School History & Origins
Asbury College, Inc.
Our Story
Asbury College
Asbury College is the only United Methodist-affiliated educational institution on the island town of Anda—known as the “Mother Island of the Hundred Islands”—in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines.
We are a non-stock, non-profit, and non-sectarian institution rooted in Christian values and academic excellence.
Our Great History
After World War II
After World War II
After World War II, youth in Anda faced limited access to education. There was no secondary school on the island, and families lacked the resources to send their children to the mainland.
Rev. LeRoy Klaus
In response to this need, Asbury High School was established through the vision of Rev. LeRoy Klaus, an American United Methodist missionary. With the support of the Methodist Church Mission Board in the U.S., the idea took flight—literally. A message authorizing the school’s founding was dropped from a missionary plane over the beach of Tondol, wrapped in a handkerchief parachute.
January 6, 1946
On January 6, 1946, Asbury High School became a reality, named after Rev. Francis Asbury, the first American Bishop of The Methodist Church.
Growth and Development
1946 – 1947
1946 – 1947
Government permit granted. School opened in June 1947.
1948 – 1950
1948 – 1950
Land donations from three local families helped establish a permanent campus. The first 20 students graduated in 1950.
1955
1955
Asbury High School received full government recognition.
1966 – 1984
1966 – 1984
Expanded to offer Liberal Arts programs, eventually achieving full college status as Asbury College.
2002 – 2011
2002 – 2011
Opened pre-school and elementary departments. Pre-school received government recognition in 2011.
Asbury College, Inc.
Where We Are Today
Today, Asbury College, Inc. offers a complete educational journey:
Pre-school
Elementary
Junior and Senior High School
College-level degree programs
Asbury College, Inc.
Our Impact
Asbury has produced hundreds of alumni who now serve across the Philippines and abroad in diverse fields:
Education
Medicine
Engineering
Government & Politics
Ministry & Church Leadership
Among our proudest legacies are the pastors and deaconesses who began their journey at Asbury—testaments to our role in shaping lives grounded in faith, service, and leadership.
“The dream in 1946 became a reality, and the dream lives on—for Asbury to one day become a university.”