Campus Activities

One of Welch College’s unique features is its interest in all areas of each student’s life. Of special importance is our concern for every student's spiritual welfare, as manifested in the general objectives defined in the Statement of Institutional Purpose. The College plans its entire program so that it affords every student the opportunity to mature spiritually.

In addition to studying for classes, students are encouraged to study the Bible for their personal development. Dormitory and student lounge discussions of biblical and theological issues are common. Chapel services suggest practical applications of the Bible to daily life. The College’s library is a rich repository of Bible study aids.

Four days each week, Tuesday through Friday, the College family assembles for chapel, worshipping in song and prayer and the hearing of God's Word preached by Welch College personnel, representatives of other denominational offices, and special guest speakers. On Mondays, the chapel hour is reserved for meetings of the student body, classes, societies, and vocational groups for devotional and other activities.

Prayer is an expression of our need for God and an important part of life at Welch College. Students are urged to rise early enough each day to provide for a meaningful time of personal devotions. Classes begin with prayer. Evening group prayer meetings known as SpirituaLife/Peer Mentor groups meet each Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Global Missions Fellowship meets daily to pray for missions. A Day of Prayer is set aside each semester for prayer.

While the College exists to train Christians to live and work for Christ, Christian service should not be put off until graduation. Every student chooses an area of Christian service each year. When possible, it is in the area of service in which the student is studying. Students are required to engage in one Christian Service activity each semester until a total of eight semesters have been completed. As noted in the Statement of Institutional Purpose, this is one of the College’s distinctive emphases.

Benefits are many, including skill and confidence in communicating the gospel. Area churches profit from the assistance of scores of capable workers. Students share the gospel with hundreds of people each year, and make many life-changing decisions.

Students may also volunteer to participate in preaching and mission trips and humanitarian relief efforts that may take place during the academic year. Each year teams

of students are selected by Missions faculty or Enrollment Management personnel to travel on evangelistic service trips to cities such as: New York; Chicago; Havana, Cuba; and Nantes, France. The Christian Service Department has also assembled student teams to travel to assist churches and communities following natural disasters.

Welch College provides many special services and programs during the school year to benefit students spiritually. These include the following:

A World Missions Conference is held in the fall of every odd year. Speakers present the challenge of evangelism and missionary service to the College family and visitors. The College's mission requires that we promote missions-mindedness.

The annual Forum/Bible Conference each March is a spiritual highlight for the College and the denomination. Alumni and friends from across the denomination join the College family to hear biblical preaching by Free Will Baptists and guests from outside the denomination.

The Leroy Forlines Lectures bring well-known speakers to the campus to address challenging issues related to theology, philosophy, worldviews, global evangelism, and other topics. Some past lecturers include:

Other conferences are also sponsored from time to time.

The Missionary-in-residence (MIR) program brings a missionary to Welch College who has current experience on the mission field. MIRs come to teach and promote missions among the students. The goal is to help students develop a vision for and accept the challenge of global evangelism. The MIR program is operated in cooperation with the Free Will Baptist International Missions Department.

Ronald Allen, Professor of Bible Exposition, Dallas Theological Seminary Stephen Ashby, Dean of the Faculty, Randall University Daniel Block, Professor of Old Testament Inter- pretation, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Donald Carson, New Testament Professor Trin ity Evangelical Divinity School Norman Geisler, Dean, Southern Evangelical Seminary Gary Habermas, Professor of Apologetics, Lib erty University Eric Johnson, Director of the Gideon Institute of Christian Psychology and Counseling, Houston Baptist University Walter Kaiser, President Emeritus and distin guished professor of Old Testament, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary Gerald Mattingly, Professor of Biblical Studies, Johnson Bible College Edward Moody, Department Chairman, Coun- selor Education, North Carolina Central Univ. Russell Moore, President, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission Robertson McQuilkin, President Emeritus, Col umbia International University Ronald Nash, Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary Edward Panosian, Church History Professor, Bob Jones University Matthew Pinson, President, Welch College Leland Ryken, Clyde S. Kilby Professor of Eng lish, Wheaton College Peter J. Williams, Tyndale House, Cambridge, England

As Christians, students will enjoy life at Welch College. As part of its purpose, defined in the Statement of Institutional Purpose, the College is eager to help students grow socially, culturally, intellectually, and spiritually. Some of the main features of campus life are mentioned below.

The organizations listed here work together to enhance student life. The presidents of these groups join the elected Student Body officers to form the Student Council.

Societies: Each student belongs to one of nine societies, four for men, four for women, and one combined society for commuter students. The men’s societies are John Bunyan, William Jennings Bryan, Pi Gamma Chi, and Alpha Chi. The women’s societies are Louisa May Alcott, Charlotte Brontë, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Christina Rossetti. An alternative society for commuter students is called Commuter Student Fellowship. Societies engage in athletic competition, provide for fellowship, plan programs, and pursue projects.

Global Missions Fellowship (GMF): Members are students who intend to pursue, or who have a keen interest, in missions. GMF conducts regular meetings, a daily missionary prayer band (M-F), and an annual missions retreat.

Professional Educators of Tennessee (PET): Members are faculty and students in teacher education who are engaged in programs leading to teaching licensure. This association provides liability protection to students who enter PreK-12 school classrooms to engage in field experience and student teaching. It also provides advice regarding the current teaching environment and assistance with constraint solution.

The College recognizes the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit and emphasizes a Christian regard for it. Participants, as representatives of the Lord and the College, are expected to exhibit exemplary Christian conduct. A year-round intramural athletic program helps students stay healthy and provides a wholesome outlet for energies.

Intramural sports provide for competition among societies. These include, but are not limited to, basketball and volleyball.

The College sponsors intercollegiate sports for men and women, including basketball, cross country, and soccer, as well as volleyball for women. College teams are known as the Flames.

Most sporting events take place in the student activities center/gym, which includes student center games and activities, basketball and volleyball courts, exercise rooms and equipment, and athletic training facilities.