Arnold Gordon Wetmore was an American

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

who was president emeritus of the

Nazarene Theological Seminary Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) is a Nazarene seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. The seminary was established by the Eleventh General Assembly in June 1944 and started its first school year in 1945 with 61 students. It moved to its current ...

and a former president of the

Northwest Nazarene College Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) is a Private university, private Church of the Nazarene, Nazarene university in Nampa, Idaho. History Eugene Emerson organized a combination grade school and Bible school in 1913 as Idaho Holiness School. It ...

Early life and education

Wetmore was born on June 24, 1931, in

New Brunswick, Canada New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

. Wetmore received his

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

degree at the Eastern Nazarene College in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. He then earned a doctor of ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. He has also received two honorary degrees.Twelfth Presidential Inauguration at Northwest Nazarene University

Career and ministry

Wetmore pastored churches in

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, and Monroe, Wisconsin, in addition to serving as dean of students at his alma mater, Eastern Nazarene College.2007 NTS Commencement
/ref> In 1983, Wetmore was elected president of the Northwest Nazarene College and served there until 1992, when he was elected president of the Nazarene Theological Seminary. He retired in 2000 and lived with his wife in Olathe, Kansas, until his death on June 9, 2016.

Notes and references

1931 births 2016 deaths Eastern Nazarene College alumni Presidents of Northwest Nazarene University Presidents of Nazarene Theological Seminary American members of the Church of the Nazarene 20th-century Methodists {{US-theologian-stub