Dr. Mary Alice Tenney

The life and legacy of Mary Alice Tenney

By abby cox and aly ruth

Abby Cox and Alyson Ruth present on the life and legacy of Mary Allice Tenney

POWER OF HER OWN ACCORD: THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF DR. MARY ALICE TENNEY

 By Alyson Ruth

Dr. Mary Alice Tenney is a blueprint for how we should all strive to live. Tenney’s legacy is foundational in this institution and her unashamed walk with Christ provides a basis for any work we accomplish today. Greenville University would not be the school it is today without the bold, loving, and Christ-like actions of Mary Alice Tenney. Throughout her life, Tenney proved time and time again that all things are possible through Christ.

Tenney never married despite living most of her life in a small town, Greenville, in the early 1900s. The world and the church placed barriers on what she could do as a single woman yet regardless she stands in our memories as one of the most prominent members of the beginnings of Greenville College. Her life of singleness was not a hindrance to her as singleness is often viewed in the church both then and today. Dr. Tenney’s understanding of calling is profoundly inspiring and is a clear theme throughout her life and journey at Greenville College as a student and a professor and departmental leader.

Dr. Tenney was a student at Greenville College in the early 1900s. After graduating in 1914, she returned to supervise the English department for the College from the years of 1921-1925. In between her graduation and her return, she obtained her Masters in 1919 at the University of Southern California and spent time teaching in her home state of Iowa.

However, in 1925 Dr. Tenney stepped down from her role at the College due to personal health reasons. This was by no means the end of her story as she came back in 1930. For the majority of the rest of her time until her retirement in 1955, she served as the Chairman for the division of Language, Literature and Fine Arts. Throughout this time, she taught English, published articles, and continued to pursue her own education and spiritual formation, obtaining her Doctorate from University of Wisconsin in 1939.

Dr. Tenney’s life and work greatly impacted the work of many people during her day and continues to impact the lives of Greenville University students and employees. She saw her singleness as a calling and found security in knowing that God calls different people to different things, and she was not called to marriage. Tenney often explored her understanding of calling within her writings, notes and journal. Her theology and life has created a long lasting legacy within Greenville University that is still felt today in such visible ways as Tenny Hall, and in invisible ways as women walking into ministry classes knowing they have a world full of options.

Her time as a professor is marked by a beautiful interweaving of theology and the study of English. The most prominent example of this being her “Journalism” class in which she talks about the literary tools employed by the Gospel authors. Her Journalism class was a deep dive into the Gospels. The very first lessons start by defining Journalism as stories that reflect the reporter’s major influence and immediately from there Dr. Tenney goes on to state that the greatest news ever told is the Gospel. Her purpose statement for the lesson plan for the first class is, “To assist your students in discovering the relevance of the gospel message for their daily lives through an understanding of its meaning to Mark.” The teaching of the Gospel through the Journalism class does not stop there as Tenney creates lesson plan after lesson plan focusing on the Gospels and their format. Her love of God, and her theology, flowed through everything she did and taught.

Additionally, Tenney frequently wrote and published many articles (as well as books), most of which relate to what it means to live a Christian life, Wesley, and Methodists. One of these articles, entitled “That I Might Know Him” talks about ideas such as Christian witness and how we come about true knowledge of God. In this article, she writes, “Our burden is God’s gift. And it will make the bearer calm and strong. Shouldn’t every experience, no matter how grueling, help us to discover God?” In another article, “Early Methodist Autobiography,” Dr. Tenney combines her love of theology, Methodist history, and literature to create a piece about the genre of autobiography and how it plays out early in the Methodist tradition. Another article entitled, “The Disciplines of the Wesleyan Way,” talks about how we implement the creed and move it from words into a pattern of living. All of her articles, class notes, journals, and lectures show us one very simple thing: Dr. Mary Tenney had a true love and calling towards the world of theology and she found ways to incorporate it into her professional field. She knew she had a calling towards these issues regardless of social and cultural limitations.

These limitations require a brief look into the world in which Dr. Tenney lived, worked, and studied. Tenney lived her whole life in small towns--she was born in Iowa but lived most of her life in Greenville, Illinois. In addition to being in a small town, Tenney clearly had ties to the Free Methodist Church as seen in her writings and by the simple fact that she worked at Greenville College. Tenney was born in 1889 and just one year later, in 1890, the Free Methodist Church would vote on women’s ordination.  It would lose in a close vote of 37 to 41. Though this did not mean that women had no place in the Free Methodist Church, it did severely limit them in what they were allowed to do, where they were allowed to be, and how much their words, actions, and ministries were respected, funded, and validated. The vote impacted the view of both women and those who advocated for their right to ordination. It would not be until 84 years later in 1974, three years after Dr. Tenney’s death, that women were granted equal status as men when pursuing ordination. The conversation of women’s ordination in the Free Methodist Church was active, loud, and impossible to ignore throughout Tenney’s lifetime.

Tenney was incredibly in tune to this conversation and spoke of it in her notes, lectures, and journal. Often quoting and referencing other people within the Free Methodist Church, she makes some brilliant points about women in the church. In one lecture, she quotes B.T. Roberts from the previously mentioned General Conference of 1890, “That the gospel of Jesus Christ, in the provision which it makes, and in the agencies which it employs for the salvation of mankind, knows no distinction of nationality, condition [or] sex: therefore, no person who is called of God, and who is duly qualified, should be refused ordination on account of sex, or race or condition.”[1]

While Roberts’ declaration at this General Conference is not the moment in the history of the Free Methodist Church that opened up ordination for all, it said something about the values of the denomination and the man who started it. B.T. Roberts dreamed of a church in which nothing can prohibit anyone from ordained ministry. He, like Tenney, would not see this dream come to fruition in his lifetime, but that doesn’t mean ministry wasn’t happening through and because of women. In the same talk in which she quoted Roberts, she said the following: “What did the women do, then, denied the means of equal expression and a place in a great evangelistic outreach on the home front? You know what they did. They turned all their compassion to the needy of the other lands and after a time the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society manifested the same dynamic that had motivated Pentecost Bands.”[2] Dr. Tenney was all too familiar with the idea of women forging their own paths for and with God in the face of a world that said no.

She took inspiration from these women, the ones engaged in missionary work and the ones finding ways to engage in ministry in the states. One of these women whom Tenney mentions many times throughout her work but especially in her book, Adventures in Christian Love, is Adella Carpenter. Adella lived a life that in many ways mirrored Tenney’s life.  They both taught, Adella teaching at Chesbrough Seminary, and neither of them married. Tenney’s reflections on Adella Carpenter highlight this repeated theme throughout her works and calling. What does it mean to be called by God to something? What parts of one’s life are impacted by your calling? In relation to Adella, Tenney defined the choice to marry as a calling. She comments: “Adella Carpenter was not a married woman, probably not called to marriage. Hadn’t we better face the fact that if there are different gifts from God there must be different callings?”[3] Calling is not simply a vocation in which you partake during business hours and then set aside once home. Calling is an all-encompassing, life altering commitment to the work and ministry of God in this world.

The world in which Tenney and Carpenter lived placed high value on married women, so Tenney would face many challenges being a single woman. However, this did not stop Tenney or Carpenter, as they knew both their calling and their worth. They both felt there was an overemphasis on finding contentedness and security in marriage. However, they both found security in singleness—a security that goes beyond material matters. In one of her lectures Tenney says, “The married woman finds self-fulfillment in marriage. Serving at Greenville College should be the plus. Shouldn’t that be true for all Christian women? Something beyond meeting the demands of nature?”[4] Tenney saw calling as something that affects all aspects of one’s life.

While Tenney’s calling did not include marriage, she did find her calling in her vocation at Greenville College. “The issue here is the same as I began with. The fine art of serving at Greenville College depends on a response to a call.” Her time at Greenville College was not merely a response to a call issued by Greenville College President Eldon Burritt, but it was a calling placed on her by God. Tenney fully embodied this calling, knowing that when one is called by God, she cannot find true happiness in doing anything else. Her teaching was her way of encountering God’s purpose for her life in meaningful ways.

In light of the time period in which Tenney lived that refused the ordination of women, we, the church today must stop to ask, acknowledge, and mourn the women, including Tenney, who did not have the option to pursue ordained ministry. We have to ask ourselves, would Tenney, and so many other women, have pursued ordination were they able? How do we properly honor the women of the early Free Methodist Church who served, taught, and lived as pastors yet were never allowed to hold that title? These women, these saints of the church, changed Free Methodism forever.

Tenney embraced these women in her works. She knew her works were in addition to decades of work done by other women. Another woman in whom Tenney found inspiration was Ellen Lois Stowe (Roberts). Ellen’s story is one that is often told in connection with that of her husband, B.T. Roberts--although because of her husband’s works there is still significant documentation of Ellen’s materials. Tenney saw Ellen as another example of a life lived for and with Christ. She respected Ellen’s dedication to B.T. Roberts and his ministry.

She especially reflects on the later years of Ellen’s life after B.T. died. Ellen continued her dedication to the mission of the Free Methodist Church by continuing to learn. She also wrote many articles and attended many Free Methodist gatherings. One of Ellen’s final sayings (quoted more than once in Tenney’s work) is, “If you have anything to say, say it strong. If you have anything to do, do it strong.” Mary Tenney strongly embodied her calling to teaching and didn’t fear to speak strongly of her vocation.

Tenney’s life of singleness has more than just societal applications--there are also theological implications here. As previously mentioned, Dr. Tenney was not called to marriage, but is one of many single women in Greenville University’s history and one of many people who shared an understanding of the gift of a life of singleness. Most notably in this group of people who shared this understanding of singleness was the apostle Paul. Paul, who dedicated his life to helping others understand the difference Christ makes, remained single. Throughout Paul’s letters he applies this difference of Christ within marital union. Through Christ we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. Yet, the blessings of marriage and children are not essential to the message of the Gospel and thus “are not necessary for one to be fully blessed with the promises and inheritance of the new covenant.”[5]

A life of singleness does not mean a life lived alone. Paul knew this as he writes with, to, and about partners that share in his ministry. Tenney also knew this as she lived her single life with fellow Greenville College professors, Kinney and Dare. Her life was not absent of joy, community, and fellowship--it just took a different shape than that of most women of her day. Tenney knew genuinely the love of Christ and the gifts of God in ways that didn’t make sense to outsiders. But for Tenney this seems to be the whole point--not fitting into the demands of the world and, instead, living into the calling of God.

Christians are set apart and are called to be a unique group of people living noticeably different lives than those around us. For Tenney, one of the ways in which she showed the world this counter cultural calling was enacted in refusing to let herself fall to the worldly expectation of marriage. Her calling was also enacted in her dedication to teaching her generation and the generations after her the subject of English and the wonders of the Gospel through Greenville College and the church.

Tenney dedicated her life in service to Greenville College.  Her bold and faithful following of God remain the roots of this institution. Tenney was incredibly in tune to the voice of God and the action to which she was beckoned. She was also aware and humble enough to not only acknowledge but to study and reflect on those who had come before her and those who labored alongside her in the work of the church. This shows up time and time again in her articles, notes and books, where she was committed to remembering the saints that made her story possible. I believe it is time we do the same for Mary Tenney--remember her for the revolutionary work she did and the differences she made as she created, preserved, and furthered the mission of Greenville University.

We are an institution that is dedicated to the training of women in the Bible and helping them discern their vocational calling, which for Free Methodists can now include ordination. This opportunity for women did not come about solely because of the resolution of one man, B.T. Roberts, or the collective decision of a few men. While the work and ideas of these men did enhance and further the cause, it is not the sole reason why women have access to ordination today. It is an option today also because of brave women, such as Mary Tenney, who were not willing to settle for what the world had to offer them. Ordination was granted because of women who rejected barriers placed upon them by the church and instead lived into their callings and refused to give up. Tenney refused to limit herself and boldly proclaimed the Gospel wherever she could to create positive change and transformational growth in the life of her students, some of whom were women who went on to pursue and receive ordination.

Tenney represents every woman who steps foot on this campus and proclaims that the limitations, the barriers of this world have nothing to do with their capacity and their calling from God. Tenney represents the historical work of the inauguration of our first female president, Suzanne Davis. Tenney represents all female professors who have, do, and will create new programs, new communities, and new structures. Tenney represents every woman in Greenville University’s history who looked at the previous model laid out for them by the people, mainly men, before them and dared to dream of a new future.

At the end of every research paper, theology students are challenged with reflection, sometimes taking the format of something along the lines of the question “based on this passage, what will be your good works?” Now I pose this question in the context of Mary Tenney’s life and legacy: in honor of Dr. Mary Alice Tenney, what should be our good works? I suggest that our good works in honor of Tenney take many forms, one of which requires a constant and genuine seeking after one’s calling and following God, no matter the price--wherever that calling might take you, even if it is to a small town in Southern Illinois.

 Bibliography

Danylak, Barry N. 2024. “A Biblical Theology of Singleness in an Increasingly Single World.” Evangelical Review of Theology 48 (1): 40–52. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=rfh&AN=ATLAiREM240311001020&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Roberts, B.T., General Conference Minutes, 131, 1890.
Tenney, Mary A. “Adventures in Christian Love,” 1964.
Tenney, Mary A. “Still Abides the Memory,” Greenville: Greenville College, 1942.
Tenney, Mary A., “Teaching and Admonishing” or “Be Thou Faithful Unto Death”, Archive box 16, folder 48a.
Tenney, Mary A., “Talks/Notes Untitled,” Archive box 15, folder 60.
Tenney, Mary A., “Talks/Notes Untitled,” Archive box 16, folder 48a, 6.
“Women in Ministry” By 1995 General Conference of the Free Methodist Church of North America, (March 2021). https://fmcusa.org/women-in-ministry 

[1]1890 General Conference Minutes, p. 131.    
[2] Tenney, Mary A., Archive box 16, folder 48a, 6.
[3]Tenney, Mary A., “Teaching and Admonishing” or “Be Thou Faithful Unto Death”, Archive box 16, folder 48a.
[4]Tenney, Mary A., “Talks/Notes Untitled”, Archive box 15, folder 60.
[5] Danylak, Barry. “A Biblical Theology of Singleness in an Increasingly Single World,” 53.

Mary Alice Tenney: A Student of Christlike Character and Service

Abigail Cox

Greenville University, formerly known as Greenville College, has been a pillar of Christian higher education across three centuries, from its founding in 1892. To become such a pillar of education there have to be students and faculty that provide a Christlike foundation upon which to build. Throughout Greenville College’s history, there have been many different women who have been a part of creating this foundation. One of the most influential women in this history is Dr. Mary Alice Tenney.

Dr. Tenney was an English professor at Greenville College from 1921- 1925 and then came back to teach again from 1930-1955. During her time as a professor, she was a leader and mentor for many students. She was especially influential in the life of another future professor, Elva McAllaster. Tenney’s ability to mentor students and guide them as a Christian is built upon a foundation of mentorship that she received in her time at Greenville College as a student. As a student, Dr. Mary Alice Tenney exemplified the characteristics of a student of Christlike character and service. As such, she should serve as a model for both Greenville students today and an example for faculty.

Tenney’s Christlike character and service can be seen in both her academic excellence as well as in the ways she cared for her friends and family. Her character is also evidenced in the ways she cared for the state of her own soul as well. Her relationship with Christ as well as the with those around her, were of the utmost importance. During her time as a student, she spent extra time and gave extra care to her own spiritual life as well as the spiritual lives of those around her. She gave the same care and attention to her academic studies in which she excelled at learning. Tenney was a lifelong learner who took this dedication with her wherever she went in a way that continues to serve as an inspiration for all.

Dr. Mary Alice Tenney was a dedicated student who had academic success and dedicated her life to learning in whatever way she was able. Part of this learning included gathering her collection of degrees. In 1914, Tenney graduated from Greenville College Magna Cum Laude. In 1919 she received her Master of Arts degree from the University of Southern California. She then went on to get her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in 1939. While degrees themselves do not necessarily mark someone as a good student, they are still an indication of the work that Tenney put into being well-educated during a time when not many women were.

Other indicators of Tenney’s desire for learning that stayed with her through her whole life are the ways in which she went about her studies. She took courses in a variety of subjects, including political science and French. In her personal journal from 1913 (her final year at Greenville College), Tenney details many of her academic exploits. She writes about completing eight of her French lessons in one day as well as about many nights where she stayed in reading and studying (1913 Journal). Tenney also spent time working on what she referred to as “special assignments” which could be extra credit assignments for her courses (1913 Journal). These are perfect examples of the ways in which Tenney was dedicated to the learning process and the time that was necessary to fully comprehend her coursework. This is reflected in the grades she received on her assignments, where much of her work received high marks.

More important than the grades she received were the subjects that she was exploring in her various assignments. For many of her papers, Tenney wrote about theological subjects such as the various ideas or beliefs of John Wesley. She wrote about Wesley’s Theory of Wealth in a paper for her master’s program. In this paper, Tenney analyzed Wesley’s thoughts on wealth and the best ways for Christians to hold wealth (John Wesley’s Theory). Through her analysis of Wesley’s ideas, Tenney was able to better understand her own beliefs about the subject of wealth through both a Christian lens as well as a Wesleyan one. Even though her classes may not have revolved around theological topics, Tenney was still able to find a way to incorporate theological ideas into her course work. She exemplifies the idea that there is not a separation between the secular and the sacred, but that everything can be holy and made for the glorification of God.

Some examples of this come not just in Tenney’s paper about John Wesley’s Theory of Wealth, but in other papers that she wrote for her courses as well. One of these papers was titled The Relation of the Methodist Movement to the Literature of Sentimental Melancholy. In this paper, Tenney wrote about important times during the Methodist movement and their correlation in the type of literature entitled melancholy (The Relation of). She found a way to bring together her passions from the secular world and the world of theological thought. Tenney carried this with her into her professional career and used this method of bringing the secular and sacred together to give her students a well-rounded education. This could only be accomplished once she had already spent time learning on her own as a student.

Mary Alice Tenney’s dedication to her studies is evidence of her perseverance and hard work. Her desire to be educated in a variety of subjects shows her desire to be a well-rounded individual. Her ability to study subjects such as literature and theology in a way that harmonizes them is what shows that Christ was a part of every aspect of her life as a student. Tenney’s love for the Lord is evident in many of her writings from her time as a student, but it is also evident in the way that she lived while studying at Greenville College.

 While attending Greenville, Tenney was able to develop many friendships that were grounded in faith and deep love. She was a caring and devoted friend to anyone who found themselves within her sphere. As a friend, she cared not just about the lives of her friends, but about their relationship with Christ. She wanted to see her friends draw closer into the heart of Christ in a way that left them feeling transformed. These were the subjects of her prayers and her actions.

One of her friends in particular was the subject of much of Tenney’s concern and her prayerful consideration. Mary Alice Tenney’s friend Arthur, of whom she writes in her journal from 1913, was featured prominently. Arthur was a friend who seemingly struggled with his faith in a way that was becoming evident to his friends, especially Tenney. She spent a lot of time concerned for him and his spiritual well-being. He was the subject of many of her prayers as well as her time.

In her journal from her time as a student in 1913, Tenney would often make note of when a program or church service was good. While it cannot be certain what she meant by this, it is possible that she meant that these programs were especially thought-provoking and convicting. She found these moments worthy of note likely because they had an impact on her and her relationship with Christ. Tenney would write about these good programs often in her journal (1913 Journal). This could be indicative of the attention she paid to these programs or to the quality of the programs themselves. Regardless, they were important enough to Tenney for her to record, which shows that these programs were helpful to her growth as a young Christian while attending Greenville College.

Tenney also writes in her journal about going to other services in her free time as a student. She writes about going to see a missionary talk with her friends on January 22, 1914 (1913 Journal). It appears for Tenney, a fun evening out involves going with people she loves to hear about the God she loves. Her decision to record going to the missionary talk shows how much she values being able to have opportunities to hear about God in new ways, which in turn shows her deep love of Christ. Tenney writes about enjoying going to church and experiencing the presence of God through the means of community gatherings (1913 Journal). Her enjoyment of sharing in a community of believers is evidence of her love of both Christ and her community. She attended to her soul by allowing herself to be submitted to the care of those around her as well as the care of the Lord. Tenney does not shy away from the sometimes difficult work of being aware of the state of her spirit.

Tenney was a woman who showed her character through the people she cared about and the way in which she cared for them. She cared about her friends and their relationships with Christ. The ways she served them were by praying for them and engaging in conversation with them about their faith. She did not just leave them to wander without direction, but walked alongside them while they struggled. Tenney was also there with her friends in their moments of spiritual victory which is seen in how she documented and celebrated her friends who were sanctified and justified. She also cared for the physical bodies of her friends by providing meals for them when they were in need. All of this is evidence of Tenney’s character and the ways in which she shined Christ’s light through her relationships by loving others selflessly.

Tenney’s character is also evident in the way she pursued her education in her time at Greenville College and beyond. While at Greenville College, Tenney devoted much of her time to studying and completing her assignments to learn all that she needed for her professional career. This shows that she was hardworking and pursued her goals with ferocity and tenacity. She also viewed academic work as a way to draw closer to Christ through intellectual study. Tenney brought together both her secular interests and her sacred interests to study them together. For her, Christ was a part of every aspect of her life and work. This is what gives her the ability to grow in her faith constantly because her faith was not limited to her time spent in church. Her faith knew no boundaries and impacted every piece of her life as a student.

Tenney did not let her faith grow stagnant as she continued past Greenville College, continuing to learn and deepen her relationship with Christ. Many of the papers that were mentioned earlier in this paper were written while she was in graduate school as she furthered her education. This shows that Tenney continued to be a student of Christlike character and service wherever she went. Even as a professor, Tenney was still learning and growing in her faith. In 1948, Tenney took a sabbatical to England that was paid for by her students to further research early Methodism. She desired to learn about the foundations of her beliefs as a Methodist and so her time away allowed her to learn more about what she believed in so deeply. This shows Tenney’s passion for her faith and her willingness to engage in the hard work of understanding it more deeply.

This passion for Christ that began before coming to Greenville, but continued while at Greenville College, is what led her to be a professor who developed students of Christlike character and service. Tenney’s students had an example of someone who desired to be closer and closer to the heart of Christ through their inward spiritual witness as well as their actions. They were able to watch Tenney be an excellent example of a Christian witness. Tenney carried her passion for Christ into her work and made sure to be intentional with each of her students. She gave her students the same care that she gave to her friends and their faith journeys.

With each of her students going out into the world as witnesses of Christ, Tenney was able to have a wide impact on her community. There were many students who were able to see the ways in which Tenney cared for each of them and went out into the world to care for others in the same way. Beyond that, as Tenney continued to live within her community, she continued to have an impact on the people with whom she lived. She inspired people to give back to the communities of which they were a part.

Today, Mary Alice Tenney remains an inspiration for students at Greenville University. She is an example of what it looks like to be a student of Christlike character and service. Students still need examples of people of Christlike character and service to become persons who emulate the same. This can come from looking back at the long legacy of professors and students who attended Greenville College. Tenney inspires me to continue working hard and representing Christ in all that I do. My hope is that I will one day be remembered as someone who showed Christ to everyone that I encountered in the same way that Tenney was.

Greenville University’s goal is “to empower students for lives of character and service through a transforming Christ-centered education.” If Greenville University’s goal is to empower students for lives such as this, then Mary Alice Tenney is the standard that should be looked to for guidance. She was able to achieve Greenville University’s mission by being a student that lived a life of character and service through her Christ-centered education. She was also able to influence and mentor students to become people of character and service through the Christ-centered education she gave.

In conclusion, the way to continue Mary Alice Tenney’s legacy of being a person of Christlike character and service is by looking back and remembering the impactful students who have come before us. This allows students and faculty to see someone that is like them achieve the goal that they have for themselves. Tenney, through her work and her life, remains an inspiration for anyone who encounters her story. Her time as a student is just one aspect of this, but every part of her life inspires those who hear it to live a life like hers. 

Bibliography

The Mae A. Tenney Papers. Biographical sketch. Greenville University Archives.
Schenck, K. (2017, June 22). How Wesley’s class meetings really started. The Wesleyan Church. https://www.wesleyan.org/how-wesleys-class-meetings-really-started-4088 
Tenney, Mary A. (1913-1914). Personal Journal.
Tenney, Mary A. John Wesley’s Theory on Wealth. 
Tenney, Mary A. The Relation of the Methodist Movement to the Literature of Sentimental Melancholy
Wesley, J. (1872). John-wesley-on-visiting-the-sick.pdf - bibles net. com. On Visiting the Sick. https://www.biblesnet.com/john-wesley-on-visiting-the-sick.pdf 
Who we are. Accredited Liberal Arts Christian College in Illinois. (2024). https://www.greenville.edu/welcome/who-we-are#:~:text=Our%20Mission%20Greenville%20University%20empowers%20students%20for%20lives,the%20world%20have%20benefited%20from%20GU%E2%80%99s%20mission-driven%20work. https://www.wesleyan.org/how-wesleys-class-meetings-really-started-4088