History
The Institute for Discipleship was chartered on April 20, 2001 by Southwestern College, a United Methodist university in Winfield, Kansas. The Institute was named in honor of Richard Wilke, then-Bishop-in-Residence at the College, and his wife, Julia, with whom he co-wrote DISCIPLE Bible study. The Institute is dedicated to carrying forward the Wilkes’ legacy, which has always centered on the following goals:
- Provide quality Christian resources and education through innovative use of technology
- Encourage the formation and development of small groups which build Christian community and sustain and uplift their members
- Produce and engage with high-quality theological content
- Resource a global church
About the Founders
Bishop Richard Wilke and his wife, Julia Wilke, designed and wrote DISCIPLE Bible Study as a training for Christian leaders. The DISCIPLE series of studies includes four adult manuals, a youth version of DISCIPLE I, and has spun off several additional studies including The Grand Sweep, Christian Believer, Jesus in the Gospels, and the “Invitation to…” short-term Bible studies. DISCIPLE has nearly three million graduates in more than 10,000 congregations from 30 denominations and is available in several languages.
The Institute for Discipleship was formed as an extension of the Wilkes’ life-long ministry and service to the Church immediately after the Wilkes finished writing the fourth and final DISCIPLE manual.
Read news stories about Richard and Julia Wilke
Read news stories about the Institute’s continued commitment to DISCIPLE Bible Study