Celebrating 100 Years of DTS
A Portable Library for Every Student: How Dallas Theological Seminary Equips the Next Generation.
2,600
students
10
extension centers and regional locations
4
language programs
700K
students in free online courses
16K+
Alumni
In the past century, technology has changed the way we research, the quality of work, and even the way we interact. But when you’re talking about seminary education—an educational system as old as the Church itself—it’s easy to stick with the didactic methods that have always worked.
Not so at Dallas Theological Seminary. Since its inception in 1924, DTS has remained steadfast in its commitment to the belief that all Scripture is the inspired Word of God. The founders of DTS established an institution dedicated to training pastors and ministers in all sixty-six books of the Bible. A century later, DTS continues to empower godly servant-leaders for the proclamation of God's Word and the building up of the body of Christ worldwide. Now with over 16,000 alumni and nearly 2,600 current students, the faculty carefully weighs new ideas and methods for educating future leaders. DTS President Dr. Mark M. Yarbrough says, “We hold firmly to the mission, but the methods can change.”
Nowhere is that philosophy more apparent than in the seminary’s search for systems and software that help equip the next generation of pastors, scholars, and missionaries for a lifetime of ministry.
The problem Dallas Theological Seminary needed to solve
With one main campus and nine extension sites—including degree offerings for students online and for speakers of Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic—DTS offers theological education to believers around the globe. However, this expansion led the faculty to ask questions about how best to instruct seminary students and prepare them for future ministry.
The faculty saw a related issue for main campus students, too. While students in Dallas have access to a vast library of theological resources, not every book represents current thinking on important matters—and digging through a mountain of books hinders theological research.
All these questions were held together by one overarching theme: How do we provide contemporary evangelical resources to our students?
To solve this problem, DTS assembled a committee of faculty, staff, and board members. They knew technology would be the answer, but they still needed to evaluate which technology was the best fit for seminary students and faculty.
The committee evaluated different Bible software according to twelve categories, including whether it
• works on Mac, PC, mobile, and web;
• contains original language study tools;
• has resources in Chinese and Spanish;
• offers training for students and faculty; and
• has a reliable history as a company.
When committee members reviewed their options, they found a clear winner in Logos Bible Software.
How Logos helped bridge the gap
With Logos, DTS gained an institutional system that each student and faculty member could learn to use together. Even better, the committee could curate a library specifically for DTS, so every student and faculty member would start with the same basic library.
The library itself was designed for students in every course of study, from technical fields such as biblical languages to practical and ministerial studies. “Knowing that all of our students have a continuity in the resources they have access to is a very powerful thing,” Yarbrough says. “Students can’t make any excuses. We customized a particular library for them—really good scholarly, evangelical resources at their fingertips.”
Getting the entire student body and faculty onto the same system and giving everyone online access to the same resources was the key to solving the problem of inconsistent library access.
One of the most significant improvements the faculty has seen comes in bibliographic research. Students no longer have to labor over decades-old resources during campus library hours. They can now open a contemporary evangelical library anytime, anywhere.
Potential students, too, see great value in the school’s partnership with Logos. Those interested in research know that DTS will equip them with tools like Logos to help them accomplish their goals, and they see Logos access as a significant perk in choosing DTS. Lifelong access to Logos after graduation also proves that DTS is committed to their long-term growth, both personally and vocationally.
“What we do for our students, we do for the sake of the gospel, but we want to do it with great transparency. I was encouraged by the missional partnership [with Logos] that continues to this day. It started from the minute we signed the contract. And we want to keep asking ourselves how we can make this even better.”
—Mark Yarbrough, President of Dallas Theological Seminary
DTS today
DTS has grown tremendously since implementing Logos campus-wide in 2014—in both student enrollment and class hours—leading to an unexpected need for more Logos software licenses sooner than later.
Now that DTS has been all-in with Logos for several years, they’re looking to the future. “We’re very mission-driven,” President Yarbrough says, “but we’re all about experimentation and asking, ‘Are there new ways we can carry out our mission?’”
One way DTS is fulfilling its mission is by offering free online courses through the DTS Global Institute, reaching people who couldn’t attend seminary otherwise. The program has exploded to 700,000 people worldwide, becoming a powerful recruitment avenue for DTS.
Building on the success of the online program, DTS is excited to introduce the Tracks Program starting in Fall 2024. This six-month program gives pastors and church leaders without access to formal education the opportunity to choose a track in the Old Testament or New Testament and complete a set list of courses from the DTS catalog.
Participants will work through the free online courses and complete writing, reading, and even teaching assignments. Student collaboration will be a cornerstone of these tracks, including a mentorship in the second half of the program with experienced DTS alumni. Plus, Tracks Program participants will receive access to a Logos Custom Library curated just for them for use in the classroom and their ministry.
“What we do for our students, we do for the sake of the gospel, but we want to do it with great transparency. I was encouraged by the missional partnership [with Logos] that continues to this day. It started from the minute we signed the contract. And we want to keep asking ourselves how we can make this even better.”
—Mark Yarbrough, President of Dallas Theological Seminary