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Points of Pride

Welcome to the energy and excitement that is MidAmerica Nazarene University!

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Our History & Campus

MidAmerica Nazarene University has a rich heritage built upon the strong faith and pioneer spirit of our founders. Thanks to God’s gracious guidance and the contributions of committed faculty, staff, students, parents, churches and donors, MNU has grown from its five original buildings and 263 students to become a beautiful, thriving campus with 23 buildings, an enrollment of 1,500 students, and more than 30,000 alumni. After 50-plus years of growth and change, MNU continues to impact the world for Jesus Christ through servant leaders recognized for their excellence, integrity, and spiritual vitality.

Timeline

Timeline

1966
MidAmerica Nazarene College Founded
1968
MidAmerica Nazarene College opened its doors to students with an enrollment of 263 students. The first president was R. Curtis Smith.
January
1969
MidAmerica Nazarene College Founded
January
May 15
1972
The “Pioneer Class” graduates with a total of ninety-one students.
May 15
July 18
1985
Dr. Donald D. Owens elected as the second president.
July 18
September 19
1989
Dr. Richard L. Spindle elected as the third president.
September 19
March 8
1997
Name changed to MidAmerica Nazarene University.
March 8
March 5
2005
Dr. Edwin H. Robinson elected as the fourth president.
March 5
August
2007
Bell Cultural Events Center opens.
August
July
2007
Dr. James H. Diehl elected as interim president.
July
January
2012
Dr. David J. Spittal elected as the fifth president.
January
February 23
2014
Mascot Pioneer Pete makes his debut on campus.
February 23
July
2017
Celebration of the 50th anniversary of MNU.
July

University Recognition

MidAmerica Nazarene University has a rich heritage built upon the strong faith and pioneer spirit of our founders. Thanks to God’s gracious guidance and the contributions of committed faculty, staff, students, parents, churches and donors, MNU has grown from its five original buildings and 263 students to become a beautiful, thriving campus with 23 buildings, an enrollment of 1,500 students, and more than 30,000 alumni. After 50-plus years of growth and change, MNU continues to impact the world for Jesus Christ through servant leaders recognized for their excellence, integrity, and spiritual vitality.

Athletic Recognition

The NAIA has recognized MNU Athletics as a Champions of Character® Five-Star Institution Award Winner. MNUSports.com compiles news and more on their site if you are interesting in learning more.

 

for more on our individual accolades visit our athletics site…

MNU’s Olathe Roots

Since the mid-1960s, when a young Nazarene pastor approached a local banker with the idea to propose Olathe, Kansas, as the location for anew Nazarene college to today, MidAmerica Nazarene University has enjoyed strong ties and outstanding support from its hometown. The vision of Pastor Paul Cunningham and local banker R.R. Osborne, imagining what the college could bring to a town of about 15,000, forged support among community members. Land was donated, funding was raised, and the Church of the Nazarene chose Olathe as the site.

Today, thousands of MNU alumni call Olathe and the surrounding Kansas City metro home. They serve their communities as teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, police officers, firefighters, business owners, public servants, ministers, and just about any occupation one can think of. Olathe’s current mayor is John Bacon, a 1985 alumnus. His predecessor, Olathe’s longest-serving mayor, was Michael Copeland from the class of 1984. Leadership from MNU alumni can be seen far and wide across the region.

As the university grew, so did Olathe, exceeding 145,000 in2023. With the area’s top public school system, plentiful employment, bustling business, industry and transportation, trails, lakes and parks, and an easy commute to all Kansas City has to offer, Olathe is a great home for many Pioneers.

Church of the Nazarene

Our Beliefs

We believe in the Lord God Almighty, the Creator, and that in Him is perfect love, forgiveness and justice. Jesus Christ is His Son and in coming to earth provided for salvation and demonstrated the qualities of moral perfection for all humanity. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth of Christ’s redemptive work, leads and directs in all our patterns of living, purifies our hearts, and empowers us for service.

Individuals are of infinite worth because they are creations of God. They are integrated and complex spiritual, physiological, psychological, and social beings. Their highest sense of achievement and satisfaction arises from a personal relationship to God and a comprehensive stewardship of life.

The Bible is God’s inspired Word and provides the final authority for instruction and guidance in Christian living. Christ taught us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. Our concept of service to God and humanity is based on this belief. We further believe in the doctrine of entire sanctification and the dynamic life of perfect love as reflected in Wesleyan theology.

We believe that people function in a society and that laws are needed for the society to operate efficiently. The form of government and the laws developed in the society are important to the individual and the church. We believe that the American form of democratic government is the finest yet achieved, and fully support its ideals. The importance of the individual, the right of all persons to achieve, and the belief in guaranteed civil liberties are central to American heritage, and are in line with the teachings of the Bible.

We believe Christian education provides a foundation for leadership based on a sound philosophy of life, a personal relationship with God and responsible citizenship. We accept the importance of personal inspiration in the educative process and believe that models based on Christ as the master teacher are important in Christian education.

Everything we do at MidAmerica Nazarene University is designed to harmonize with this statement of belief.