John Wesley University
Former names | Greensboro Bible and Training School, Greensboro Bible and Literary Institute, People's Bible School, John Wesley College, Laurel University |
|---|---|
| Motto | Learn. Grow. Impact. |
| Type | Christian, Private |
| Established | 1903 |
| Location | High Point , North Carolina , United States |
| Campus | Rural |
| Nickname | Lions |
| Website | johnwesley.edu |
John Wesley University is an accredited, private interdenominational Christian college that delivers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs in on-campus, online, and in blended environments.[1]
The university is located in High Point, North Carolina, just 15 miles (24 km) south of Greensboro in the central Piedmont Triad area. The university offers a rural campus and stresses the importance of traditional family values, Judeo-Christian ethics, and biblical morality.[2]
Background
Known for many years as John Wesley College, the college changed its name to Laurel University in 2011[3] and John Wesley University in June 2016.[4]
Some students live on the rural campus, while others commute. Some take classes online, and others study in face-to-face classes and small cohorts. Some students study locally in the Triad area of North Carolina; others study in the Dominican Republic or Haiti.[5]
The university contains schools of management and ministry and created North Carolina's first state-accredited online MBA program using avatar technology with a virtual business internship experiences for students.
History
John Wesley University is the oldest undergraduate theological education institution in North Carolina. It started in fall 1903 as the Greensboro Bible and Training School in Greensboro as a result of a revival held by Rev. Seth Rees and Rev. Charles Weigle. The school closed abruptly after the 1931 spring semester owing to insurmountable financial difficulties.[6]
Following an all-night prayer service with well-known former Methodist Episcopal Church South evangelist Jim H. Green (1880-1955), the group decided to reopen the Greensboro Bible and Literary Institute on January 15, 1932 in the same facilities with many of the same teachers and students. The new name was People’s Bible School.
The revamped school, which started with four faculty (from the previous institute) and 18 students, was later known as John Wesley College (1956), Laurel University (2011), and John Wesley University (2016). This college distributed the People's Herald periodical, later The Crusader. The college remained non-denominational while promoting a distinctively Wesleyan-Holiness view on entire sanctification, with fellow Methodist Evangelist John R. Church as its first board chairman.[7][8]
The college was influential in the founding of the People's Methodist Church, which later merged with the Evangelical Methodist Church. A small "chain of tabernacles" was created so ministry students would have inexpensive venues to preach and conduct revival services during the Great Depression.[9]
Accreditation
John Wesley University is accredited with the Commission on Accreditation of The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and the United States Department of Education. Graduates of the Christian Elementary Education program are eligible for certification with the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).
The Bachelor of Arts in Management & Business Ethics and the Master of Business Administration—two degrees offered by the School of Management—are licensed by the University of North Carolina Office of General Administration.
Academics
John Wesley University offers multiple degree programs. The following are the majors offered:[2][10]
Undergraduate
Associate of Arts in:
- Ministry
Bachelor of Arts in:
- Bible/Theology
- Christian Ministry
- Christian Elementary Education
- Intercultural Studies & Global Missions
- Management & Business Ethics
- Pastoral Ministry
- Worship Arts
Accelerated BSN
- In a historic partnership with Liberty University, it is John Wesley University will offer an Associate of Arts degree that comes with admittance into Liberty’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
Graduate
- Master of Business Administration (Management, Human Resources, Non-Profit Leadership)
- Master of Theological Studies
- Master of Christian School Education
- Master of Ministry in Christian Leadership
Doctoral
- Doctor of Ministry in Christian Leadership
Adult Degree Completion Program
Adults between 25 and 75 can complete a bachelor's degree at home or one night a week at school. The university has online and blended, same-group degree completion programs in the following majors:
- Management & Business Ethics
- Pastoral Ministry
- Christian Counseling
- Christian Ministry
Athletics
John Wesley University is a member of the NCCAA and competes at the Division 1 level. Sports offered include:
- Men's Soccer
- Women's Soccer
- Women's Softball
- Women's Volleyball
See also
References
- ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2011/06/21/laurel-signs-articulation-deal-with-gtcc.html Laurel University Signs Articulation Agreement
- ^ a b http://www.laureluniversity.edu
- ^ [1], John Wesley College changes name to Laurel University
- ^ John Wesley University, "Looking for Laurel University?" https://johnwesley.edu/looking-for-laurel-university/ (accessed 17 June 2016)
- ^ http://www.myfox8.com/news/wghp-story-laurel-university-110112,0,6526185.story Laurel University story
- ^ http://laureluniversity.edu/about-us
- ^ http://www2.westminster-mo.edu/wc_users/homepages/staff/brownr/NorthCarolinaCC.htm
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20100527085335/http://www.johnwesley.edu/site/templates/jwc.aspx?articleid=155&zoneid=82
- ^ Green, Jim H., "Green Spots," 1945, publisher unknown, pg. 94
- ^ http://www.hpe.com/view/full_story/11037525/article-OUR-VIEW--High-Point-becomes-University-City High Point becomes university city