Fuller Seminary and the Robert E. Webber Institute of Worship Studies Announce Program Transfer Agreement

Fuller Seminary and the Robert E. Webber Institute of Worship Studies (IWS) have officially signed a program transfer agreement to sustain and carry forward IWS’s legacy of worship education. At the conclusion of the academic year, after 27 years of impactful ministry, IWS will close as an independent institution and transition its core academic mission and assets to Fuller.

The agreement includes a teach-out plan for IWS students to complete their studies at Fuller and also establishes a pathway to preserve the IWS’s distinct methodology of worship and worship education. IWS’s signature “ancient-future” approach, originally pioneered by theologian Robert E. Webber, bridges the 2,000-year span between the ancient church and contemporary faith communities, anchoring modern practices in historic foundations—and weaving together biblical, historical, and liturgical insight—to uniquely equip worship leaders for ministry today. IWS is confident that the model will not only be sustained but also advanced at Fuller through the seminary’s creative and scholarly capacities as well as its global reach.

Rev. Dr. Constance Cherry, IWS President, said, “For the past 27 years, the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies has faithfully developed the inheritance we received from our founder by teaching and modeling his unique understanding of what it means to renew corporate worship in local churches today. I am delighted that our Spirit-led partnership with Fuller Seminary brings new possibilities for worship discipleship that is rooted in the ancient-future paradigm relevant to all Christian communities. Fuller will not only sustain the Webber legacy but will creatively advance its impact to coming generations, reaching ever wider for the sake of Christ and his church. It is a privilege to share the journey with Fuller Seminary knowing the IWS mission will be shepherded well.”

Fuller will also steward the IWS alumni and donor communities, alongside scholarship funds, in continued support of equipping worship leaders as pastors and theologians.

Fuller has its own long history as a leader in the study and practice of worship primarily through its Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts, which was recently repositioned under the Office of the President, reflecting a renewed and elevated commitment to the centrality of worship across the institution. The collaborative agreement with IWS will help to cultivate the seminary’s refreshed focus on worship studies, both within the formal academic curriculum and among active practitioners and ministers in the church worldwide.

To honor the closing of this profound chapter for IWS, and in celebration of this partnership with Fuller, Fuller President David Emmanuel Goatley will serve as the commencement speaker for the final IWS graduation ceremony, scheduled for June 28, 2026.

“We are deeply grateful for the exceptional leadership and the vital work that has brought this agreement to fruition,” said President Goatley. “While it is a moment of transition for IWS as an independent institution, it is equally an item of happier news for the broader kingdom. We look forward to memorializing the 27-year legacy of IWS at commencement this June and to faithfully carrying their commitment to deep, biblical worship studies into Fuller’s future.”

Further details regarding the student transition timeline, teach-out logistics, and future program availability will be communicated to the community this summer.