Institutions to pursue opportunities for partnership rather than merger/acquisition.

In March of 2012, Covenant College appointed Dr. J. Derek Halvorson, the current president of Providence Christian College, as its sixth president. At the same time, the Boards of Trustees of Covenant and Providence signed a letter of intent, expressing Covenant’s intent to, with due diligence, acquire Providence, and in so doing, to strengthen and advance the cause of distinctively Reformed Christian higher education on the West Coast.

In the weeks since then, both colleges have studied the opportunity thoroughly. The Board of Trustees of Providence recently voted to withdraw from further consideration of a merger with or acquisition by Covenant.

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Both Providence and Covenant Colleges issued news releases about their plans.

Announcement from Providence Christian College

Providence Christian College and Covenant College to remain distinct institutions, to pursue opportunities for partnership rather than merger/acquisition

On Thursday, May 3, the Board of Trustees of Providence Christian College gathered its faculty, staff and students to announce that they were withdrawing from the merger discussions with Covenant College and that the college would move forward in its current status as an independent institution.

Providence Board Chairman Pete Nanninga states “After a lengthy due diligence process and much study and prayer of the matter, the board came to the conclusion that it simply wasn’t the right time in the history of either college to pursue the partnership. The expedited timeframe for implementation was becoming increasingly difficult for students, staff and faculty at both institutions. We knew from the outset of our discussions with Covenant College that combining our two institutions would not be an easy task, but neither party could have sufficiently predicted the extent of the challenges that Covenant’s regional accreditation agency compliance would present. We are so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with our counterparts at Covenant College. While our discussions may not have resulted in an official union of our two institutions, we have come to appreciate how much we have in common, particularly now that we share a special bond through Dr. Derek Halvorson. Through his recent leadership here at Providence and his future leadership at Covenant we look forward to new opportunities to work together in the wonderful mission of educating our young people from the Reformed perspective.”

Expressing many of the same sentiments, Martin A. Moore, chairman of the Covenant College Board of Trustees said. “While our colleges will not be merging, we seek to pursue opportunities to work together as partners in Reformed Christian higher education, to equip the next generation of biblically grounded churchmen and churchwomen for service in Christ’s kingdom.”

With this announcement, Providence will be launching a restructuring of its academic programs and the “Providence Promise” giving campaign, both aimed at securing the enrollment and funding to move forward independently as a financially viable institution. Development Director Jack Hoekstra states “We are excited to get out there and talk to our faithful supporters about the fact that Providence will be moving forward in this way. It gives them a tangible opportunity to make a huge difference in the future of the institution and Reformed education on the West Coast right now with their pledge.”

Providence will restructure its academic program by offering one major in Liberal Arts with multiple concentrations such as English, Education, Business, Biblical Studies, Biblical Languages, History, and Communication. “The new structure for Providence’s academic program will give our students even greater breadth in their education, while still allowing them to specialize in the subjects they care most deeply about.” says Academic Dean Russ Reeves. Providence will also continue in the WASC accreditation process.

As Providence wraps up the semester with graduation this Saturday, the students will be leaving campus but staff and faculty will be working diligently over the next month restructuring programs and securing enrollment and funding for this new phase. The college community trusts that those who have supported Providence in the past will do so with renewed enthusiasm and that God will continue to be faithful to the college.

Announcement from Covenant College

Dear Covenant family:

As you may remember, in March when we appointed Dr. Derek Halvorson as Covenant’s next president, the Boards of Trustees of Covenant and Providence Christian College signed a letter of intent, expressing Covenant’s intent to, with due diligence, acquire Providence, and in so doing, to strengthen and advance the cause of distinctively Reformed Christian higher education on the West Coast.

In the weeks since then, both colleges have studied the opportunity thoroughly. The Board of Trustees of Providence announced last night that they voted to withdraw from further consideration of a merger with or acquisition by Covenant.

We have enjoyed getting to know our brothers and sisters at Providence better over the past two months and are encouraged by the excellent work they are doing on the West Coast. While our colleges will not be merging, we seek to pursue opportunities to work together as partners in Reformed Christian higher education, to equip the next generation of biblically grounded churchmen and churchwomen for service in Christ’s kingdom.

Sincerely,

Martin A. Moore
Chairman, Board of Trustees

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