Former KNU President Bill Patch was honored with the title of President Emeritus for his outstanding achievements as principal and president of the developing school over a 30-year period.
KNU awards emeritus status to former president Bill Patch
Seoul, South Korea
Friday, March 28, 2008
A retirement ceremony honoring former Korea Nazarene University (KNU) President Bill Patch was held on the campus of KNU in Patch Hall Chapel on February 18. Those attending watched as Patch was honored with the title of “President Emeritus” for his outstanding achievements as principal and president of the developing school over a 30-year period.
KNU began as a non-accredited Bible school with 45 students and has now grown to a fully accredited university status with 6,000 students and 3 masters programs. Much of this growth was under the leadership of Patch.
Patch holds a bachelor of arts in psychology from Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) and a master of education with an emphasis in counseling from St. Lawrence University in New York. He was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene in 1978 and received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater (ENC) in 1988 for his college leadership and service to Jesus Christ. He became principal of Korea Nazarene Bible School in 1974. The school became accredited by the Korean Ministry of Education in 1982 at which time he became president, serving until 2004—a total of 30 years in institutional leadership.
During his tenure, KNU received numerous top awards from the Korean Ministry of Education. The government ministry selected KNU as the best university in Korea with support programs for the disabled—a passion of Patch and his wife, Gail Patch's over the years. Bill Patch was awarded the Korea Disabled Humanity Award by the President of South Korea in 2003. He has been invited to appear numerous times on various Korean public television stations to tell his and KNU’s story. He never fails to give glory to God.
Bill and Gail Patch have served as career missionaries for the Church of the Nazarene since 1973. They have two daughters, one son, and nine grandchildren—all living in the U.S. The Patches will be returning to the U.S. in August 2008 to do one year of deputation work before officially retiring from their career missionary status with the Church of the Nazarene.
With a bachelor of arts in English literature from ENC and a master of arts in English linguistics from Hoseo University in South Korea, Gail Patch is a missionary/educator who began her teaching career in Upstate New York. She feels she has been called by God to be a teacher. Her English teaching career at KNU has spanned from 1975 to 2008—a total of 32 years.
In her farewell greetings, Gail Patch remembered KNU professors, staff, and students stating that her only claim to fame was in having taught the longest in a Korean Nazarene school. With great joy and thanksgiving, she remembers students who are pastoring, teaching, evangelizing in other parts of the world, and serving as professors and leaders now at KNU.
The Patches may find it hard to “officially retire” after so many years of doing the work of the Lord they have been called to and have faithfully carried out in Korea. However, they will never really “retire” from doing God’s will and the work that He sets before them.
--KNU (Slideshow available)
KNU began as a non-accredited Bible school with 45 students and has now grown to a fully accredited university status with 6,000 students and 3 masters programs. Much of this growth was under the leadership of Patch.
Patch holds a bachelor of arts in psychology from Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) and a master of education with an emphasis in counseling from St. Lawrence University in New York. He was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene in 1978 and received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater (ENC) in 1988 for his college leadership and service to Jesus Christ. He became principal of Korea Nazarene Bible School in 1974. The school became accredited by the Korean Ministry of Education in 1982 at which time he became president, serving until 2004—a total of 30 years in institutional leadership.
During his tenure, KNU received numerous top awards from the Korean Ministry of Education. The government ministry selected KNU as the best university in Korea with support programs for the disabled—a passion of Patch and his wife, Gail Patch's over the years. Bill Patch was awarded the Korea Disabled Humanity Award by the President of South Korea in 2003. He has been invited to appear numerous times on various Korean public television stations to tell his and KNU’s story. He never fails to give glory to God.
Bill and Gail Patch have served as career missionaries for the Church of the Nazarene since 1973. They have two daughters, one son, and nine grandchildren—all living in the U.S. The Patches will be returning to the U.S. in August 2008 to do one year of deputation work before officially retiring from their career missionary status with the Church of the Nazarene.
With a bachelor of arts in English literature from ENC and a master of arts in English linguistics from Hoseo University in South Korea, Gail Patch is a missionary/educator who began her teaching career in Upstate New York. She feels she has been called by God to be a teacher. Her English teaching career at KNU has spanned from 1975 to 2008—a total of 32 years.
In her farewell greetings, Gail Patch remembered KNU professors, staff, and students stating that her only claim to fame was in having taught the longest in a Korean Nazarene school. With great joy and thanksgiving, she remembers students who are pastoring, teaching, evangelizing in other parts of the world, and serving as professors and leaders now at KNU.
The Patches may find it hard to “officially retire” after so many years of doing the work of the Lord they have been called to and have faithfully carried out in Korea. However, they will never really “retire” from doing God’s will and the work that He sets before them.
--KNU (Slideshow available)