NEW YORK (RNS) — When the Rev. Serene Jones arrived at Union Theological Seminary in 2008, she focused on two jobs: Fix the house, then make a bigger table.
Eighteen years later, as Jones prepares to step down as president in July, the historically Christian and progressive seminary in Manhattan has renovated its aging campus, expanded its interreligious programming and enrolled its largest incoming class in more than 30 years.
“Now the house is fixed, the table is open, and everybody’s pouring in,” Jones said.
In fall 2025, Union enrolled 128 new students; last year it was 102. The growth comes at a precarious time for theological education. Seminaries across the country are facing declining enrollment, rising costs and fewer students pursuing ordained ministry. Many schools have closed, merged, sold campuses because of financial strain or maintenance costs, or moved more of their training online.
In New York, over the past decade, two once-prominent Episcopal seminaries, Episcopal Divinity School and General Theological Seminary, have been unable to maintain a traditional residential-campus model.
“Nearly all seminaries associated with the mainline Protestant world are in decline,” said Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a conservative Christian advocacy organization. “So, if Union is growing, that is somewhat unique and exceptiona …