Memphis Theological Seminary, a longtime fixture on East Parkway, will wind down academic operations after the 2025–26 school year and has set up a teach-out plan so current students can still finish their degrees. The board has recommended closing the Midtown campus, and denominational leaders have signed off, with instruction scheduled to end on July 31, 2026. Leaders say the move is designed to protect students’ academic paths while faculty and staff work through a carefully staged transition.
Board and denomination approve wind-down
The seminary’s board voted in mid-December to cease operations effective July 31, 2026, according to Memphis Theological Seminary. Delegates to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church’s General Assembly later concurred with that recommendation at a called meeting in late January, the Ministry Council of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church reported.
Teach-out with SMU’s Perkins provides a way to finish
Under a teach-out arrangement announced this week, the seminary will partner with Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology so students can complete their programs, according to the Memphis Flyer. Perkins will make current MTS students eligible for 100 percent tuition scholarships, and many courses can be wrapped up through remote or online formats, which means students can finish their degrees without taking on additional tuition costs, the outlet reports.
Small-school finances and enrollment pressures
Leaders and local coverage point to a familiar one-two punch for small seminaries: long-term enrollment decline and a relatively modest endowment. Baptist News Global notes the school spent about two years reviewing roughly 30 possible partners for a merger, acquisition or other arrangement, but limited faculty size, enrollment and investment income left only a narrow margin for staying independent.
What students and staff can expect
The Memphis Flyer reports that MTS has adopted severance measures meant to provide transitional salary and health insurance coverage for staff as students shift into the Perkins teach-out. The seminary has also said it will work with accrediting bodies and academic partners to preserve credit transfer options and clear graduation pathways throughout the transition, according to Memphis Theological Seminary.
History and next steps
The school’s roots are in the Cumberland Presbyterian tradition, and it relocated to Memphis in the mid-1960s as part of a deliberate move toward an urban, multiracial mission, Baptist News Global notes. With the summer 2026 wind-down now on the calendar, seminary and denominational leaders say their focus will be on getting current students across the finish line and supporting faculty and staff through the final stretch of the institution’s life in Memphis.
