He also mentioned the recent involvement of General professor, Dr. J. Robert Wright, as the chief Episcopal architect of the original Concordat of Agreement between the denominations as well as General's 1996 Paddock Lectures, which assembled at General a number of internationally renowned Lutheran scholars. For two years, LTSP has used General facilities for an extension program. Further, it is our hope and prayer that the ties that bind and strengthen our seminaries will serve to draw our church bodies closer to the realization of the Concordat between our two churches. The objectives outlined in the covenant striving for theological unity, mutual enrichment, and enhanced common mission work at both comprehensive and wide-ranging in scope. In addition to students with traditional Lutheran backgrounds, enrollees include individuals with Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist, Roman Catholic and African Methodist Episcopal origins, reflecting the diversity of the American scene.
International student come from such places as Egypt, Lebanon, Liberia and Namibia.
The oldest seminary of both the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion, GTS was founded in 1817 by an act of the denomination's official legislative body. For the past 170 years its home has been a quiet city block on the West Side of Manhattan. Although its primary mission is the preparation of women and men for the ordained ministry of the Episcopal Church, General also serves as a center for learning for Anglican scholars and an important continuing education resource for clergy and lay leaders. Among Episcopal seminaries, General is the only one to offer a doctoral program leading to the Th.D. degree. With over 240,000 volumes, the seminary's library is one of the premier theological collections in North America.