The Future of the Church's Leadership Begins Here.

Why Crossroads Campaign?

To prepare more leaders for the church

We have good news to share - between 1999 and 2005, enrollment at Gettysburg Seminary doubled. This growth is a faithful response to the Church's current and future needs for outreach-oriented leaders.

Our goal is continue this growth, increasing the student body by an additional 33% within the next decade. Higher student enrollment means that we have the opportunity to prepare a greater number of men and women for future leadership in the Church and society as a whole.  Increased enrollment also translates into needs for additional resources so that we may continue to provide the excellent theological education for which Gettysburg Seminary is recognized. The Crossroads Campaign will raise overall giving to the Gettysburg Seminary Fund (the annual fund), meet special needs, and expand the number of Seminary supporters, all of which will enable us to prepare more leaders for the church.

To respond to changes in traditional sources of support

The education and formation of Seminary students is made possible by four primary sources of income:

• Gifts, grants, and endowment income
• ELCA giving
• Synodical giving
• Student tuition and fees

Though support from synods and churchwide expressions has remained level for two decades, the percentage of income these gifts provide has declined drastically (from 50% of total revenue in 20 years ago to 25% of total revenue today).

Sustaining current enrollment and permitting continued growth requires increased support from individual donors and renewed support from congregations. The Crossroads Campaign will not only build short and long-term funding, but also provide educational opportunities to inform and strengthen our relationship with alumni, congregations, and current and new donors.

To grow long term investments

Sustaining the Seminary over the long term while working toward continued growth requires both increasing the Seminary's endowment and maintaing a low draw rate. According to data from the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in the United States and Canada, 33% of theological school endowments are larger than Gettysburg Seminary's.

Gettysburg Seminary aims to grow its endowment to close to $200 million by 2026 in order to sustain its current program level. The Crossroads Campaign will enable the Seminary to make progress toward this goal.

Join the Crossroads Campaign
See the Eight Things You Can Do
Discover the Impacts of Giving
Learn about Giving Opportunities
Return to the Crossroads Home Page  

1(800)MLUTHER ext 3011   1(800)658-8437 ext 3011
61 Seminary Ridge, Gettysburg, PA 17325
Email: crossroads@ltsg.edu