Northern Seminary is a Christian seminary located in Lisle, Illinois, US, near Chicago. It was founded in 1913 by the Second Baptist Church of Chicago as "Northern Baptist Theological Seminary" to prepare students for church leadership, and it continues to represent a theologically conservative alternative within its association with the American Baptist Churches in the USA (historically the Northern Baptist convention). Northern is an evangelical Christian educational institution, affirming the authority of Scripture and emphasizing the importance of fulfilling the mission set forth by Jesus of going forth and spreading the Gospel. It holds full accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. In 2004 Northern's then-president Charles Moore joined many other Protestant evangelicals in endorsing Roman Catholic film director Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.