Welcome New Members: Saint Francis of Assisi Research Library, Memphis City Seminary, and LeTourneau University

This month, we’d like to introduce a few more of our new Institutional and Affiliate Atla members! Please join us in welcoming the institutions that have joined Atla in recent months.

Institutional Member Saint Francis of Assisi Research Library

Founded in the summer of 2018, Saint Francis of Assisi Research Library is located in Houston, Texas, and formally opened its doors to the public in October of 2020, on the Feast of Saint Francis. The library is dedicated exclusively to the life, history, and study of Saint Francis of Assisi. Their catalog includes over nine hundred books in forty different collections. These collections feature such topics as Interfaith Dialogue, Franciscan Spirituality, Franciscan Humor, and Health & Sexuality. The Saint Francis of Assisi Research Library is one of the largest research libraries of its kind in the world.

Affiliate Member Memphis City Seminary

Located in Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis City Seminary’s mission is to educate and equip gospel leaders in Memphis at an affordable price. By keeping costs low with lean operations, the Seminary is able to charge only $100 per credit hour, making their programs accessible to low-income and working students. Many of their students are already engaged in vocational ministry. Memphis City Seminary currently offers the following three programs: a Certificate of Biblical Studies (CBS-M), a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies (MABS), and a Master of Divinity in Theological Studies (MDiv).

Institutional Member LeTourneau University

LeTourneau University, located in Longview, Texas, was founded in 1946 as LeTourneau Technical Institute. Its founder, R.G. LeTourneau, was an inventor and businessman. Although the original Institute was men-only, in 1961 the school became co-ed and was renamed LeTourneau College. Its final transformation was in 1989, when it became LeTourneau University, a non-denominational Christian university, and began to offer night and weekend classes for students who also worked full-time. The Margaret Estes Library at LeTourneau University serves students and faculty, and maintains the Archives collections of the university, including materials related to the life and work of its founder.