The institutions are close together. Evangel University and the theological seminary are adjacent, and Central Bible College is only about four miles away. They are all owned by the General Council, which appoints the institutions’ boards.

George O. Wood, chief executive officer of the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal Christian denomination, talks often about the Feeding of the 5,000, a biblical story in which Jesus feeds 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish.

In that vein, Wood’s denomination is putting faith in the idea that, even with limited resources, it can nourish the minds of its students. This month, the General Council of the Assemblies of God voted to consolidate three higher education institutions in Springfield, Mo.: Evangel University, Central Bible College, and the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.

While the proposed merger is far from a done deal — the institutions must await accreditation approval from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools — it is an example of colleges embracing a much-talked-about potential solution to some of the issues facing higher education institutions generally and religious institutions in particular.

While many in religious higher education see the Assemblies of God consolidation as a unique situation, the institutions are not unique in their problems. While some Christian colleges and universities are thriving, institutions affiliated with certain denominations are not. They face low enrollments and sometimes minimal support from churches, and they are finding it hard to remain on firm financial footing. Those problems have been compounded by the recent economic downturn and the high administrative costs associated with infrastructure, information technology, and regulatory compliance.

Mergers, including some at Assemblies of God institutions, have been proposed frequently over the years as a way to combat these problems. Yet for various reasons many proposals have fallenapart before the final consolidation. “There are far more failed mergers than successful ones,” said Daniel Aleshire, executive director of the Association of Theological Schools. If the Springfield institutions follow through on the plan, their experience could help inform other institutions looking for creative solutions.

“We live in a changing world, and institutions that do not flex and change get into trouble. Churches that don’t change and flex get into trouble,” Wood said in a video presentation outlining the consolidation. “A new consolidated university in Springfield is better positioned to take advantage of changes that are taking place both in the church and in the secular world.”

Joseph Castleberry, president of Northwest University, an Assemblies of God institution in Washington state, said he sees the potential for mergers all across the country similar to the one happening in Springfield. “Those kinds of mergers, or takeovers, where larger institutions absorb church-based Bible institutes, could certainly be part of the future,” he said. “I think if you’ve got a good program that’s struggling, that would be accredited if it’s part of a larger institution, those kinds of mergers make sense.”

A History of Mergers
Financial problems have forced several religious institutions to close their doors in the past few years, and driven several others to consider mergers as a potential solution. Lambuth University, a university in western Tennessee affiliated with the United Methodist Church, shut down in June after years of financial struggle that culminated with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ decision to revoke the university’s accreditation.

Dana College, a Lutheran institution in Nebraska, was forced to close when the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools denied the college’s request for continued accreditation after a change of control that would have put it in the hands of a group of investors. The college had considered merging with nearby Midland Lutheran College several times.

Earlier this year Bethany University, an Assemblies of God institution in California, announced that it would be closing its doors after a deal to be purchased fell through. Bethany approached two other Assemblies of God institutions on the West Coast for possible merger, said Jim Braddy, superintendent of the Northern California and Nevada district of the Assemblies of God. But those universities were reluctant to take on the debt associated with the university.

Planning documents and administrators from the Assemblies of God institutions said that while there are educational gains to be made through consolidation, the three institutions in Springfield were also facing significant financial difficulties. “I don’t think these problems are specific to Assemblies of God institutions,” Braddy said. “I think these are issues that all of private higher education is dealing with.” [Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]

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