The Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane (LTS) is a confessional Lutheran seminary located in Arcadia, Pretoria (Tshwane), South Africa, that trains pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries, and deaconesses for service in the Lutheran Church in Africa. Its origins trace to pastor training begun in 1914 under Hanoverian mission superintendent Christoph Johannes, with a formal seminary established in 1941 in Salem, Transvaal, under missionary Karl Meister. The seminary relocated to Enhlanhleni, near Pomeroy in KwaZulu, in 1955, and moved again at the end of 2000/start of 2001 to Arcadia, Pretoria, where it adopted its current name. LTS is jointly supported by the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (LCSA, founded 1967), the Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Southern Africa (FELSiSA, founded 1892), the Mission of Lutheran Churches (Bleckmar Mission) in Germany, and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), a partner since 1982. Instruction covers confessional Lutheran systematics, church history, practical theology, biblical studies, and mission. According to the institution's own announcement (dated 30 October 2025), its Diploma in Theology was accredited and registered with SAQA in 2025, and LTS is now registered as a private higher education institution with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act No. 101 of 1997). Specific registration/reference numbers were not published on the site. The seminary also operates an affiliated preschool programme. Current enrolment figures are not published on the official site.
Qualifications & Programmes
- Diploma in Theology (accredited and registered with SAQA in 2025; specific NQF level and duration not published on the official site)