Dr. Don Green

Dr. Don Green, Lincoln Christian University’s seventh president, came to LCU as a transfer student back in 1967. A few months prior, Green had been pursuing a degree in English at Illinois State University (Normal, Illinois). He wanted to be a speech teacher. But after getting involved with his uncle’s church, he realized that he desired to serve the body of Christ. “If I could help people learn English and take speech classes, that would be good,” Green said. “But to be able to preach and teach the Word of God—which would make an eternal difference—that would be better.”

As an undergraduate and later a graduate student of Lincoln Christian, Green learned several foundational lessons that continue to impact his life today. His education was instrumental in developing his heart for Christian ministry and his devotion to Scripture—and he met his wife, Margaret, while enrolled at LCU. From there, Green preached at churches in Indiana and Illinois. He and his family headed back to Lincoln in 1979, so that he could take up the mantle at the Jefferson Street Christian Church. Much to his surprise, Green was soon asked to join LCU’s board of trustees.

In 1982, a simple request changed the course of Green’s career. Charles Mills, one of Green’s congregants, was asked to take on the role of interim president at Lincoln Christian. At the time, Mills was well into retirement and felt like the task might be too big for him to take on alone. He asked Green for help, and Green accepted. For the next 30 years, he worked in a variety of administrative and teaching roles at LCU, beginning with Charles Mills’ administrative assistant and culminating in the presidency.

But when Gene Harker, chairman of the board of trustees, approached Green in 2014 to consider the role of president, he wasn’t so sure. “I’d been a vice president long enough to have sat close enough to the president’s office to have a long list of reasons why I didn’t think I would ever want to do this job,” said Green, laughing.

During November of that year, Green attended a student-led worship gathering—and it changed his mind. “I was worshiping with our students, and in the context of worship and prayer, I sent a text message to Gene Harker, the chairman of the board, and it simply said, ‘Gene, I am in.’

“I love these students,” Green continued. “I’m willing to be here [at LCU] for them, so that they can go elsewhere and everywhere for Him. I love this place because of its heritage and because of memories, but what I love most is what I see in our students: the potential, the passion, the zeal for Christ, the love for learning.”

In Green’s inaugural address, he discussed the difficulties of convincing a potential student and his or her parents that a four-year degree at a Christian university is worth more than the sum of its parts. LCU, he writes, does more than prepare students for their careers. In addition, “We count it our joy to imprint our love for Jesus and our passion for his Kingdom on any who seek to serve and lead in the church and in the world, whether in local church ministry, on a remote mission field, as a teacher in a classroom, a nurse in a hospital, or a leader in an organization; as a counselor, a church planter or a pioneer in cross-cultural evangelism, a Bible scholar, a theologian or a philosopher, a dad or mom, or a disciple of Jesus.” God calls every believer, Green concludes, into service for Christ.

“I love this place because of its heritage and because of memories, but what I love most is what I see in our students: the potential, the passion, the zeal for Christ, the love for learning.”

Dr. Don Green, President Emeritus, Professor of Leadership Studies (Professor-at-Large)