About Us

History of the College

Since its beginnings in 1968, Warner Southern College has worked hard to create a heritage firmly rooted in Christianity. As a community, Warner Southern works toward three goals to continue building on that heritage: honor the past, strengthen the present and lay a vision for the future.

The desire for a Church of God college in the south found official expression with the organization of the Church of God Southern Convention in 1948. During 1958-1961, a committee functioning under the guidance of the Convention operated an Extension Center of Anderson College at Columbia, South Carolina, and Birmingham, Alabama.

In 1964, a group of Church of God congregations in the south formed the Southeastern Association of the Church of God for the purpose of establishing and sponsoring a four-year Christian college. The Association, through its Board of Trustees, selected the Lake Wales site in 1965 from land donated by the J.W. Holland family. Groundbreaking was held in 1967, and the first freshman class began in September of 1968.

Adding an additional class each year, by 1971 the College offered a full four-year program. The first class graduated in the spring of 1972. After becoming a candidate for accreditation in 1973, the College was granted membership in the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1977. In 1978, the Teacher Education programs were approved by the Florida Department of Education to prepare students for teacher certification.

Founders wanted a pillar of Church of God distinctiveness for all who could benefit from higher education offered from a Christian perspective. As an institution with Divine purpose, the college would prepare each student for his or her God-given vocation. Faith in God, development of character and service to others would be as important as academic achievement. Out of this idea came the three key words in the current mission statement: Faith, Scholarship and Servanthood.