In April 2025, Trinity Western University(TWU) announced that it would take over the flagship theological seminary of the Free Evangelical Church of America, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS). Students at TEDS would continue in their program until the end of the Spring 2026 semester. TWU would take full responsibility of TEDS beginning January 2026, but it would not assume any debts associated with TEDS or Trinity International University to which TEDS belongs. Presumably, current TEDS students who are unable to complete their programs by the end of Spring 2026 would need to complete their studies at TWU in Langley British Columbia.
Interestingly, TWU, began life in 1962 as Trinity Junior College becoming Trinity Western College in 1972. The name adopted in 1972 reflects its association, through the Evangelical Free Churches of America, with Trinity College in the United States. The British Columbia legislation subsequently created TWU as a university in 1985, while the history of Trinity College is discussed below.
Historical Overview
Trinity International University (TIU), an evangelical Christian institution, has a rich history dating back to the late 19th century. Its origins trace back to 1897 with the establishment of a ten-week Bible course offered by the Swedish Evangelical Free Church in Chicago. This initiative evolved into the Swedish Bible Institute of Chicago. In 1910, the Norwegian-Danish Free Church founded the Norwegian-Danish Bible Institute and Academy in Minnesota. These two institutions merged in 1949 to form Trinity Seminary and Bible College. By 1961, the unified institution relocated to Bannockburn, Illinois, and was renamed Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) and Trinity College. In 1995, these entities were consolidated under the umbrella of Trinity International University.
Throughout its history, TIU became renowned for its theological scholarship, with TEDS attracting esteemed faculty members such as Carl F. H. Henry, Kenneth Kantzer, and D.A. Carson. The institution played a pivotal role in shaping evangelical thought and education in the United States.
Recent Developments and Structural Changes
TIU faced challenges in recent years that led to significant restructuring, leading to the discontinuation of several programs and offerings. Due to reduced enrolment following the 2020-2022 pandemic, and associated financial difficulties, in 2023 it closed its residential and in-person undergraduate programs (Trinity College), transitioning to exclusively online offerings. The online undergraduate program was subsequently closed at the end of the Spring 2024 semester. In early 2024, TIU closed the Trinity Graduate School and its regional campus in Florida as part of budgetary measures.
Camp Timber-lee, a ministry gifted to TIU in 2016, was closed due to longstanding financial challenges, including a $2.8 million cumulative loss in its first full year under TIU’s operation. The Bannockburn property was also sold to enable the University to continue functioning while seeking to get its finances in order.
At the beginning of 2025, TIU continued to operate TEDS and even introduced new initiatives, including a fully asynchronous online Master of Divinity program and seven new certificate programs designed for church leaders. However, as noted, TEDS will merge with TWU and move to TWU’s campus in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. This move aims to consolidate resources and continue the seminary’s mission within a new framework.
Meanwhile, Trinity Law School, located in Santa Ana, California, remains operational and continues to offer its programs. Further, TIU continues to maintain an undergraduate program for incarcerated student in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
As of Spring 2025, TIU listed 197 faculty members spread across the Law School and TEDS. While many might be part time, 86 faculty members are listed under TEDS. It is unlikely that, except for a few, TEDS faculty will simply be laid off, with few openings for Biblical scholars and theologians available as other Christian universities also appear to face financial stress. Consider, for example, the case of Limestone University.
Demise of Another Christian University
Limestone College was established in 1845 as a private Christian institution in Gaffney, South Carolina. It officially changed its name to Limestone University on July 1, 2020. This transition was part of a strategic initiative to better reflect the institution’s expanded academic offerings, particularly its growing graduate programs. The rebranding aligned with Limestone’s 175th anniversary and aimed to position the university for long-term success. However, it announced its closure at the end of the Spring 2025 semester after nearly 180 years of operation. The decision followed an unsuccessful emergency fundraising campaign aimed at addressing significant financial challenges. The demise of Limestone University is attributed to four causes:
- Declining Enrollment: Over the past decade, enrollment dropped by approximately 50%, from more than 3,300 students in 2014 to about 1,600 in recent years. This decline was primarily in undergraduate enrolment and significantly reduced tuition revenue, a primary income source for the university.
- Financial Deficits and Debt: The university faced persistent operating deficits, including a reported $12.6 million shortfall in the 2022–2023 fiscal year. Additionally, Limestone carried approximately $30 million in debt, further straining its financial stability.
- Unsuccessful Fundraising Efforts: In April 2025, Limestone launched a two-week fundraising campaign to raise $6 million necessary to continue operations. Despite receiving over $2 million from nearly 200 donors, including a $1 million contribution from the Fullerton Foundation, the campaign fell short. Consequently, the Board of Trustees voted to discontinue both on-campus and online programs.
- Broader Trends in Higher Education: Limestone’s closure reflects a wider pattern of small private colleges struggling with financial sustainability amid declining enrollment and rising operational costs. These challenges have led to the closure of several similar institutions in recent years.
Prior to its closure, Limestone University offered a diverse range of academic programs across four main colleges: Business, Education and Behavioral Sciences, Health Sciences (especially nursing but also Occupational Therapy, Kinesiology and Health Care), and Humanities and Computing (including programs in English, History, Mathematics, Music, Cyber Security, Information Technology, and Programming). Graduate programs included a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and graduate degrees in Social Work, Education and Science.
What are some lessons that can be learned?
Lessons Learned
It is difficult to determine factors that cause the demise of smaller, private Christian (and other) universities. Here are some factors that have been proposed.
- While detailed enrollment figures by program are not publicly available, it is common for small liberal arts institutions to see declines in humanities and fine arts programs during periods of overall enrollment reduction. Conversely, programs in business, healthcare, and technology often maintain more stable enrollment due to higher job market demand.
- Programs that typically incur higher per-student operational costs are ones that require specialized equipment, facilities, or lower student-to-faculty ratios. These programs likely include nursing and health sciences, athletic training and kinesiology, and laboratory-based sciences as these require dedicated facilities and equipment for practical training. In contrast, programs like business administration, social work, and certain online degrees generally have lower operational costs per student, especially when delivered through scalable online platforms.
- Financial considerations are important. One problem is difficulty in keeping a tight reign on finances, as was the case with Limestone University. This may especially be true at schools that rely on donations and student tuition fees that are sensitive to fees provided by secular, public universities. Fund raising is often an ongoing endeavour that cannot be relaxed even for short periods of time.
- Faith-based institutions may have a difficult time retaining enrollment when faith itself is in decline. Universities that are tied to a particular Christian denomination may even be competing among themselves for a dwindling number of potential students, and donated funds, as the denomination’s membership declines. A failure for the university to retain its core beliefs, perhaps by adopting a woke agenda (see Woke Jesus by Lucas Miles), could result in a decline in student numbers and/or donations.
There is no one factor that leads to the success or demise of a Christian university. Often there are a number of factors, including some of those identified above. However, it is the contention of this writer that the private Christian university must stay true to its roots and not adopt a growth model without careful consideration and prayer. Often a divinity school supported by a strong set of programs that are not easily vulnerable to rising costs and declining enrolments during different periods of the business cycle might offer one of the better options for success.
Financial Vigilance
Finally, it is worthwhile to study comparable institutions, keeping track of their programs and associated enrolments, and their funding strategies, and use this information for decision making.
As an aside, it is interesting that, following the downfall of communism, Hungary privatized its universities. It gave universities an endowment that, along with tuition fees, is meant to keep them operating while encouraging them to attract funds form elsewhere. Corvinus University is an example. It was previously known as Karl Marx University, but, upon the downfall of communism, was first renamed Budapest University of Economics and then Corvinus University. It consists primarily as a business school with business-related subjects thriving as well. In addition to economics, management, marketing, finance and accounting, these include information technology, computer science, mathematics, political science and sociology. Corvinus was endowed with 10% of the shares of MOL, a major oil and gas producer and retailer. Representatives of the company sit on the board of governors of the university. To gain profile as an internationally reputable university, Corvinus established the Corvinus Institute of Advanced Studies that is meant to incentivize research and peer-reviewed publications.
The lesson for a private Christian university is clear: keep tuition fees competitive while finding stable sources of long-term financing via donations. This could consist of putting together endowment funds for the long term, with the same purpose as that of Corvinus’ MOL shares. In addition to donations meant to provide such stable funding (e.g., donations of money and property, perhaps through wills), it is useful to create endowed chairs, lecture halls and buildings to which donators wish to attach their names.
Even so, as illustrated by the case of Trinity International University, it is easy to burn through the endowment in the hope of keeping the university above water. In 2023-2024, TIU had a total enrollment of 852 students, comprising both undergraduate and graduate students; only 140 undergraduates were enrolled, down from 450 the previous year. Yet, at the time of its decision in Spring 2025 to disband all but the law school, there were an incredible 197 faculty members, with 86 faculty in TEDS. Based on previous year student enrolment, the student-to-faculty ratio was just over 4, and probably much less. No educational institution could continue to operate with such a low ratio—costs would simply be too high even if the faculty numbers were mainly part time.
The lesson here is that small, private faith-based universities need to be brutal in cutting programs with low enrolments, shedding faculty. They need to monitor program enrolments and success at other institutions, retaining faculty and even expanding programs that are gaining students and appear likely “winners”. Successful programs are needed to earn the funds required to keep core Christian programs, such as divinity schools, in play.