Why Boston?
The City Where Revolution Begins
When Sattler was still in the vision phase, one of the big questions to answer was,
"What is the best location in the US to start a new college focused on equipping Jesus’ Peaceful Revolution?"
After consideration, Sattler College was established in Boston, Massachusetts, because Sattler College wanted to give students the opportunity to study in a location that is steeped in:
Academics
Boston: a World-Leader in Higher Education
Boston is home to Harvard University and many other top tier colleges like Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Boston University. This academic hub brings top minds from all across the world to learn, plan, dream, and revolutionize their fields.
Boston is one of the most famous medical and business centers in the US. This can help students network, get internships, and find jobs or career paths.
Sattler students have the opportunity to brush shoulders with some of the brightest minds in their generation just by living in Boston. Students from all over the world come to Boston to learn and find truth, and this gives Sattler students opportunities to connect and share their faith with students from local colleges. Check out How Two Sattler Students Combine College with Evangelism.
History
Boston: America's Beginning
In US history, Boston stands out as one of the most important cities in the country. Boston was founded by Puritans from England in 1630, and in 1636, Harvard University was established, further cementing Boston’s position as a leading city in the colonies.
Later, the Boston Massacre in 1770, the Boston Tea Party in 1773, and Paul Revere’s famous night time ride in 1775 gave Boston a permanent place in American Revolutionary War history.
Boston’s deep, rich history gives Sattler students chances to learn from the political, academic, and spiritual revolutions that Boston has brought to the world. Sattler College also hopes to be a place of revolution, pushing students forward to spread Jesus’ Kingdom and change the world.
Spiritual Revival
Boston: a Center for Spiritual Revolution
While Boston is famous for its history of revolution in the American War of Independence, it is also a city of many spiritual revivals and revolutions.
In 1740-41, during the First Great Awakening, George Whitefield held revival meetings in Boston. People from Boston and surrounding areas flooded to hear him preach. Whitefield had a booming voice and reportedly preached to around 23,000 people in the Boston Common. This was an astonishing reception of spiritual hunger, especially given the entire population of Boston at that time was only around 17,000.1
Spurred on by the Second Great Awakening, local Boston churches began forming missionary committees in the 1820’s. A tide of missionary zeal and spiritual awakening spread throughout Boston, resulting in many churches, but specifically Park Street Church and Old South Church sending out waves of missionaries to destinations around the world.2
Sattler hopes that as students walk by Park Street Church regularly, they will be reminded of the spiritual fervor and foreign missions that were started in Boston. This spiritual history of revival and evangelistic missions inspires students at Sattler College to continue to spread the Kingdom in their own generation.
In 1877, D.L. Moody, who had originally come to Christ while working at a Boston shoe store, came back to preach in Boston. His months preaching in Boston stirred up tremendous spiritual revival and fervor. And in the 20th century, Billy Sunday and Billy Graham both preached to packed churches, arenas, public spaces and brought renewed vigor and desire for God.
Boston’s strong history of revolution and revival inspires Sattler College to equip students to begin a new spiritual revolution in Boston. Sattler hopes to cultivate an atmosphere of spiritual depth and renewal where college students rise up to spread the Kingdom of God.