Mission, Vision, and History

Mission Statement

Trinity Lutheran College, through biblically-centered education, develops Christian leaders with a global perspective whose lives and ministry serve Jesus Christ in church and society.

Vision Statement

Trinity Lutheran College will have expanded academic programs well-known for their excellence, experience optimal student enrollment, thrive financially, and be supported by current technology.

History

Trinity Lutheran College was founded in 1944 as the Lutheran Bible Institute of Seattle (LBIS), rooted in a wider early 20th century movement among American Lutheran denominations. The Lutheran Bible Institute was historically linked to a variety of European and Protestant Bible teaching institutions which grew out of the church renewal movements on the European continent and in Great Britain during the preceding two centuries. These movements sought to offer systematic, in-depth study of Scripture to lay persons in the historic Reformation tradition.

The college’s first campus was located in downtown Seattle, though it soon moved to the Greenwood area of north Seattle. In 1979, the college relocated to the Providence Heights Campus in Issaquah, WA, a 39-acre wooded campus formerly owned by the Sisters of Providence. In 2008, the college moved its campus from Issaquah to downtown Everett, WA, remodeling the former Port Gardner building. The current campus includes the Campus Center, an adjacent parking garage, and two student apartment buildings.

The college’s name was changed to Trinity Lutheran College in 1998 to reflect its status as a four-year accredited college. Trinity is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of the six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Today, Trinity offers over 30 areas of study within 9 majors and 12 minors, as well as a two-year Associate of Biblical Studies degree, one-year Certificates in Professional Studies, and a one-year Certificate in Spirituality & Discernment. Trinity maintains its distinctiveness as a biblically-centered institution by requiring all bachelor’s students to complete the Trinity Core Curriculum, which includes foundational biblical and theological studies, spiritual formation, and service learning.