On February 17, 1891, the Rev. John Gordon of Omaha, Nebraska, and the Rev. Stephen Phelps of Council Bluffs, Iowa, gathered 38 Presbyterian pastors and lay leaders for a meeting to share their dream of establishing a Presbyterian Seminary at Omaha. They felt a genuine need for educated clergy to serve small, rural communities in the Midwest. They believed that need could best be met by establishing a seminary in Omaha. In May, this group presented a proposal for the new seminary to the General Assembly meeting and received approval. The Presbyterian Theological Seminary at Omaha opened with six students in September 1891.
The Omaha Seminary prepared pastors to serve Presbyterian churches in the Midwest from 1891, until closure in 1943. More than 1,000 individuals graduated from the seminary, primarily serving in the Midwest, but some were called to other states and places around the world.
As the successor of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary at Omaha, the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation uses the income from the assets in support of seminary students and pastors. The Foundation's programs include grants and scholarships to seminary students, support of continuing education opportunities for established pastors and lay leaders, the annual Ministers' Day event, and hosting the School for Pastors held each summer at Hastings College.
