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On a beautiful August afternoon, the 2023 Threshold opening convocation welcomed more than 560 new North Park University (NPU) students to their campus home—the third-largest incoming first-year class in our history!

With three consecutive years of record-breaking enrollment and a rise of nine spots in the best regional universities (Midwest) and seven spots in the social mobility category in the annual U.S. News & World Report college rankings, we have plenty to be grateful for and celebrate.

We prayed daily for our incoming students throughout the summer months leading to their arrival, and the faculty, staff, and leaders of North Park were on hand at the convocation to express their support and commitment to student success.

In this issue of the North Parker, you will enjoy the second in our three-part series elevating our core distinctive institutional identities: Christian, city-centered, intercultural.

The following pages will highlight the strong history and significant opportunity we have as a Christian, urban university, centered in the world-class city of Chicago.

We’ll highlight the courageous and visionary work of a task force commissioned by the Evangelical Covenant Church in the late 1970s, to study the merits of a proposal to abandon North Park’s Chicago location for a move to a new campus location in the northern suburbs. The comprehensive work of that task force resulted in the overwhelming affirmation in 1980 to remain rooted in ministry at the corner of Foster and Kedzie Avenues, serving an increasingly diverse student community, and allowing for the flourishing, beautiful campus we love today.

You’ll also learn more about how our students engage with the city through their internships, for God’s glory and the good of our Chicago neighbors.

Our Chicago home provides a strong recruiting base for Viking athletics, and you’ll read about how North Park coaches have built solid networks and pipelines for student-athletes from our city, helping them discover and embrace an academic and athletic home at NPU.

You will meet the newest scholar and leader of North Park Theological Seminary, Rev. Dr. Michelle Dodson BA ’02, installed earlier this fall as the Milton B. Engebretson Chair for Evangelism and Justice.

Seek the welfare of the city to which I have sent you. Pray for it to the Lord, for upon its welfare your own depends.

—JEREMIAH 29:7

And you’ll meet some of North Park’s most influential alumni—deeply invested in Chicago—leading and serving our city and region in transformational ways.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support for our students and our mission. The lifelong commitment of the faithful alumni and friends of North Park provides inspiration and encouragement to go further and deeper in our mission every day. We are grateful for you!

In His name,

Mary K. Surridge
President