Dear Friends,

It is with great joy, and humble gratitude, that I serve as the third President of the Graduate Theological Foundation. I have warm memories of the last 24 years of my time in the GTF family, first as a student, then as a faculty member, then as the Chairman of the Board, and now the President and CEO of this great institution.

We are excited to present the new era of GTF! You have landed on a brand-new website, modernized for the modern times. This website is designed for visitors and guests to learn all of the important highlights about who GTF is and what GTF offers.

GTF has weathered the storm of the recent pandemic years and is ready to go forward into the new era of liberal arts education. As we come into the new era of post pandemic life, GTF is offering exciting new programs and events. From our new partnership with the Evangelical Seminary in Matanzas, Cuba, to new initiatives in Oxford, and with new residential courses offered in Sarasota Florida, GTF is on the move. If you are seeking a community of scholars to take new steps in advancing your education, GTF may be the place for you. If you are already a part of this community, either as a faculty, a student, or an alumnus, we are blessed to have you with us.

So let us begin, or continue, our journey together. I am excited and pleased to travel with you as we take GTF into its next era of bringing light into the world through our interfaith, international, multicultural education.

Sincerely,
Paul J Kirbas, D.Min, Ph.D
President and CEO

Introduction to the GTF

Who We Are

Ministry Defined

The Graduate Theological Foundation defines ministry as “service to the improvement and nurture of society and the world community.” Due to the blurred lines between the sacred and secular in contemporary society, ministry professionals are continually crafting their role and the nature of their work, a process which takes into account both personal values-based service and public responsibility. Practitioners involved in ministry are self-reflectively aware of the nurturing quality of that activity, and are found in such fields as education, pastoral care and counseling, chaplaincy, mediation, psychology, health care and counseling, sacred music, religious education and other cognate fields.

The Graduate Theological Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit ecumenical and interreligious institution providing advanced educational opportunities to practicing ministry professionals, including flexible and convenient online, on-site and distance learning opportunities. The GTF’s degree programs are designed for ministry professionals who are unable or disinclined to leave their current place of employment in order to pursue full time residential educational opportunities. We strive to provide quality education to professionals from a variety of faith backgrounds by providing a plethora of study options, as well as providing opportunities to study at collaborating institutions.

The GTF aims to serve those within faith communities who are engaged in the wide range of traditional and emerging forms of ministry as a way to strengthen their quest for a deeper sense of unity both among themselves and in their developing relations with other religious traditions and secular society. We are a gathering of dedicated people in a community of colleagues seeking to learn together through the sharing of professional and vocational experience, insight and reflective knowledge. International in scope and fully ecumenical in purpose, the GTF is open to members of all religious communities as well as secular society.

 

The GTF Community of Scholars

We are a community of scholars. As an educational institution providing advanced training for credentialed professionals, the Graduate Theological Foundation prides itself on its affiliation with distinguished international scholars who have contributed to the work of this community as Faculty, Fellows, and Honorary Fellows. Click here to see the founding scholars of GTF

The Work of the GTF

The essential work of the GTF is carried out through its several educational degree programs and publication series. All educational degree programs are designed for advanced learning that is self-improving and motivational in nature for fully credentialed professionals in ministry whose common concern is the development of leadership for religious congregations and faith communities. A ministry professional, whether clergy, religious, or laity, is one who is engaged in an educational, pastoral, counseling, or health-related vocation and is licensed, certified, or credentialed appropriate to the respective field of professional activity.

Alumni Employment Record at the time of Graduation

The Graduate Theological Foundation is an ecumenical and interreligious 501 (c)(3) non-profit educational foundation chartered by the State of Indiana. This charter provides that the GTF may offer programs and grant degrees in areas of ministry.  The GTF also engages in the sponsorship of research, publishing of monographs and awarding of grants and fellowships.  The Graduate Theological Foundation does not hold accreditation from a Department of Education approved accrediting agency.

Note:  The Graduate Center for Pastoral Logotherapy, of the Graduate Theological Foundation, is accredited by the Viktor Frankl Institute, Vienna. 

The Graduate Theological Foundation enjoys affiliations with:

  • The Oxford University Department for Continuing Education
  • The Centro Pro Unione in Rome
  • P.R.I.M.E. (Partnering Resources in Ministry Education) programs

A special initiative of the Graduate Theological Foundation, the Bureau of West African Scholars, was founded to serve as a networking mechanism for individuals seeking to learn more about, and contribute to, the study of West African religion and culture. 

Research & Resources

Alumni Testimonials

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