5 – Missio Update
- July 22 – Missio Update
- July 8 – Missio Update
- June 24 – Missio Update and Letter from the President
- June 17 – Missio Update
- June 9 – Missio Update
- June 3 – Missio Update and Letter from the President
Spring 2020
- May 27 – Missio Update
- May 20 – Missio Update
- May 13 – Missio Update
- May 7 – Video Message
- April 29 – Video Message
- April 22 – Video Message and News
- April 21 – COVID-19 Update from Missio
- April 16 – Video Message from President Frank James
- April 8 – Update from Missio
- April 1 – Update from Missio
Blog Landing Page
What's Happening at Missio
Join us as we follow Jesus into the world through the many happenings at Missio as our community of missional leaders bring the Gospel to life. Navigate with the links below and sign up for the convenience of a monthly newsletter to update you by email.
Stories from Our Korean Alumni
As Missio continues celebrating 50 years of faithful ministry, we hear memories and inspiration from Rev. Kang (MDiv '86, ThM '87) and Rev.…
Biblical Seminary Memories with Rev. Pakala
As Missio continues celebrating 50 years of faithful ministry, Rev. Jim Pakala shares stories of the BTS/Missio younger years.
Statement Against Anti-Asian Racism
As followers of Jesus we are deeply troubled by the murderous attacks in Atlanta.
April 15: Missio Seminary Presidents Unite
Dr. David Dunbar and Dr. Frank James join together to discuss the changes in the church, culture and the seminary.
Matt Millen on why Missio is Important
We asked Matt Millen to tell us why he and his wife Pat are committed to the mission of the seminary.
March 17: Virtual Student Hangout
Join us for a night of exciting fellowship, fun trivia, an inspiring interview with Dr. Lamb, and an informative virtual Missio tour.
Arthur R. White Scholarship
As a seminary with a missional commitment, we are honored to join in aiding African American students in receiving the education they…
Feb 25 Webinar: We’ve Come This Far By Faith
Contributions of Missio's black students, alumni, staff, faculty and board members will be highlighted for Black History Month.
March 2, 4, and 11: Virtual Open Houses
You are invited to virtual open houses for the Graduate School of Counseling, Bible/Theology, and Diploma programs.
Feb 11 Webinar: The Meaning of Missional
It has been nearly 20 years since Biblical Seminary took the missional turn and reconfigured its identity and curriculum.
