FREE LUTHERAN BIBLE COLLEGE & SEMINARY PRESIDENT
To the 63rd annual conference of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, assembled June 11th through the 14th, 2025 at the Association Retreat Center near East Farmington, Wisconsin: Grace and peace to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who gives to us abundant life.
The Mission of the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary
For over 60 years the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary has been establishing students in the eternal and inerrant word of God for a life of faith in Jesus Christ and faithful service in his Kingdom. What began as a pastoral training program for a newly formed Association has become a full campus of future pastors, lay people, and congregational leaders. We diligently prepare students for future service in their congregations, families, and communities, and we do so with rigorous accessibility, pushing all students to make the most of their God-given talents while remaining accessible to almost any student willing to put in the work. We do so on campus, in person, with mostly full-time faculty, and in a discipleship learning community that transcends mere classroom instruction.
Pastoral Training
The Free Lutheran Seminary trains about 20 future pastors for our 250 congregations in the AFLC while at the same time benefiting others as well. Our in-person program gives the best opportunity for nurture and discipleship of future pastors and their families. Our goal is to prepare pastors to be servant leaders in free and living Lutheran congregations. Our program is Bible intensive, focusing on both the original languages and verse by verse study of scripture. We do not do much in the way of overviews but teach students where to find truth and what to do when they get there. We also teach them how to lead as servants of a congregation and instruct the flock in the essential doctrines of the faith while exercising a loving consistent presence in their congregations and communities.
Bible College
The core of our Bible college is a 2 year on campus in person discipleship intensive study of scripture. About 40% of our courses are verse by verse instruction. We also teach a doctrine in systematic classes, while at the same time emphasizing practical ministry instruction and educational foundations that teach students to think right, speak, read, and listen with wisdom and the mind of Christ.
This year completed our first year of Bachelor of Arts study for several students. We look for future growth in this program to serve students who would otherwise go elsewhere for such a degree. The addition of the BA in Bible and ministry has made seminary preparation better and more accessible. We also look forward to additional offerings in youth and family ministry, world and home missions, and worship music ministry.
Academic Results
Students who have been trained in our newly improved program are demonstrating improved academic focus, increased academic achievement, and enhanced capacity for future learning. I am pleasantly surprised that, as we push our students to accomplish more, many are finding more joy in the journey. One favorite class this year was a new emphasis on church history. As a historian, that makes me very happy. I believe that students love to learn, and that even those who have been taught to avoid the pain of learning can be disabused of those notions. There is joy in the discovery of God, his word, his world, and everything in it. We have a lot of fun, even in the classroom.
The program at FLBCS is focused on Bible and ministry, but most of our students will indeed start here, then go anywhere grounded in God’s word. Bible and ministry programs are hard to find, and I have come to understand that our school is not small, but narrow. In fact, we are the largest institution of our kind.
We are focused on what we do best, preparing students for whatever lies ahead, including further education at other institutions. In a day when most people see education as certification to help one get a job and make money, we emphasize the transformative nature of education, which is especially important when dealing with Christian higher education. I don’t know what our students will do to put food on the proverbial table, but I do know that they will be well prepared to be good citizens of both the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of earth, having been equipped to be congregation members, servants in the community, and excellent parents and spouses. I’m not sure what else anyone could want.
Broader Appeal
While the bulk of our students have significant contact with AFLC congregations, an increasing number of students come from the Twin Cities area. When outside groups come to our campus, I regularly ask how many of them have heard of us before. Most recently I stood before 150 high school students from a seven-state region as they were sitting in our chapel. I asked them how many were familiar with our campus prior to this week. Only four raised their hands.
Whether you are a college or a restaurant there is an amusing quality to being really good at something and yet the “best kept secret.” Having done this for 60 years now we are past the point of this being amusing. We are doing our best to expose the Twin Cities area to the kind and quality of education that we offer on our campus. We are surrounded by 3.5 million precious eternal human souls, and I refuse to think there aren’t 70, 80, or 90 students every year who need what we have to offer. To this end, we are trying to build relationships with other ministries in the area while at the same time using high value marketing channels to expose people to the idea of attending FLBC.
One of my great joys is watching someone who didn’t even know we existed immediately fall in love with the concept of a college where (predominantly) 18-20-year-olds deeply invest in scriptural study simply to be established for whatever God has for them in the future. Familiarity must not be allowed to breed contempt. This is a special place, and we are deeply grateful.
Unsurpassed Value
FLBCS takes no state or federal funding. Most colleges rely on state and federal funding for 1/3 to 1/2 of their income. Additionally, many institutions of higher education operate significant unrelated business entities to generate income. We do neither, eschewing both the distraction of unrelated business operations and the potential interference of state engagement.
Two years ago, we made the decision to significantly raise the tuition room board and fees charged to Bible college students. The amount charged is still far less than the actual cost of education, an education only made possible by generous donors giving an incredible amount of money every year. The charges for each student are still less than any college in the region. Please remember to factor in room and board, as most colleges will not give you one price like we do. Further, even though some students really do experience financial hardship as is common in various stages of life, more students than ever paid their bill in full at the start of the year. A lower number of students are in arrears with their student accounts, and a growing percentage of students do not work or work very little because of decreased financial need. This last point is a glitch, not a feature, as working is an important part of growing up.
But my point is that students as a whole are not experiencing more financial pain today than they were a few years ago. For decades we simply have not charged an appropriate amount for the education received by our students. The cost was deferred maintenance and underpaid—and therefore unretained—employees. The financial health of the school is in a much better position now, and I am grateful. The number one cause of Christian colleges closing is a broken business model— often not charging an appropriate amount to fund the ministry that our supporters value.
Valuable
Price is only one part of a value proposition. Quality is also important. People are rightfully reconsidering the value of higher education in the United States today. I have been involved with higher education as a student or an employee for most of the last 40 years, and I have observed certain absurdities that now have caused an overreaction among our population. A college diploma used to be so important that we changed college so everyone could get one. We have made the education easy, approximating high school so much so that now some students leave high school with two years of college credit and no more education than we had before. We have provided funding to make college more affordable, while at the same time stoking inflationary fires that have made higher education more reliant upon student debt with each passing year.
We provide something different. There is a cost to what we provide, as nothing truly valuable is cheap and fast. There are many great places to go to college, and some of them provide distinctively Christian experiences. Some of them even provide distinctively Christian experiences in traditional college settings where a variety of majors are pursued. We take a different approach, choosing to focus for a shorter time on Bible and ministry. The two years seem like an eternity to someone considering college, but most of our students graduate in two years and they have no idea of where the time went. We then get to watch them spread their wings and go on to family, career, and congregational life. It’s a lot of fun to see them thriving.
Funding the Mission
We charge approximately $21,000 for every student but each student costs about $34,000 per year to educate. Speaking in round terms, every year we rely on $1.5 million in giving from generous donors like you to make FLBCS happen. We are incredibly grateful for the sacrificial investment made by so many. This investment is necessary, as we simply could not do what we do without you.
In recent years, we’ve consolidated most of our giving into a single annual fund appeal. You’ll hear more about this as time goes on, but nearly all donations, except for large principal contributions toward the Student Life Center debt, will be directed to the annual fund. This fund allows for flexibility in donor designations while supporting our regular budget. It plays a key role in supplementing student fees and funding the day-to-day operations of the institution. Thank you for your continued support or for considering a gift.
Strategic Planning
FLBCS maintains an annually updated three-year rolling strategic plan. This strategic plan is always available on the website (flbc.edu). This plan never sits on the shelf gathering dust, as it guides most of our decisions. The most recent strategic plan deals with financial stability, campus capacity, student recruiting, and continued improvement of our programs.
One data point driving some of our financial planning is refinancing of any remaining debt on the Student Life Center mortgage. As of this writing that mortgage is at $5 million at 3.75%. We must refinance that note in 2027, and the rate will most assuredly be higher. Do not be surprised if a capital campaign of some sort will occur in the next few years, encompassing some campus improvements and debt reduction on the student life center.
Speaking of which, the Student Life Center is an amazing facility, and I am routinely shocked to realize that it is ours. People love the facility, and it truly has become a center for student life. Looking back, if we had not built it when we did, I’m not sure we ever would have. The world has changed dramatically, and not in ways that make it less expensive to build. I am also grateful for our facilities staff who keep our campus well maintained and clean, a reflection of our core value of stewardship.
Thank You
In the pages around these reports there is also a listing of valued employees, including full-time, part-time, and volunteer. We took great effort to not miss anyone, and names may be included from more than one academic year. We are thankful for everyone who invests in our students at FLBCS. I especially want to thank the Board of Trustees for their investment, wisdom, support, sharpening, and advocacy. You can’t have a great ministry without an engaged Board. Thank you, also, Michele, Hannah, and Ben. We’ve been doing this together for over a decade now, and my family contributes a lot more to this endeavor than many realize. I’m grateful to God for you.
We are also thankful for every single one of you. We could not establish students in the word of God for life in Jesus Christ without you. We are in this together and students, families, congregations, and communities—even some you will never meet—are benefiting because of your investment.
In Christ’s Service,
Rev. Dr. Wade Mobley
President, Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary
FLBCS Employees as of March 2025, including full time, part time, and volunteer
- Julia Albright (PT)
- Alan Arneson (BOT)
- Erica Bang (V)
- Cindy Beck (PT)
- Josh Bostrom
- Sienna Chernyavsky
- Eric Christenson
- Breanna Chvojicek
- Nathan Dalager (BOT)
- Reise Dryburgh (PT)
- Luke Dryburgh (PT)
- Chester Dyrud (PT)
- Nate Eikom (PT)
- Brett Erickson (PT)
- Gary Erickson (BOT)
- Jean Erickson (PT)
- Michelle Franz (PT)
- Madison Greven
- Shelby Greven (V)
- Wendy Greven (PT)
- Jason Gudim
- Ruth Gunderson (PT)
- Andrew Hanson
- Phil Haugen (PT)
- Janay Helms
- Katie High
- Martin Horn (PT)
- Jarrod Hylden
- Quincy Jensen (PT)
- Josh Johnson
- Philip Johnson (BOT)
- Rodney Johnson(BOT)
- Dalton Jordahl
- Andrew Kneeland
- Carter Kneeland
- Annah Kneeland
- Jaelynn Kozicky (PT)
- Jeremy Larson (PT)
- Brian Lunn (PT)
- Micah Moan (PT)
- Michele Mobley (V)
- Wade Mobley
- James Molstre
- Kristin Molstre (V)
- Rachel Molstre
- Matthew Monseth (PT)
- Glenn Mork (PT)
- Sherry Mork
- Steve Mundfrom
- Larry Myhrer
- Dean Nelson (BOT)
- Jon Nelson (PT)
- Brent Olson
- Nathan Olson
- Michelle Olson (PT)
- Adam Osier
- Courtney Osier (PT)
- Olivia Pavlish
- Matt Peschl
- Luke Quanbeck
- Zach Simonson (PT)
- Abby Smith (PT)
- Stephen Snipstead (BOT)
- Jonathan Strand (PT)
- Logan Strand
- Katie Strommen (PT)
- Nathan Turner
FREE LUTHERAN BIBLE COLLEGE DEAN
To the 63rd Annual Conference of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, grace and peace to you from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This year, our student body’s theme was “Behold Our God.” During our Tuesday chapels, our preachers walked through John’s Gospel. John’s message centers on the person of Jesus in whom we behold the invisible God. John reveals Christ, so that all may know him and believe in his name. This is the heart of the ministry of the Free Lutheran Bible College.
This year we began the year with 116 students, a six-year high. This was bolstered in part by our new B.A. program and our partnership with Beyond Limits, a ministry serving college aged students with disabilities who are looking to develop and grow in life skills and in their walk with Christ. We do not take our students for granted. We are grateful to God for his call in their lives and leading them to FLBC. This is a step of faith for them. Many lay aside pursuit of career goals, invest significant resources, and face social opposition for the value that they see in our programs. Their following the leading of the Holy Spirit doesn’t go without our notice, and we praise God for that leading.
Academic Life
The Word is our focus. While I feel a bit like a broken record in saying this, it is good for us to say and be reminded that God’s Word is the heart of our programs—it is our program. This Word is active and busy in the lives of believers. We strive to teach our students to know that Word, to be established in it, so that it may transform their hearts through deepening their faith in Christ and motivate their ministry.
This fall, we began our new Bachelor of Arts and Associate of Arts programs in Bible and Ministry. These programs have enhanced and sharpened our mission. Because our institution is cherished by so many whose lives it has changed for nearly 60 years, it is easy, perhaps even natural, to be suspicious of that which is perceived as change. But the mission of FLBC has not changed. It’s that mission that has driven the development of these programs in Bible and ministry. A November 2024 Ambassador article (which can be found at https://issuu.com/lutheranambassador/docs/november_2024, pg. 19) outlines our new programs and includes the rationale for our changes. It’s a great resource for those with questions on specifics regarding their makeup. The programs teach the Word and how to study and convey that Word to the world. This has been and continues to be our focus.
We’re always evaluating and improving our programs, both new and old. Our Associate’s program builds on our long-standing diploma program. The Bachelor’s program, being newer, requires more attention in this process. We’ve seen the need to add practical ministry experiences, so we’re talking with AFLC Youth Ministries, as well as World and Home Missions to discuss potential opportunities. We’re also working on expanding our worship ministry offerings. We’re especially excited about the Bachelor’s program’s potential for preparing men for seminary, thus answering the perennial prayer for God to send out pastors to our churches who need them. Please pray for these programs and what God will do through them.
Our faculty are essential to the proper execution of our programs, and they are faithful in their calling to teach the Word. These men are committed to the infallibility and inerrancy of the Word from a Lutheran conviction. They engage well with our students, love them, care for them, and pray for them. Without such a faculty, our mission would be in jeopardy. We are thankful for them, and to our Board of Trustees who carefully evaluate each new faculty member prior to their being hired. This year, we’ve welcomed Dr. Jason Gudim and Dr. Jarrod Hylden to our faculty. These additions have been a blessing to our program.
Student Life
I know it sounds like a cliché, but our students are truly wonderful! I wish you each could have a close up look to see how God is working in their lives here at FLBC. We’re not a perfect place; like any Christian experience, there are discouragements, disagreements, struggles, and even sin. But our goal is to see these things through the lens of the gospel, played out in our Christian community. The real value of our program comes from being centered on in-person community. We aim to prepare students for congregational life, and this community allows them to navigate disillusionment, build strong friendships, find encouragement and support, learn the importance of prayer, and study the Word together. Though imperfect, our dorm and campus life fosters growth in these areas.
Our dorm staff plays a critical role, and we are deeply thankful for their dedication. This year, Jeremy Larson, our Director of Discipleship, has overseen this crucial ministry. Jeremy’s diligence and sincere desire to see students grow in their faith have led him to implement efficient processes to improve our dorm ministry. He also invests personally in training and guiding the dorm staff in their service. Our dorm assistants are the heart of our dorm ministry, acting as the “boots on the ground” for our students. They consistently meet with, pray for, and support them, often going above and beyond what’s expected. We anticipate several openings in these roles for the upcoming year. While we hope to have many positions filled by the conference, we ask for your prayers for filling these critical roles.
We’ve had some shifts in the structure of our student life ministry. Emily Kregel, who served as our Women’s Resident Head and Coordinator of Student Life for nine years, resigned in December following her marriage. We miss her dearly and are thankful for her time at FLBC. Heather Olson, who served the school in multiple roles, most recently as lay counselor, also resigned last summer. We are grateful for her dedication to our students. In her place, we hired Michelle Olson as part-time Coordinator of Student Support. Michelle has proven to be an excellent fit, consistently going above and beyond to support our students, primarily through listening and coordinating extra help. Her collaboration with Jeremy is essential to the success of our student ministry. We are deeply thankful for their work.
In addition to overseeing the dorm staff, Jeremy continued in his second year of coordinating our Discipleship Group ministry. For the past two years, students have been placed in small groups of two or three with a dedicated mentor. Jeremy created a plan for these groups and recruited and trained the mentors. This year, he successfully found approximately 40 volunteer mentors, for whom we are tremendously grateful. The weekly commitment is substantial, but most students find these small group meetings beneficial for their growth and development, making them a valuable addition to our student life program.
We’re thrilled to have partnered with Beyond Limits this year, a ministry focused on reaching and discipling individuals with disabilities for Christ. Overseen by Craig Spofford, Beyond Limits has enriched our campus life and provided new opportunities for students to experience FLBC. Five Beyond Limits students joined our student body, participating in life skills development, community living, and auditing several of our classes. Their presence has been a remarkable addition, and it’s hard to imagine a time when they weren’t with us. Their presence has enriched us and our students and deepens the gospel ministry happening on our campus.
Student Outreach and Ministry
Our students are actively involved in serving their local congregations in a variety of ways. This year, I’ve been particularly impressed by their engagement in ministries beyond the usual youth group and Sunday school. They’ve also taken on important roles like cleaning, serving meals, and handling video and sound for church services. We’ve also maintained our familiar school-sponsored ministries, which include choirs and music ensembles, a cross-cultural mission trip, and our gospel and summer teams.
This year, the FLBC Concert Choir (comprised of 41 students) embarked on a tour across the Great Plains and Mountain West, performing concerts centered on the theme “The Trinity: Our Help and Hope.” The tour spanned eleven locations, proclaiming the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to congregations in: Kindred, ND; Grafton, ND; Stanley, ND; Williston, ND; Kalispell, MT; Dillon, MT; Rapid City, SD; Loveland, CO; St. Francis, KS; Chamberlain, SD; and Sioux Falls, SD. A highlight of their performances was a five-part movement on the Trinity, commissioned by the choir, and composed by Marianne Foreman. This beautiful piece explored the depths of the Trinity, and formed the basis for the tour’s overarching theme. The choir’s performances reflect the care and power of the triune God through their musical expression.
The Free Lutheran Bible College’s Proclaim Choir (composed of 32 students) went on two separate tours, sharing their musical ministry centered on the school-wide theme, “Behold Our God. The February tour was to congregations in the upper Midwest, with performances at Grace Free Lutheran Church in Valley City, ND; St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fargo, ND; and Calvary Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, MN. In April, the choir traveled to a few of our Illinois congregations, including Helmar Lutheran Church in Newark, IL; St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Benson, IL; and Freedom Lutheran Church in Ottawa, IL. Both tours centered on the theme of “Behold Our God.”
We’re grateful, as always, for Andrew Hanson’s careful planning and worshipful focus as choir director. This year, he brought concerts to three new congregations, demonstrating his commitment to serving our churches. After 17 years of leadership, Andrew remains a valuable asset to FLBC’s ministry.
In addition to choir ministries, the Cross-Cultural Ministries class had the opportunity to again serve at Foundations For Him Ministries, a children’s home in Oaxaca, Mexico. For several years, Journey Missions director Jon Nelson, who has a connection to the home’s directors, has led this class. This year, 24 students participated in the trip, completing service projects and ministering to the children. This highly sought-after opportunity is limited to 24 spaces. It fills up annually, highlighting our students’ eagerness to serve.
Throughout the year, we sent out several gospel teams, including worship teams, a men’s quartet, a women’s trio, and a mixed ensemble. Additionally, this summer, four VBS teams plus the Ambassador team will serve congregations across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. We thank Jeremy Larson and Michelle Olson for their dedication in selecting, training, and scheduling these teams. Their work is very much appreciated as they go above and beyond for both the churches and FLBC. This year, teams will lead VBS at 33 congregations and serve at 15 camps, including two sports ministry camps led by our Conqueror team. This, while taking time off from FLY to serve as dorm room leaders.
We are grateful for these students who take seriously their callings to serve the Lord and his congregations through the ministry of the Word.
Thank You
We are incredibly grateful for the support of our AFLC congregations. Your prayers and financial support for our students are a tremendous source of encouragement and strength for them and for us. We also deeply appreciate your efforts in encouraging young people in your churches to consider attending FLBC. Your partnership is vital to our mission, and we are blessed to have such a strong network of support.
Respectfully Submitted,
Rev. Adam Osier
FLBC Dean
FREE LUTHERAN SEMINARY DEAN
To the 63rd Annual Conference of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations assembled at the Association Retreat Center, June 11-14, 2025. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10.
I am excited and blessed to be starting my 9th year as Seminary dean. I am excited because I have the privilege to help train men for Pastoral Ministry. To me, there is no greater calling or honor than to be the Pastor of a congregation. I am thankful for the opportunity to invest in men whom God has called into the ministry. I am blessed because God has been so good to me and to our seminary. He has sent men who are excited about ministry and God’s Word. As one seminarian said to me excitedly, “Sharing God’s Word with people, that’s what gets me up in the morning.”
We currently have six men on internship, Adam Erickson (Grafton, ND), Alexander Grimes (Roseau, MN), Caleb Korhonen (Valley City, ND), Adam McCarlson (Minneapolis, MN), Micah Moan (Thief River Falls, MN), and Alex Monseth (Brainerd, MN). I am grateful to the supervising Pastors and their congregations who have and will be investing in our seminary interns this year. We also have seven seniors, 4 middlers, and 7 accepted juniors as of this writing. God has blessed us and will be blessing our congregations in the years to come with these men.
I believe one of the reasons for the increase in seminarians is the emergence of the Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Ministry which is now offered in our Bible College. Men can complete their degree in Bible and ministry at our Bible College and simply cross the campus and begin Seminary.
It is also a blessing to be able to offer our seminarians housing on campus and greatly reduced tuition. We can offer this because of generous donors. Our tuition is roughly 15% of what it actually costs to educate the men. We are able to provide them residential training with full-time faculty, something that is rare these days. It is also vital in training men to be servant leaders in the congregation.
This past year I introduced a three-credit preaching class required for first year students. The purpose is to immerse our men in the preaching of God word at the very beginning of their seminary training with the goal of preaching in local congregations sooner. A missiology course will also be offered in the seminary soon.
The seminary published the first issue of its new academic journal, Sola Scriptura. This annual journal includes articles from our faculty and students. Intended for pastors, members, and friends of the AFLC, Sola Scriptura will offer the unchanging truths of God’s Word to different aspects of our faith and life. Along with Summer Institute of Theology in August and the Seminary Symposium in January, we hope that Pastors will take advantage of these opportunities to grow as ministers of the Gospel.
Along with my role as Seminary Dean, I am also Chief Academic Officer, overseeing faculty and the academic programs of the Bible College and Seminary. We have been blessed with an excellent faculty. Two of them, Jarrod Hylden, and Jason Gudim, have completed their first year at the schools. Joining them as full-time faculty are Brent Olson, Nathan Olson, Steve Mundfrom, and Andrew Hanson. Andrew Hanson, our professor of Music and Choir Director will be taking a sabbatical this fall. His long-time assistant Cindy Beck along with Esther Rabenberg will be filling in for him.
We have begun the process of applying for accreditation with the Association for Biblical Higher Education. Those of you who were at our 60th anniversary celebration last fall have met Philip Dearborn the President of ABHE. He was the keynote speaker that night. We continue to be accredited with TRACS but have found ABHE to be especially helpful training the leaders of FLBCS. Andrew Kneeland, our Institutional Effectiveness Director will be leading the process of ABHE Accreditation, a process that will likely take three years.
Please be in prayer for our recent graduates, Troy Hanson and Mickey Meester. Pray for our interns listed above. Pray for our seniors: Daniel Aichele, Aaron Arneson, Wen Chen, Samuel Jagt, Isak Olson, Michael Rokenbrodt, and Hans Tanner. Pray for our middlers: Matthew Baerbock, Luke Dryburgh, Jeremy Larson, and Benjamin Nordvik. Pray for our incoming juniors that God would prepare them to study for this important work of Ministry.
As the Prophet Isaiah pronounced, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7.
Respectfully Submitted,
Rev. Dr. James Molstre
CAO/Seminary Dean
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Greetings to the 63rd Annual Conference of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations from the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary Board of Trustees.
As we gather under the theme of Abundant Life from John 10:10, we contemplate the source of that Abundant Life, Jesus our Lord and Savior. The Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary was founded “to establish students in the eternal and inerrant Word of God for a life of faith in Jesus Christ and faithful service in His Kingdom.” The focus of our school is for God’s Word to bring this abundant life to the students who attend and to the churches, families, communities, and workplaces where they will go to from FLBCS.
The Board of Trustees seeks to be faithful stewards of FLBCS and its heritage. We take time at each meeting reviewing our mission, vision, or one of our core values as well as briefly covering a training topic pertinent to the business before us. We also attended further training in board governance through sessions at the Association for Biblical Higher Education conference this February to learn more about how to perform our duties as Trustees.
I have become more convinced each year of the value of accreditation for our school. Accreditation provides a process for us to seek continuous improvement in every area of our operations. We annually evaluate faculty, staff, students, the administration, and even us as a board. Data from these evaluations is not just collected but given back to those being evaluated to help improve all we do. Now that we’ve been doing this over several years, trends can be plotted to see where we are improving or need improvement and take corrective action. The information gleaned from our annual evaluations can also be used to inform our strategic planning process, helping us to see where there may be opportunities for improvement.
Our strategic plan looks ahead to the three coming school years and seeks ways to incrementally improve in fulfilling our mission year by year. Our current plan for years 2025 – 2028 includes four goals focusing on funding our mission, recruiting/retaining students, expanding affordable/flexible housing options, and building excellence in our BA in Bible and Ministry program. We are already seeing fruit from the strategic planning process with some of our first graduates from our BA program going directly to our seminary this fall. Lord willing, this will fuel growth of our seminary and in turn more pastors for our congregations.
A change the board has deliberately made this year is to try to do more work in committees where we can take a deeper dive into various details under our oversight. We have standing committees addressing Curriculum Development, Finance/Compensation, Policy, and Risk Management that meet prior to board meetings about four times a year. These committees include two or three board members and one to three administration members. The committees bring recommendations for action to the board after their study of various items needing to be addressed so the full board doesn’t have to be involved in every detail. With the committees we try to have people working in areas of their interests and expertise and in the future will try to utilize Schools Corporation members or other at large members as appropriate.
We are thankful to the AFLC, and the individuals and congregations that give to and pray for FLBCS. Thank you for giving and praying! This work cannot be effective without the prayers of God’s saints. A special thanks to those who serve on the AFLC Nominating Committee. They have a difficult task to seek potential corporation and board members who are foremost passionate about the mission of FLBCS and willing to give sacrificially of their time and talents. We are thankful for the godly and very capable staff, faculty, and administration of our school; we are truly blessed to have them leading this work.
We have wonderful board members who have a love and passion for our Bible College and Seminary. Please thank them for their service and remember us in your prayers.
The current members of the Board of Trustees are:
- Chairman – Mr. Phil Johnson (Esko, MN)
- Vice-Chairman – Rev. Alan Arneson (Amery, WI)
- Secretary – Mr. Nathan Dalager (Moorhead, MN)
- Mr. Gary Erickson (Fergus Falls, MN)
- Rev. Stephen Snipstead (Kalispell, MT)
- Mr. Dean Nelson (Vergas, MN)
Rev. Rodney Johnson (Buffalo, MN) (completing a 1-year term and is eligible for reelection)
Respectfully submitted,
Mr. Phil Johnson
BOT Chairman
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