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Two Lutheran seminaries to close, reopen as one

Two Lutheran seminaries in Penn­sylvania are planning to close and launch together a new school of theology in 2017 with hopes of slashing costs and reversing years of declining enrollments.

The decision came this week from the governing boards of Lutheran Theo­logical Seminary at Gettysburg and Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. The plan will cut the number of seminaries affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America from eight to seven.

David Lose, president of the Phil­adelphia seminary, said the move would create opportunities for redesigning everything from faculty and curriculum to calendars and relationships with donors.