Dr. Nielson will be leaving to become president of the newly formed Maclellan Center for Global Christian Education, an initiative of the Maclellan Family Foundations, which has been created to strengthen and advance the Christian education enterprise in the United States and throughout the world.

At a meeting of the Covenant College Board of Trustees on March 18, Dr. Niel Nielson announced his resignation as president in order to accept a new position with Maclellan Center for Global Christian Education. Mr. Martin Moore, Chairman of the Covenant Board, expressed the board’s appreciation for Dr. Nielson’s service over the last nine years as the fifth president of the college. The resignation is effective as of June 30, 2012.

Here is the board letter announcing Dr. Nielson’s resignation:

Dear Covenant College family,

With immense gratitude for his service and leadership, it falls to me, on behalf of Covenant College’s Board of Trustees, to announce that President Niel Nielson will step down from his position at Covenant as of June 30, 2012, to accept a new call. Dr. Nielson has served as Covenant’s fifth president since 2002.

Dr. Nielson will be leaving to become president of the newly formed Maclellan Center for Global Christian Education, an initiative of the Maclellan Family Foundations, which has been created to strengthen and advance the Christian education enterprise in the United States and throughout the world. In pursuing this purpose, the Center will support the mission and ministry of the global church and will promote the gospel’s impact on society and culture, for the glory of God.

While we regret seeing Dr. Nielson leave Covenant’s presidency, the Board of Trustees commends this new initiative and looks forward to potential opportunities for partnership.

Covenant has flourished under Dr. Nielson’s leadership. He brought with him a unique combination of gifts and experiences in the academy, the church, financial markets, human resources, and business, as well as a profound sense of the importance and distinctiveness of the mission of this institution. In the nearly nine years of his tenure at Covenant to date, the College has seen the development of new and expanded academic programs, growth of the student body and the faculty and staff, increased partnerships with churches, a widening of Covenant’s circle of friends and supporters, and significant campus development.

Most importantly, under Dr. Nielson’s leadership, the College has remained as committed as ever to its core beliefs and founding purpose and has furthered its mission of exploring and expressing the preeminence of Jesus Christ in all things. We are extremely grateful for the contributions of Niel and his wife, Kathleen, to the Covenant community and ultimately to God’s kingdom work—and we are enthusiastic about the work still to come under his leadership through mid-2012.

The Board of Trustees very soon will appoint a search committee and begin the process of selecting the sixth president of Covenant College. I invite you to join us in praying for God’s blessing upon the search process and Covenant’s next president.

Sincerely,

Martin A. Moore
Chairman, Board of Trustees