About
Greeting from President
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15)
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Great Commission University, a place where faith inspires learning and learning advances mission.
The words of Christ in Mark 16:15 remind us that education is not an end in itself. We are called to prepare men and women who will carry truth, compassion, and hope into every nation, profession, and sphere of society.Our university exists to serve the global church by educating mission leaders to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. Here, students are challenged to think critically, live faithfully, and lead courageously in a world that is searching for truth and purpose.
We believe every student has been created by God with unique gifts and a divine calling. Through excellent teaching, mentorship, discipleship, and heartfelt community, we seek to help each student discover and fulfill that calling.
As you explore our university, you will find a community devoted to Christ-centered learning, personal growth, and global engagement. Our vision extends beyond the classroom as we partner with churches, ministries, schools, and communities around the world to expand access to Christian education and leadership development.
We are honored that you are considering becoming part of this mission. Together, we can prepare a new generation to serve faithfully and proclaim the hope of the Gospel to the nations.
May the Lord richly bless your journey.
In Christ,
Dr. Matthias Gebhardt
University President
Great Commission University History
History
Great Commission University was initiated within the World Olivet Assembly (WOA) denomination and incorporated in Indiana on May 20, 2020, as an independent educational ministry. Its purpose is to provide Christ-centered higher education aimed at serving and equipping the denomination’s missionaries and addressing primarily the practical educational needs of its parachurch organizations, who are growing in likeness to Christ to fulfill the Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15).
In June 2020, we were blessed by receiving a developed 55-acre campus in Howe, Indiana. This campus includes two chapels, two academic buildings and an academic annex, six dormitories, a dining hall, a cafeteria, an auditorium, two gyms, an administration building, an infirmary, an industrial arts building, three maintenance buildings, two historical homes, and two residential homes. This provided a space for the new university to start quickly and settle its administration. The new venue was also shared with World Olivet Fellowships (WOF), which includes a wide array of evangelical and faith-based youth groups and professional organizations.
This historically significant and unique campus originally served as the home of Howe Grammar School, established in 1884 by a $10,000 trust left by John Badlam Howe to the Episcopal Bishop of Indiana for the purpose of training youth for the ministry of the Episcopal Church. The school eventually became Howe Military School, continuing its educational mission until the school was closed in 2019. The campus’s historic St. James Chapel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Great Commission University is excited about the opportunity to connect this historically significant campus to the future, preparing it anew to serve young people in fulfillment of their calling to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
In 2021, the William & Sally Wagner Mission Library was dedicated, commemorating the family’s profound influence on missiology and world missions, and their commitment to spreading the Christian faith across diverse cultures.
In 2023, the university became more actively connected to WOA’s rapidly expanding mission field across Latin America. This connection led to a significant increase in students, who are earnestly committed to and actively participating in their regional churches and fellowship chapters, enrolling in GCU’s online Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in Theology.
Presently, Great Commission University continues to expand and develop its on-site and off-site academic and administrative staff to accommodate a growing distance education student body. Simultaneously, the university is renovating and revitalizing the physical Howe campus and building or connecting it to the infrastructure needed to welcome a significant student and staff population on-site.
Mission, Vision, Values
Mission Statement
Great Commission University serves the global church by educating mission leaders to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
The mission statement of Great Commission University is intended to serve as a guide for
Board directors, staff members, and student conduct; strategic and programmatic planning; and institution-wide priority setting and evaluation. It evolved from a careful process of collaboration and consultation among Great Commission University’s founders, key administrators, faculty, and selected advisors from affiliated and independently operating organizations recognized for their demonstrated commitment to the ideals and goals formalized here in the Great Commission University mission statement.
Our mission is founded in the understanding of Missio Dei as God’s mission and God’s sending. The Trinitarian God is missionary in nature, and so is the church that was called and sent by Jesus Christ to be the instrument of His saving and healing work for all creation. At Great Commission University, we have dedicated ourselves to be the instruments of God’s saving mission to the world.
Vision
We envision a world where the gospel of Jesus Christ is known to everyone, and his grace and truth deeply embedded in each person’s heart.
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33)
We work in Christlike unity with churches and missionary organizations, we gather today’s disciples of Christ, provide education, training, and spiritual refreshment, and send them out again to the world in need of the saving truth of the gospel.
Great Commission University accomplishes this mission through a comprehensive program of Biblical, general, and professional studies; applied scholarship in ministry environments affiliated with the University; and Christ-centered service and support
Values
Jesus Christ
“I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) GCU acknowledges Jesus Christ as the only source of salvation and the foundation of all knowledge and truth.
The Kingdom of God
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
Access
GCU believes that Biblical education is a gift given by God to equip Christians in any part of the world for ministry. The University works to open the doors of Biblical higher education to qualified students, even in nations closed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by offering its programs through distance learning and by making this opportunity accessible.
Global Community
GCU creates a global community by bringing into reach educational services, programs, and employment opportunities to qualified individuals from all over the world, and by providing learning opportunities among diverse students.
Service
GCU expects all students, faculty, staff, and administrators to embrace the highest standards of personal integrity, honesty and responsibility for their studies and work based on the kenotic ethic of Jesus.
Quality
GCU provides a high-quality, Biblical education suitable in scope and depth to the challenges of the day. The University assesses and evaluates all aspects of its academic model on an ongoing basis.
Statement of Faith
What We Believe
Great Commission University affirms the statement of faith of the World Olivet Assembly (WOA):
We believe in:
The Holy Scriptures as originally given by God, divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy; and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
One God, eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, His virgin birth, His sinless human life, His divine miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension, His mediatorial work, and His Personal return in power and glory.
The Salvation of lost and sinful man through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith apart from works, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the believer is enabled to live a holy life, to witness and work for the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Unity of the Spirit of all true believers, the Church, the Body of Christ.
The Resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life, they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
Accreditation
Great Commission University is a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) [15935 Forest Road, Forest, VA 24551; Telephone: (434) 525-9539; e-mail: info@tracs.org], having been awarded Accredited Status as a Category III institution by the TRACS Accreditation Commission on October 21, 2025. This status is effective as of July 1, 2025, and is good through June 30, 2030. TRACS is recognized by the United States Department of Education (ED), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).
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5755 IN-9 Howe, IN 46746
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Great Commission University serves the global church by educating mission leaders to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
Copyright © 2025 Great Commission University. All rights reserved. Great Commission University is not affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention.