In 1876, Shenandoah High School (est.

1875) was acquired and chartered by the Church of the

United Brethren in Christ. It was renamed Shenandoah Seminary, and its purpose was to
provide educational opportunities to men and women members of the church in and around
the Shenandoah Valley closer to home than the other denominationally affiliated colleges in
Pennsylvania and Ohio. As the years and decades marched on, both the school and the
denomination would greatly evolve. The school would move from Dayton, Virginia, to its
present location in Winchester in 1960 and become renowned for musical and scholastic
excellence, and the denomination would merge with the Evangelical Association (to become
the Evangelical United Brethren Church), which would in turn merge with the Methodist Church
(to become the United Methodist Church in 1968). But throughout all the changes, the
partnership between the denomination and the school has remained steadfast.

Today, Shenandoah University continues to be accredited by the University Senate of the

United Methodist Church, a body that ensures all United Methodist-affiliated colleges and
universities have “institutional integrity, well-structured programs, sound management, and
clearly defined Church relationships.”1 This partnership enables Shenandoah to fulfill its mission
to “educate and inspire individuals to be critical, reflective thinkers; lifelong learners; and
ethical, compassionate citizens who are committed to making responsible contributions within
a community, a nation, and the world,”2 due to a deeply held and shared ethos between the
two institutions of the importance open, good-faith curiosity plays in personal and communal
formation.

While students are not required to attend chapel services or take religious classes, Shenandoah
University’s United Methodist heritage can be easily seen through the university’s strong and
lasting commitment to openness, compassion and social justice. Shenandoah University’s core
value of respect for diverse cultures, experiences and perspectives is firmly rooted in the Social
Principles of the United Methodist Church. From a structural standpoint, Shenandoah
University currently employs two ordained elders of the United Methodist Church in
administrative capacities, and the district superintendents of the Winchester and Harrisonburg
districts of the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church serve as voting
members of the Shenandoah University Board of Trustees. Furthermore, dependents of clergy
serving the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church are eligible to receive
tuition remission.

Shenandoah University is proud of its commitment to not discriminate on the basis of religion,
gender identity, sexual orientation and so many other ways in which we identify ourselves.
While this commitment is rooted in our United Methodist ethos and heritage, this position
sometimes puts us at odds with our denominational partner. Nevertheless, we believe that we
can take on a prophetic role and speak the truth in love to the broader United Methodist
denomination that we will not discriminate and that all are made in the image of God.

1
Para. 1415.3, Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church (2016)
2
“Mission & Vision”, About Us, su.edu
The Spiritual Life staff at Shenandoah University is comprised of two clergy who identify as
Christian, a chaplain who identifies as Muslim, and three lay employees. We hold three weekly
Christian worship services on campus throughout the academic year (Sundays at noon,
Wednesdays at 9 p.m. and Catholic Mass on Sundays at 6:45p.m.). We believe in small groups,
another belief that aligns us with our United Methodist roots, and mission with others, instead
of mission for others. Over the last decade, we have had students and employees trained as
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Early Response Team (ERT) members, leaders
for United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM), and have taken numerous medical
mission trips with the United Methodist Initiatives of Hope. Our students have traveled to every
General Conference for the last 10 years to observe and learn about what it means to lead a
diverse, international denomination. Additionally, we believe in celebrating the holy days of
other faiths, working with people of God who do not identify as Christian, and that our faithful
diversity makes us better together. The United Methodist stance on interfaith work and
Muslim-Christian partnerships can be found in the resources below.

For more information about our United Methodist affiliation, please visit the Office of Spiritual
Life, located on the ground floor of Goodson Chapel-Recital Hall.

Resources:
 “Called to Be Neighbors and Witnesses: Guidelines for Interreligious Relationships”
http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/called-to-be-neighbors-and-witnesses-
guidelines-for-interreligious-relation
 “Our Muslim Neighbors” http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/our-muslim-neighbors
 Social Principles of the United Methodist Church http://www.umc.org/what-we-
believe/social-principles-social-creed
 University Senate of the United Methodist Church https://www.gbhem.org/education-
leaders/university-senate/