Of the Church, for the Church
“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:25 (NIV)
For more than seventy years, Covenant College has stood unapologetically upon its heritage of faith, clinging to a firm foundation on the inerrant word of God. From its earliest days, the college has been deeply rooted in the Reformed tradition, shaping its academic life without ever sacrificing conviction for scholarship. The story of how the Lord built Covenant is one of vision, perseverance, and a steadfast bond with more than just a denomination, but with the body of Christ—the Church.
From the North Dakota Prairies to Pasadena
Covenant College was born out of the church, first mentioned in an unassuming presbytery in North Dakota. As Dr. Marion Barnes, Covenant’s second president, recounts in Reflections on the History of Covenant College 1965-1978: “From the Great Plains Presbytery meeting at the small hamlet of Wilton, North Dakota,...” came the request for the denomination to consider founding a college under its supervision. The man with the idea, John Hoogstrate, longed for a college truly controlled by its sponsoring denomination. That conviction set the stage for the founding of Covenant College. The recommendation was approved, authorizing a committee to explore property and organize a school. Dr. Barnes reflected: “Thus the brilliant luminary which eventually came to shine so brightly on Lookout Mountain began as a faint flicker in the mind of presbyter [John Hoogstrate] on a distant Dakota prairie.”
The committee quickly found its champion in Dr. Robert G. Rayburn. Having endured conflict within the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) and served as president at another faith-based college, Dr. Rayburn was no stranger to defending the faith even in the realm of education. In June 1955, he agreed to establish a new institution in Pasadena, California—one firmly grounded in scripture and Reformed theology as an agency of the Bible Presbyterian Church (BPC).
Jane Young of the class of 1957 was one of the first students at Covenant College, transferring to Covenant from another college out of admiration for “Bob,” who had also been her childhood pastor. In a tribute after his death, Jane wrote:
“Some of us have had longer than others to reflect on our experiences at Covenant and what we learned… A lot of what I know and am able to give to others in terms of friendship, loyalty, commitment to a cause, and help in time of need—all came from what I experienced personally with Bob and LaVerne… I learned the absolute requirement of affiliation with and service in a local church, and I learned to let the denomination itself provide my identity and the boundary and structure of my life and service.”
With significant growth just a year after it began, Covenant moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where it shared a campus with Covenant Theological Seminary. After more growth within each institution, Covenant relocated to Lookout Mountain, Georgia, in 1964, charting its own course as a liberal arts college.
Becoming the College of the PCA
Covenant’s denominational journey reflects the broader Reformed landscape. Initially tied to the BPC–Columbus Synod (later renamed the Evangelical Presbyterian Church), the college became part of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod (RPCES) in 1965. Then, in 1973, a new body—the Presbyterian Church in America—was formed, and less than a decade later, the RPCES joined the PCA with the historic vote to merge taking place on Covenant’s own campus in the Dora Maclellan Brown Memorial Chapel. In a Chattanooga Times article from May 26, 1981, Andrew Belz, Covenant’s public relations director at the time, was interviewed regarding the merger, and stated, “There was no bitterness nor heated controversy... when the union is effective, the college will be totally administered by the PCA.” The change officially appeared in the 1982–83 academic catalog, sealing a relationship that continues to flourish today.
Now, forty-five years later, Andrew Belz recalls the joyful celebration, describing his gratitude for the joining and receiving: “The RPCES brought a well-developed college and seminary, a national missions agency, and a world missions agency [into the PCA]. As a result, a denomination as young as 1973 is better developed today than some of its counterparts.” The PCA is a blessing to Covenant as a governing organization and benefactor; however, it is a mutually beneficial relationship where both parties profit greatly and expand their reach through each other. “I want the PCA to rejoice in its treasure [of Covenant College] and see how crucial, unfortunately, building a Christian worldview into 18- to 23-year-olds is,” says Belz. “If the PCA invests here, it will come back to bless the denomination.”
Serving the Denomination: Serving the Church
From a top-level viewpoint, as a Christ-centered denominationally governed college, we are dedicated to conducting ourselves worthy of the gospel guided by certain non-negotiable beliefs. We believe there is one God who exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, in whom alone there is salvation. We believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and authoritative in all matters of faith and practice. The best expression of our biblical theology and Reformed heritage may be found in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.
Practically and operationally speaking, Covenant’s trustees, all of whom are elders in their churches, are elected to the college board by the General Assembly of the PCA. Each year, the college reports to a designated Committee of Commissioners (CoC) regarding academic affairs, admissions, campus and facilities, development and finances, and student life. The CoC, for which all eighty-eight presbyteries may send a representative, holds Covenant accountable to the denomination, gathering for hours to review the report from the college. According to the PCA’s website, “Committees of Commissioners are designed as part of the checks and balances for the PCA. The CoCs review each ministry’s accomplishments and plans for the year, along with their reports and recommendations.” Apart from the committee report, President Voyles also gives a floor report to the entire gathered assembly.
On-campus checks and balances include the vetting of full-time faculty, all of whom must be approved by the PCA-elected board of trustees. In fact, a committee made up of board members is a crucial part of the two-day long interview process of each applicant and has the power to discourage the hiring of a candidate. Along with affirming the inerrancy of scripture, all faculty must submit written affirmation of and annually reaffirm the Westminster Confession of Faith and are examined as carefully as PCA churches examine their officers.
Rich, Inter-Denominational Community
Though rooted in its PCA identity, Covenant welcomes students from a range of denominations and non- denominational churches, as long as a personal relationship with Christ is evident. Just under half of Covenant students are from PCA congregations, while the other half come from various Presbyterian denominations—such as EPC, ARP, OPC, and Reformed Presbyterian—and Baptist or non- denominational backgrounds. This blend reflects the unity believers share in Christ, inviting students from many Reformed backgrounds to grow together in faith. Professors teach from a Reformed perspective with open, biblically grounded dialogue. Courses like The Christian Mind provide a foundation in Reformed theology while also encouraging deep discussion and reflection on personal convictions.
Though not every single chapel speaker is from the PCA, the chapel department carefully chooses speakers who share Covenant’s beliefs scripturally and culturally. Every speaker is thoughtfully selected, confirmed as being biblically orthodox and holding a high view of the inspiration, authority, and inerrancy of scripture. Chaplain Grant Lowe describes, “Chapel is a place where the student musicians that we hire, the songs that we sing, the prayers that we pray, and the speakers that we invite all foster an environment where people from all the denominations represented on campus are able to worship fully and robustly as one body.” Through a challenging yet supportive campus culture committed to spiritual growth, Covenant offers a place where Christians from every tradition can deepen their understanding of scripture, strengthen their walk with God, and contribute to a vibrant, Christ-centered community.
Secure Footing on a Firm Foundation
Covenant remains devoted to equipping students for faithful service to the Church, and faculty and leadership see their mission as inseparable from the health of Christ’s Church. “We’re building builders here,” explains President Voyles, “not just leaders, not just thinkers, but builders—makers, creators, builders of businesses and nonprofits, builders of churches and schools, builders of families and communities—people who love Christ and seek to serve the Church.” This has created a culture of active participation in the local church beyond college. During their four short years here, Covenant students join multigenerational Bible studies, lend their gifts by leading worship, invest in youth by mentoring teens, and care for children in church nurseries. “We are seeking to prepare our students well so they’re not taken captive by the wisdom of this age but instead build their lives upon the Rock,” states President Voyles. Through these roles, students live out Covenant’s mission to strengthen the body of Christ.
Senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Rev. Dr. Gabe Fluhrer, affirms, “Expert faculty, who are committed to our Confession of Faith, combined with Dr. Voyles’s leadership has positioned Covenant to continue to lead as the undergraduate college of the PCA. I thank God for the ongoing ministry to the Church at Covenant College.” Rev. Erik Veerman, senior pastor at Tucker Presbyterian Church in Tucker, Georgia, and a Covenant parent attests, “There are a lot of things about Covenant that are tremendous: number one being the emphasis on the local church.” He describes how both his son and daughter have grown in their desire to be involved in church while at Covenant. “Other evangelical colleges have recently been distracted by cultural agendas,” Rev. Veerman states. “These colleges have a board, but there is not an institution like a church, or a denomination like the PCA, to oversee and provide accountability like Covenant has. I think that is critically important.” He continues, “Covenant has maintained its fidelity to the scriptures, to the mission, and to equipping students to live out their faith in all their life.”
From a prairie presbytery to a vibrant mountaintop campus, Covenant has held fast to its founding purpose. It was created by the church and exists to serve the local and global Church—and for seventy years, it has lived out that calling. As Covenant looks ahead, it does so anchored in the same truth that is built into its foundation: a desire to glorify God by equipping His people to serve the Church and express Christ’s preeminence in all things.