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John Wesley University was a private interdenominational
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 High Point,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. In 2018, the university merged into
Piedmont International University Carolina University (CU), formerly Piedmont International University (PIU), is a Private university, private Christianity, Christian university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Carolina University offers both residential and online programs incl ...
in
Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...
.


Background

Known for many years as John Wesley College, the college changed its name to Laurel University in 2011 and John Wesley University in June 2016. Some students lived on the rural campus, while others commuted. Classes were offered in person and online. The university contained 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 was the oldest undergraduate theological education institution in
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. It started in fall 1903 as the Greensboro Bible and Training School in Greensboro as a result of a revival held by Revs. Seth Rees and Charles Weigle. The school closed abruptly after the 1931 spring semester owing to insurmountable financial difficulties. Following an all-night prayer service with well-known former
Methodist Episcopal Church South The Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MEC, S; also Methodist Episcopal Church South) was the American Methodist denomination resulting from the 19th-century split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). Disagreement ...
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 Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...
-
Holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
view on
entire sanctification Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...
, with fellow Methodist Evangelist John R. Church as its first board chairman. The college was influential in the founding of
the People's Methodist Church The People's Methodist Church was a Wesleyan-Holiness denomination in the Southern United States from 1938–1962 founded by revivalist Jim H. Green. The denomination consisted of around 1,000 members in 25 churches in the U.S. states of North ...
, which later merged with the
Evangelical Methodist Church The Evangelical Methodist Church (EMC) is a Christian denomination in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The denomination reported 399 churches in the United States, Mexico, Burma/Myanmar, Canada, Philippines ...
. A small "chain of tabernacles" was created so ministry students would have inexpensive venues to preach and conduct revival services during the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
.


Accreditation

John Wesley University was accredited with the Commission on Accreditation of The
Association for Biblical Higher Education The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), formerly The Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (AABC) is an evangelical Christian organization of bible colleges in the United States and Canada. It is a member of the International Co ...
(ABHE), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the
Council for Higher Education Accreditation The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a United States organization of degree-granting colleges and universities. It identifies its purpose as providing national advocacy for academic quality through accreditation in order t ...
(CHEA), and the
United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...
. Graduates of the Christian Elementary Education program are eligible for certification with 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 ...
(ACSI). The Bachelor of Arts in Management & Business Ethics and the Master of Business Administration—two degrees offered by the School of Management—were licensed by the University of North Carolina Office of General Administration.


Academics

John Wesley University offered Associate, Bachelor, Master's, and doctoral degrees.http://www.laureluniversity.edu Some bachelor's degree programs were designed specifically for adults to be completed at home or one night a week at school.


Athletics

John Wesley University was 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) and competed at the Division 1 level. Sports offered included: :*Men's Soccer :*Women's Soccer :*Women's Softball :*Women's Volleyball In 2014, operating as Laurel University - school leadership made a decision to bring athletics on to the campus in order to boost low enrollment and create a campus culture. In the beginning stages the university chose Men's/Women's Soccer and Lacrosse. After trying a few different approaches and looking for coaches, the school hired its first soccer coach Zachary Pierce. Pierce is a native of High Point North Carolina who thrived as youth player with the 75 High Point Stars, and as a four-year Varsity Starter at Ledford High School. In college Pierce played for Johnson & Wales University and Louisburg College; after college played briefly over overseas for a German club team Schwäbisch Hall. Returning from Europe and re-settling in High Point, Coach Pierce has been heavily involved with youth soccer for 20 years and remains a sought after, highly respected coach in the triad. During his youth coaching career Pierce garnered a winning record of 336-52-15, winning multiple cross state club titles. As Laurel University's head men's coach, Pierce single-handedly built a thriving program in a short 6 months. He actively recruited 80 student - athletes to compete in the NAIA & NCCAA D1 Southern States Conference. Along with recruitment and team building, Pierce solely negotiated usage of AJ Stadium for home matches, and the local Hartley YMCA for training facilities. In the university's inaugural year, Pierce assumed the NAIA Southern States Conference game schedule from Virginia Intermont, whose campus closed. The inaugural season produced a hard earned record 5-12, with a varsity program and team composed entirely of freshman and playing NAIA powerhouses: Southern Wesleyan University, Salem International, The Cumberlands University, West Virginia Tech, Columbia International, St. Andrews University, High Point University and others. Pierce left the University after the first year. Later the program thrived under Pierces's former assistant Coach Golding.


See also

*
The People's Methodist Church The People's Methodist Church was a Wesleyan-Holiness denomination in the Southern United States from 1938–1962 founded by revivalist Jim H. Green. The denomination consisted of around 1,000 members in 25 churches in the U.S. states of North ...
*
Holiness movement The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emph ...


References

{{authority control Association for Biblical Higher Education Educational institutions established in 1903 Defunct private universities and colleges in North Carolina Universities and colleges in Guilford County, North Carolina Methodist Episcopal Church, South 1903 establishments in North Carolina Educational institutions disestablished in 2018 2018 disestablishments in North Carolina