Former name | Free Will Baptist Bible College |
---|---|
Motto | O Send out Thy Light and Thy Truth |
Type | Private college |
Established | 1942 |
Accreditation | SACS-COC |
Affiliation | National Association of Free Will Baptists |
Religious affiliation | Free Will Baptist |
Academic affiliation | ABHE |
Endowment | US$2.2 million (2016) [1] |
President | J. Matthew Pinson |
Provost | Matthew McAffee [2] |
Undergraduates | 394 (fall 2022) [3] |
Location | , , United States 36°22′04″N 86°32′57″W / 36.367753°N 86.549267°W |
Campus | Urban |
Colors | Blue, white & gold |
Nickname | Flames |
Sporting affiliations | NCCAA |
Website |
www |
Welch College, formerly the Free Will Baptist Bible College, [4] is a private Free Will Baptist college in Gallatin, Tennessee. [5] Founded in 1942, it is one of several higher learning institutions associated with the National Association of Free Will Baptists. Welch College offers 40 majors, including theological studies, premed/nursing, business, teacher education and music. [6]
The National Association of Free Will Baptists in general session in Nashville, Tennessee, called for the creation of Free Will Baptist Bible College and its doors opened in 1942 as a two-year institution. Linton C. Johnson was its first President. Eight students composed the original student body. The college added a third year of study in 1949, a fourth year in 1950 and awarded its first Bachelor's degrees to five students in 1951.
In August 2008 the college purchased a 66-acre (270,000 m2) tract in Gallatin, Tennessee, to become the site of a larger campus. The college sold its West End Avenue campus and as of March 2017 [update] is completing the new campus on the Gallatin site. [7]
In July 2012 at the National Association of Free Will Baptists in Memphis, the denomination voted to change the name of the college to Welch College. [8] It was renamed for John L. Welch and his wife Mary; Welch was a prominent figure in the merger of Free Will Baptist bodies into the NAFWB denomination. [9]
In August 2019, the college briefly attracted national attention when administrators suspended a transgender student, attributing the action to a conflict in student policy. [10] The student had undergone a double mastectomy as part of his transition process days prior to the suspension. [11] [12]
The college offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Music Education degree programs. Two- and three-year associate degree programs are also offered as well as a Master of Arts in Theology. [13]
The athletic teams of Welch College are called the "Flames" and compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Currently there are five varsity teams.