▁Christian ▁Re formed ▁minister s ▁and ▁lay men ▁met ▁at ▁the ▁Hil ton ▁Hotel ▁at ▁O ' H are ▁International ▁Airport ▁in ▁Chicago . ▁At ▁this ▁meeting ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁sem inary ▁society ▁and ▁board ▁of ▁trust ees , ▁to ▁purchase ▁the ▁Harm ony ▁Youth ▁Home ▁in ▁Orange ▁City , ▁Iowa , ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁sem inary ' s ▁campus , ▁and ▁to ▁name ▁the ▁sem inary ▁Mid - America ▁Re formed ▁Sem inary . ▁The ▁sem inary ▁was ▁intended ▁as ▁an ▁alternative ▁to ▁Cal vin ▁The ological ▁Sem inary , ▁the ▁denomin ational ▁sem inary ▁of ▁the ▁Christian ▁Re formed ▁Church ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁which ▁the ▁found ers ▁of ▁Mid - America ▁believed ▁was ▁st ray ing ▁from ▁its ▁conf essional ▁Re formed ▁identity . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁the ▁sem inary ▁moved ▁its ▁campus ▁to ▁D yer , ▁Indiana , ▁where ▁it ▁currently ▁res ides . ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Mid - America ▁held ▁a ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁its ▁ 2 5 th ▁anni versary ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁Commons ▁at ▁D ord t ▁College , ▁and ▁plans ▁on ▁holding ▁other ▁ 2 5 th ▁anni versary ▁celebr ations ▁throughout ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Canada ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁school ▁bo asts ▁fac ulty ▁members ▁Corn el ▁Ven ema , ▁J ▁Mark ▁Beach , ▁Alan ▁Str ange , ▁Marcus ▁M ining er , ▁Andrew ▁Com pton , ▁and ▁Mark ▁V ander