Presidents

Bethel University opened its doors to students in the fall of 1947, with 93 students enrolled. The office of the president continues to be a place where vision, growth and spiritual revival are the focus -- all for the greater glory of God. This page highlights and honors all the previous presidents of Bethel. (Information on our current president can be found here.)

The Rev. Woodrow I. Goodman, D.D., Lit.D. (1918–2004)

Presidential term: 1947-1959

When the doors to Bethel College opened in the fall of 1947, 27-year-old Woodrow I. Goodman, M.A. (Wheaton College), was the youngest college president in the United States. Under his watch, enrollment grew from 93 to 329 students. One of his priorities was the establishment of a department of education, and he also worked with the United Missionary Church to facilitate a campus development program that reached $1 million by 1959. Construction projects during his tenure included the all-purpose Huffman Administration building, an early science hall, the Helm, a gymnasium-auditorium (later named for him), and Shupe Residence Hall. Goodman was honored for his pioneering leadership by Taylor University (D.D., 1952), Houghton College (Lit.D., 1956), and Wheaton College. He later accepted the presidency of Marion College (today Indiana Wesleyan University), serving 1960-1976. Goodman was known by Bethel students in the '50s as "The Working President" since he worked alongside of students in the construction of a number of campus projects. His memoirs were published in 1992 as Bridge over the Valley. He was 86 when he died in Upland, California.

 

The Rev. Ray Plowman Pannabecker, D.D. (1913–2001)

Presidential term: 1959-1974

The Rev. Ray P. Pannabecker became the second president of Bethel College. A former pastor, he began at Bethel as its first business manager while also teaching Bible, public speaking, and social studies. Before he took on the role as president in 1959, he served the Missionary Church as a district superintendent and editor of the denomination's publication, The Gospel Banner. As Bethel's president, Pannabecker acquired 27 additional acres and built the Middleton Hall of Science, the Oakwood-Slater Residence Hall, and a maintenance building. Pannabecker also ushered in Bethel's intercollegiate athletic programs. In 1970, a revival sparked by the Holy Spirit moved students to pray in the auditorium for hours. The next year the college achieved full accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Pannabecker handed out 1,201 diplomas to graduates during his tenure. A friend to all on campus and many across Michiana, he visited Missionary Church congregations frequently with student Gospel Teams. Asbury Theological Seminary awarded him the Doctor of Divinity in 1964. Upon leaving office, he was named president emeritus; he then became the first director of services at the Missionary Church Headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was also instrumental in the founding and development of Hubbard Hill Retirement Community and became its chaplain. He died in Elkhart, Indiana, at age 87.

 

The Rev. Albert J. Beutler, Ph.D. (1929– )

Presidential term: 1974-1982

The Rev. Albert J. Beutler, Ph.D. (Michigan State University), was the first alumnus to serve as president of Bethel College, but before taking that role he held other positions both on campus and in the community. Beutler came to Bethel in 1947 with the inaugural freshman class and graduated in 1951 with a degree in Biblical Literature and Psychology. Immediately following graduation, he became Bethel's dean of students and dean of men. In 1958, he became the school's first men's basketball coach. In 1966, he became Bethel's first Alumnus of the Year after leaving Bethel to become the dean of student services at Indiana University in South Bend. He would later return to Bethel to serve as the third president. Beutler is credited with constructing the Dining Commons and the Eastwood Apartments. In addition, he is responsible for eliminating operational debt, increasing assets by 60 percent, creating an associate's degree with 11 concentration areas and a master's degree in Christian education, as well as continuing Bethel's good rapport with the broader community. His doctoral dissertation recounts the early years of the school: "The Founding and History of Bethel College of Indiana." Beutler was twice named "Sagamore of the Wabash," first by Indiana governor Otis R. Bowen in 1979 and then by governor Robert D. Orr in 1985; he later became an administrator at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan.

 

The Rev. James A. Bennett, Ph.D. (1937– 2015 )

Presidential term: 1982-1988

James Allen Bennett, Ph.D. (Walden University), was Bethel's fourth president, serving the school faithfully for six years during a particularly challenging era. A 1961 graduate of Bethel with a degree in Theology, Bennett was a member of Bethel's board of directors from 1975 to 1980, serving as chair the last two. Then he was hired as Bethel's director of institutional advancement in 1980. The Otis and Elizabeth Bowen Library was built under his leadership, the first building on campus with a distinctive new architectural style. He also enlarged the scope of the academic programs to meet the changing needs of the church and community, initiating nursing, master of ministries, and adult college programs for returning students. In 1986, the baseball team won the NCCAA I tournament, which was the first in a flood of national titles for Bethel College sports teams. After leaving the presidency, Bennett re-entered the pastoral ministry and helped further develop Prairie Camp. He passed away passed away Oct. 8, 2015, after years of declining health. He was 78 years old.

 

Walter L. Weldy (1940– )

Presidential term: 1988-1989

A banker by profession, Walt L. Weldy gave invaluable guidance to Bethel as an interim president for one year during a period of financial duress. He had previously served on the Bethel board of directors in the early 1970s and also as the board treasurer. While serving as president, he maintained his private business and financial consulting firm in Wakarusa. Weldy was a firm believer that Bethel's central purpose was to teach, train, promote, and protect time-tested values such as faith in God and commitment toward family, community, church, and country. His first action was to move the college toward a more solid financial foundation. In addition, he made sure the school's business and administrative obligations were met until a new president could be found.

 

Norman V. Bridges, Ph.D. (1938–2010)

Presidential term: 1989-2004

Norman V. Bridges, Ph.D. (University of Michigan), guided Bethel College from a well-kept secret to national recognition during his presidency. He graduated from Bethel with a B.A. in English Education magna cum laude in 1960, returning next to serve variously as dean of students, professor of history and education, and as vice president for administration (1966-1976). He was named Alumnus of the Year in 1975. As president, Bridges increased the annual operating budget from under $3 million to approximately $30 million. The school more than tripled in enrollment to some 1,850 students. More than 40 academic programs were added, with innovative majors such as sign language interpreting. The rising academic reputation boosted Bethel from fourth- to first-tier rankings in U.S. News & World Report. Lasting changes occurred during periods of intense revival in 1991 and 1994. Landmark building projects included Founders Village, the Davidhizar Nursing Wing, the Dining Commons addition, the Everest-Rohrer Chapel/Fine Arts Center, the Taylor Memorial Chapel, the Shiloh Prayer Chapel, the Wiekamp Athletic Center, the Sailor Residential Center, the Miller/Moore Academic Center, the Jenkins Baseball Stadium, the Morey Soccer Field, and the Bethel bookstore. Upon retiring from Bethel, Bridges was cascaded with honors, from the first Festschrift(volume of writings) ever compiled for a Bethel academic, to "Sagamore of the Wabash" by Governor Joe Kernan of Indiana, to president emeritus of Bethel. He passed away at the age of 72 in Mishawaka, Indiana.

 

Steven R. Cramer, Ph.D. (1950– )

Presidential term: 2004-2013

Steven R. Cramer, Ph.D. (Indiana State University), was inaugurated as Bethel's sixth president in 2004. A 1975 Bethel graduate in music and its 2002 Alumnus of the Year, he worked for Bethel in admissions from 1973-1975, in church relations from 1982-1985, and then returned once more in 1987 as Bethel's vice president for institutional advancement. He served 17 years in that role, designing and implementing five fundraising campaigns totaling more than $50 million. During his presidency, enrollment continued to climb to more than 2,100 students, as Bethel continued to rise in its ranking of the Midwest's Best Baccalaureate Colleges by U.S. News & World Report. Bethel study abroad offerings were expanded; the music department received NASM accreditation; and the campus became more intentional in its multi-ethnic programming. Cramer worked to secure the long-term financial future of Bethel during a period of national economic crisis. Despite that, the college moved forward with multiple building projects, including the Pannabecker Math and Science Laboratories, a new west campus entrance and a renovated Helm, Bridges Residence Hall, a renovated dining commons, and an enlarged college bookstore/coffee shop. The campus borders were expanded with the purchase of 13 acres to the south. There were several firsts during this time: the appointment of the first two female vice presidents, the launch of online degree programs, a visit from a sitting U.S. President (George W. Bush), and hosting of the Missionary Church General Conference.

Gregg A. Chenoweth, Ph.D. (1968– )

Presidential term: 2013-2021

Gregg Chenoweth began his tenure as Bethel University's president on July 8, 2013, having most recently served as vice president for academic affairs at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. In his first five years at Bethel, Chenoweth worked with colleagues to complete a five-year focus on five institutional priorities titled, the GREATer Agenda. In 2018, the Board unanimously approved his proposal for the GROW Agenda, 2018-2022. It focused on expanding college access through additional athletic programs and facilities, developing more sophisticated digital marketing and customized financial aid, doubling the number of online undergraduate and graduate programs and more. President Chenoweth served on a variety of committees and boards and led student tours to Israel, Nepal, Australia and Kenya and otherwise traveled to a dozen countries. He has spoken at events in more than 50 cities, and published articles in nearly 30 outlets including the Chicago Tribune, the Forum on Public Policy, and Christianity Today magazine.  He also wrote three book chapters and edited the book Telos: The Destination of Nazarene Higher Education.