Following is a press release from the Board of Trustees of Providence Christian College. Also see our story on the election of PCC’s current president to become the new president of Covenant College

On behalf of the Providence Christian College Board of Trustees, Chairman Pete Nanninga announced today plans to merge the Christian liberal arts college in Pasadena, California with sister institution Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.

Both institutions’ boards of trustees have approved a letter of intent that paves the way for due diligence and a potential completion of the merger as soon as the summer of 2012. Under the terms of that letter, Providence will continue to operate on its Pasadena campus under the name Providence Christian College in combination with the name of Covenant College.

“We are delighted to have reached an agreement to partner with Covenant College in advancing the cause of Reformed Christian higher education on the West Coast,” said Mr. Nanninga. “Both institutions share a commitment to providing rigorous, residential, Christian liberal arts education, and both adhere to the historic, theological tenets of the Reformed faith. In addition to these shared theological and missional commitments, the two colleges have a number of historical ties that make the merger very natural.

Perhaps most exciting from our perspective, this deal has the potential to rapidly accelerate Providence’s development and give our students access to an array of academic programs that would still be years away otherwise, all while preserving Providence’s founding mission and vision.”

Covenant College’s board chairman, Martin A. Moore, expressed equal enthusiasm for the potential of the partnership: “We believe this sister institution—a small, Reformed, residential liberal arts college—is a remarkable fit with Covenant’s mission and purpose and offers an opportunity for Covenant to extend the reach of its mission. In consultation with key constituencies, including the faculty, we will with due diligence pursue the acquisition and operation of Providence Christian College.”

In conjunction with the announcement of intention to merge, Covenant College Board Chairman Martin A. Moore announced the selection of Dr. J. Derek Halvorson as the sixth president of Covenant College. Dr. Halvorson’s tenure will begin on July 1, 2012.

“The unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees evidences our strongly-held belief that Dr. Halvorson will provide the godly leadership needed to further advance the College’s mission of exploring and expressing the preeminence of Jesus Christ in all things,” stated Mr. Moore.

Regarding the plans to merge, Dr. Halvorson made the following statement: “I am delighted with the announcement of plans to merge Providence and Covenant. As someone who knows both institutions well, I can attest that there exists a remarkable unity of mission and vision and theological commitment between the two colleges’ boards, faculties, staffs, and student bodies”.

“Both institutions are devoted to equipping young men and women with rigorous, biblically faithful Reformed education that prepares them to serve church, community, and world—to live out extraordinary callings in ordinary and sometimes extraordinary places. This partnership in pursuit of that mission bodes well for the church and the kingdom of Christ.”

Dr. Halvorson is currently the president of Providence Christian College. In addition to his current executive position, he brings experience in fundraising and constituent relations from his previous roles at Covenant, and experience in teaching and in the financial markets. He has been ordained as a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). After graduating cum laude from Covenant in 1993 with a B.A. in history, Dr. Halvorson earned an M.A. from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. from Loyola University Chicago—both in history. He and his wife, Wendy, are the parents of a son and a daughter.