Cornerstone University is a private

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

university in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

. Cornerstone University has undergraduate and graduate programs, two seminaries ( Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and Asia Biblical Theological Seminary based in

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city i ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

), and a radio division called Cornerstone University Radio (WCSG, Mission Network News). The university offers 60 academic programs in the arts, sciences, humanities, Bible, teacher education, computers and business and journalism. The university maintains Mission Network News (MNN), an evangelical "broadcast ministry". Students are required to abide by a "Lifestyle Statement" intended to reflect trinitarianism. Cornerstone had an enrollment of 1,998 students, including professional and graduate studies and both seminaries. The university is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

, the

Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. History It was founded in 1918. The assoc ...

, and the

National Association of Schools of Music The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music. It was founded on October 20, 1924, and is based in Reston, ...

. Cornerstone's social work program is accredited by the

Council on Social Work Education The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association in the United States representing more than 2,500 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 19 ...

History

Cornerstone was founded in 1941 as the Baptist Bible Institute by the

General Association of Regular Baptist Churches The General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC), established in 1932 is an Independent Baptist Christian denomination in United States, retaining the name " Regular Baptist". The association's home office is located in Arlington Hei ...

as an evening. The first class graduated in 1944 and the first degree was conferred in 1947. It was accredited in 1963 as a four-year degree-granting college, Grand Rapids Baptist Bible College and Seminary. They began broadcasting WCSG in June 1973, with an

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, ...

and

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format. In 1993, it absorbed the Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music. On July 1, 1999, following approval by the State of Michigan, Cornerstone College and Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary became Cornerstone University. In June 2003, the graduate theological school became Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. In the 1990s and early 2000s Cornerstone University expanded and transformed, changing its name, becoming a university, increasing enrollment, adding facilities and improving the campus, introducing an adult program including the MBA and a leadership development experience, adding an Honors Program and "Civitas" Core Curriculum, changing its mascot, colors, and logo.

Presidents

* David Otis Fuller (1941–1944) * Norman F. Douty (1944–1945) * Paul Jackson (1945–1946) (acting president) * Gerard Knol (1946–1953) *

Leon J. Wood Leon James Wood (1918–1977) was an American theologian. He is the author of one of the few books on the Holy Spirit as portrayed in the Old Testament as opposed to the New Testament. Wood wrote, "The evidence that spiritual renewal, or regenerat ...

(1953–1954) (acting president) *

J. Edward Hakes J. Edward Hakes left his mark on Christian higher education, his book being assigned as required reading in the classrooms of several Christian colleges. He served as president of Cornerstone University (1954–1958) and academic dean of Trinity Co ...

(1954–1958) * Howard A. Keithley (1958–1959) (acting president) * W. Wilbert Welch (1959–1983) (Chancellor: 1983–2015) * Charles U. Wagner (1983–1990) * W. Wilbert Welch (1991) (interim president) *

Rex M. Rogers Rex M. Rogers (born 1952) has served as President of SAT-7 USA since 2009, the American promotion and fundraising arm of SAT-7, a Christian satellite television ministry by and for the people of the Middle East and North Africa. SAT-7, based in ...

(1991–2008) *

Joseph M. Stowell, III Joseph M. Stowell III, born February 7, 1944, retired as the president of Cornerstone University in May 2021, and is author of over 20 Christian books. He is a graduate of Cedarville University and Dallas Theological Seminary (1970) and was honor ...

(2008–2021) * Gerson Moreno-Riaño (2021–)

Campus

On Saturday, October 7, 2006, the W. Wilbert and Meryl Welch Tower was dedicated during Cornerstone's 2006

Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

. The clock tower has a four faced clock near its top. The tower stands tall, and also has a

WOOD-TV WOOD-TV (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for West Michigan. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Battle Creek–licensed ABC affiliate WOTV (channel 41 ...

traffic camera on the southeast side of the tower. The clock tower is located between the Gainey Conference Center and Bolthouse Hall on campus.

Athletics

The Cornerstone athletic teams are called the Golden Eagles. The university is a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stud ...

(NAIA), primarily competing in the

Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference The Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and it's heaquartered in Livonia, Michigan. The conference consists of twelve colle ...

(WHAC) since the 1992–93 academic year. Cornerstone completes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

Mascot

The official mascot is Rocky the Golden Eagle. The baseball team's honorary mascot is Buster the Bulldog.

Accomplishments

Cornerstone has won the

NAIA Men's Basketball Championships The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics men's basketball national championship has been held annually since 1937 (with the exception of 1944 and 2020). The tournament was established by James Naismith to crown a national champion fo ...

(Division II) in 1999, 2011 and

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

Notable alumni

Stephen Herdsman Stephen Herdsman (born October 6, 1975 in Kingston, Jamaica), is a former American soccer defender now coaching three time national champion Midwest United FC of Grand Rapids, MI. As well now coaching for Cornerstone University of the NAIA of Gran ...

, soccer player *

Lisa Kelly Lisa Kelly (born 7 May 1977) is an Irish singer of both classical and Celtic music and a voice teacher. She has taken part in many musical theatre productions and concerts, and is a founding and former member of the musical group Celtic Woman ...

, trucker * Reid Ribble, politician who was a U.S. Representative * Derek Scott, distance runner and coach

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{Coord, 42, 58, 46, N, 85, 35, 35, W, type:edu_region:US, display=title Nondenominational Christian universities and colleges

Cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over ti ...

Educational institutions established in 1941 Universities and colleges in Kent County, Michigan Council for Christian Colleges and Universities 1941 establishments in Michigan