Oklahoma Wesleyan University is proud to announce the launch of a cutting-edge Center for Church Planting. The Center will be connected to both the traditional undergraduate programs and the Adult and Graduate Studies programs offered through the School of Ministry.
Dr. Dwight Nash, an alumnus of OKWU who has taught classes as an adjunct, will serve as the head of the Center for Church Planting. He’s an experienced planter with the passion and know-how to equip others in ministry.
“We are starting a Center for Church Planting at Oklahoma Wesleyan University to develop the pipeline for equipped church planting leaders now. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have entire cohorts of graduates who are sent from OKWU to lead and participate in new works, new churches in God’s world that desperately needs Jesus?”
“Church multiplication, leading to Gospel saturation, is the way of the future, and the way to move towards accomplishing the Great Commission,” Nash said. “I believe in all people being called to be part of multiplication. My heartbeat is to figure out the dream that’s in every person’s heart as it relates to multiplication and throw fire on that.”
Students will be able to take classes at the Center either as electives or with an aim to minor in church planting. More details about the program specifics are forthcoming, but Nash is quick to stress that these classes aren’t just for ministry students.
“I believe every believer is meant to be a multiplier,” he said. “Every believer plays a part in bringing the Kingdom of God near… We actually think that nursing majors and business students should be taking this, because they have a part to play in this coming of the kingdom, in this multiplication that God talks about.”
Nash isn’t the only one who’s excited. OKWU’s administration and faculty are ecstatic over the Center’s prospects, and they expect big things.
“My vision for the Center for Church Planting at OKWU is that we would expose the idea of expanding the Kingdom of Jesus, and train church planters during their college experience,” President Jim Dunn said. “We often wait until someone is out of college and into ministry before we ask them to consider being a church planter, or even if they would like to consider helping to plant a church. We can train them earlier, during a young adult’s formative educational years. We can get the process going earlier. We are starting a Center for Church Planting at Oklahoma Wesleyan University to develop the pipeline for equipped church planting leaders now. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have entire cohorts of graduates who are sent from OKWU to lead and participate in new works, new churches in God’s world that desperately needs Jesus?”
“Church multiplication, leading to Gospel saturation, is the way of the future, and the way to move towards accomplishing the Great Commission.”
Dr. Jerome Van Kuiken, dean of the School of Ministry and Christian Thought, echoes this sentiment. “Dr. Nash is a veteran church planter with the vision of starting a thousand new churches,” he said. “We’re excited to partner with him to make that vision a reality, by raising up church planters who are academically equipped, practically skilled, and passionately devoted to multiplying the church.”
Dunn summed it up: “OKWU desires to tangibly participate in developing the next crop of church planters in The Wesleyan Church, and beyond, for years to come – Now, not later. Now, for the world that needs the grace and truth of Jesus Christ!”
Stay tuned for more details about the program. To learn more about the School of Ministry and Christian Thought, click here.
