15,000 students can change the world

One believer on fire for God can have an immense impact wherever he or she goes. When that number is 15,000, the sky is the limit.

The 20 officially endorsed Assemblies of God universities, colleges, institutes and seminary are not standing still. They are growing and improving.

Today 15,000 students walk the halls of our 20 schools — a staggering 50 percent growth from the 10,000 that made up the combined student body 10 years ago.

While growing in numbers, our schools are also advancing in other ways. Properties are being acquired, new buildings built and technology added. Several have recently achieved university status by moving into the realm of master’s-level education.

Though this may not seem that significant, it is far more than a name change. In the past, when A/G students have turned to graduate studies outside of what was offered by the seminary, they have had to turn to non-A/G institutions. As late as the 1960s, many largely secular schools still had chapel services and taught values. But that has waned and A/G schools are looking to step into that vacuum. Today our young people can receive quality graduate education in a Pentecostal atmosphere that does not compromise on Christian values or the Word of God.

The Assemblies of God is also broadening the curriculum in its undergraduate programs. This broadening curriculum has not diluted our commitment to the faith or our Pentecostal distinctives. Instead, it gives our young people a chance to get educated in fields not available before — such as pre-med, pre-law or education — in an environment rich with spiritual influence. Bible and theology are not lost by the addition of these majors; rather, students are educated to go into various avenues of the professional world with a thoroughly Pentecostal perspective.

When one considers the potential of today’s 15,000, as well as those to come, one thinks also of the challenges. How much higher would that number be if there was nothing to hold potential students back? "We get more calls in our office regarding scholarships than any other topic," says Dayton Kingsriter, director of the Assemblies of God Christian Higher Education Department. "The need for scholarships is much greater than the supply. I encourage people to invest in the youth of the Assemblies of God by setting up new scholarships or contributing to existing scholarships in our institutes, colleges and universities."

Though not the typical offering, it is certainly one of the best investments one can make in the Kingdom. There are countless pastors, missionaries and Christian business people today in positions of ministry who would not be there had it not been for scholarships received from faithful supporters.

Please read on for this year’s on-campus reports.

— Ken Horn

Editor’s note: Each year the Evangel does on-location reports from a third of Assemblies of God endorsed schools.