Southeastern University is a Christ-centered institution of higher learning. We are committed to equipping the next generation of leaders so that they can go into the world as influential servant leaders in their careers and their communities.
Equipping students to discover and develop their divine design to serve Christ and the world through Spirit-empowered life, learning and leadership.
Southeastern University is anchored by Spirit-empowered education in a Christ-centered, student-focused learning community. Southeastern’s global impact is marked by a deep commitment to transforming minds and engaging culture through the integration of faith, learning and service. Each student’s divine design is nurtured and unleashed through the investment of faculty and staff, relationships within the community, the rigor of scholarship, diverse learning experiences and the discipline of spiritual formation, which propels students into a lifetime of serving the world in the Spirit of Christ.
In addition to our mission and vision statement, we hold fundamental truths about the Christian faith that include the following:
From its inception, Southeastern University has been proudly associated with the movement of the Assemblies of God. Our heritage with Assemblies of God serves as the bedrock of our institutional identity here at SEU. We are proud of the tradition we have built from this legacy, and we invite anyone who would like a better understanding of who the Assemblies of God are and what they believe to visit their website.
SEU’s Affirmation of Human Dignity
Affirmation 1: All persons are innately worthy of being loved because God loves them.
As a Christian university, Southeastern University is founded on the affirmation of the irreducible dignity and infinite worth of the human person. Because we confess that each human being, without exception and without qualification, is created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-28; Mal. 2:10), and because we hold this dignity to be an inalienable gift from God, we believe that all human beings, regardless of condition or circumstance, are equal before God (Prov. 22:2; Rom. 2:11) and to be regarded and cared for with the same reverence due to Christ. As God, he not only made us in his image but also took our likeness as his own and gave his life for us and for our salvation (Col. 3:11; 1 Tim. 2:6; 1 Jn 2:2). Therefore, how we treat others reflects how we feel about Christ (Mtt 25:40). On the basis of these beliefs, we affirm that each person is inherently deserving of fair treatment (Deut. 1:16-17; 2 Cor. 8:13-15), and innately worthy of being welcomed and cherished (Phil. 2:3; Jam. 2:8-9). Simply put, we believe that all persons, just by virtue of the fact that they exist, deserve to be loved as God loves them and have an equal opportunity to have a relationship with God (Jn 3:16).
Affirmation 2: The mandate of Christ is to love our neighbors.
Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mk 12:30-31). And he revealed to us, both by the way that he lived and the way that he died, what it means to love and be loved in this way. In the days before he was crucified, he washed his disciples’ feet—including the feet of Judas, who would later betray him—and directed them, and us as well, to follow his example: “Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another” (Jn 13:34-35). The mandate to love our neighbors calls us to recognize that anyone whose dignity has been violated has a right to have their wrongdoing heard and investigated; and that as followers of Christ we must recognize the violation as unjust, condemn it as evil, and do whatever can be done to right the wrong (Ps. 72:1-4; Prov. 29:7; Prov. 31:9; Jer. 22:3; Am. 5:24; Zech. 7:9).
Affirmation 3: We can only love truly and fully as love is expressed in truth.
Furthermore, we recognize that one of the ways Christ showed love was in the establishment and communication of divine truth. Jesus himself is described as being “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus’ words are, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32) and his message is the word of truth (Col. 1:5; 2 Thes. 2:13). Paul admonishes us to communicate truth in love (Eph 4:15). According to scripture, freedom without truth is not true freedom and love without truth is not real love.
Affirmation 4: What love should look like within a Christian community.
The apostles return again and again to Christ’s teaching and example. Peter encourages us to “love one another deeply from the heart” (1 Pet. 1:22), and to do so with constancy, warmth, and tenderness (1 Pet. 3:8). Paul shows us that the love with which God cares for us, the love with which we are to care for others; is always forbearing and gentle, never grudging or boastful, never haughty or spiteful or rude. It does not insist on its own way, and is not easily annoyed, taking joy not in the suffering of others, but in their wellbeing. This love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). And without it, faith and knowledge, even mountain-moving faith and the knowledge of all mysteries, are absolutely pointless and vain (1 Cor. 13:1-7).
Affirmation 5: The cornerstone of all SEU policy is the affirmation of human dignity.
This calling to follow the way of love, and this confession of the sacred dignity and infinite worth of the human person are the cornerstone of SEU’s policies, programs, and practices. Hence, we commit ourselves to the work of creating and sustaining a community that upholds and safeguards the dignity and honor of each person, providing the conditions necessary for full mutual flourishing in every dimension of life.
Biblical Foundations
Our understanding of human sexuality is derived from the following biblical principles:
Into this broken world, God sent himself in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ (John 1:1–3, 14). Through His sacrifice, Jesus became the Way to restoration of the Divine/human community (John 3:16). Until one has restored his or her relationship with God through His Son, Jesus, all other relationships — including human sexuality — will remain broken (John 14:6–7).
Southeastern Human Sexuality
At Southeastern University, we affirm human sexuality as a gift from God, designed to serve as a mirror of one’s relationship with God. We believe that God’s intention for human sexuality is between one genetic male and one genetic female within the covenant of marriage (Genesis 2:18, 21–24; Hebrews 13:4). In addition, Southeastern University supports the dignity of individual persons affirming their biological sex — understanding that any attempts to change one’s God-given sexuality through elective sex-reassignment or transvestite, transgender or nonbinary “genderqueer” acts or conduct is at odds with our biblical standards, denominational affiliation and subsequently our code of conduct.
Our Commitment
Therefore, we as a community commit to the following:
Southeastern is more than a university; it is a community that transforms students. Joining this Christ-centered community obligates each student to embrace a set of core values centered on scriptural and civilized behavior.
The core values of the Southeastern community are: authentic spirituality, a Christ-centered worldview, character development for ethics in life, servant leadership, academic and professional excellence, and cultural sensitivity.
Since members of this faith-based community have voluntarily chosen to be a participant, all students are obligated to a code of scriptural and community standards and behavior. As a Christ-follower and member of the community of Southeastern University, I will:
Southeastern University strives to be an institution of high integrity and is committed to providing the most accurate information through all mediums to anyone associated with the University. Southeastern University will make every effort to not engage in misrepresentation of any form as defined by the U.S. Department Regulatory Citation: 34 CFR § 668.71 (c) which defines misrepresentation as any false, erroneous or misleading statement an eligible institution, one of its representatives, or any ineligible institution, organization, or person with whom the eligible institution has an agreement to provide educational programs, or to provide marketing, advertising, recruiting or admissions services makes directly or indirectly to a student, prospective student or any member of the public, or to an accrediting agency, to a State agency, or to the Secretary. A misleading statement includes any statement that has the likelihood or tendency to deceive. A statement is any communication made in writing, visually, orally, or through other means. Misrepresentation includes the dissemination of a student endorsement or testimonial that a student gives either under duress or because the institution required the student to make such an endorsement or testimonial to participate in a program.
For more information on our drug & alcohol abuse policy, please click here.
