Ozark Christian College shared an update Friday about its ongoing discussions with Lincoln Christian University officials in the months since LCU’s October 2023 announcement that it intends to cease academic operations after this spring’s semester.
“The agreement that has emerged is not a corporate merger or acquisition,” OCC explains in the update posted at its website. “While LCU will cease academic operations on May 31, 2024, it will continue to exist as an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, with its remaining assets and liabilities. OCC is not acquiring all of LCU’s assets, nor is OCC assuming LCU’s debt. LCU remains committed to paying its debts and managing or disbursing its remaining assets. Instead, LCU has agreed to donate three items to OCC, and OCC agreed to provide services to the LCU constituency.”
The three items Lincoln Christian University (Lincoln, Ill.) is donating to Ozark Christian College include the Lincoln Seminary name (“OCC plans to continue Lincoln Seminary at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri, beginning June 1, 2024”), its scholarship endowment (“all of LCU’s scholarship endowment—approximately $3.8 million—will continue to be used to provide scholarship funds for undergraduate and seminary students pursuing Bible and ministry education at Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary in Joplin”), and some other physical assets (“these include a few thousand books from LCU’s library to support the new seminary curriculum”).
Among the services OCC is committing to provide for the LCU constituency include administering the academic records for LCU’s 16,000-plus alumni. OCC also will provide ministry events, ministry search services, pulpit supply services, and leadership consultation for the alumni and churches in LCU’s constituency. “As part of this commitment,” the update states, “OCC recently hired David Upchurch, LCU’s current director of church ministries, to remain in Illinois and continue to serve those churches.”
The update shares three reasons the LCU–OCC agreement seems like a wise kingdom move: (1) It will result in more workers being trained for the harvest field, (2) it will help serve a strategic role in the Restoration Movement (helping to assure there will continue to be two Independent Christian Church seminaries), and (3) it helps practice good stewardship of kingdom resources.
“Both schools are taking next steps with accreditors,” according to the update; “we’ll know more by May.” Beyond that, “There are still many decisions to make and conversations to have, but we’ll share more information as clearly and quickly as possible.”
Read OCC’s entire update here.
If LCU must cease operations, then I thank God for this OCC/LCU arrangement. I am thrilled that my two alma maters will continue to exist and especially that the Seminary will continue to train servants for the work of Christ. This sounds like an arrangement made in heaven, and I am eager to see it unfold.
I devoted may hours of study and writing on the general topic of the Biblical teachings on the matter of divorce. I had general plans to publish a volume on this topic.
With the assistance of OCC and God’s grace I yet hope for this endeavor to shed the light of truth on this important issue.
Grace and peace,
Donald Kibler