Wesley Seminary and Houghton College sign Articulation Agreement
Marion, Ind. (February 10, 2021) – Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University and Houghton College have signed an articulation agreement to help Houghton students complete their graduate theological degree at Wesley Seminary.
Dr. Colleen Derr, President of Wesley Seminary, said, “I love the commonness that we share with Houghton College – this desire to serve the church and to serve the church well. This desire to build on the incredible scholarship and academic experience that the students receive at Houghton. It is a joy for us at Wesley to be able to honor that investment that Houghton has made in their students and for us to ask, how can we partner with them to really enhance what has already been developed in their students!”
Dr. Shirley Mullen, President of Houghton College, added, “Dr. Earle Wilson used a phrase when he prayed in a Houghton Board Meeting, “Catch us up in divine purposes!” I think that is really what we are talking about today as we think about the role of education in the Wesleyan Church. Providing a high-quality Christian education that is affordable is a real key part of Houghton’s educational philosophy and has been since the early founding days of Willard J. Houghton. This partnership with Wesley Seminary really does strengthen the possibility that a student can graduate from seminary without extraordinary debt.”
“This collaboration became a way to discover the best option for the students and thinking about how to help them have a clear pathway from undergrad to graduate degrees. It has been a wonderful privilege as I had a chance to go to Houghton, before Covid, and have been able to engage with them in curriculum development. I believe that we have created a process that will benefit their students and the church as a whole,” said Dr. Abson Joseph, VP of Academic Affairs.
Mullen observed, “The exciting feature is the fact that students can do this work online and can access their seminary education from anywhere, at any time! We have come to think that this is normal in the days of the pandemic, but Wesley Seminary really had that vision for online seminary education prior to the pandemic and it does mesh very well with what we are seeking to do at Houghton College, which is to make the undergraduate experience more accessible.”
Derr added, “It is just an absolute privilege for us to be able to partner formally and officially with Houghton College as the only seminary of the Wesleyan Church. I love Houghton and I really respect the work that they have done. So, for me, it is this wonderful, personal joy and, as president of the seminary, a professional recognition of this moment in time where we can truly serve the church and serve the denomination through this partnership.”
