A Brief History

 

On September 28, 1988, the Oriental Mission Church implemented a special committee to pray about the need for a new seminary for training missionaries, pastors, and lay leaders.  When the meeting adjourned, the seed that would become World Mission Theological Seminary had been planted. In March 1989, World Mission Theological Seminary started with thirty-two students and Rev. Dong Sun Lim was appointed as the first President.

World Mission Theological Seminary was authorized to issue the Master of Divinity and Master of Arts degrees in 1991, and the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1992 by the California Department of Education. In 1993, the name of the institution was changed from World Mission Theological Seminary to World Mission University to reflect the school’s broader offering of programs.

In August 2003, the institution moved to a new location in Koreatown, a center of downtown Los Angeles.  In 2004, World Mission University achieved Candidate Status from the Association for Biblical Higher Education. Today, World Mission University is accredited by the Association of Biblical Higher Education, and the School of Theology is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools.  All two accrediting agencies are members of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and recognized by the United States Department of Education.