Southwestern Assemblies of God University ("Southwestern" or "SAGU") is a regionally-accredited university associated with the Assemblies of God and located in Waxahachie, Texas. The university exists primarily to educate and prepare students for vocational ministry, but also has programs in a number of other fields.

History

Southwestern began life as three separate Bible schools. The first, founded by Reverend P.C. Nelson in 1927, was called Southwestern Bible School. It was located in Enid, Oklahoma. The second, founded by Reverend Guy Shields in 1931, was called Shield of Faith Bible School. It was located in Amarillo, Texas. The third, founded by Reverend J.T. Little in 1931, was called Southern Bible College. It was originally located in Goose Creek, Texas, but relocated in 1933 to Houston, Texas.

Shield of Faith moved its Bible school to Fort Worth, Texas in 1935. Southern Bible College merged with Shield of Faith in 1940 to create South Central Bible Institute when the school came under the leadership of the Texas District Council of the Assemblies of God. In 1941, Southwestern Bible School merged with South Central to create Southwestern Bible Institute. In 1943, the institute moved to its present location in Waxahachie, Texas, taking over the former campus of Trinity University, which had moved to San Antonio.

Shortly after relocating, the school added a junior college curriculum. The institute later became known as Southwestern Assemblies of God College and added two more years to the curriculum. In 1994, the names of the college was changed to Southwestern Assemblies of God University.

Sports

Southwestern is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Bible College Athletic Association. It currently fields teams in Baseball, Basketball (men and women's), Football, Soccer, and Volleyball (women's). There is a cheerleading squad. The school colors are purple and gold. The school mascot is the lion.

Famous Persons

Over the years, Southwestern has been attended by a number of famous individuals. These include:

• Jerry Lee Lewis
• Gary Chapman

External links

Southwestern Assemblies of God University (http://www.sagu.edu/) The official web site of the school.