Houston Graduate School of Theology

Houston Graduate School of Theology was founded in 1983 by Dr. Delbert Vaughn and his wife, Carol.[2] The Vaughns were associated with the Evangelical Friends Church. It was initially housed in the Texas Medical Center. For the first 15 years of its existence, the school was affiliated with the Evangelical Friends Church—Mid America. It later moved to other properties: the Adams Petroleum Building in 1987 and Central Congregational Church in 1996. In 2013, HGST moved to the Willow Meadows Baptist Church campus.[3] In 2021, the school's director of DMin program, Dr. Becky Towne, became its fifth and final president, having determined that in 2023, HGST will become a Legacy Partner within Kairos, merging with the global consortium of theological schools.[4]

Timeline:

• 1983: registration with State of Texas
• 1986: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation
• 2001: Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) accreditation
• 2021: Transitions to partner with Kairos with the merger completed by 2023 by its 40th anniversary

HGST offers six degree programs:[5]

• Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
• Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC)
• Master of Arts in Christian Ministry (MACM)
• Master of Theological Studies (MTS)
• Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
• Doctor of Professional Counseling (DPC)

Certificate programs are available in the areas of biblical languages, Christian spirituality, spiritual direction, and mission leadership.

• Samuel Jackson Gilbert Jr., pastor-emeritus Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, Houston, Texas.[6]
• Ken Gross, author of the Emotional Prisons series.[7]
• Donald C. Simmons Jr., former dean at Dakota Wesleyan University, Director of Pastoral Care at North Mississippi Medical Center, pastor, author and editor of Organizational Leadership: Foundations and Practices for Christians (Intervarsity Press).[8]
• Becky Towne, pastor and dean of Houston Graduate School of Theology.[9]

HGST is fully accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS). HGST is listed in the Education Directory: Colleges and Universities, published by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement of the U.S. Department of Education Center of Statistics. HGST is approved by the State Approving Agency for veterans' benefits, and is a member of the Council of Southwestern Theological Schools (COSTS).

• Official website