Center for Moravian Studies

Mission and Values

Institutional Mission Statement

Moravian University’s liberal arts education prepares each individual for a reflective life, fulfilling careers, and transformative leadership in a world of change.

Mission Statement of Moravian Theological Seminary

Moravian Theological Seminary offers graduate and continuing education programs that equip persons with the knowledge, skills, and being to engage in vocations in ministry, chaplaincy, counseling, spiritual direction and other settings. Rooted in the Moravian heritage of ecumenism and service, we welcome students preparing to serve in diverse socioeconomic, intercultural, and interfaith contexts.

Statement of Core Values

Moravian Theological Seminary upholds these core values

  • cultivating community among faculty, students, and staff
  • excellence in teaching, scholarship, leadership, and service
  • hospitality and open and affirming engagement with diverse people and cultures
  • continual inquiry and reflection
  • lifelong spiritual, vocational, and personal growth
  • nurturing each person’s unique best self, including personal faith tradition
  • integrity in our work
  • faithful advocacy for justice in local, national, and global contexts
  • openness to God's calling to new directions and stewardship of life and faith
  • commitment to the call to serve God and humanity by bearing witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
  • serving as a resource in support of the ministries of the worldwide Moravian Church.

Common Commitments Shared with Lancaster Theological Seminary

As the joint faculties of Moravian Theological Seminary and Lancaster Theological Seminary move forward with a common curriculum, to launch in the fall of 2024, we assure our students, alumni, and friends that we share several common commitments. These commitments will shape our work in curriculum development, teaching, worship, and common life. Although we cannot claim that we have fulfilled these commitments fully, we do aspire to live them out and hold ourselves accountable to them.

  • We honor the heritage of both Moravian and Lancaster seminaries, including the distinctive ways in which each school expresses ecumenical and interfaith diversity.
  • We aspire to build learning communities in which every person experiences agency and belonging. 
  • We affirm that diversity of all kinds benefits our common learning and personal formation.
  • We strive to build a community life marked by love of God and neighbor, expressed in life that is respectful of all races and nationalities, anti-racist, open and affirming toward LGBTQIA+ persons, and accessible to all.
  • We promote deep engagement with Christian traditions and other spiritual heritages, with openness to diverse expressions and emerging perspectives. We value critical reflection on self, society, church, and faith.
  • We promote a community that involves the whole person: understanding, practicing, and being.