Chartered by the State of Tennessee in 1847, Bethel began as a seminary for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church with the purpose of training young male pastors for the growing denomination. It was not until the college moved to McKenzie in 1872 that it first began to admit women as students.Enrollment grew exponentially with the introduction of the Success Program in 1997. Designed to help busy adults complete a bachelor’s degree in Management & Organizational Development, the college began offering classes that met one night per week at the McKenzie campus. Today, Bethel offers classes at seven campus locations across the state of Tennessee, including Paris, Memphis, Jackson, Clarksville, Nashville, and Chattanooga.