Indiana Wesleyan University has formed a partnership with the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), America’s largest Hispanic Christian organization, to address collaboratively the educational and academic needs of the Hispanic faith community.
The NHCLC is comprised of 16 million members in the United States and Puerto Rico, and serves 25,434 Hispanic churches and 75 denominations.
Under terms of the agreement, IWU stands as a fully endorsed educational institution by the NHCLC, identifying IWU as an NHCLC Strategic Midwest Partner and a member of the Alliance for Hispanic Christian Education.
“The partnership of IWU with the NHCLC reflects the values past, present and future of both IWU and The Wesleyan Church,” said Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent, The Wesleyan Church. “I look forward to the scores of leaders emerging for our churches, communities and the world as a result of this relationship.”
The NHCLC partnership is one of several initiatives IWU has undertaken in recent months to increase overall campus diversity among students, faculty and administration. The University recently hired the Rev. Joanne Solis-Walker, an ordained Wesleyan pastor, to serve as Director of Latino Latina Education for Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. The Seminary opened in August 2009. Also, Charleston Sanders recently joined the IWU Enrollment Management team as Director of Multi-Cultural Student Recruitment.
Dr. David Wright, Indiana Wesleyan University Provost, said, “The Spanish-speaking communities of our country represent a rich national treasure. These communities are made up of families dedicated to strong values and committed to the hard work and education required to achieve their dreams. IWU is committed to welcoming and serving students whose first language is Spanish, and so it is a particular pleasure to join with the NHCLC in this great effort. We look forward to a strong partnership in the years ahead.”