| Welch College | |
| Former Name: | Free Will Baptist Bible College |
| Motto: | O Send out Thy Light and Thy Truth |
| Established: | 1942 |
| Type: | Private college |
| Affiliation: | National Association of Free Will Baptists |
| Religious Affiliation: | Free Will Baptist |
| Academic Affiliation: | ABHE |
| Accreditation: | SACS-COC |
| Endowment: | (2016)[1] |
| President: | J. Matthew Pinson |
| Provost: | Matthew McAffee[2] |
| Undergrad: | 394 (fall 2022)[3] |
| City: | Gallatin |
| State: | Tennessee |
| Country: | United States |
| Coor: | 36.3678°N -86.5493°W |
| Campus: | Urban |
| Athletics Nickname: | Flames |
| Sporting Affiliations: | NCCAA |
Welch College, formerly the Free Will Baptist Bible College,[4] is a private Free Will Baptist college in Gallatin, Tennessee.[5] Founded in 1942, it is one of several higher learning institutions associated with the National Association of Free Will Baptists. Welch College offers 40 majors, including theological studies, premed/nursing, business, teacher education and music.[6]
The National Association of Free Will Baptists in general session in Nashville, Tennessee, called for the creation of Free Will Baptist Bible College and its doors opened in 1942 as a two-year institution. Linton C. Johnson was its first President. Eight students composed the original student body. The college added a third year of study in 1949, a fourth year in 1950 and awarded its first Bachelor's degrees to five students in 1951.
In August 2008 the college purchased a 66acres tract in Gallatin, Tennessee, to become the site of a larger campus. The college sold its West End Avenue campus and is completing the new campus on the Gallatin site.[7]
In July 2012 at the National Association of Free Will Baptists in Memphis, the denomination voted to change the name of the college to Welch College.[8] It was renamed for John L. Welch and his wife Mary; Welch was a prominent figure in the merger of Free Will Baptist bodies into the NAFWB denomination.[9]
In August 2019, the college briefly attracted national attention when administrators suspended a transgender student, attributing the action to a conflict in student policy.[10] The student had undergone a double mastectomy as part of his transition process days prior to the suspension.[11] [12]
The college offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Music Education degree programs. Two- and three-year associate degree programs are also offered as well as a Master of Arts in Theology, Teaching, Humanities, and Organizational Leadership in addition to a Master of Divinity.[13] [14]
The athletic teams of Welch College are called the "Flames" and compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Currently there are five varsity teams.