The History of Bakke Graduate University
Bakke Graduate University (BGU), formerly Northwest Graduate School of Ministry (NWGS), was founded in 1990 by Overlake Christian Church in Seattle, Washington. The need for the School grew out of the annual pastor's conferences held at Overlake Christian Church in the 1980s and 1990s.
As ministry priorities began to shift, new leadership and direction was needed for the School. In the summer of 2001 under the leadership of Dr. Tom Adelsman, ownership of the School passed from Overlake Christian Church to an independent board organized through the cooperation of Serve Seattle, Northwest Leadership Foundation and International Urban Associates. Dr. David McKenna, former President of Seattle Pacific University, Spring Arbor University and Asbury Theological Seminary, accepted the position as Chair of the new "Year of Discovery and Transition" Board of Trustees. Dr. Ray Bakke, a global and urban expert, accepted the position of Chancellor and Distinguished Professor of Urban Ministry. Dr. Gwendolyn J. Dewey became the fourth President of NWGS following Dr. Bob Moorehead, Dr. Bill Payne and Dr. Tom Adelsman.
Under the leadership of a newly organized Board, NWGS retained its strong commitment to biblical truth and practical ministry, but expanded its emphasis toward urban challenges and a global constituency. The new purpose was to provide a vehicle for people to learn about current global realities in the largest cities of the world. Therefore, increasing numbers of classes were held in cities outside of the Northwest and the United States. As students came from around the world, students from the Northwest became the minority. It was time to give NWGS a new name to overcome the US-centric name "Northwest" and to match its new emerging global identity. In April, 2005, the Board of Directors unanimously approved changing the name to Bakke Graduate University.
Today, Bakke Graduate University is the cutting-edge leader in developing a new model for theological education that combines the best of traditional seminary training with inventive methods of delivery and relevant content. While many mid-career educational programs are targeted to increase a participant's specialization in their chosen field, Bakke Graduate University is designed to expand the participant's perspective to encompass new global and multicultural realities.
