Covenant College

The Covenant College Board of Trustees selected J. Derek Halvorson as the sixth president of the Christian college.

Halvorson now is the president of Providence Christian College in Pasadena, California. He has been ordained as a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and he must pass a theological exam prior to his inauguration at Covenant, according to a news release. He will begin on July 1.

"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," said board of trustees Chairman Martin Moore.

After graduating cum laude from Covenant in 1993 with a bachelor of arts in history, Halvorson earned a master's of arts from the University of Arizona and a doctorate of philosophy from Loyola University in Chicago, both in history.

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The Covenant board of trustees also unanimously voted today to sign a letter of intent with Providence Christian College, expressing Covenant's intent to acquire Providence.

"We believe this sister institution - a small, reformed, residential liberal arts college on the West Coast - is a remarkable fit with Covenant's mission and purpose and offers an opportunity for Covenant to extend the reach of its mission," said Moore. "In consultation with key constituencies, including the faculty, we will with due diligence pursue the acquisition and operation of Providence Christian College."