Lincoln Christian University announces potential sale of Hargrove Chapel and other campus structures

 

[April 06, 2022] 

Lincoln Christian University is pleased to announce that it is exploring the sale of a portion of its campus to Open Arms Christian Fellowship, one of its partner churches in Lincoln, Illinois.

The proposal involves Open Arms purchasing the portion of LCU’s campus that includes the University’s chapel, athletic facilities, and dormitories (marked below in red). These facilities would be used by the church for its worship services and community outreach. LCU would retain its original footprint including the Administration Building, Timothy Hall, Harmony Hall, the Warehouse, Henderson Hall, Restoration Hall, and the Student Apartments (marked below in green).

Though the recently announced “LCU to You” model involves more courses and programs being offered online and in participating churches, the university still needs a campus for administrative offices for more than 30 employees, classrooms, housing, and space for retreats, conferences, and events.

“There are still significant hoops to jump through,” LCU President Silas McCormick said, “we’ll need some approvals, to separate the utilities, and to work out all of the many details that come with a sale of this scope. This is a really great option for us. It’s good for Open Arms who is bursting at the seams right now, and it’s good for us as it helps us reduce our debt and fit our campus to our new educational model. It’s good for the community too, as it helps us remain here in Lincoln. We needed to do something with this campus, and we wanted it to be good for the Kingdom and good for the community. We’re deeply grateful that we’ve found a potential partner who shares these goals.”

[Tracy Thomas]