Indiana Wesleyan University dedicated the cornerstone for the Wesley Seminary at IWU building in a ceremony on Thursday, April 12. The ceremony was held at the construction site near the Washington Street entrance to campus.
Dr. Jo Anne Lyon and Dr. Jerry Pence, general superintendents of The Wesleyan Church, participated in the ceremony along with two other denominational leaders, Rev. Alfredo Barreno, director of Hispanic Ministries, and Dr. Kerry Kind, general director of the Department of Education and Ministry.
Construction started earlier this spring on the $7 million building, which is scheduled to be completed in time for fall 2013 classes.
The two-story building will include 21,000 square feet of floor space for classrooms, faculty offices and a multi-purpose gathering place for students to study and have fellowship.
The building will be funded, in part, with a $2.5 million gift from the Green family that owns Hobby Lobby Stores.
The Seminary, which is the first in The Wesleyan Church, began offering classes in 2009 and has over 250 students. The Seminary offers Master of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees.
The Seminary has been housed in the Noggle Christian Ministries Center on IWU's residential campus in Marion.
Indiana Wesleyan University is an evangelical Christian comprehensive university of The Wesleyan Church, which has its world headquarters in Indianapolis. The University was founded in 1920 and is committed to liberal arts and professional education.
Almost 3,200 students are enrolled in programs on the University's residential campus in Marion. Another 12,500 adult learners attend classes at education centers in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, and online.