History
History of Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Three Bible schools were brought together to form Southwestern Bible Institute. The first,
known as Southwestern Bible School, was established at Enid, Oklahoma in 1927 under the
leadership of the Reverend P. C. Nelson. The second, Shield of Faith Bible School, was
founded in Amarillo, Texas, in 1931 under the direction of the Reverend Guy Shields. It
included not only a Bible school, but also a grade school and high school. The third, which
was operated as Southern Bible College in connection with the Richey Evangelistic Temple,
began at Goose Creek, Texas in 1931. It was started by Reverend J. T. Little in Trinity
Tabernacle and later moved to Houston in 1933.
The Bible school division of Shield of Faith was moved to Fort Worth in 1935. The high school division was transferred the following year. In 1940, a merger resulted in Southern Bible College, moving to Fort Worth. The combined school, operating as South Central Bible Institute, came under the ownership and direction of the Texas District Council of the Assemblies of God.
The school in Enid merged with South Central in 1941, at which time the name was changed to Southwestern Bible Institute. In 1943, the institute was moved to its present facilities in Waxahachie, Texas.
During the 1944-45 term, a junior college curriculum was added to the school's program. The Junior College Division soon accounted for about half of the enrollment in the College.
Southwestern Bible Institute became a regional school in 1954. At that time seven districts
of the Assemblies of God--Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Texas, Oklahoma, South
Texas and West Texas--owned and operated the school. In 1969, the Rocky Mountain District,
composed of Colorado and Utah, was admitted to the Region. The Mississippi District was
then added to the Region in 1979. In 1980, the Rocky Mountain District voted to withdraw
from the Southwestern Region and to remain neutral.
The proposal to change the name of Southwestern was ratified by all seven Districts, and the name became Southwestern Assemblies of God College. In 1963, the upper two years of the College were renamed Southwestern College of the Bible. In 1968, the separation of the divisions of the College was made more complete, and the Junior College was designated Southwestern Junior College of the Assemblies of God. In 1987 the two divisions were reunited.
Beginning in the early nineties, Southwestern experienced phenomenal enrollment increases. From 596 students in the fall of 1991, the enrollment has grown to 1492 students in 1997. Along with the enrollment increase, opportunities to expand the curriculum and programs developed. In December 1994, the Board of Regents unanimously approved the name change to Southwestern Assemblies of God University. With this new identity, Southwestern will be able to more accurately reflect its purpose and mission as a Bible university of theological and professional studies and simultaneously accept the challenges that will come with the twenty-first century.
For
the Whole World, the history of Southwestern, is released this
year in honor of over 75 years of educating men and women. Recounting
the triumphs and challenges, it captures the university's development
from a small Bible institute to a thriving spiritual university whose
graduates find ready entrance to a great variety of fields and ministry
opportunities worldwide.
For the Whole World was written by Mary Jackson, Ph.D., Gary McElhany, Ph.D., and Loyd Uglow, Ph.D..
Price: $35.00 per book S/H: $3.00 per book
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