Messiah College is a nationally ranked, private Christian college with a student body of 3,305 undergraduate and graduate students. Located in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Messiah is just 12 miles from the state capital, Harrisburg. The College was founded in 1909 by the Brethren in Christ Church. Today, the College’s faith base is broadly evangelical and includes students and employees from a variety of denominations and Christian faith traditions.
Their mission is to educate men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation in church and society.
Identity statement
Messiah College is a Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. The College is committed to an embracing evangelical spirit rooted in the Anabaptist, Pietist and Wesleyan traditions of the Christian Church.
Mission statement
Their mission is to educate men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation in church and society.
Motivated by a common mission
The opening commitment of our mission statement―to develop students’ “maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith”―reflects the integration of their community’s shared faith into every aspect of the Messiah College experience. This holistic educational model was the bold vision of our founder S. R. Smith more than 100 years ago and remains a cornerstone of their identity.
The other core components of Messiah’s mission—service, leadership and reconciliation—are also firmly rooted in the context of their Christian faith. They don’t just serve because it’s the “right thing to do”; they serve because God calls them to open their hearts to the poor and needy and to work for justice wherever injustice prevails. They learn to lead believing that Jesus is their ultimate example of leading with compassion, respect and love. And, because of their faith, they are compelled to build bridges of understanding and peace to demonstrate the reconciling love of God to others.
