In May 2025, we sent out the largest graduating class in our history! As they walked across stage, I heard each graduate’s plans read aloud: preachers, youth ministers, missionaries, campus ministers, worship ministers, a homeless shelter director, women’s ministers, church planters, and a prison minister.

I heard all the places they’d go: Africa, Alaska, Arkansas, Australia, Eastern Europe, England, Florida, Georgia, Greece, Haiti, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ireland, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

And I praised the Lord!

Since 1942, that’s been OCC’s mission: preparing gospel leaders for the global task. Financially, we’re healthy: in our 15th year debt free. Numerically, we’re growing: 39% enrollment increase in 8 years. Missionally, we’re on target: graduates taking the gospel to all 50 states and over 100 countries.

OCC is now the largest Bible college in our fellowship, and Lincoln the largest seminary. By God’s grace, we’re flourishing, but now is not the time to maintain status quo. Now is not the time to shrink back, slow down or stand still.

Now is the time to move forward. Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary are needed now more than ever, and this campaign funds three initiatives to move us ahead: a seminary building, dorm renovations, and the Lifelong Leaders initiative.

A GROWING SEMINARY

In 2024, when Lincoln Christian University closed, Lincoln’s seminary transferred to Ozark Christian College. 

As an OCC and Lincoln Christian Seminary alum, I’m honored to carry on Lincoln’s legacy of training kingdom leaders at the graduate level.

Lincoln Seminary, one of only two accredited seminaries in our fellowship, is thriving, and OCC’s graduate enrollment jumped 35% with the addition.

A NEW BUILDING

The growth, however, creates classroom challenges.

During the seminary’s weeklong intensives, over twenty undergraduate classes must relocate (into every campus crevice and cranny) to accommodate seminary classes. The seminary needs its own permanent home.

The NOW MORE THAN EVER campaign will fund a new Lincoln Seminary building—in the field south of the Seth Wilson Library. It will house classrooms, offices, a Lincoln history display, and the 125-seat Wayne Shaw Chapel. The garden area outside the entrance will feature benches, The Divine Servant statue, and a patio of Lincoln alumni bricks.

The new building prepares the seminary to welcome kingdom-leaders-in-training for decades to come.

The cost for the new seminary build; $3.2 million.

SIX TIRED SERVANTS

For sixty years, OCC’s six dorms—three men’s, three women’s—have faithfully housed our students, providing a place to study, sleep, play, pray, and build lifelong friendships.

But after six decades, the dorms were showing their age. In 2018, we began the process of refreshing these six “tired servants.”

Generous partners have helped us renovate four of the six dorms already, and student response has been overwhelmingly excited and grateful.

TWO DORMS LEFT TO GO

The NOW MORE THAN EVER campaign will fund the renovation of the final two dorms—Strong Hall for men and Goodman Hall for women.

The renovations include remodeled bathrooms, plumbing and electrical upgrades, HVAC units, windows, carpet, paint, a dorm kitchenette, and room furniture (beds, desks, dressers).

Refreshed dorms prepare the college to welcome undergraduate kingdom-leaders-in-training for decades to come.

The cost for the two dorm renovations: $4.0 million.

A LEAK IN THE PIPELINE

Preacher Bob Russell recently shared, “A study by the Center for Church Leadership found that seven out of ten ministers leave the ministry within their first ten years.”

One reason the ministry pipeline is shrinking: there’s a leak in the pipe.

Surveys show that isolation and lack of mentoring contribute to ministry burnout, especially for young ministers. At Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary, we don’t want our relationship to end when a graduate receives a diploma. We want to provide ongoing support.

CULTIVATING LIFELONG LEADERS

The NOW MORE THAN EVER campaign will fund the college’s new Lifelong Leaders initiative—a cohort-based support system for new ministers.

Lifelong Leaders places new graduates in a “first ministry cohort” of 6-8 other new ministers, led by a seasoned ministry veteran. The cohort can meet online or in person, and the ministry coach provides regular encouragement and training the next two years.

The prayer: that the coach and the cohort experience can cultivate young ministers—in the critical season of their first full-time ministry—into lifelong kingdom leaders.

The cost to launch Lifelong Leaders: $0.6 million.

Why undertake this large campaign? Because a lost world needs Jesus. “How can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?” (Rom 10:14-15)

In a ministry leadership shortage, Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary are preparing more gospel leaders than ever before, but our conviction: now is the time to move further forward.

These three initiatives prepare us to train even more kingdom leaders in the years ahead…and, as a result, to see even more people find salvation in Christ.

Would you partner with us?

“Each one is to put something aside, in proportion to his prosperity.” (1 Cor 16:2) Rather than uniform gifts, Paul asked for proportionate gifts—in keeping with the extent God has blessed each one.

This giving pyramid shows one such path to our $7.8 million goal.

Would you prayerfully consider a generous commitment— above your regular giving—over the next three years to the NOW MORE THAN EVER campaign? 

We firmly believe: “Now is the favorable time! Now is the day of salvation!” So thank you for considering this opportunity, and may God bless you as you serve him…today.