Presidents and chairs of the boards of trustees of each Wesleyan college and university met Monday, November 16, to strategize leading together from unified front in their effort to advance a Wesleyan Higher Education. Conversation centered around a variety of ways to best serve the church. “Each of our schools provide incredible benefit to society and the church” Dr. Mullen, President of Houghton College, mentioned at one point. “Our goal should be to make readily apparent the value Christian universities have to this world.”
The Wesleyan Education Council met the day prior to the November General Board meeting of The Wesleyan Church.
The colleges and universities of The Wesleyan Church work together in a semi-annual meeting called the Wesleyan Education Council to ensure they capitalize on their common identity and mission to serve the denomination.
This statement was made in light of the increasing difficulty Christian organizations face in the public square. The impact Wesleyan Higher Education has on society however is immense and the future is bright. Dr. Wright, president of Indiana Wesleyan University, paraphrased from a superintendent of a local school corporation, “We’d rather have teachers from Indiana Wesleyan University than from any other institution because of their character and professionalism.”
The members of the Wesleyan Education Council affirmed the importance of their ties to The Wesleyan Church. This connection clarifies their mission to educate and prepare students who in turn go in to the world to transform lives, churches and communities through the hope and holiness of Jesus Christ. Not only do the colleges and universities benefit the church by educating Christian laity who work in varied industries but they also help train hundreds of Wesleyan clergy who directly serve the church. These institutions also benefit from the direct relationship with The Wesleyan Church which offers legal and theological covering and financial support.
Each year millions of dollar in aid and discounts are offered to Wesleyan students by the five Wesleyan schools. This aid is made possible in part due to the Educational Institution Fund as well as the generosity of the colleges and universities.
The Wesleyan Education Council is a semi-annual meeting of the presidents and board of trustee chairs from each of our Wesleyan colleges and universities, Jo Anne Lyon, The Wesleyan Church General Superintendent, and Russ Gunsalus, the executive director of Education and Clergy Development. WEC exists to facilitate collaboration, common identity and a network of Wesleyan colleges and universities. Please pray for the WEC as they work together to advance our educational institutions’ efforts to be healthy, strong, and effective in their mission to educate, develop and transform students.
The Wesleyan Education Council member schools include:
President: Dr. Shirley Mullen
Board Chair: Bobbie Strand
President: Dr. David Wright
Board Chair: Carl Shepherd
President: Dr. Steven Lennox
Board Chair: H.C. Wilson
President: Dr. Everett Piper
Board Chair: Roger Metcalf
President: Dr. Todd Voss
Board Chair: Charles Joiner
