Part One is an official statement on the mission of the United Methodist Church in its institutions of higher education, and asserts several reasons for the church's direct involvement in colleges and universities. That statement is supported by the four concept papers in Part Two. From a theological perspective, because the world is knowable and is the expression of God's Being and Will, the Christian should seek to understand the world. The Wesleyan tradition and heritage in education is one of concern for the education of all persons, regardless of ethnic, economic, or social background. The United Methodist Church places high value on the individual's spiritual, intellectual, esthetic, emotional, and physical resources. Liberal arts education is supported as the best means of developing these capacities. Church-related institutions should emphasize value-centered inquiry. Institutions independent of the state, including colleges and universities, help to maintain personal and political freedom. Independent colleges can more readily serve the needs of particular ethnic, regional, or religious groups, therefore helping to maintain cultural pluralism diversity in educational opportunities, encourage educational excellence, and provide a bulwark against potential state infringement of academic freedom. (Author)