Welch College, formerly the Free Will Baptist Bible College, is a private

Free Will Baptist Free Will Baptists are a group of General Baptist denominations of Christianity that teach free grace, free salvation and free will. The movement can be traced back to the 1600s with the development of General Baptism in England. Its formal est ...

college in

Gallatin, Tennessee Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee. The population was 30,278 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census and 44,431 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Named for United States Secretary of the Tr ...

. Founded in 1942, it is one of several higher learning institutions associated with the

National Association of Free Will Baptists The National Association of Free Will Baptists (NAFWB) is a national body of Free Will Baptist churches in the United States and Canada, organized on November 5, 1935 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Association traces its history in the United State ...

. Welch College serves 431 students as of 2019 from nearly two dozen states and several foreign countries and offers 40 majors with its top programs including theological studies, premed/nursing, business, teacher education and music.

History

The National Association of Free Will Baptists in general session in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, called for the creation of Free Will Baptist Bible College and its doors opened in 1942 as a two-year institution. Dr. Linton C. Johnson was its first President. Eight students composed the original student body. The college added a third year of study in 1949, a fourth year in 1950 and awarded its first

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

s to five students in 1951. In August 2008 the college purchased a tract in

, to become the site of a larger campus. The college sold its West End Avenue campus and is completing the new campus on the Gallatin site. In July 2012 at the National Association of Free Will Baptists in Memphis, the denomination voted to change the name of the college to Welch College. It was renamed for John L. Welch and his wife Mary; Mr. Welch was a prominent figure in the merger of Free Will Baptist bodies into the NAFWB denomination.

Controversies

In August 2019, the college briefly attracted national attention when administrators suspended a

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...

student, attributing the action to a conflict in student policy. The student had undergone a double mastectomy as part of his transition process days prior to the suspension.

Academics

The college offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Music Education degree programs. Two- and three-year associate degree programs are also offered as well as a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

in Theology.

Athletics

The athletic teams of Welch College are called the "Flames" and compete in 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 ...

(NCCAA). Currently there are five varsity teams.

Men's sports

*Basketball *Golf *Cross Country *Soccer (Fall 2018)

Women's sports

*Basketball *Volleyball *Golf *Cross Country *Soccer (Fall 2018)

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Association for Biblical Higher Education Association of Christian College Athletics member schools Bible colleges Educational institutions established in 1942 Free Will Baptist schools Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Universities and colleges in Nashville, Tennessee Private universities and colleges in Tennessee 1942 establishments in Tennessee