Our Mission

Advancing biblical higher education for Kingdom impact

ADVANCING — moving purposefully forward with a sense of urgency — OUR DISPOSITION

BIBLICAL HIGHER EDUCATION — a biblical and theological learning community — WHO WE ARE

KINGDOM IMPACT — seeing students serve Christ by going and making disciples — OUR ULTIMATE PURPOSE

ABHE is unapologetically driven to serve Christ and the Church through the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Member institutions engage students in transformational, experiential, and missional education that is grounded in the truth of God’s Word. The end goal of biblical higher education is to go and make disciples.

As we began our strategic planning process in 2021, the need to refresh and refine our mission statement became evident. A mission statement should be focused on our WHY, rather than WHAT or HOW we accomplish our mission. It ought to be memorable, compelling, and capture the essence of why we exist, providing a sense of direction. 

In the Fall of 2021, we introduced the revised mission statement at our twelve strategic planning Townhall gatherings across North America. Attendees rated the statement a 4.7 out of 5 stars, a strong expression of support. This was approved by the Board of Directors in late 2021 and the President’s Congress in early 2022. 

Our Vision

Flourishing Institutions. Missional Graduates.

FLOURISHING INSTITUTIONS — Our aspirational goal — WHO WE SERVE

MISSIONAL GRADUATES — Our ultimate desired end — WHO SERVE GOD

Biblical higher education is a movement of institutions committed to fulfilling the Great Commission. ABHE exists to promote, advance, and protect the essence and ethos of biblical higher education through its member institutions. We are focused on cultivating flourishing institutions. This effort employs various means such as quality assurance through the Commission on Accreditation, networking, and leadership development opportunities with a goal to see our institutions flourish. When our institutions are flourishing, they will produce missional graduates. Missional graduates will go and make a difference for the cause of Jesus Christ around the world.

A vision statement is aspirational. It identifies a preferred future, a destination. Over the next 5 years (2022-2027), ABHE envisions a future where more and more of its member institutions are flourishing. A flourishing institution is ultimately characterized as fulfilling its mission and that of Christ through its graduates. ABHE serves its members by shepherding, cultivating, and championing biblical higher education resulting in flourishing institutions.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? IN FIVE YEARS . . .

• A palpable sense of spiritual vitality throughout ABHE
• More students enrolled across ABHE
• Higher student completion rates
• More faculty engaged with ABHE
• Fewer institutions in fiscal jeopardy
• More member institutions
• A curated hub of resources for member flourishing
• Increased member engagement with ABHE
• A robust commitment to biblically grounded, Christ-centered education
• Broader understanding of and appreciation for biblical higher education