Grace College & Seminary is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

college in

Winona Lake, Indiana Winona Lake is a town in Wayne Township, Kosciusko County, in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the major suburb of Warsaw. The population was 4,908 at the 2010 census. Geography Winona Lake is located at (41.220818, -85.817118). It is now contiguo ...

. It has six schools: The School of Arts and Sciences, The School of Behavioral Sciences, The School of Business, The School of Education, The School of Ministry Studies, and The School of Professional & Online Education (SPOE).

Grace Theological Seminary Grace Theological Seminary (GTS) is a conservative evangelical Christian seminary located in Winona Lake, Indiana. GTS is now part of Grace College & Seminary and is associated with Charis Fellowship, before 2018 known as the Fellowship of Grace B ...

, which began as the parent institution, now exists as part of the School of Ministry Studies and is also located on the Winona Lake campus. Since 2011, several commuter campuses have also started. While the college and seminary are historically affiliated with the

Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches Charis Fellowship, known before 2018 as the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, and before 1976 under the name of National Fellowship of Brethren Churches, is a theologically conservative fellowship of Brethren churches that was founded in 1939 ...

, known as

Charis Fellowship Charis Fellowship, known before 2018 as the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, and before 1976 under the name of National Fellowship of Brethren Churches, is a theologically conservative fellowship of Brethren churches that was founded in 1939 ...

since 2018, the student body and faculty of both institutions have diverse denominational backgrounds.

History

Foundation

The institution began with the organization of Grace Theological Seminary under the leadership of Alva J. McClain in 1937. A two-year "undergraduate division" of the seminary was added in 1948 and has since transitioned into a four-year

Liberal Arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...

college.

Presidents

Alva J. McClain served as president until 1962, when he was succeeded by his colleague and fellow co-founder

Herman A. Hoyt Herman A. Hoyt (1909-2000) was an American biblical scholar. He was one of the founding professors at Grace Theological Seminary in 1937. In 1962, he became president of Grace College and Seminary, a position he held until his retirement in 1976. ...

. He remained in this position until he retired in 1976, and was followed by then Dean of Grace Theological Seminary Homer Kent, Jr., who retained this position until his own retirement in 1986. Dr. John J. Davis then served in the position from 1986 to 1993. Ronald E. Manahan replaced Davis and led the institution until 2013 at which time

William J. Katip William (Bill) J. Katip was president of Grace College & Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana, USA, from May 2013 to December 2021, after which he was succeeded by interim president Dr. John Teevan. Katip is a graduate of Grace College (B.A., Bible an ...

, who had been Provost since 2007, replaced Manahan. In January 2022, Dr. John Teevan replaced Katip as interim president and served until July 2022 when Dr. Drew Flamm became the seventh president. Flamm previously served as Vice President of Advancement at Grace College, a position he held since 2013. New initiatives implemented in the fall of 2013 included an adjusted calendar in which each of the semesters were divided into two 8-week sessions.

Secondary locations

Prison program

For many years Grace College maintained a ministry to the incarcerated in Indiana at various correctional facilities throughout the state directed by Dr. John Teevan. However, due to legal changes in the state of Indiana, this ministry has transitioned to a GED program. The institution now manages the GED program for five correction facilities in northern Indiana.

Commuter Schools

Since 2011, Grace College has added a satellite location in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

. This site is a commuter location that offers associates and bachelor's degree completion. It is located at 96th and Meridian on the North side of

.They have since closed down that location, but have opened and been developing their location in Akron, Ohio.

Accreditation

In 1994, the

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also known as the North Central Association, was a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states engaged in educational accreditation. It w ...

accredited Grace College and Seminary, thereby joining the two previously individually accredited institutions. Its counseling program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and the School of Business has accreditation by the

International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education The International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), formerly the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, is an educational accreditation agency for college and university business programs founded in 1997. It ...

(IACBE). It is also approved by the

Association of Christian Schools International The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), founded in 1978, is an association of evangelical Christian schools. Its headquarters are in Colorado Springs, Colorado. History ACSI was founded in 1978 through the merger of three as ...

. Grace College's School of Education also holds separate accreditation from the

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) was a professional accreditor focused on accrediting teacher education programs in U.S. colleges and universities. It was founded in 1954 and was recognized as an accreditor by ...

(NCATE) and is recognized as a REPA Approved Teacher Preparation Program by the

Indiana Department of Education The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) oversees primary and secondary education in the U.S. state of Indiana. The department is managed by the Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, an elected office most recently held by Jennifer McCo ...

Grace Theological Seminary has separately been awarded accreditation by the

Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. History It was founded in 1918. The associ ...

. In August 2022, the Grace Department of Engineering was accredited by the

ABET The ABET (incorporated as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.) is a non-governmental organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering and engineering ...

Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC). Since May 2021, the Grace program has granted the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) degree. Grace Engineering operates in East Hall.

Campus

There are a total of 21 buildings on Grace College's campus. Eleven of these buildings are residence halls, with the Lancer lofts, the Lodge and Omega Hall being as the most recent additions.

Student life

College newspaper

The college newspaper, ''The Sounding Board'', is published biweekly.

Chapel

Grace College students attend chapel sessions Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings in the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center on campus.

Athletics

The Grace athletic teams are the Lancers. The college is a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA), primarily competing in the

Crossroads League The Crossroads League (formerly the Mid-Central College Conference) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Its members are private Christian colleges in Indiana, Michigan, an ...

(formerly known as the Mid-Central College Conference (MCCC) until after the 2011–12 school year) since the 1981–82 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint from 1959–60 to 1978–79. They are also a member of the

National Christian College Athletic Association The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic co ...

(NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Midwest Region of the Division I level. Grace competes in 19 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading and eSports.

Mascot

Their students compete as "Lancers" with their mascot, Sir Red, cheering them on.

Basketball

Grace's men's basketball squad, coached by Jim Kessler, won the NAIA Division II men's championship in 1992, and in 2013, advanced to the Final Four. On 31 October 2014, Coach Kessler achieved his 700th career coaching win.

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grace College and Seminary Seminaries and theological colleges in Indiana Evangelical seminaries and theological colleges in the United States Private universities and colleges in Indiana Educational institutions established in 1948 Buildings and structures in Kosciusko County, Indiana Education in Kosciusko County, Indiana 1948 establishments in Indiana Evangelicalism in Indiana Council for Christian Colleges and Universities