Centennial Covenant

In 1997, on the 100th anniversary of Huntington University, delegates to the United Brethren General Conference approved the Centennial Covenant, which outlines the church's expectations of Huntington University and the University's expectations of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.

The University’s Commitment to the Church

Huntington University commits itself to the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and pledges to:

  1. Educate men and women to impact our world for Christ. Huntington University graduates will be mature in spirit, equipped for ministry, competent in academic discipline, Christian in worldview, and ready for leadership.
  2. Be a place of spirituality, challenging students to become mature in their Christian faith and commitment to the church at large.
  3. Provide a high-quality Christian higher education, at an affordable price, which leads students to apply biblical truths to all aspects of life and knowledge.
  4. Build and maintain an academically qualified faculty that is committed to evangelical Christian faith, and that can train our present and future ministers, youth pastors, Christian educators, musicians, and lay leaders through formal and continuing education.
  5. Teach and model social concerns consistent with the beliefs and practices of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.
  6. Encourage gifted university personnel and students to pursue ministry and educational opportunities within the United Brethren church.
  7. Demonstrate sound fiscal management, operate within a balanced budget, and maintain an excellent campus as manifestations of Christian stewardship.
  8. Expose students to the arts and how art, drama, and music can be used within the ministry of the church.
  9. Challenge the church with fresh and innovative paradigms in the fields of education and ministry.
  10. Prepare students for lives of service by encouraging student volunteerism and by exposing students to cross-cultural service and learning opportunities.

The Church’s Commitment to the University

  1. The Church of the United Brethren in Christ commits itself to Huntington University and pledges to:
  2. Pray faithfully for the administration, faculty, staff, and student body.
  3. Interpret clearly to the constituency the mission of the university and its importance to the ministry of the denomination.
  4. Provide quality trustees and other volunteer leaders who are committed to Christian higher education and the mission of Huntington University.
  5. Expose potential students to the university and enthusiastically encourage them to enroll.
  6. Promote the events, programs, curriculum, and other services the university provides.
  7. Support the university financially through denominational appropriations and by encouraging generous gifts from individuals.
  8. Encourage talented laypersons to use their natural and spiritual gifts at the university.
  9. Use gifted university personnel and students for ministry and educational opportunities within the church.
  10. Enter into the dialogue with the administration and faculty regarding the theological stances to be taken on social, moral, and ethical issues in our society.
  11. Give the university the freedom to explore contemporary issues within the context of the Christian faith, trusting it to remain true to biblical absolutes and practices of the church.

Mutual Commitments

  1. The Church and the University pledge to preserve and enhance their partnership in Christian higher education. To this end,
  2. The church and the university will pursue a mutual vision that emerges from our interrelated mission statements.
  3. The church will continue to own and financially support the university.
  4. The university will play a greater role in providing leadership for the denomination in order to help the church fulfill the Great Commission.
  5. The church and the university will stand firm on biblical standards, allow freedom, and maintain unity when disagreements arise.
  6. The church will cooperate with the university in creating an environment where students from many denominations and independent Christian congregations receive the best Christian higher education.