Wesleyan Students

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What is a Wesleyan Student?

Unite the pair so long disjoined,
knowledge and vital piety:
Learning and holiness combined,
And truth and love, let all me see...
~ Charles Wesley

When Charles Wesley penned these words almost 300 years ago, he probably wasn't thinking of the Wesleyan denomination or Indiana Wesleyan University since neither existed at the time. However, as a Wesleyan Student, this is both your legacy and calling.

To participate in a university education that brings together (unites) both academic excellence (knowledge) and a call to live out a holy life (vital piety) is to tap into the heart of what it means to be a Wesleyan student.

As you live and learn at Indiana Wesleyan University, you will be strongly encouraged in your walk with Christ to have your  "learning and living combined."  Toward what end - a job? Well, certainly. But more importantly, so that all the world can see and be brought into a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the heart of what it means to be a Wesleyan student attending a Wesleyan university.

jon kulaga

Jon S. Kulaga, Ph.D.
President

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What is Wesleyan?

The Wesleyan Church is an Evangelical Protestant denomination with approximately 475,000 people in 5,000 churches and missions, in 90 countries of the world.

Founded in 1968 as the result of a merger between the Wesleyan Methodist Church and the Pilgrim Holiness Church, its roots are in the abolitionist and holiness revival movements of the nineteenth century. Its twenty-first century emphasis is on exalting Christ through worldwide missions, compassion ministries, and concern for social justice that reaches out to all people.

Wesleyan Values

The spirit and content of Wesleyan values are an expression of historic Christian faith, rooted in the Bible, proclaimed by the church and lived out in the world. The following values are emphasized in the Wesleyan tradition.

  1. Faith First - Right relationship with God is more important than having "it all figured out." While reason, education and scholarship are important, they follow and serve one's relationship with Christ.
  2. Personal Transformation - Christian conversion and becoming more like Christ is central to a Wesleyan way of thinking, learning and living. We are optimistic about the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives.
  3. Global Transformation - Wesleyans believe God's will can be done on earth and that we can change the world to be more like the Kingdom of God.
  4. Others above Self - Wesleyans value the community beyond the individual. While individual pursuits and personal faith are vital, they find their fullest expression through life in Christian community.
  5. Generous Spirit - Wesleyans are welcoming to those who disagree. Loving hospitality should be expressed to all.

Read more about The Wesleyan Church.

Read The Articles of Religion of the Wesleyan Church.

Read Wesleyan Position Statements on various social issues.

IWU Students

Wesleyan Student Aid

Indiana Wesleyan University was founded in 1920 by The Wesleyan Church to train up the next generation of leaders for the church, and society. The university's mission to develop students in character, scholarship, and leadership through a Christ-centered education remains true today.

Discover the many financial aid opportunities available to Wesleyan students who choose a Christ-centered education through Indiana Wesleyan University.

Financial Aid Options

Discover A Vibrant Spiritual Life at IWU

At the core of the IWU experience is the opportunity you will have to grow spiritually and engage in a Christian community. Indiana Wesleyan offers engaging worship in Chapel, meaningful connection in small groups, and supportive faculty who will take the time to talk to you and pray with you.

Spiritual Life Info

Our Students Say it Best

"I went to IWU for my undergrad and my graduate studies, so I would say I am a pretty big fan! I chose IWU because when I walked on campus it felt like home. Now that I can look back at my four years here, I know that I would not be the person I am today without the opportunities IWU provides or the people that live and work on this campus! I have been changed by this place and my relationship with God has never been stronger than it is after my time at IWU. I am incredibly grateful and have been deeply blessed by Indiana Wesleyan University. "

Mikayla Rimes, student
KERN program at Indiana Wesleyan University

Mikayla
Andrea Summers

Meet the Campus Pastor

Rev. Dr. Andrea Summers
Dr. Summers is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and has served as a pastor, a denominational leader, and a professor. She has a huge heart for college students and is passionate about creating space for them to be shaped into the image of Christ for the sake of others.


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