Board members are holding on to hope that one day the school may reopen, he said, and will keep an active library and office at First Congregational Church. The seminary's phone number will remain active and the post office box will continue to receive mail, with a small group of volunteers continuing a minimal maintenance operation.

"The years since the school's inception in 1984 have been wonderfully fruitful ones, first as the Utah Institute of Biblical Studies and then as Salt Lake Theological Seminary," said Jeffrey Silliman, the school's president. "Scores of our alumni are serving churches and other ministries near and far, from our home along the Wasatch Front to Eastern Europe, Africa, the South Pacific and beyond."

Some 2,500 students have studied with the institution over the years, "so those 25 years have not been wasted," the Rev. Silliman said.

Officials continue to believe there is a market for theological education in Utah, and will continue to pursue potential partnerships with seminaries outside the state. "We're also looking at changing the way we operate. There are some churches that need more leadership training than others, and we're looking maybe to offer some undergraduate courses."

The seminary has no major donor, which most other theology schools have, he said. Yet there are "quite a few donors who are modest in giving, and we have indications they want to continue" supporting the school.

The total donation amount at this point is "not enough to sustain us on any level. But we're hopeful. We're definitely not shutting everything down or filling the grave just yet."

E-MAIL: carrie@desnews.com