NationsUniversity

Last updated
NationsUniversity
NationsUniversity logo.svg
Established1996
Religious affiliation
Nondenominational Christian
Chancellor Mac Lynn
President John Baxter (CEO) Alan D. Cooper [1]
Administrative staff
7
Studentsapprox. 1,500
Location, ,
United States
CampusOnline
Colors Gold and blue
Website nationsu.edu

NationsUniversity, also known as Nations University or NationsU, is a private Christian university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It only offers distance education (as well as in small learning pods and different locales [2] )and focuses on "the development of faith and the training of Christian leaders around the world." [3] While NationsUniversity's founding faculty and many of the staff are affiliated with the Churches of Christ, NationsUniversity itself is a nondenominational online Christian university, which offers certificates, bachelor's in religious studies, and a master's degree in theological studies, and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree.

Contents

The school offers all of its programs through the internet and correspondence but does provide some degree of remote student services including having a full-time chaplain on staff. [4]

The school has become a popular school for low-cost education for Church of Christ ministers in Kenya. [5]

History

NationsU was incorporated in 1996 by Richard Ady, Mac Lynn, [6] and Darrell Frazier. Ady and Lynn had been college classmates. Ady's career had been in church work and Lynn had worked in higher education as a teacher and administrator. Ady had previously founded the World English Institute. [7] Gathering volunteers who would travel around the globe, conducting courses and seminars in religious studies, was the plan. As time progressed, around two hundred volunteers were enlisted to provide assistance. As the group's activity strengthened, the demand for religious degree programs strengthened. Therefore, the organization became officially incorporated in Louisiana on July 19, 1996, as NationsUniversity.

The school celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020 with an online event during the COVID19 pandemic. [8]

Academics

NationsU offers three different degree programs and three certificate programs. These programs include:

In 2011 the student announced that it has served 5,000 student to date with its programs. [9] As of December 1, 2019, active enrollment stood at 1482 students in 100 countries and 40 states within the U.S. Of the total enrollment, 328 were formally admitted into the Certificate in Biblical Studies, 228 to the Bachelor of Religious Studies, 80 to the Master of Theological Studies, and 47 to the Master of Divinity. The remainder were as yet not formally admitted to a specific program of study [10] and as of December 31, 2018, 1,369 degrees have been awarded since the founding in 1996. [11]

Accreditation and Affliations

The institution is accredited by The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). [12] [13]

Since 2019, the institution has been a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. [14] [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary</span> Theological seminary in Massachusetts

Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) is an evangelical seminary with its main campus in Hamilton, Massachusetts, and three other campuses in Boston, Massachusetts; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Jacksonville, Florida. According to the Association of Theological Schools, Gordon-Conwell ranks as one of the largest evangelical seminaries in North America in terms of total number of full-time students enrolled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moody Bible Institute</span> Bible institute in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Moody Bible Institute (MBI) is a private evangelical Christian Bible college in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Historically, MBI has maintained positions that have identified it as non-charismatic, dispensational, and generally Calvinistic. Today, MBI operates undergraduate programs and Moody Theological Seminary at the Chicago campus. The Seminary also operates a satellite campus in Plymouth, Michigan. Moody Aviation operates a flight school in Spokane, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto School of Theology</span>

The Toronto School of Theology (TST) is an ecumenical consortium of seven theological colleges and is affiliated with the University of Toronto. TST is the largest ecumenical consortium for theological education in Canada. Its seven member schools are Emmanuel College, Knox College, Regis College, St. Augustine's Seminary, University of St. Michael's College Faculty of Theology, Trinity College Faculty of Divinity, and Wycliffe College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Master's University</span> Private Christian university in Santa Clarita, California

The Master's University is a private non-denominational Christian university in Santa Clarita, California.

For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divinity schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heritage Christian University</span> Private bible college in Florence, Alabama

Heritage Christian University is a private bible college in Florence, Alabama. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university is governed by a board of directors, all of whom must be active members of the Churches of Christ.

B. H. Carroll Theological Institute is an accredited Christian Baptist institution in Irving, Texas with multiple sources of funding and a self-perpetuating board of governors. It is named after Benajah Harvey Carroll and teaches Baptist principles and practices. It operates in cooperation primarily with Baptist churches, and also cooperates with other Great Commission Christians. The institution offers classes in both conventional classroom settings and by innovative means. It trains students in "“teaching churches” located in multiple Texas cities, as well as through interactive lessons taught over the Internet", with 20 such "teaching churches" in operation throughout Texas as of November 2006. The school plans to focus on the use of distance education to make it easier for students to obtain theological education. As of 2006, the school's second year of operation, B. H. Carroll Theological Institute had 300 students taking courses and an additional 300 students auditing courses. Bruce Corley was Carroll's first president; Gene Wilkes is Carroll's second president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvard Divinity School</span> Divinity school at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the academic study of religion or for leadership roles in religion, government, and service. It also caters to students from other Harvard schools that are interested in the former field. HDS is among a small group of university-based, non-denominational divinity schools in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earlham School of Religion</span> Quaker graduate seminary in Richmond, Indiana

Earlham School of Religion (ESR), a graduate division of Earlham College, located in Richmond, Indiana, is the oldest graduate seminary associated with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). ESR's Mission Statement is as follows: "Rooted in the Christian Quaker tradition of contemplation that inspires action, Earlham School of Religion prepares theologically diverse students for a pluralistic world. Our curriculum unites spiritual formation, academic study, social engagement, and vital ministry."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yale Divinity School</span> Graduate school of Yale University

Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexington Theological Seminary</span> Graduate theological institution in Lexington, KY

Lexington Theological Seminary is a private Christian seminary in Lexington, Kentucky. Although it is related to the Christian Church, it is intentionally ecumenical with almost 50 percent of its enrollment coming from other denominations. Lexington Theological Seminary is accredited by Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada to award Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Pastoral Studies, and Doctor of Ministry degrees.

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) is a private Baptist seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary also houses an undergraduate college, Spurgeon College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Theological Seminary</span> Non-denominational Christian seminary

The New York Theological Seminary (NYTS) is a private non-denominational Christian seminary in New York City. It was founded in 1900 as the Bible Teacher's College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Baptist Theological Seminary</span> Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, USA

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) is a Baptist theological institute in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The seminary was founded in 1859 in Greenville, South Carolina, where it was at first housed on the campus of Furman University. The seminary has been an innovator in theological education, establishing one of the first Ph.D. programs in religion in the year 1892. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to a newly built campus in downtown Louisville and moved to its current location in 1926 in the Crescent Hill neighborhood. In 1953, Southern became one of the few seminaries to offer a full, accredited degree course in church music. For more than fifty years Southern has been one of the world's largest theological seminaries, with an FTE enrollment of over 3,300 students in 2015.

Carolina University (CU), formerly Piedmont International University (PIU), is a private Christian university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Carolina University offers both residential and online programs including dual enrollment, undergraduate, and graduate degrees. It is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) and is a member of the American Association of Christian Schools (AACS).

The Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS), is a Seventh-day Adventist graduate institution located in the Philippines, offering graduate degrees in Business, Education, Public health, and Theology. It is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist education system, the world's second largest Christian school system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Theological Union</span> Former Catholic university in Washington, DC

Washington Theological Union (WTU) was a Catholic graduate school of theology and seminary in Washington, D.C, United States, founded in 1968. It stopped accepting students in 2011, and suspended operations at the end of June 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Forest University School of Divinity</span> American ecumenical divinity school

Wake Forest University School of Divinity is an ecumenical divinity school located on the campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The School offers a Master of Divinity degree as well several joint degree programs in cooperation with other graduate programs at the university in bioethics, counseling, education, law, and sustainability. The school has 19 faculty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torch Trinity Graduate University</span> Christian school in Seoul, South Korea

Torch Trinity Graduate University is an evangelical graduate school and seminary in Yangjae-dong, Seocho District, Seoul, South Korea. It was formerly called Torch Trinity Graduate School of Theology (TTGST). The university commits itself to the cause of Christian missions, with an emphasis on training future leaders of the church from all over the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian Theological Seminary</span> Theological seminary

Asian Theological Seminary (ATS) is a theological seminary in Quezon City, Philippines.

References

  1. Tryggestad, Erik "NationsUniversity appoints new president" Christian Chronicle (Feb. 7, 2011) (accessed Mar 12, 2023)
  2. Trggestad, Erik "A Church of Christ on wheels" Christian Chronicle (Nov. 15, 2017) (accessed March 12, 2023)
  3. Mission, NationsUniversity website
  4. "Who is chaplain Allen" ChaplainsCorner.org
  5. "Out of Africa" World English Institute (Dec. 1, 2007) (accessed Mar 13, 2023)
  6. Parks, Ted "Dialogue: A Conversation with Mac Lynn" Christian Chronicle (Feb. 1, 2001) (Accessed March 12, 2023)
  7. History of Nations University, Nations University website
  8. "25th Anniversary Event - NationsUniversity"
  9. Tryggestad, Erik "NationsUniversity enrollment tops 5,000" Christian Chronicle (Sept. 9, 2011) (Accessed March 12, 2023)
  10. Nations University Student Enrollment, Nations University website, accessed March 3, 2019
  11. "NU Success Indicators"
  12. "NationsU - Accreditation with Distance Education Accrediting Commission".
  13. "NationsUniversity accreditation renewed" RNS: Religion News Service (June 19, 2019) (accessed Mar 13, 2023)
  14. "NationsUniversity" ECFA.org
  15. "NationsUniversity accredited by national fianancial accountability organization" RNS Religion News Service (Sept. 12, 2019) (accessed Mar 12, 2023)