Campbell University was founded by James Archibald Campbell, a North Carolina preacher, and has offered quality Christian education since 1887. In addition to its College of Arts and Sciences, which includes more than 100 tracks and concentrations of study, the University enrolls graduate students in business, education, pharmacy, law, and divinity. Campbell University enrolls students from every state and more than 50 countries. Approximately 3,000 undergraduate students attend school on the main campus; in addition, about 1,700 are enrolled in the various graduate programs. The 875-acre campus in the residential community of Buies Creek is located halfway between and about 30 miles from North Carolina’s metropolitan centers of Raleigh and Fayetteville.

The idea of educating church leaders in the context of a liberal arts university was not a new idea to Campbell, but the fulfillment of a dream nurtured at the University for many years. Feasibility studies were conducted in 1969 and 1975 to explore the possibility of offering graduate and professional courses in Religion. The decision to add a Divinity School to Campbell’s already existing professional programs in law, pharmacy, education, and business came after a lengthy third feasibility study initiated in 1992. Following considerable research involving discussions with ATS representatives and consultants from seminaries, the study committee recommended that a school based on the forthcoming ATS standards be established. The Campbell University Board of Trustees approved the establishment of its sixth school on September 21, 1995.

University leaders desired to develop a new model of university-based theological education, capitalizing upon the rich resources of a liberal arts environment and the contributions of other professional disciplines. The vision was to educate Christian ministers who would be intellectually prepared, spiritually mature, and capable of inspiring and leading churches to fulfill their unique role in the world.

After a thorough search, the University named Michael G. Cogdill as dean and Bruce P. Powers as associate dean. Soon afterward, the deans announced the recruitment of an outstanding cadre of founding faculty members to help launch the new school. Among these persons were Malcolm O. Tolbert, Thomas A. Jackson, Delos Miles, James W. Good, Ginger S. Graves, Jo Ann Stancil, and Jerry M. Wallace. Clella A. Lee, as a graduate assistant, was instrumental in beginning support services and an assimilation process for new students.

The Divinity School officially opened on August 19, 1996, initially offering elective courses until the beginning of the formal curriculum the following year. Thirty-five founding students enrolled the first year. These students, and those who enrolled in the fall of 1997, constituted the Charter Class of eighty-four students.

In the days following the announcement of the school and the appointment of a dean and associate dean, the next task was to define the mission and chart the course for the school. The new leaders wanted to frame a mission statement that would express the heart of Christian theological education, one that would be simple and clear to students and churches and bring students and faculty together as a spiritual family, bonded by call, and not regulated by age, race, gender, or denomination. They wanted a mission statement that would keep the school on a healthy course, inspire the faculty and staff in their work, and judge the school if it strayed. Those hours of prayer and work thus formed the mission statement the school proudly proclaims: to provide Christ-centered, Bible-based, and Ministry-focused theological education.

Preparation for ministry has been changing significantly since the 1950's. The first shift came as churches began to insist that their ministers be prepared not only to know and preach the Bible but also to work effectively in the areas of leadership, administration, and education. Change was slow, but many divinity schools and seminaries embraced the disciplines of pastoral care, evangelism, church administration, and discipleship development. Others resisted, and insisted that traditional biblical and theological studies were sufficient.

The curriculum in most theological schools provides a balance between the classical studies that focus on knowing and practical studies that focus on doing. However, the needs of people and of churches have continued to change, with questions now being raised about the quality of life, the nature of leadership, and responsibility for ministry among all believers. Consequently, effective theological education increasingly requires an added dimension – a transformational experience that integrates knowledge, attitudes, and skills appropriate for the various contexts in which graduates may serve.

The curriculum developed for the Divinity School is a formation curriculum, designed specifically in response to accrediting standards adopted in 1996 by The Association of Theological Schools. The curriculum is designed to form as well as inform. Students are guided through a nurturing admission process, are commissioned upon their entry into the school, and participate in a revelatory spiritual formation experience throughout the first year. These experiences are enlarged upon during the second year with significant evaluation and mentoring experiences that focus on Christian vocations in a variety of contexts in church and community. Advanced studies and a senior synthesis during the last year enable students to integrate the spiritual vocation facets of their education and assist them in determining personal and professional ministry objectives.

Since the opening of the school in 1996, the enrollment has steadily increased and now averages approximately 230 each semester. As of graduation in 2011, there are nearly 471 alumni serving in twenty-two states and seven countries around the world.

August 1992
Feasibility Study Committee appointed to examine need for Divinity School

September 21, 1995
University Trustees voted unanimously to open a Divinity School

October 25, 1995
Public Announcement of the opening of the Divinity School at the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina office in Cary

January 1, 1996
The University named Michael G. Cogdill and Bruce P. Powers as the School's first Dean and Associate Dean, respectively

August 1996
School opened one year earlier than expected, and Founding Class of 35 students enrolled

September 10, 1996
The first convocation was held to commission the new school, faculty members, and students

September 1997
Charter Class of 84 students admitted

October 1997
Established affiliation with Review & Expositor

May 1998
The Divinity School awarded its first degrees to two transfer students - Timothy Howell and Clella A. Lee

August 1, 1998
Formal agreement established for first global program between Campbell University Divinity School and South Wales Baptist College, University of Wales, Cardiff

August 1999

Divinity School launches Preschool and Children's Ministry Certificate Program.

May 2000
Graduation of the Charter Class

June 2000
Divinity School awarded Associate Membership in The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada

June 2002
Divinity School awarded full membership and accreditation of all graduate programs by The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada

August 2002
Divinity School launches Hispanic Theological Education Program

July 2003
Divinity School granted approval to award Doctor of Ministry degree

August 2004
Doctor of Ministry Inaugural Class begins

July 2005
Dr. Barry A. Jones named Associate Dean for Academic Programs

September 20, 2005
Commissioning Service and Celebration of the Tenth Year of Classes

November 2005

Divinity School establishes partnership with the Keesee Foundation

May 2007
Graduation of the Doctor of Ministry Inaugural class

October 2007
Established World Religions and Global Cultures Center

June 2007
Received maximum accreditation of ten years from The Association of Theological Schools.

October 2009
Opening and Dedication of Anna Gardner and Robert B. Butler Chapel

January 2010

Divinity School launches Christian Women in Leadership Program

July 2010

Dr. Andrew H. Wakefield named as second Dean of Divinity School

December 2010

Established the Gay T. and Haskell A. Duncan Chair of Music

May 2011

Graduation and Celebration of the School's Fifteenth Year

August 2011

Dr. Derek Hogan named Assistant Dean for Academic Programs