Mission, Vision, Affirmation, Belief

Chapel stained glass

Mission

Pepperdine is a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.

Vision

Pepperdine University will be a preeminent, global, Christian university, known for the integration of faith and learning, whose graduates lead purposeful lives as servant-minded leaders throughout the world.

Our vision statement declares what we intend to become. George Pepperdine envisioned an institution that would transform students' lives so that they would, in turn, impact culture. He imagined a vast body of alumni—men and women conscious of their good fortune, recipients of the generous gift of a Christian education—who would feel the moral imperative to serve others sacrificially. Hence, the school's motto: "Freely ye received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8).

Pepperdine Affirms

As a Christian university Pepperdine affirms:

That God is
That God is revealed uniquely in Christ
That the educational process may not, with impunity, be divorced from the divine process
That the student, as a person of infinite dignity, is the heart of the educational enterprise
That the quality of student life is a valid concern of the University
That truth, having nothing to fear from investigation, should be pursued relentlessly in every discipline
That spiritual commitment, tolerating no excuse for mediocrity, demands the highest standards of academic excellence
That freedom, whether spiritual, intellectual, or economic, is indivisible
That knowledge calls, ultimately, for a life of service.

Pepperdine Believes

This document expresses the core tenets and beliefs that form the foundation of Pepperdine University’s Christian identity.

God

Pepperdine University confesses faith in the one God of Scripture — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — the holy and sovereign Creator of all things. God made the world good and created all people, male and female, in His image. He has revealed His will and purpose through Scripture and has acted in love and justice to redeem creation through Jesus Christ.

Christ

We affirm that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, through whom all things were made. Born of a virgin, He entered the world and lived a sinless life, proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom and calling all people to repentance and faith. Through His death on the cross and His bodily resurrection, Christ forever conquered sin and death, offering forgiveness and eternal life by grace through faith. Now exalted at the Father’s right hand, He reigns as Lord and will return to renew all things.

Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the promised gift of God, who dwells within every believer. The Spirit convicts, renews, and empowers God’s people for lives of holiness and ministry. The Spirit unifies the Church as the body of Christ, bears witness to the truth of Scripture, and forms disciples for lives of worship, service, and mission.

Scripture

We confess that Scripture — both Old and New Testaments — is the inspired and authoritative word of God. We affirm the Bible is the normative and final guide for Christian faith and life.

Grace

All people have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Yet we have hope, because through Christ’s atoning sacrifice we are reconciled to God and given the gifts of salvation and eternal life. In response to God’s grace, believers are called to love God fully and to love their neighbors as themselves, living out the values of God’s kingdom on earth as in heaven.

Church

We believe the Church is the body of Christ, with Christ as its head. It is the community of believers justified by grace through faith, baptized into Christ, and called to love God and neighbor. The Church gathers regularly for Communion, where we remember Christ’s death, celebrate His resurrection, and experience renewal in Him. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Church is commissioned to proclaim the gospel, make disciples of all nations, and continue the ministry of Jesus until He returns. We actively worship and serve in a local community of faith.

Christ-Like Living

We affirm that God calls His people to reflect the redeeming work of Christ in every aspect of life. Believers are called to lives of righteousness; to love God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love their neighbor as themselves; to act justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with God; to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the prisoner; to speak the truth in love; to cultivate the Spirit’s fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; and to be salt and light in the world so that others may come to follow Jesus. We affirm historic, orthodox Christian beliefs about human sexuality.¹ The University affirms that the Holy Spirit enables believers to live in obedience to Christ and His commands. We await the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead and bring creation to its promised fulfillment.

As a Christian university, Pepperdine University anchors its mission in this faith, believing that all truth is God’s truth and that education is an act of worship dedicated to the glory of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Joining faith and scholarship in service to God, we seek wisdom and truth in all disciplines.

This document is not comprehensive of the full Biblical foundation of Pepperdine University and it is not intended to serve as a full statement of all Biblical teachings. It provides a framework for the University’s identity and beliefs as followers of Jesus Christ.

Human Sexuality | Pepperdine University

Frequently Asked Questions

What purpose or function does Pepperdine Believes serve at Pepperdine?

As an educational institution, we have a legal and operational necessity to define our corporate identity and educational mission. This document does not govern a believer's standing before God; it defines the theological framework of Pepperdine University. Pepperdine Believes provides truth-in-advertising for prospective students, faculty, and donors, ensuring they understand the nature of the institution they are joining or supporting. It serves as a safeguard against "mission drift," ensuring that Pepperdine remains distinctly Christian for generations to come. It gives our schools, deans, and vice presidents a clear framework for aligning their programs, hiring practices, and student life initiatives with our foundational identity.

How does Pepperdine Believes relate to the University’s Affirmation Statement?

Pepperdine Believes and the Affirmation Statement share a common foundation in Pepperdine’s Christian mission but are distinct documents. The Affirmation Statement is a longstanding statement of Pepperdine’s identity and foundational commitments as a Christian university. Pepperdine Believes expands and clarifies many of the foundational beliefs that shape the University’s identity, mission, and educational enterprise.

Will members of the Pepperdine community be asked to sign Pepperdine Believes?

No. Members of the Pepperdine community will not be asked to sign that document. Pepperdine Believes articulates the theological framework and institutional identity of Pepperdine University. It is not an individual affirmation that any members of the community are required to sign.

Why did the Board of Regents draft Pepperdine Believes?

Defining the foundational identity and core mission of Pepperdine is a unique fiduciary and spiritual responsibility of the Board of Regents. While community consensus is desirable for operational policies and community life, an institution’s foundational anchor cannot be subject to shifting cultural or generational currents. The Regents’ intent in this instance was to faithfully articulate what has been entrusted to us by our founders and history.

How was Pepperdine Believes drafted and upon what was it based?

Pepperdine Believes is grounded in historic, orthodox Christian faith, rooted in the Old and New Testaments, and reflective of the foundational truths shared across Christian traditions throughout history. It was carefully crafted to honor Pepperdine’s specific heritage within the Churches of Christ, emphasizing a deep commitment to Scripture, the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and the unity of believers. In consultation with the university’s executive leadership team and theological scholars, and through prayerful deliberation, members of the Faith and Heritage Committee of the Board of Regents developed, approved, and adopted Pepperdine Believes.

What is the role of the Faith and Heritage Committee of the Board of Regents in overseeing spiritual life at Pepperdine?

Pepperdine University’s Bylaws, section 7.14, delegate “ultimate responsibility” to the Faith and Heritage Committee to “oversee the establishment and maintenance for the University of those policies and practices of religion and spiritual life considered by the committee to be appropriate to ensure a continuing and meaningful relationship between the University and Churches of Christ,” among other responsibilities relating to oversight of spiritual life at Pepperdine.

What does Pepperdine Believes mean for those in our community who do not agree with elements of it?

You belong here. Pepperdine Believes defines the institution’s identity; it is not a prerequisite for admission, nor does it diminish our love, respect, and support for individual members of our community who hold different convictions. We recognize and respect that there is a wide variety of thought and interpretation within the Church. We do not expect every individual to view scripture through the exact same lens. The statement focuses on the historic, consensus tenets of the Christian faith that have united believers for two millennia. Pepperdine has always held a high view of scripture as inspired and authoritative. Affirming this historic position is a continuation of the Christian intellectual tradition that values both rigorous faith and rigorous reason. Pepperdine has always been, and will remain, a place where students and scholars of all faiths—or no faith—can pursue truth together. We believe true community is built on honesty, not forced uniformity. We do not require you to hold these beliefs for a seat at the table. Rather, Pepperdine Believes clarifies who is hosting the table and the values of love, grace, and truth that dictate how we treat every guest.

If I am a Jewish (or other non-Christian) member of Pepperdine’s student body, staff, faculty, or administration, am I still welcomed and valued at Pepperdine?

Yes. Pepperdine is a Christian university that has always welcomed and valued community members who have different views on faith, yet who are supportive of our identity and aspirations as a Christian institution. This posture has been in place since the original founding of Pepperdine College in 1937 and has benefited both university culture and mission through our entire history. “Pepperdine Believes” does not diminish your valued role at Pepperdine at all. Pepperdine will continue to welcome and support you as a valued member of our community made in God’s image.

Why now?

We live in a highly polarized and contentious cultural moment where the term "Christian higher education" can mean vastly different things to different people. Ambiguity does not serve our community. It is far better to articulate who we are from a position of confident stability than to wait and be forced to define ourselves defensively during a crisis. This is a proactive step to secure our path forward.

What does Pepperdine mean by the statement, “We affirm historic, orthodox Christian beliefs about human sexuality” in Pepperdine Believes?

In keeping with Pepperdine University's Christian mission and its heritage in Churches of Christ, all members of the University community are encouraged to consider and respect the teachings of Jesus and historic, biblical Christianity. Pepperdine University affirms that sexual relationships are designed by God to be expressed solely within a marriage between husband and wife. This view of sexuality and marriage is rooted in the Genesis account of creation and is maintained consistently throughout scripture. Sexual relations of any kind outside of marriage are inconsistent with the teaching of scripture, as understood by Christian churches throughout history, including Churches of Christ.

The Churches of Christ do not subscribe to creeds, and so how is this different?

At Pepperdine, we fully align with our Churches of Christ heritage and legacy, which historically rejects human creeds as binding tests for church fellowship or individual salvation. This is not a church creed. Pepperdine is a university, not a church.

FAQ responses are endorsed by the Board of Regents.