[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 146 (Monday, September 12, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4536-S4537]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ASBURY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, Asbury Theological Seminary in 
Wilmore, KY, has charted quite a few major milestones in American 
Christian life. The school was the home of the first Christian music 
festival in the country; they established the first department of 
prayer and spiritual life at an American seminary; they have readied 
thousands of graduates to serve at every level of religious life. This 
year, Asbury is celebrating another milestone, marking 100 years of 
operation. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this renowned 
Kentucky institution and recognizing its outstanding contributions to 
our Nation's spiritual strength.
  When Dr. Henry Clay Morrison founded Asbury Theological Seminary a 
century ago, he did so with one simple motto: ``the whole Bible for the 
whole world.'' Back then, the school only had three students and a 
skeleton staff. But Dr. Morrison was an energetic, effective leader, 
and soon, Asbury was attracting theological students from across the 
country and world to learn how to spread the gospel in the tradition of 
John Wesley.
  Since its earliest days, Asbury has grown by leaps and bounds, now 
enrolling more than 1,800 students from 80 denominations and 50 
countries. It is among the 10 largest accredited theological seminaries 
in the country, with satellite campuses in Tennessee, Oklahoma, 
Colorado, and Florida and a robust online presence. The seminary also 
shares a heritage with Asbury University, one of Kentucky's finest 
Christian universities, and helps the school provide a faith-driven 
education to students pursuing secular professions.
  Today, Asbury's reach extends far beyond Kentucky and all across the 
globe. With several U.S. Navy chaplains as graduates, they even have 
representation in every time zone on the planet. Asbury alumni have 
served as pastors, church planters, missionaries, counselors, 
educators, nonprofit leaders, and in government. As much as the school 
has grown over the past 100 years, though, Asbury remains firmly rooted 
in its Jessamine County home. The vibrant community surrounding the 
school is a testament to its founders' enduring commitment to Kentucky.
  I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Asbury Theological 
Seminary president, Dr. Timothy Tennent, and to all of Asbury's 
administrators, professors, alumni, and students, who do so much to 
support mission-based

[[Page S4537]]

service in the Commonwealth. They have helped put Kentucky at the 
center of America's religious education system. I ask my colleagues to 
join me in congratulating Asbury Theological Seminary on a century of 
service and success and wish them the best as their school continues to 
evangelize and spread scriptural holiness throughout the world.

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