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Westminster Seminary California exists for a marvelous purpose: to glorify
Christ, to teach his Gospel, to serve his Church.
For Christ
We are “for Christ” because he was first “for us” (Rom 5:8). With God’s Word and
the Reformed confessions we say that Jesus Christ is God the Son incarnate, true
God and true man (Matt 27:54: Rom 9:5; 1 Tim 2:5), and God’s saving and
justifying Word to all who believe (John 1:1, 18; 3:16). Christ is the
“righteousness of God” (Rom 3:21). This seminary exists “for Christ,” because
“there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12) and because Christ is the
focal point of God’s revelation and saving work in the world (Luke 24:25–28; 2
Cor 1:20).
For His Gospel
The Apostle Paul taught the Gospel this way, “that Christ died for our sins in
accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the
third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas,
then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one
time…” (1 Cor 15:3–6). Gospel means “Good News.” The Good News is that although
in the first Adam humanity willfully chose death and hell over life and glory,
in the second Adam (Rom 5:12–21) God has not left us in sin and death. Where we
were disobedient, Christ was obedient for us; the death we deserved, he suffered
for us; the life we need, he achieved in his resurrection; and ever more he
reigns at God’s right and will hand to come in glory (Rom 4:25; Titus 2:13). The
Good News is also that sinners are saved by God’s grace alone, through trusting
in Christ the Savior alone, and not by our doing or even by our sanctity (Gal
2:16). Westminster Seminary California is committed to serve Christ and teach
his Gospel because it is “the power of salvation to everyone who believes…” (Rom
1:16). It is our conviction that it is through the preaching of the Gospel that
Christ has promised to call his people to saving faith and to edify his church
(Acts 2:42; Rom 10:12–18).
For His Church
As someone once said, there are institutions to heal the sick, feed the hungry,
and clothe the naked, but if the church does not preach and teach the Gospel, no
one else will. We believe this is the church’s most fundamental mission -
bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to sinners. We exist to support this mission
through the education and preparation of future teachers, preachers, and
missionaries. To this end we are firmly and happily committed to “the faith that
was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) – the Scriptures of the Old
and New Testaments as expressed in the Reformed confessions and catechisms.
We warmly invite you to Westminster Seminary California: for Christ, his
Gospel, and his Church.
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Mission
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History
Community of Faith
Academic Freedom
Doctrinal Commitment
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