Evangel University

History

Evangel College (later University) was founded by the General Council of the Assemblies of God in 1955 as the first national Pentecostal school of arts and sciences. The denomination, led at the time by the Rev. Ralph Riggs, already had several Bible schools and wanted a college where students entering secular fields could study in a Pentecostal, faith-based environment. The college was established on the property of the former O’Reilly General Hospital, which had been established during World War II by the U.S. Army. In its five-year history as an Army hospital, O’Reilly served more than 100,000 patients. After the war, it briefly served as a veteran’s hospital before the Army declared it excess property. The property was acquired by the Assemblies of God in December 1954 for the use of Evangel College. The first day of classes at Evangel was September 1, 1955. There were 87 students. Evangel students lived and went to classes in the O'Reilly barracks for years. The first permanent structure built on campus was the Klaude Kendrick Library in 1963. In the decades since, Evangel has slowly replaced the barracks with permanent structures. The last Army barrack on campus was demolished in 2009. .

Consolidation

In 2010, the Assemblies of God began an effort to consolidate Evangel University with Central Bible College and Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. All three institutions were owned by the Assemblies of God and located in Springfield, Missouri. A resolution for consolidation was passed at the AG’s 2011 General Council in Phoenix, Arizona, following which efforts began to make a formal proposal to the Higher Learning Commission. The consolidation was approved by the Higher Learning Commission in April 2013, making way for the official launch of the "new" Evangel University in August 2013. With the HLC's approval, the Assemblies of God also announced that Dr. Carol Taylor, president of Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, CA, had been named to lead the consolidated university. Dr. Taylor is an alumnus of Evangel University and AGTS. She has a doctorate from Florida State University. In addition to her tenure as Vanguard's president, Taylor has served as vice provost for undergraduate education at Biola University and spent 12 years in executive management at Educational Testing Service (ETS) in Princeton, New Jersey.

Presidents

Klaude Kendrick; 1955-1958. Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft: 1958-1974 (Dr. Ashcroft is the father of former United States Attorney General John Ashcroft); Dr. Robert H. Spence: 1974-2014 (Upon retirement, Dr. Spence was named chancellor.) Dr. Carol Taylor: 2014-present (Dr. Taylor began her tenure in July 2013 as president-elect and CEO, and was officially named president upon Dr. Spence's retirement in May 2014.)

Academics

Academic departments include Behavioral Sciences, Business, Communication, Education, Humanities, Kinesiology, Music, Science and Technology, Theology and Church Ministries. In addition to more than 100 undergraduate programs, Evangel offers graduate degrees in Education, Organizational Leadership, Psychology, School Counseling, and Music. Master's and doctoral degrees are also offered through Evangel's embedded seminary, the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.

The School of Theology and Church Ministries: Evangel launched the School of Theology and Church Ministries in 2013 to prepare students for vocational ministry. The new school was created with the 2013 consolidation of Evangel, Central Bible College, and Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. The three departments within the school are Bible & Theology, Church Ministries, and Intercultural Studies.

Accreditation

The Higher Learning Commission North Central Association of Colleges and Schools National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education National Association of Schools of Music Council on Social Work Education The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issues teaching certificates to graduates who successfully complete the Teacher Education program.

Student life

Approximately 2,500 students attend Evangel University. They come from all 50 states, and from 20 countries worldwide. There are more than 50 student clubs and organizations at Evangel. Each year more than 80 percent of Evangel students are involved in at least one campus activity outside of athletics and music. Evangel is primarily a residential campus, with most students living in one of six residence halls: Spence Hall, Walther Hall, Scott Hall, Krause Hall, Burgess Hall or Lewis Hall. The Perkin Apartments are available for married student housing.

Gayle Lewis Portrait

Sometime in 2011 the portrait of Gayle Lewis was removed from Lewis hall. After a thorough investigation by Lewis Hall RD's came up dry, the administration was forced to move into the 2012 school year without Gayle. This case is still unsolved.

Athletics

Evangel University teams are known as the Crusaders. The university competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as a Division I member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, softball, tennis, track & field, soccer and volleyball. The soccer program at Evangel was created in 2014 with Bruce Deaton becoming the director of coaching.

Notable alumni