vin ism ▁and ▁advoc ated ▁for ▁flexible ▁church ▁govern ance ▁within ▁the ▁Pres by ter ian ▁Church . ▁These ▁belief s ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁A ub urn ▁Dec laration ▁of ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁of ▁George ▁Black ▁Stewart ▁( 1 8 9 9 – 1 9 2 6 ), ▁the ▁school ▁grew ▁to ▁ 1 0 5 ▁students ▁and ▁eleven ▁fac ulty . ▁A ▁Summer ▁School ▁of ▁The ology ▁for ▁cler gy ▁and ▁la ity ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁and ▁a ▁School ▁of ▁Relig ious ▁Education ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 1 . ▁ ▁A ub urn ▁The ological ▁Sem inary ' s ▁fac ulty , ▁led ▁by ▁Robert ▁H ast ings ▁Nich ols , ▁professor ▁of ▁church ▁history , ▁played ▁a ▁key ▁role ▁in ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁A ub urn ▁Aff irm ation , ▁adopted ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁which ▁def ended ▁the ological ▁freedom ▁and ▁prevent ed ▁a ▁fundamental ist ▁take over ▁of ▁the ▁Pres by ter ian ▁Church . ▁ ▁The ▁Great ▁De pression ▁left ▁A ub urn ▁Sem inary ▁with ▁a ▁dimin ished ▁student ▁body ▁and ▁stra ined ▁resources . ▁The ▁fac ulty ▁and ▁President ▁Paul ▁Sil as ▁He ath ▁( 1 9 3 6 – 1 9 3 9 ) ▁began ▁convers ations ▁with ▁several ▁sem in aries ▁about ▁possibly ▁re loc ating . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁it ▁closed ▁its ▁A ub urn ▁campus ▁and ▁at