In January 1978, sixteen Adventist educators prayerfully laid plans for the development of Weimar College. They planned for a curriculum of balanced academic study, work education, and practical Christian witness. Health evangelism was also to play a central role in the new college.
Ellen White wrote, the “youth are to be encouraged to attend our schools, which should become more and more like the schools of the prophets” (FE 489). The current world chaos speaks clearly of the need for medical missionary workers, who can lead others to be part of the remnant of Revelation 12:17.
Weimar Institute first opened September 25, 1978, in an experiment to bring together into one curriculum the vital elements of study, useful work, and practical Christian witness. Faculty were chosen for their deep commitment to Weimar’s philosophy and programs, as well as for their academic qualifications.
Forty-five eager students joined 15 dedicated faculty to initiate the bold experiment. The first year provided general study courses for freshmen and sophomores; junior and senior level courses were added over the following two years. Two young men became the college’s first graduates on June 13, 1981.
Through the years, Weimar Institute has offered a handful of carefully selected degrees. Chosen for their ability to equip graduates for God’s service, these have included: Pastoral Ministries, Health Science, Elementary Education, Metropolitan Ministries, and Business Administration. Certificate programs in massage and hydrotherapy, agriculture, and vegan culinary arts have also been offered.
The college’s health degrees have been offered in collaboration with the NEWSTART™ Lifestyle Program. These degrees have been evangelistic in focus and have brought together the science of salvation with the science of health. Coursework has covered natural remedies, vegan nutrition and
cooking, health reconditioning, cardio-vascular screening, five-day stop smoking plans, hydrotherapy, massage, and home-nursing care. Students have obtained practical experience through the NEWSTART™ Lifestyle Center, through local community outreaches, and through Health Expos—a community awareness health education program based at Weimar and used around the world.
In 2009, Dr. Neil Nedley, Weimar Institute’s president, shared his inspiring vision to train pastors, physicians, nurses, educators, and other professionals in soul-winning. Over the years, hundreds of Weimar Institute alumni have gone on to fill positions of trust in God’s work, bringing Gospel truth to the unreached.
With new vigor and this fresh approach to meeting its educational goals, Weimar Institute will continue to fulfill a vital role in finishing the work of God’s end-time message to the world.
