Vision Statement
It is the vision for Multnomah University to be a diverse community that equips students to love Christ and serve their neighbors through their lives and work.
We affirm that the inspired Word of God informs every aspect of the university’s academic programs, co-curricular activities, and institutional operations and that biblical studies are foundational for all its programs.
We provide a learning community that promotes personal and spiritual development through a growing love for Christ and one another that is integrated with academic study and effective service.
We are committed to institutional integrity in all aspects of the university including organizational communication, financial stewardship, and the equitable treatment of all persons.
We foster educational excellence in a context of academic freedom by promoting scholarly inquiry, by embracing a biblical worldview, and by integrating faith and learning across the academic and professional disciplines.
We seek to develop reflective, effective servant-leaders through directed, practical experiences to discover and use their abilities to serve Christ.
We promote spiritual formation by cultivating a respectful and collegial community of maturing Christian believers.
We serve the Church by providing biblical, theological, and professional training; and we partner with local churches in promoting biblical spiritual renewal and justice across Christian traditions.
We promote a missional perspective of God’s work in the world by encouraging persuasive communication of the gospel and commitment to global ministry.
We seek to engage culture by understanding our world broadly and biblically, by integrating the richness of human diversity appropriately, and by expressing our faith in light of the incarnation.
History
In 1936, Rev. John G. Mitchell was convinced that the Pacific Northwest needed a school that would faithfully instruct men and women in the truths of God’s Word. On February 14, 1936, Rev. Mitchell called a meeting of Portland-area ministers and Christian businessmen to discuss his vision. Together, these men labored to make that vision a reality, and Multnomah School of the Bible was born.
Classes began in October 1937 in a former mortuary with 49 students and a half-dozen faculty. In the spring of 1939, Multnomah granted diplomas to thirty-one students in its first graduating class.
The original campus was located adjacent to the site of the present Lloyd Center Shopping Mall in northeast Portland. In the early 1950s, the administration and Board of Trustees realized Multnomah’s growing student body would require expanded facilities. In 1952 after much prayer, the board decided to purchase the 17-acre campus of the former Oregon State School for the Blind, where Multnomah University and Seminary are located today.
From School to College and Seminary
Reflecting its growing educational programs, in 1993 Multnomah School of the Bible became Multnomah Bible College and Seminary. Because of our commitment to offering its graduates a regionally accredited biblical education, Multnomah became a member of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in 2005. This additional accreditation allowed even more flexibility for graduates to transfer their Multnomah credits to more institutions.
Becoming Multnomah University
In 2008, Multnomah became Multnomah University, which is a more accurate, umbrella title that encompasses all the structural elements that make up the institution. With the addition of adult degree completion and non-seminary master’s degree programs to the existing college and Biblical Seminary divisions, it became necessary to describe Multnomah in new terms. Now, Multnomah alumni and former students enjoy the benefits of a university education that is properly represented when they go overseas to serve or simply apply for jobs here at home.
New Ministries
Multnomah has fostered many ministries and businesses in its history. In 1989, Multnomah created International Renewal Ministries (IRM), a ministry that serves as a catalyst for racial reconciliation and denominational unity in the body of Christ. Multnomah has contributed to the betterment of the Northwest by creating multiple ministries such as Christian Supply, Multnomah Press, and Mission Portland Networking, all of which, including IRM, now function independently of Multnomah.
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