(From Covenant College website) 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.

“We are so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with our counterparts at Covenant College,” said Pete Nanninga, chairman of the Providence Christian College Board of Trustees. “While our discussions have not resulted in an official union of our two institutions, we have come to appreciate how much we have in common. We are delighted about the new opportunities that we now have to work together in the wonderful mission of educating our young people from the Reformed perspective.”

“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,” said Martin A. Moore, chairman of the Covenant College Board of Trustees. “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.”

To learn more about Providence Christian College in Pasadena, California, visit Providence’s website.