View source for Cornerstone University

{{Short description|Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan, US}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Cornerstone University
 | image_name             = Cornerstone University logo.png
 | established            = {{start date and age|1941}}
 | type                   = [[Private university]]
 | religious_affiliation  = Interdenominational ([[Evangelical Christian]])<br>[[General Association of Regular Baptist Churches]] (formerly)
 | faculty                = 118
 | president              = Gerson Moreno-Riaño<ref>{{cite web |title=Our President |url=https://www.cornerstone.edu/about/our-president/ |website=Cornerstone University |access-date=30 June 2021}}</ref>
 | students               = 1735 (2024)<ref name="IPEDS">{{cite web |title=College Navigator - Cornerstone University |url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=170037 |website=nces.ed.gov |publisher=[[IPEDS]] |access-date=22 February 2021}}</ref>
 | city                   = [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]]
 | state                  = Michigan
 | country                = United States
 | endowment              = $10.6 million (2020)<ref>As of June 30, 2020. {{cite report |url=https://www.nacubo.org/-/media/Documents/Research/2020-NTSE-Public-Tables--Endowment-Market-Values--FINAL-FEBRUARY-19-2021.ashx |title=U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers and [[TIAA]] |date=February 19, 2021 |access-date=February 21, 2021}}</ref>
 | campus                 = <span style="white-space:nowrap">130&nbsp;acres</span>, suburban
 | former_names           = Baptist Bible Institute (1941–1963)<br>Grand Rapids Baptist Bible College and Seminary (1963–1994)<br>Cornerstone College and Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary (1994–1999)
 | colors                 = Navy Blue & Vegas Gold<ref>[https://cugoldeneagles.com/documents/2022/8/19/2022_Style_Guide_WIP.pdf 2022 Style Guide WIP (PDF) - Cornerstone University Athletics]</ref><br>{{color box|#13294b}}&nbsp;{{color box|#d9c89d}}
 | mascot                 = Golden Eagle
 | affiliations           = [[Council for Christian Colleges and Universities]]
 | athletics_affiliations = [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] – [[Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference|WHAC]]
 | sports_nickname        = Golden Eagles
 | website                = {{URL|http://www.cornerstone.edu}}
}}

'''Cornerstone University''' is a [[Private university|private]] [[evangelical Christian]] university in [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]], United States.<ref>{{cite web |title=Institution Lookup |url=https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/view_institution.php?unit_id=170037 |website=[[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education]] |publisher=[[Indiana University School of Education#Center for Postsecondary Research|Center for Postsecondary Research]] |access-date=22 February 2021}}</ref>

Cornerstone University has undergraduate and graduate programs, two seminaries ([[Grand Rapids Theological Seminary]] and Asia Biblical Theological Seminary based in [[Chiang Mai, Thailand]]), and a radio division called [[Cornerstone Radio]] ([[WCSG]], [[WNHG]], & Mission Network News). The university offers 60 academic programs in the arts, sciences, humanities, Bible, teacher education, computers, business, and journalism. The university maintains '''Mission Network News''' (MNN), an evangelical "broadcast ministry". Students are required to abide by a "Lifestyle Statement" intended to reflect [[Trinitarianism]]. For example, the 2023-24 handbook states: "Members of the Cornerstone community are expected to commit to sexual purity – appropriately reflected in
either celibacy or heterosexual monogamous marriage. Premarital sexual activity, extramarital sexual activity, and
romantic relationships between members of the same gender breach this commitment and are not permitted"<ref name="v432">{{cite web | title= | url=https://www.cornerstone.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cornerstone-Student-Handbook-2023-2024.pdf | access-date=2025-06-14}}</ref> {{As of|2020}}, Cornerstone had an enrollment of 1,998 students, including professional and graduate studies and both seminaries.<ref name="IPEDS"/>

The university is [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accredited]] by the [[Higher Learning Commission]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncahlc.org/component/com_directory/Action,ShowBasic/Itemid,/instid,1783/ |title=Currently or Previously Affiliated Institutions - 01/10/2013 |year=2013 |access-date=January 10, 2013}}</ref> the [[Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ats.edu/about/Documents/AccreditedMembers.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304213513/http://www.ats.edu/about/Documents/AccreditedMembers.pdf|url-status=dead|title=ATS website|archive-date=March 4, 2012}}</ref> and the [[National Association of Schools of Music]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://nasm.arts-accredit.org/index.jsp?page=Member+Lists |title=NASM website |access-date=2006-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060818054935/http://nasm.arts-accredit.org/index.jsp?page=Member%20Lists |archive-date=2006-08-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Cornerstone's [[social work]] program is accredited by the [[Council on Social Work Education]].<ref>{{cite web |title=CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY BACCALAUREATE SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM|url=https://www.cornerstone.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CSWE-Student-Learning-Outcomes.pdf |publisher=CSWE |access-date=22 February 2021 |date=2012}}</ref>

==History==
Cornerstone was founded in 1941 as the Baptist Bible Institute by the [[General Association of Regular Baptist Churches]] as an evening school.<ref>Randall Herbert Balmer, ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition'', Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 303</ref> The first class graduated in 1944, and the first degree was conferred in 1947. It was accredited in 1963 as a four-year degree-granting college and renamed Grand Rapids Baptist Bible College and Seminary. [[WCSG]] began broadcasting in June 1973 with an [[easy listening]] and [[fine arts]] format.<ref name="75_years"/> In 1993, it absorbed the Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music.

On July 1, 1999, following approval by the State of Michigan, Cornerstone College and Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary became Cornerstone University. In June 2003, the graduate theological school became Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cornerstone.edu/why-cornerstone-university/identity-mission-and-vision/history/|title=History|website=www.cornerstone.edu}}</ref>

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Cornerstone University expanded and transformed, changing its name, becoming a university, increasing enrollment, adding facilities and improving the campus, introducing an adult program, including the [[MBA]] and a leadership development experience, adding an Honors Program and "Civitas" Core Curriculum, changing its mascot, colors, and logo.<ref name="shift">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2010/02/cornerstone_university_shifts.html|title=Cornerstone University shifts directions, restores teacher tenure|first1=Kym Reinstadler &#124; The|last1=Gr|first2=Rapids|last2=Press|date=Feb 20, 2010|website=mlive}}</ref>

===Presidents===
* [[David Otis Fuller]] (1941–1944)
* [[Norman F. Douty]] (1944–1945)
* Paul Jackson (1945–1946) (acting president)
* Gerard Knol (1946–1953)
* [[Leon J. Wood]] (1953–1954) (acting president)
* [[J. Edward Hakes]] (1954–1958)
* Howard A. Keithley (1958–1959) (acting president)
* [[W. Wilbert Welch]] (1959–1983) (Chancellor, 1983–2015)
* Charles U. Wagner (1983–1990)
* [[W. Wilbert Welch]] (1991) (interim president)
* [[Rex M. Rogers]] (1991–2008)
* [[Joseph M. Stowell, III]] (2008–2021)
* Gerson Moreno-Riaño (2021–)

==Campus==
[[Image:Welch Clock Tower.jpg|thumb|right|The Welch Tower]]

On October 7, 2006, the W. Wilbert and Meryl Welch Tower was dedicated during Cornerstone's 2006 [[Homecoming]]. The clock tower has a four faced clock near its top. The tower stands {{convert|110|ft|m}} tall, and also has a [[WOOD-TV]] traffic camera on the southeast side of the tower. The clock tower is located between the Gainey Conference Center and Bolthouse Hall on campus.<ref name="75_years">{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=kathryn |title=Foundations Matter |journal=Magazine & Annual Report |date=Fall 2015 |pages=4–8 |url=https://issuu.com/cornerstoneuniversity/docs/cumagazine/6 |access-date=22 February 2021 |publisher=Cornerstone University |language=en}}</ref>

==Athletics==
The Cornerstone athletic teams are called the Golden Eagles. The university is a member of the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA), primarily competing in the [[Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference]] (WHAC) since the 1992–93 academic year.

Cornerstone competes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.

The official mascot is Rocky the Golden Eagle. The baseball team's honorary mascot is Buster the Bulldog.

Cornerstone has won the [[NAIA Men's Basketball Championships]] (Division II) in 1999, [[2011 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament|2011]] and [[2015 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament|2015]].<ref name="shift"/>

==Notable alumni==
* [[Beth Bombara]], singer-songwriter
* [[Andy Bronkema]], basketball coach
* [[Jeff Dresser]], soccer player
* [[Stephen Herdsman]], soccer player
* [[Lisa Kelly (trucker)|Lisa Kelly]], trucker
* [[Scot McKnight]], [[New Testament]] scholar, historian, and theologian
* [[Reid Ribble]], former [[U.S. Representative|U.S. congressional Representative]]
* [[Derek Scott (athlete)|Derek Scott]], distance runner and coach
* [[Steven Waterhouse]], pastor and [[Bible]] teacher
* [[Jordan Wilson]], soccer player

==References==
{{reflist|em25}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.cornerstone.edu}}
* [http://cugoldeneagles.com Official athletics website]

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[[Category:Cornerstone University| ]]
[[Category:Nondenominational Christian universities and colleges]]
[[Category:Private universities and colleges in Michigan|Cornerstone]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1941]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Kent County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Council for Christian Colleges and Universities]]
[[Category:1941 establishments in Michigan]]