Eighteen Christian colleges have closed since the arrival of COVID-19 in early 2020, Christianity Today reported last week. Included among them are Methodist, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Church of Christ, and Independent Christian Church institutions. A common feature is that all were small and struggling even before the coronavirus.
“Small institutions are resilient or they wouldn’t still be in existence,” David Fincher, president of Central Christian College of the Bible (CCCB) of Moberly, Mo., told the magazine. “At the end of the day, though, there’s only so much resiliency gets you when there’s a perfect storm.”
Among Restoration Movement colleges, CCCB merged with/absorbed St. Louis Christian College in 2022. Nebraska Christian College closed after spring semester 2020. (NCC had merged with Hope International University, which remains open, in 2016.) And noninstrumental Church of Christ-affiliated Ohio Valley University closed at the end of 2021.
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NEWS BRIEFS
American Rehabilitation Ministries and ARM Prison Outreach International—founded by Joe R. Garman in 1973—will host a 50th anniversary celebration from 1 to 3 p.m. May 11 at their office in Joplin, Mo. The ministry will provide refreshments and share stories of God’s faithfulness in the past and their plans for the future. RSVP by email at [email protected] or call (417) 781-9100.
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A food pantry at Fortville (Ind.) Christian Church has grown over the years—through the help of other churches, dozens of volunteers, and grant monies—to become the Fortville (Ind.) Area Rescue Mission. Every Tuesday, people in need can come to FARM, which is housed at Fortville Christian Church, to shop for their groceries, enjoy a social hour with snacks, and hear speakers. The Daily Reporter wrote a feature article about FARM after a recent appreciation program and dinner.
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The architect leading the $3.2 million refurbishing of the 166-foot iconic, brick First Christian Church tower in Columbus, Ind., told a group recently that the tower’s construction 80-plus years ago was deceptively difficult.
“The tower looks very simple, but its construction took incredible skill and technical ability,” said Louis Joyner, according to an article in The Republic newspaper. “Building a structure that tall, with sheer, unbroken surfaces was a real feat. It’s hard to keep it straight, and plumb, with brick colors evenly distributed, mortar color consistent—all while leaning over the edge of the building (without scaffolding).”
“It originally took six months to build (in 1940 and 1941), and it’s taking us 10 months to repair,” he said.
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On Earth Day (April 22), volunteers from Capitol City Christian Church (Lincoln, Neb.) gathered with students from Norwood Park Elementary School to help them prepare and plant seeds in the school’s new plant beds, klkntv.com reported. This summer, students are invited to return to harvest the carrots, radishes, and green onions they planted.
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Sullivan (Ind.) First Christian Church teamed with Grace Church of Noblesville, Ind., to make the Grace Care Center Mobile Pantry available to families in Sullivan County who are struggling in the aftermath of a tornado March 31 that destroyed more than 200 structures, wibqam.com reported. The Mobile Pantry is a 53-foot-long trailer filled with free groceries and other necessary household items.
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The Worthington (Minn.) Christian Church Food Shelf raised $8,291 during its March food and donation drive, which unlocked an $8,000 matching grant from the Worthington Regional Health Care Foundation, the Globe reported.
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