Most Virginia Baptists don't know about Washington Baptist University, but they should. Located in Annandale, it does not have a lawn or quadrangle or football stadium. But what it lacks in campus sprawl it more than makes up for in appropriate pride.
Founded in 1982 as the Washington Baptist College and Seminary, its mission from the outset was to provide training in Christian service primarily to laypersons within Virginia's Korean community. Korean pastors in the Washington, D.C., area also saw the need for a seminary to train new pastors.
It wasn't long, however, before the college responded to a recognized need within the Korean community and moved beyond training laypersons and clergy to offering a business degree.
“To understand why we instituted the business program one must first understand the nature of Korean immigration. Many who moved here were over 50 and were never able to complete their education in Korea,” explained Jacob Suk Tae Shin, the university president.
“Add to their lack of education the difficulties presented by the language barrier, and you can see why so many had a hard time finding employment. For some, the only way they could survive was to open a small business which was risky. So many lost their life savings that the school saw a need to teach how to operate a business in America,” Shin observed.
In this way, the business program began as a ministry and became, along with the seminary and religious emphasis, the third school of the university. WBU also provides English as a second language classes for students eager to learn English. But learning the language and speaking the language in a way to be easily understood are sometimes two different disciplines. WBU employs a pronunciation specialist to help students be understood by their American-born neighbors.
The university is housed in a three-story brick classroom building which is also the location of the admissions office. Next door a condominium building houses the impressive and expanding library along with faculty and administrative offices. Of the building's eight condos, the seminary owns seven.
The university purchased the buildings in 2003 when it grew out of space it had leased from Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church.
That same year the school began the process of becoming accredited through the Association of Theological Schools which is the standard accrediting agency for seminaries in North America. It has also begun the process of accreditation at the baccalaureate level through the Association for Biblical Higher Education.
“All the signs are very good and we are encouraged that we will soon be fully accredited,” said Peter Chang, vice president for academic affairs.
Recently, the school received accreditation from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. The ECFA provides accreditation to Christian non-profit organizations that comply with established standards for financial accountability, fundraising and board governance.
Once academic accreditation is gained, Shin, Chang and David S. Kim, vice president for business affairs and dean of the school of religion, see finances as their greatest challenge. Despite owning its buildings, the university staff and secretaries “sacrifice and depend on the Lord,” says Shin. The school “receives a small amount from friends and family members who support WBU financially,” he adds.
According to Kim, the school depends on the tuition of its students to operate. Although the Baptist General Association of Virginia does not contribute directly to WBU, it provides scholarships for minority students. And for this WBU, which considers itself a loyal BGAV institution, is grateful.
Support has also been provided through Virginia Baptist Mission Board personnel. “Craig Wilson assisted them in the beginning as they were getting started,” remembers John Upton, executive director of the BGAV. “And Sang Yun Shin [church planting missionary for the VBMB] is one of their adjunct professors.”
To emphasize the importance the BGAV places on partnering with WBU, Upton attends major university functions as his schedule permits.
Although the student enrollment is well balanced between the three schools and the ESL program, it is clear in speaking with Shin that preparing young pastors for church ministry is his passion. He comes by this naturally.
His father and mother's father both were pastors in Korea. His grandfather was the first president of the Korean Baptist Churches and his father served four terms in that position.
When Shin was 15, communist soldiers came to his grandfather's city. They had heard of the pastor who would not leave his flock.
Twice they offered to spare his life if he would deny Christ. And twice he refused saying that he could not deny his Savior. With a deacon present as a witness, the soldiers shot and killed his grandfather because he would not renounce his faith.
Although the shock of his grandfather's death was great, it did not deter Shin in answering God's call to become a pastor also. “God is blessing me so much in my life” he reflects. “I tell students — please be a servant in your churches. Do not be controlling.”
The seminary also expects students to be engaged in mission work while they are students. Shin notes, “With 150 languages spoken in the vicinity of the seminary, every student is a missionary!”