Amridge University is a
private university
Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grants. Dep ...
affiliated with the
Churches of Christ with its main campus in
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...
. It was previously known as Alabama Christian School of Religion, Southern Christian University, and Regions University, and is a successor institution to Alabama Christian College.
Founded in 1967 as the Alabama Christian School of Religion, its primary function historically has been as a theological
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
to train ministers in
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
and
Christian Counseling
Christian counseling is distinct from secular counseling. According to the International Association of Biblical Counselors, Biblical counseling "seeks to carefully discover those areas in which a Christian may be disobedient to the principles a ...
. However, Amridge has expanded its curricula to other degrees. Seminary training offered by the Turner School of Theology, named in honor of founder Rex Allwin Turner Sr. and his wife Opal Shipp Turner, continues to be a core undertaking, with all levels of ministry and theological degrees available.
History
Key institutional events
* 1942 Montgomery Bible School, founded by Rex Allwin Turner Sr., Calvin Leonard Johnson, and Joseph B. "Joe" Greer, offered both high school and first year college courses, and became a
junior college with an elementary and secondary department
* 1949 Expanded curricula to include a third year of Bible and related courses
* 1953 Granted first baccalaureate degrees
* 1954 Institution's name changed to Alabama Christian College
* 1966 Discontinued upper‑level program in religious studies to satisfy accreditation requirements as a junior college
** High school department becam
Alabama Christian Academy a regionally accredited elementary and secondary school
** Junior college department became what today is
Faulkner University
Faulkner University is a private Christian university in Montgomery, Alabama. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ.
History
The university was founded in 1942 by Dr. Rex Turner, Dr. Leonard Johnson and Joe Greer as Montgomery Bible S ...
* 1967 Alabama Christian School of Religion founded to assume the upper-level program, offering classes in the new facilities of the College Church of Christ at 5315 Atlanta Highway
* 1972 Expanded curricula to include graduate degree programs
* 1974 Moved to new property jointly purchased with the Landmark Church of Christ at 6020 Atlanta Highway
* 1977 Expanded curricula to include a three‑year graduate program offering the Master of Theology degree
* 1985 Applied for accredited membership in the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
* 1988 Replaced the Master of Theology degree to conform to standard nomenclature and practice with the Master of Divinity degree, generally recognized as the first professional degree in ministry
* 1987 Sold its interest in the jointly owned property to the Landmark Church of Christ and built its own new campus on of land on Interstate 85 alongside
Auburn University at Montgomery
Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) is a public university in Montgomery, Alabama. Established by an act of the Alabama Legislature in 1967, it is governed by the Auburn University Board of Trustees as a member of the Auburn University syste ...
. The School of Religion moved to this new campus at 1200 Taylor Road that summer.
* 1989 Received accreditation by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to grant degrees at the bachelor's and master's levels
* 1991 Institution's name changed to Southern Christian University to reflect the widened geographical area served by the institution and emphasized the academic level and the emerging direction of the institution
* 1992 Expanded curricula by adding the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree and the distance-learning program
* 1994 Reaffirmation by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools including the two aforementioned substantive changes
* 1994 Changes in Alabama state licensure law in
Family Therapy grandfathered
A grandfather clause, also known as grandfather policy, grandfathering, or grandfathered in, is a provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases. Those exempt from t ...
the institution to permit reconfiguration of its counseling program
* 1999 Selected by the US Department of Education to help pilot th
Distance Education Demonstration Program* 2002 Purchased of land alongside Interstate 85, located from the main campus to accommodate future growth
* 2003
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools approved Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Family Therapy degree program
* 2005 Decadal reaffirmation by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools including the following substantive changes in its curricula
** Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – General Business
** Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Information Communication
** Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Information Systems Management
** Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Studies degree
* 2006
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools approved Associate of Arts degree program
* 2006 Institution's name changed to Regions University
* 2008 Institution's name changed to Amridge University
2006-2008 name changes
On August 2, 2006, Southern Christian University's board of regents voted to change the institution's name to Regions University. They expected this would enhance the institution's opportunities, complementing its purpose and vision while expanding its scope of educational and religious heritage to all the regions of the world. The name change, however, sparked a civil lawsuit by
Regions Financial Corporation filed on September 29, 2006, for
trademark infringement
Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attached to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees (provided that such authorization was within the scope of the licence). Infringement may ...
. Consequently, on January 31, 2008, the board of regents resolved to change the institution's name again, this time to Amridge University, preserving its mission and vision to expand its operations worldwide.
Presidents
* Rex Allwin Turner Sr.,
Ed.D.
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D. or D.Ed.; Latin ''Educationis Doctor'' or ''Doctor Educationis'') is (depending on region and university) a research or professional doctoral degree that focuses on the field of education. It prepares the holder for a ...
1967 – 1983
* Rex Allwin Turner Jr.,
Ed.D.
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D. or D.Ed.; Latin ''Educationis Doctor'' or ''Doctor Educationis'') is (depending on region and university) a research or professional doctoral degree that focuses on the field of education. It prepares the holder for a ...
1983 – August 2008
* Stanley Douglas Paterson,
Ed.D.
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D. or D.Ed.; Latin ''Educationis Doctor'' or ''Doctor Educationis'') is (depending on region and university) a research or professional doctoral degree that focuses on the field of education. It prepares the holder for a ...
''(interim)'' August 2008 - March 2009
* Michael Clark Turner,
D.O. March 2009 – present
Academics
In keeping with its Christian heritage, Amridge University provides educational opportunities through five schools: the College of Business and Leadership, the College of General Studies, the School of Education and Human Services, the Turner School of Theology, and the School of Continuing Education. It is accredited by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Additionally, it is approved by the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education and the
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) was established by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1967 to coordinate and support the efforts of higher education institutions in the State of Tennessee. One of its statutory requirements is to ...
.
Facilities
Campuses
The institution's main campus in Montgomery, Alabama lies alongside
Auburn University Montgomery
Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) is a public university in Montgomery, Alabama. Established by an act of the Alabama Legislature in 1967, it is governed by the Auburn University Board of Trustees as a member of the Auburn University system. ...
just north of
Interstate 85
Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, ...
at the Taylor Road exit. The campus consists of a single two-story complex, the Morgan W. Brown Building, that houses classrooms and the library on the ground floor and administrative offices upstairs. Classrooms are equipped with extensive multimedia equipment to allow live Internet streaming of instruction and lecture. Instructors can also transmit computer data, video, or still pictures. Each student's desk has a computer
workstation
A workstation is a special computer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by a single user, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems. The term ''workstat ...
. There is building-wide
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wav ...
access.
Libraries
The Amridge University library features a large collection of religious books and theological reference works. It holds 80,000 titles, 1,200 serial subscriptions, and 800 audiovisual materials.
[Peterson's (2007). ''Colleges in the South 2008''. p. 52. Lawrenceville, NJ: Nelnet. .] The library is linked with other libraries across the US to ensure availability of books that may be borrowed through
interlibrary lending. Its card catalog is accessible for online searching by students, faculty, and staff.
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Private universities and colleges in Alabama
Universities and colleges in Montgomery, Alabama
Educational institutions established in 1967
Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
1967 establishments in Alabama