MC's History
& Doctrinal Beliefs:
Our History:
The heritage, legacy, and progress of Messenger College
Messenger College was founded in 1987. In November of 1983, the Pentecostal Church of God elected to merge two collegiate institutions into one college in Joplin, Missouri, the host city of its international headquarters. Southern Bible College (Houston, Texas) and Evangelical Christian College (Fresno, California), were consequently closed. The resources of both institutions were relocated to Joplin, Missouri. Subsequently, Messenger College was able to open in newly constructed facilities on wooded acres across from the international offices of the church denomination. The College officially opened its doors in September 1987. In May of 2011, a terrible EF-5 tornado devastated the city of Joplin. Messenger College opened its campus as a distribution and volunteer housing center during that summer. In the aftermath of this event, Mercy Health Systems approached Messenger College with an offer to purchase its campus as the new site for their hospital, which was destroyed in the tornado. This offer made possible the relocation of the college to Euless, Texas, in the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area. In August of 2018, Messenger College moved to the Pentecostal Church of God International Missions Center. This location at 2705 Brown Trail, Suite 401, Bedford, Texas, includes classrooms, library, and administrative offices. The student residence apartments are located in Euless, Texas. Messenger College is a private institution and legal entity operating under statutes of the State of Texas. Messenger College is the national collegiate institution of the Pentecostal Church of God in the United States for the education of its ministers, missionaries, teachers and other professionals to serve its constituency and others in the United States and abroad. The Pentecostal Church of God consists of over 875 churches and 35 districts in the United States. In addition, the denomination’s outreach to international nations include over 5,000 churches and outstations, 107 schools and training centers, and numerous assistance programs providing food, clothing and related human care outreaches.
Our Beliefs:
Doctrinal Positions as a Pentecostal Church of God Institution
As a Christian College operating under the auspices of the Pentecostal Church of God, Messenger College is firmly committed to the evangelical, Pentecostal position of its sponsoring denomination. Messenger College holds to the following truths:
Statement of Faith:
We believe that it is the express purpose of God, our Heavenly Father, to call out of the world a people who shall constitute the Body, the Church of Jesus Christ, built and established upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone. ​We further believe that members of the Body, the Church, are enjoined to assemble themselves together for worship, fellowship and instruction in the Word of God, the work of its ministry, and for the exercise of those spiritual gifts and offices provided for in the New Testament; and according to God’s Word, the early Christians came together in such fellowship as a representative Body of blood-washed and Spirit-filled believers, who cooperated with, and sent out, evangelists and missionaries and, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, set over the churches, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, deacons and helpers. Therefore, we recognize ourselves as a cooperative Fellowship of Christians, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:3-13). ​As a covenant community comprised of followers of Jesus Christ devoted to the Word of God, the Pentecostal Church of God adheres to the following essential values as foundational doctrines and those things which we hold as absolute beliefs (Luke 1:1); seeking always the global advancement of the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:8); endeavoring to be connected and serve with a Christ-honoring approach that there be no divisive disturbance of the peace and harmony within the Body of Christ (Mark 10:45, 1 Corinthians 1:10) in order that we will be a relevant voice to reach the unreached peoples of our generation and send the reached into the harvest (Acts 13:36).