With the affirmative vote from both boards, Eastern University, St. Davids, reunited with Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary on July 1.

In 1925, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary was established and in 1987, the Seminary’s collegiate division moved to St. Davids as a residential liberal arts college.

Eastern College changed its name to Eastern University in 1999, in the year when the two institutions began to consider reuniting. With the vote of the University Board on May 17, 2003, and the Seminary Board on May 23, 2003, the union has been achieved.

"The union is a very good fit because our faculties and boards share a common Christian heritage and strong commitment to faith, reason and justice. We both emphasize spiritual formation, rigorous academics, and social action in learning communities that are highly contextualized and diverse." said Dr. David Black, president of the newly expanded Eastern University.

Prior to merger, the University enrolled 3,050 students in undergraduate School of Arts and Science and the Seminary enrolled 700 students in Doctor of Ministry programs, the Master of Divinity, the Master of Theological Studies and Eastern’s School of Christian Ministry.

The University will now offer greater access to a shared faculty of ‘Students will now have greater access to a shared faculty of distinguished scholars, authors, theologians and activists as well as combined library resources and research databases.’