Office of the President J. Matthew Pinson
February 2013
Dear Friend,
A new year is here, and things are abuzz on the campus of Welch College! Despite the challenges of a turbulent economy, we’ve continued undaunted to fulfill our mission. Seeing students on campus, with all their excitement, confirms why we’re here: students—providing an excellent spiritual learning environment where they find their place in God’s world and are equipped to fulfill their callings.
The most exciting development at Welch College—and the reason for this letter—is the process of campus relocation. In 2008 we purchased a 66-acre campus site in the bustling Hendersonville-Gallatin area of Greater Nashville. Then the Great Recession and flat-lining of the Nashville real estate market stalled our plans for selling the West End Campus.
This economic reality changed our sales strategy. We’ve hired two of the best high-end real estate professionals in Nashville: Rick French and Ellen Christianson. They have moved us to a strategy of selling the campus to more than one buyer, rather than marketing it to one big developer. This has involved the staging of our campus sale, enabling us to sell properties earlier that aren’t central to the student experience, so that we won’t have as much property to sell at one time.
This strategy has been successful. We have just completed the first stage of our campus sale (around $2.3 million), having sold Ennis Hall, the Cook Building, the Missionary-in-Residence Home, and the President’s Home. (That means that my family is temporarily living in Pleasant View—where our children attend Pleasant View Christian School—until we complete the sale and build our new campus.)
With our new realtors in place, and with the Nashville real estate market beginning to recover, more buyers are interested in the West End campus than ever. Pray with us that God will bring about the campus sale as quickly as possible, enabling us to move forward with the dream of campus relocation.
The future is promising. Our alumni, churches, and supporters are enthusiastic about our new name. We’re moving forward with the offering of our first-ever online bachelor’s degree in ministry. We have launched a new website, www.welch.edu, and would love for you to visit. Please continue to pray for us as we continue to fulfill our mission for God’s glory and the extension of His Kingdom.
In Christ,
J. Matthew Pinson
President