View source for Trinity International University

{{Short description|Christian college in Bannockburn, Illinois, US}}
{{For|other institutions with similar names|Trinity University (disambiguation)|Trinity College (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Trinity International University
 | latin_name             = 
 | image                  = Trinity International University Current Logo.png
 | image_size             = 200px
 | motto                  = Entrusted with the Gospel
 | established            = 1897<ref name="U.S. News">{{cite magazine | title=Trinity International University | url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/trinity-international-1772 | magazine=[[U.S. News & World Report]] | access-date=February 1, 2016 | archive-date=March 2, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302032059/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/trinity-international-1772 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
 | type                   = [[Private university|Private]] (includes [[Seminary]] and [[Law School]])
 | religious_affiliation  = [[Evangelical Free Church of America]]
 | president              = ''David W. Pao (interim)''
 | address                = 2065 Half Day Road Bannockburn, IL 60015
 | city                   = [[Bannockburn, Illinois|Bannockburn]]
 | state                  = [[Illinois]]
 | country                = U.S.<ref name="tiu-deerfield">{{cite web| title = Deerfield Campus| work = TIU Website| publisher = Trinity International University| url = http://www.tiu.edu/tiu/about/deerfield/| access-date = 2008-05-16| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080511192316/http://www.tiu.edu/tiu/about/deerfield/| archive-date = 2008-05-11}}</ref>
 | students               = 852 (2024) <ref name="nces.ed.gov"/>
 | undergrad              = 140 (2024) <ref name="nces.ed.gov">{{Cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=trinity+university&s=all&id=149514|title = College Navigator – Trinity International University-Illinois}}</ref>
 | postgrad               = 
 | staff                  = 
 | campus                 = Suburban<ref name="U.S. News"/>
 | campus_size            = {{Convert|111|acre}}
 | former_names           = Swedish Bible Institute of Chicago (1897–1925)<br>Norwegian-Danish Bible Institute and Academy (1910–????)<br>Swedish Evangelical Free Church Bible Institute and Seminary (1925–1949)<br>Trinity Seminary and Bible Institute (????–1949)<br>Trinity Seminary and Bible College (1949–1961)<br>Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Trinity College (1961–1995)
 | free_label             = 
 | free                   = 
 | colors                 = Blue & White<br />{{color box|#005dab}}&nbsp;{{color box|white}}
 | website                = {{URL|www.tiu.edu}}
}}

'''Trinity International University''' ('''TIU''') is an [[evangelicalism|evangelical]] [[Christianity|Christian]] university headquartered in [[Bannockburn, Illinois]].<ref name="tiu-deerfield" /> It comprises Trinity [[College]], a theological [[seminary]] ([[Trinity Evangelical Divinity School]]), and a [[law school]] ([[Trinity Law School]] which is located in [[Santa Ana, California]]).<ref name="tiu.edu">{{cite web |url=http://dotcms.tiu.edu/about/ |title=AboutTrinity International University |publisher=Tiu.edu |access-date=2013-01-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115112700/http://dotcms.tiu.edu/about/ |archive-date=2013-01-15 }}</ref> The university also maintains campuses in [[North Lauderdale, Florida]], and [[Miami, Florida]]. TIU is the only university affiliated with [[Evangelical Free Church of America]] in the United States and enrolls 1,242 students. On February 17, 2023, TIU announced it was moving the undergraduate program to online modalities only and closed the residential campus at the end of the Spring 2023 semester.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TIU – Reimagining the Future |url=https://www.tiu.edu/reimagining-the-future/ |access-date=2023-02-22 |website=Reimagining The Future |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McClellan |first=Hannah |title=TIU Announces Plans to Move Undergrad Program Online |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2023/february/tiu-trinity-university-undergrad-online-education-teds.html |access-date=2023-02-22 |website=News & Reporting |language=en}}</ref> The online undergraduate program closed at the end of the Spring 2024 semester.

In April 2025, it was announced that the divinity school would merge with Trinity Western University and cease operations at the Bannockburn campus, while the rest of the university would continue to operate independently.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gryboski |first=Michael |last2=Editor |date=2025-04-10 |title=Trinity Evangelical Divinity School to merge with largest Christian university in Canada |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/trinity-evangelical-divinity-school-merges-with-canadian-university.html |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=www.christianpost.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Service |first=Bob Smietana-Religion News |date=2025-04-09 |title=Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Moving to Canada |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/04/trinity-evangelical-divinity-teds-moving-canada/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Christianity Today |language=en-US}}</ref> After this change,  the law school and an undergraduate program jointly operated with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections will remain the main operations of TIU.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAQs |url=https://www.tiu.edu/divinity/singular-vision/faqs/#general |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) |language=en-US}}</ref>

== History ==
Tracing its roots to 1897, TIU formed in the late 1940s as the result of a merger of two schools:

*A school run by the Swedish Evangelical Free Church, founded in 1897 in Chicago, and incorporated as the '''Swedish Bible Institute of Chicago''', then affiliated with Moody Bible Institute as the Swedish Department until 1925 when it became the '''Swedish Evangelical Free Church Bible Institute and Seminary'''.
*A three-year Bible school, the '''Norwegian-Danish Bible Institute and Academy''', founded in 1910 by the Norwegian-Danish Free Church, established in Rushford, Minnesota, and later moving to Minneapolis and becoming '''Trinity Seminary and Bible Institute'''.

By 1949, the Minneapolis-based school moved to Chicago and the unified schools became known as '''Trinity Seminary and Bible College'''. In 1961, the school moved to a new campus in [[Bannockburn, Illinois]], and a year later was renamed '''[[Trinity Evangelical Divinity School]] (TEDS)''' and '''Trinity College'''. The school grew from an enrollment of 51 in 1961 to 1,400 in 1990.  In 1995, TEDS became part of '''Trinity International University''', along with Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois, and Trinity College in Miami, (formerly '''Miami Christian College''' which was obtained through a merger of the two institutions). In 1997, Trinity Law School, located in Santa Ana, California, was incorporated into Trinity International University, and the Trinity Graduate School was founded.

In 2014, [[David S. Dockery]] was elected unanimously as the 15th president of Trinity. He was inaugurated in October of that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.tiu.edu/2014/10/27/trinity-dsd-inauguration/|title=Trinity Celebrates the Inauguration of David S. Dockery|access-date=2016-04-06|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085206/http://news.tiu.edu/2014/10/27/trinity-dsd-inauguration/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Nicholas Perrin]] was elected as the 16th president in June 2019.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nicholas Perrin elected 16th president of Trinity International University|url=https://news.tiu.edu/2019/06/07/nicholas-perrin-elected-16th-president/|access-date=2019-06-07|archive-date=2019-06-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607160620/https://news.tiu.edu/2019/06/07/nicholas-perrin-elected-16th-president/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Kevin Kompelien succeeded Perrin as president on April 1, 2024.<ref>{{cite web| title=Kevin Kompelien To Step Down as EFCA President To Lead Trinity International University Amid 'Budget Challenges' |author-last=Chamberlain | author-first =Dale |url=https://churchleaders.com/news/471358-kevin-kompelien-to-step-down-as-efca-president-to-lead-trinity-international-university-amid-budget-challenges.html/ |website=churchleaders.com |access-date=2024-10-05 |date=March 5, 2024}}</ref> On July 1, 2025, David W. Pao was named interim president to serve for a year of transition.<ref>{{cite web|title=Trinity International University Appoints Dr. David W. Pao as Interim President During Key Transition Year|date=June 10, 2025|website=Trinity International University|url=https://www.tiu.edu/news/trinity-international-university-appoints-david-w-pao-as-interim-president/}}</ref>

Trinity Graduate School closed in 2024, along with the academic programs at TIU-Florida. Trinity College Online closed in May 2025. The undergraduate program for prisoners in Fox Lake, Wisconsin, remains open. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Trinity Law School are operational.

== Approvals, accreditations and memberships ==
Trinity International University is [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accredited]] by the [[Higher Learning Commission]].<ref name="NCH-HLC">{{cite web |title=The Higher Learning Commission Database |url=http://www.ncahlc.org/component/com_directory/Action,ShowBasic/Itemid,/instid,1935/ |work=Accreditation information page for Trinity International University |publisher=[[Higher Learning Commission]] |accessdate=October 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Higher Learning Commission Database |url=http://www.ncahlc.org/component/com_directory/Action,ShowBasic/Itemid,/instid,H106/ |work=The Trinity Evangelical Divinity School accreditation information page |publisher=[[Higher Learning Commission]] |accessdate=October 13, 2012}}</ref> The divinity school is also programmatically accredited by the [[Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada|Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS)]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Database of Member Institutions |url=http://ats.edu/MemberSchools/Pages/SchoolDetail.aspx?ID=220 |work=The Trinity Evangelical School's accreditation information page |publisher=[[Association of Theological Schools]] |accessdate=October 13, 2012}}</ref>

TIU's law school, located in [[Santa Ana, California]], is [[State Bar of California#Accredited law school study|accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE)]] of the [[State Bar of California]] (CALBAR).<ref>{{cite web|title=California Law Schools|url=http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Education/LegalEducation/LawSchools.aspx#cals|work=Schools approved by CALBAR CBE (aka CALS)|publisher=State Bar of California website|access-date=13 October 2012}}</ref> The normative nationwide USDE- and CHEA-approved accreditor of law schools is the [[American Bar Association#Accreditation of U.S. law schools since 1923|American Bar Association (ABA)]].  Within the state of California, though, law schools are also accredited by CALBAR CBE, which is neither USDE- or CHEA-approved. Graduates of non-ABA accredited programs are not recognized outside of the state of California.<ref>{{cite web|title=Understanding Law School Accreditation|url=http://www.princetonreview.com/law/law-school-accreditation.aspx|publisher=The Princeton Review|access-date=12 October 2012}}</ref>  TIU's Trinity Law School (Santa Ana campus only) is also included as part of TIU's regional accreditation by the USDE- and CHEA-approved NCA-HLC.<ref name="NCH-HLC" />

Trinity International University is exempt<ref>{{cite web|title=IBHE Approval & Review Overview|url=http://www.ibhe.org/Academic%20Affairs/academicPrg/overview.htm|website=Ibhe.org|access-date=2016-02-08}}</ref> from the need to be approved to operate in Illinois by the [[Illinois Board of Higher Education|Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE)]], which lists it as a "private NFP (not-for-profit) institution".<ref>{{cite web|title=Illinois Board of Higher Education Institutional Profiles|url=http://www.ibhe.state.il.us/InstitutionProfiles/ILinstProfile.aspx?id=001772|work=Profile of Trinity International University|publisher=The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) website|access-date=12 October 2012}}</ref>  Its educational programs for [[K–12 (education)|K-12]] teachers are approved by the [[Illinois State Board of Education|Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)]]<ref>{{cite web|title=The Directory of Approved Programs for the Preparation of Educational Personnel in Illinois Institutions of Higher Education (a PDF file)|url=http://www.isbe.state.il.us/profprep/PDFs/directory.pdf|work=Trinity International University, on page 73|publisher=The Illinois State Board of Education|access-date=13 October 2012}}</ref> so that TIU's graduates from said programs may obtain state-issued teaching credentials.  TIU is, further, approved by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) (formerly the Illinois State Scholarship Commission (ISSC))<ref>{{cite news|title=State Scholarship Group Is Now Known As Illinois Student Assistance Commission|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1989/08/25/state-scholarship-group-is-now-known-as-illinois-student-assistance-commission/|access-date=13 October 2012|newspaper=The Chicago Tribune website|date=25 August 1989}}</ref> Monetary Award Program (MAP) so that TIU's students may receive Illinois educational grants and scholarships.<ref>{{cite web|title=The "Grants" area of the website|url=http://www.isac.org/students/during-college/types-of-financial-aid/grants/approved-schools-for-the-map-2012-13.html|work=Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) Approved Schools|publisher=The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) website|access-date=13 October 2012}}</ref>

Prior to 2003, TIU's athletic trainer program was accredited by the [[Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs|Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)]]; however in 2003 the accreditation of such programs was taken over by the Joint Review Committee on Athletic Training (JRC-AT); and in 2006 JRC-AT became the [[Committee for Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)]]. TIU's undergraduate athletic training educational program<ref>{{cite web|title=The Undergraduate Athletic Training Program|url=http://www.tiu.edu/athletictraining|publisher=Trinity International University website|access-date=13 October 2012}}</ref> claims CAATE accreditation on its website.

TIU is also a member of the [[Council for Christian Colleges and Universities|Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU)]],<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Member Institutions|url=https://www.cccu.org/members_and_affiliates|work=Member Institutions beginning with the letter "T"|publisher=The CCCU website|access-date=13 October 2012}}</ref> the [[Christian College Consortium#Member schools|Christian College Consortium (CCC)]], and the Christian Adult Higher Education Association (CAHEA).<ref>{{cite web|title=The CAHEA website database|url=http://www.cahea.org/files/QuickSiteImages/GeneralFiles/2005-2011_Member_Institutions.pdf|work=List of Member Institutions (a PDF file)|publisher=The Christian Higher Education Association (CAHEA) website|access-date=14 October 2012}}</ref>

==Athletics==
The Trinity International athletic teams were called the Trojans.<ref name="endAth">{{cite news |last1=Samuels |first1=Doug |title=A midwest NAIA program is going to online classes, ending football program |url=https://footballscoop.com/news/a-midwest-naia-program-is-going-to-online-classes-ending-football-program |access-date=20 September 2023 |publisher=Football Scoop |date=2023-02-20}}</ref> Prior to the move to an all-online undergraduate academic format in 2023, the university was a member of the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA), primarily competing in the [[Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference]] (CCAC) for most of its sports from 1996–97 until its move after 2022–23; while its football program competed in the Mideast League of the [[Mid-States Football Association]] (MSFA).<ref name="endAth"/> They were also a member of the [[National Christian College Athletic Association]] (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the North Central Region of the Division I level.

Trinity International competed in nine intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports included baseball, basketball, football, soccer and volleyball. Women's sports included basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball.<ref>{{cite web |title=Official athletics website |url=http://tiutrojans.com |website=TIU Trojans |access-date=20 September 2023}}</ref>

===Accomplishments===
In 2022, women's volleyball claimed the NCCAA D1 National Championship, making the title a program first and last.

==Notable faculty==
*[[Carl F H Henry]] Systematic Theology
*[[Kenneth Kantzer]] Theology
*[[Wilbur M. Smith]] Bible Exposition 
*[[Gleason Archer]] Old Testament
*[[Walter Kaiser Jr.|Walter Kaiser]] Old Testament
*[[Elmer Towns]] Religious Education and Evangelism
*[[John Warwick Montgomery]]
*[[Paul Feinberg]] Systematic Theology
*[[Norman Geisler]] Philosophy 
*[[John D. Woodbridge]] Church History
*[[D.A. Carson]] New Testament
*[[Douglas Moo]] New Testament
*[[William Lane Craig]] Philosophy
*[[John Feinberg]] Systematic Theology
*[[Kevin Vanhoozer]] Theology
*[[Wayne Grudem]] New Testament
*[[Harold Netland]] Philosophy of Religion, Missions
*[[Richard Longenecker]] New Testament
*[[Mark Noll]] Church History
*[[Clark Pinnock]] Systematic Theology
*[[John Gerstner]] Church History
*[[Barry J. Beitzel]] Old Testament
*[[Harold O. J. Brown]] Systematic Theology
*[[Murray J. Harris]] New Testament

== Notable alumni ==
*[[Randall Balmer]], Episcopal priest and John Phillips Professor in Religion, [[Dartmouth College]]
*[[Ron Butler]], television actor and comedian
*[[Galen Carey]], Vice President for Government Relations, National Association of Evangelicals
*[[Lazarus Chakwera]], sixth president of [[Malawi]]
*[[Herb Coleman (defensive lineman)|Herb Coleman]], American player of gridiron football
*[[Paul Copan]],  Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, apologist, and author. Currently professor at the [[Palm Beach Atlantic University]] and holds the endowed Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics.
*[[Norman Ericson]], biblical scholar; [[Emeritus]] [[Professor]] at the [[Wheaton College (Illinois)|Wheaton College]]
*[[W. Kent Fuchs]], President, [[University of Florida]]
*[[Brian Hagedorn]], attorney and judge; Justice of the [[Wisconsin Supreme Court]]
*[[Karl Hankton]], American player of gridiron football
*[[Alan Heatherington]], orchestra conductor and music director of several Chicago-area choirs and orchestras
*[[Lincoln Hurst]], biblical scholar, film historian; [[Emeritus]] [[Professor]], [[University of California]]
*[[Bill Hybels]], founder of [[Willow Creek Community Church]] in [[Barrington, Illinois]].
*[[Sarah McCammon]], journalist and author
*[[John Senyonyi]], Vice Chancellor, [[Uganda Christian University]]
*[[Jeffrey Neil Steenson]], coordinator for [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]] priests and laypeople seeking to become [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] within a [[personal ordinariate]]
*[[Danny Yamashiro]], chaplain at [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] ([[MIT]]), researcher on [[American presidents]] and [[childhood trauma]], and media [[talk show]] host
*[[Ravi Zacharias]], Christian apologist

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.tiu.edu}}

{{Deerfield, Illinois}}
{{Christian College Consortium}}
{{Colleges and universities in metropolitan Chicago}}
{{CCCU}}

{{authority control}}

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[[Category:Trinity International University| ]]
[[Category:1897 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Council for Christian Colleges and Universities]]
[[Category:Deerfield, Illinois]]
[[Category:Education in Lake County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1897]]
[[Category:Evangelicalism in Illinois]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America]]
[[Category:Liberal arts colleges in Illinois]]
[[Category:Private universities and colleges in Illinois]]