Lincoln Christian University to dissolve at the end of 2023-24 school year
Ozark Christian College to move Lincoln Seminary to Joplin Missouri in 2024

Statement from LCU President Silas McCormick

 

[October 11, 2023] 

In 1944, Lincoln Bible Institute was founded by Earl Hargrove, and the school quickly gained a sterling reputation for preparing men and women for ministry in the local church. Over the course of the next nearly 80 years, Lincoln Christian University—born out of Lincoln Bible Institute—continued that good work while also educating all students, undergraduate and graduate alike, to live out their faith consistently and considerately in the world, regardless of their profession.

In 1942, two years before LBI’s founding, Ozark Christian College (then called Ozark Bible College) was founded with much the same mission and has, for over 80 years, been deeply faithful in their own kingdom work. As our slightly older sister school, we have enjoyed a long relationship, and the sibling bond between Ozark and Lincoln has never been more meaningful than it is now.

The last several years have been challenging for higher education and particularly for Christian higher education. We have felt deeply our own share of challenges. Our mission to nurture and equip Christians with a biblical worldview to serve and lead in the church and the world has remained the same, but in February 2022, we announced a radical shift (here) in our programming and educational delivery. These changes have seen some marked success, particularly with our Lincoln Christian Institute initiative. However, we have continued to see a steep decline in enrollment, as well as a partial decline in giving.

At the end of summer 2023, LCU’s leadership concluded (1) we were not likely to be able to proceed independently as an institution, and (2) we should pursue collaboration with a sister school. This inspired a conversation between the leadership teams of Lincoln Christian University and Ozark Christian College—and eventually, the boards of both schools. The two colleges reached a resolution, described below, and institutional conversations are ongoing with regard to further implications of the resolution.

Pending approval by our respective accrediting bodies, at the end of the academic year, May 31, 2024:

• Lincoln Christian Seminary will be acquired by Ozark Christian College.

• Ozark Christian College will retain the name “Lincoln Seminary” to celebrate the legacy of our institution’s contributions to the kingdom.

• Ozark Christian College will adopt our HLC- and ATS-accredited Master of Divinity degree, as well as our Master of Arts degrees in Biblical Studies and Bible and Theology, and merge our MA in Ministry into their own MA in Christian Ministry.

• Any current Lincoln Christian University seminary students in the above-named programs who continue at Ozark are guaranteed zero loss—no increase in tuition, no increase in degree requirements—and all degrees have a fully online option.

• For current LCU students in other programs—our Bachelor of Arts degrees in Christian Ministry and Biblical and Theological Studies and our Master of Arts degrees in Counseling, Theology, and Organizational Leadership, or any others: we will help each student find a “home” for your continued education that reflects sound stewardship of the work you’ve already done.

• Lincoln Christian University will cease academic operations. That is, we will no longer be offering academic credit or degrees. However, some non-academic activities will likely be necessary while we resolve any outstanding debts and assets.

There is no small amount of grief behind this news, but it is Christian grief of high order—not without hope. We are grateful for the continued ministry of Lincoln Christian Seminary in name and with excellence via a sibling who cares deeply about and for us and our mission.

There is much to be shared in the days to come, and we are all hurting. We would very much appreciate your grace and patience. We will aim for timely and clear communication that will include, but not be limited to: FAQ documents for students, donors, and alumni; ongoing announcements concerning LCU’s regional presence and its campus; and information related to Ozark’s acquisition of the Seminary.

In the meantime, we do want to make a request of you: please help us finish this academic year well—from now through May 31, 2024. A good finish for us means a good start for our sister school who has come alongside us in a time of need and will carry on our work. To put it simply: please continue to give, and please continue to pray.

At Convocation in August, we continued our long-held tradition of beginning the academic year with the doxological statement that closes out Jude (verses 24 and 25), and it seems fitting to conclude this announcement in the same way: “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!”

And to that we, along with you—and all of us with Jude—say, “Amen.”

[Sila McCormick]