Eastern Mennonite University: A Century of Preparing Leaders for Global Service

Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, stands as a testament to the evolving role of Mennonite education in a rapidly changing world. From its humble beginnings as a Bible school to its current status as a globally engaged university, EMU has remained rooted in its Mennonite values while embracing diversity and promoting peace, social justice, and community. The university also operates a satellite campus in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

From Eastern Mennonite School to University: A Historical Overview

The Genesis of an Idea (1915-1917)

The earliest version of EMU was a four-week Bible institute held in January 1915. Forty-nine students, taught by five men, lived and studied in a 19-room mansion. It was old even in those days, dating to the late 1700s, but it was a built-to-last structure, originally home to George Washington’s property manager and cousin, Lund Washington. The property was six miles from Washington’s homeplace, Mount Vernon.

The seeds of Eastern Mennonite University were sown in 1917 when a group of Mennonite church members launched the "Eastern Mennonite School". Recognizing the need for advanced education within their church-centered communities, these leaders sought to provide schooling beyond the basic level for young-adult Mennonites, hoping to stem the tide of students enrolling in secular institutions.

Early Challenges and Triumphs

Initially, the mission of EMS was to offer Bible and vocational education at a level equivalent to today’s junior- and senior-high schools in an effort to keep Mennonite girls and boys in the fold of the church. At the turn of the previous century, Mennonite leaders observed with alarm that young men and women eager to have training for ministry, teaching or vocations were seeking it at non-Mennonite schools, which often led to their departure from the church. George R. Brunk and others sought support from a broad base of Mennonites living in the mid-Atlantic region in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia but response was mostly tepid. Many Mennonites then viewed (and some branches of the church even now view) education with suspicion, feeling it opens the door to the negative influences of the wider world. Some potential supporters saw the Western world jumping into World War I and counseled waiting.

EMS landed in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 1917 for this reason: Mennonites at Weavers Church in Rockingham County proposed that the school be set up at 23-acre Assembly Park near Harrisonburg. Key leaders at Weavers offered to provide seed money and other support for this effort.

Eastern Mennonite School, led by Principal J. B. Smith, officially opened on October 19 in the former hotel in Assembly Park. From the beginning the old hotel posed problems. It was a fire trap, with leaky water lines and a frame slipping from its foundation. Mouse traps filled so quickly, they needed to be emptied in the night. One of the school’s first faculty members, M.T.

In this period, Eastern Mennonite narrowly missed taking root in another location. In the spring, a few months after the board decided to erect a new building facing Massanutten Mountain, Principal Smith learned that $44,000 (about $500,000 in 2007 dollars) would buy an existing campus, with a good school building, near Martinsburg, Pennsylvania. This was less than it would cost to build in Virginia. Mennonite leaders in Harrisonburg were upset at Smith’s proposal, feeling that they had “fostered the school when no one else seemed to want it.” The board rejected the idea and instead turned again to the fundraising skills of Peter S. Hartman, who canvassed the area for contributions. Smith anticipated the funding needs of his fledgling school and tried to set up a pledge system for supporters that would solve the school’s funding problems permanently. He envisioned a school with sufficient money to build what it needs, have an endowment, and ensure that no student would ever be denied the chance to take a Bible course. On principle, he wanted Bible courses to be tuition-free. In the fall of 1919, enrollment hit 77. Eager anticipation of the new campus among Mennonites in the mid-Atlantic region probably boosted student recruitment. Tuition revenue was satisfactory for paying missionary-level wages to the faculty and staff but then, as now tuition revenue could not cover the total infrastructure cost of educating Mennonite students.

Name Changes and Growth

Throughout its history, the institution underwent several name changes, reflecting its expanding academic offerings and evolving mission. It was known as the Eastern Mennonite School (1917-1947) and Eastern Mennonite College (1947-1994) before attaining university status.

Key Milestones

1921: The high school program is accredited by the State of Virginia.
1946: The first international students are admitted to the school: a Russian man from Belgium and a brother and sister from China.
1954: Peggy Webb Howard is the first African-American to graduate from the college.
1965: Eastern Mennonite Seminary was launched.

Academic Excellence and Distinctive Programs

EMU offers a wide array of undergraduate and graduate programs, emphasizing experiential learning and a commitment to service.

Honors Program

Each year EMU offers high-achieving high school students the opportunity to be part of the university's honors program. Selected students can receive 50% to 100% tuition scholarships, renewable for each year of undergraduate study.

Read also: A Detailed Look at ECNU

Graduate School

EMU's Graduate School offers master's degrees. The first graduate program (other than seminary) - counseling - began in 1993.

Cross-cultural Program

One of EMU's distinctive features is its cross-cultural program, providing students with opportunities for immersive learning experiences in diverse cultural settings. This program is recognized as a key component in developing students' intercultural skills.

Peacebuilding and Justice

EMU has a long-standing commitment to peacebuilding and restorative justice. The university's Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP) offers training in conflict transformation, trauma resilience, and restorative justice. EMU's graduates have made significant contributions to peacebuilding efforts around the world.

Sustainability Initiatives

EMU has demonstrated a commitment to environmental stewardship through various sustainability initiatives. The university has implemented energy-efficient practices, installed solar arrays, and constructed LEED-certified buildings. EMU has been recognized as a leader in energy efficiency and recycling efforts.

Campus Life and Spiritual Formation

Community Lifestyle Commitment

Eastern Mennonite's 361-word "Community Lifestyle Commitment" was adopted by the board of trustees in 2001. With this document as a guide, the institution expects its employees and students to commit themselves to a lifestyle based on "clearly stated expectations [to] promote orderly community life," coupled with "trust in and responsibility to one another". It calls for "stewardship of mind, time, abilities and finances" and takes the unusual step of asking for "social responsibility in my standard of living and use of economic resources".

Read also: ESU Tuition Guide

Campus Ministries

Residential undergraduates, faculty, and staff gather for twice-weekly chapel services planned by the campus pastoral team. The Campus Ministries program sponsors activities such as campus-wide chapels on Wednesday and Friday mornings, a student-led praise-style service on Sunday evenings, monthly hymn sings and Taize worship services, annual "spiritual life week", and service experiences under the Young People's Christian Association. Campus Ministries is led by the three trained pastors, assisted by students at various stages in their education including seminary students at EMU.

Athletics

EMU's sports teams are known as the Royals. In most sports, EMU competes as NCAA Division III, a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The school's intercollegiate sports include field hockey, cross country, basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball, softball, indoor and outdoor track and field, women's lacrosse, and women's triathlon. The school offers disc golf as a club sport.

Arts and Music

Students participate from a variety of choral and instrumental musical groups, including men's, women's, and mixed vocal ensembles, as well as chamber and wind ensembles, a jazz band, and a chamber orchestra. EMU's music department is home to the proficient hymnal editor, faculty member, and chamber singers director Ken J.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

EMU has produced numerous alumni who have made significant contributions in various fields, including peacebuilding, ministry, education, and the arts. The university's faculty members are also actively engaged in research, scholarship, and service.

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