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North Park offers more than 40 graduate and undergraduate programs in liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies. Classes average 17 students. 84% of our faculty have terminal degrees. Academics here are rigorous and results-oriented.
North Park Theological Seminary prepares you to answer the call to service through theological study, spiritual development, and the formative experiences of living in a community with others on a similar life path.
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Michelle Dodson C’03, biblical and theological studies alumna, shares why she chose North Park.
Michelle Dodson C’03, biblical and theological studies alumna, shares why she chose North Park.
As a high school student, Michelle chose to come to North Park University because she was looking for a Christian liberal arts university that was small enough for her to get to know people. “I was attending a Covenant church in California at the time,” she says, “and my pastor suggested I apply to North Park.”
As it turned out, North Park was a great fit for Michelle. “The relationships that I built at North Park are what I enjoyed the most,” she says. “I have had the privilege of doing life and ministry with many of those people to this day.”
What’s more, she says, Michelle’s experience inside and outside of the classroom as a biblical and theological studies major helped prepare her professionally for the work she does in ministry today. “North Park was a great training ground for what I do,” she says. “It was as a student there that I got my first experiences leading in the areas of racial righteousness.” Serving in campus ministry and engaging with college diversity “helped me develop a theology of racial reconciliation. It also gave me opportunities to learn how to communicate that theology.”
Michelle serves as associate pastor of New Community Covenant Church in Bronzeville, a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. She describes New Community as “an intentionally multiracial congregation that actively pursues racial reconciliation and social justice.” She’s currently working toward a PhD in sociology with a focus on multiracial congregations.
The authentic Jewish Torah scroll was generously gifted to the University on February 9 during a dedication and celebration event in Anderson Chapel.
The authentic Jewish Torah was generously gifted during a February 9 dedication and celebration.
CHICAGO (February 22, 2017) — Ken and Barbara Larson are a warm couple who have been married for 52 years, having spent the past two in ministry gifting scrolls to Christian institutions. The Larson’s story centers around “saying yes to God.”
Mr. Larson, who is the founder of Slumberland Furniture, says that the couple had been told during a prayer meeting years earlier that they’d do ministry together. When they were invited by Josh McDowell—the Christian apologist—to Tajikistan to help with a program, they said “yes” to God, thinking that this could be their ministry together. Though that trip was canceled, they continued to say “yes” to God, landing them in South Korea with the apologist. There, McDowell shared about how he had recently purchased a Torah scroll and how it was the most impactful tool he’d experienced in more than 50 years of ministry. Not long after the trip to South Korea, the Larsons traveled to Israel with their family—35 members including children and grandchildren. When they returned to the States, they visited a seminary with Dr. Scott Carroll, an expert manuscript researcher.
There, Mr. Larson asked the Hebrew professors if they’d ever read from a Torah scroll. They all said that they’d never had the opportunity.
This was the turning point. Ken and Barbara looked at each other and knew that this was going to be their ministry together. As they had done so many times before, they said “yes” to God. They bought a collection of Torah scrolls and, since March of 2014, have given 32 to institutions around the world.
North Park is the 32nd recipient.
Barb Larson was happy to give the scroll to North Park because she’s a Chicagoan herself. “We feel right at home here.” She reminisced about her childhood, growing up living in an apartment on Montrose and Broadway. She attended Senn High School, which was, at the time, primarily Jewish. It was there that her love for Jewish people began. “It’s so thrilling to be back here and feel the energy that Chicagoland has.” Barb and Ken are most interested, though, in giving scrolls to institutions that have a respect for the word of God.
North Park—being Chicago-centered, intercultural, and rooted in faith—was a perfect match.
The Larsons have another special connection to North Park. “We love the Covenant church,” Barbara mentioned, because Ken attended Minnehaha Academy, a ministry affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church. The Larson’s five children went to Minnehaha and now they have grandchildren there. One grandson even attended North Park. “So, we feel a deep connection to the Covenant church.”
North Park’s Office of Advancement and the Seminary expressed gratitude for the gift with an elaborate and inspiring ceremony, featuring a traditional Jewish Torah Service liturgy, including readings and cantillations.
Dr. Rajkumar Boaz Johnson, professor of biblical and theological studies, and Skokie-based Rabbi Jeffrey Weill led the liturgy. Dr. Johnson sang the Shema before he and Rabbi Weill processed the scroll through the chapel. Dr. Johnson coached participants to, as the Torah passed them, touch their program to it and then kiss the program. This, he said, was an act of gratitude to God for his word.
Rabbi Weill lained the Torah text, the Song of the Sea. Laining is melodious chanting of the scripture portion. The rabbi commented upon the exceptional beauty of the ornate scroll. Dr. James Bruckner, professor of biblical interpretation, presented the D’rash, an exposition of the text, in which he considered how the bones of Joseph were carried with the Israelites as a remembrance representing the story of God.
This, of course, is also true of the North Park-Larson scroll, a relic stewarded by God’s people as a remembrance of the story of God.
Seminary Dean Rev. Dr. David Kersten remarked that North Park has a heritage of gathering around the text. Receiving the scroll, he emphasized, is a reminder of North Park’s “ongoing call to read the sacred text and to repair our own lives and to repair the world through the reading of the text.”
Dr. Kristine Strand, chair of the Board of Trustees, explained in a letter to the Larsons that North Park is “an educational institution of deep Christian identity” and that it’s devoted to giving students opportunities to enrich their understanding of the Bible. The trustees are grateful that the North Park-Larson scroll will offer these opportunities for enrichment.
The scroll itself is decommissioned—no longer used in Jewish liturgical settings—and can now be used for exhibit, display, and teaching. It’s from the late 18th century with Ashkenazi origins, most likely from Poland. It has unusually beautiful orthography and unique decorative features adorning its letters. Dr. Carrol concluded that the scroll was a great labor of love for the scribe who produced it, and it was likely a point of pride for its original congregation.
It is now a point of pride for North Park, which is honored to be a part of this scroll’s rich history, a history that includes surviving the Holocaust.
The scroll will be housed in either the Brandel Library or the Seminary, kept within its handcrafted ark. The design of the ark—crafted by Dr. Johnson’s friend, Chris Olofson—was intended to be rugged to reflect the age of the scroll. It’s made of solid cypress, a wood indigenous to the Holy Land, and the vertical planking is intended to reflect the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. The Ark is supported by a maple plywood laminate base in the favored style of modern Swedish furniture. This reflects the support of the Swedish community—from which North Park was founded—for the Jewish community.
Dr. David Parkyn, president of North Park University, expressed gratitude to the Larsons and closed the ceremony with a prayer noting that the study of the holy scriptures has been central to North Park since its founding 125 years ago. The gift, he said, marks the school’s new level of commitment to the scriptures.
A Message from Board Chair Dr. Kristine Strand and ECC President Gary Walter.
A Message from Board Chair Dr. Kristine Strand and ECC President Gary Walter
Dr. David Parkyn, president of North Park University since 2006, has announced his retirement to follow the completion of this 2016–17 academic year. North Park University is the university of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC).
“With gratitude and respect, the Board of Trustees congratulates Dr. Parkyn on the success of North Park University during his 11 years as President. The Board wishes to express our heartfelt thanks for his service and leadership to North Park,” commented Kristine Strand, chair of the Board of Trustees for the University.
During President Parkyn’s tenure, North Park saw advances on many fronts. Dr. Parkyn presided over Campaign North Park, the largest fundraising effort in the university’s history raising over $63 million in financial commitments which resulted in the completion of the state of the art G. Timothy and Nancy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life. Under his direction, North Park University has been recognized for its leadership in “first family member to college” student enrollment and retention, as well as the ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the student body. Further, nineteen students have received Fulbright awards, making North Park “a top producer” of Fulbright recipients.
“The Board of Trustees also expresses deep appreciation to Dr. Linda Parkyn, Professor of Spanish, who capably led North Park’s Honors Congress,” Dr. Strand continued. “Her leadership of the program was instrumental in the development of Fulbright award winners to date.”
In a letter to the campus community, President Parkyn wrote, “The past 11 years at North Park have been personally and professionally fulfilling for both Linda and me. We have come to deeply love this institution as well as its students, faculty, and staff. Together we have made good (perhaps on occasion even great!) strides toward important objectives. Now is a good time for someone else to step into leadership and guide the school into the coming years.”
The North Park University Board of Trustees will announce interim leadership for the university following its meetings, February 17–18. Also, the Board looks forward to leading the process to identify a nominee for the next university president who will guide the North Park community in its aspiration to be the nation’s leading city-centered Christian university. The candidate will be called formally to the position by the Covenant Annual Meeting anticipated in June 2018.
Plans will be announced for an appreciation event for the Parkyns later this spring.
Gary Walter, President of the ECC, stated that “President Parkyn’s ethos is for the flourishing of each student. It has been his driving hope that at North Park students would know that each of their lives makes a difference. North Park University’s mission as an intentionally Christian university, is to prepare students for lives of significance and service. Dr. Parkyn has given himself unreservedly to that aim.”
“We wish President and Dr. Linda Parkyn the very best in their retirement as they look forward to more time with family and other pursuits,” said Dr. Strand.
The new mark honors the institution’s 125-year legacy, while pointing to a bold future.
CHICAGO (November 17, 2016) — North Park University this week unveiled its new logo, which harkens to the University’s history in Chicago. The cupola is a depiction of the first campus building, Old Main, built in 1893. Once the tallest point on the north side of Chicago, the cupola was historically used as a guiding landmark for pilots landing at Orchard Field (now O’Hare International Airport).
In the new rendition of this architectural feature, the steeple breaks out of a shield, emphasizing North Park University’s continued role as a directional point for students, alumni, and community members. A cross is visible towards the top of the symbol, a reflection of the University’s identity, which is “rooted in Christianity, with open arms.”
Founded by the Swedish Evangelical Covenant Church, North Park has long identified with the colors blue and gold, originally drawn from the Swedish flag. This is maintained in the new logo, as well as the marker “CHICAGO,” indicating North Park’s continued commitment to engaging its urban environment.
Located in Chicago, North Park University is a Christian comprehensive university that serves nearly 3,200 undergraduate and graduate students from around the country and the world. Within a diverse, close-knit, urban community, North Park offers a values-based education to students through more than 40 undergraduate majors and an adult degree-completion program, as well as graduate and continuing education in business, nonprofit management, nursing, education, music, and theology. By integrating faith with learning—as it has done since its founding in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church—North Park University continues to focus on the important task of preparing students for lives of significance and service.
Liza Ann Acosta as University dean; Gregor Thuswaldner as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
CHICAGO (June 2, 2016) — North Park University has announced the appointment of two new deans, effective August 15. Dr. Liza Ann Acosta will serve in the newly created position of University dean, and Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner has been named as the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
As University dean, Acosta is charged with the recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty across the University; faculty development; and hearing academic grievances and student appeal cases. The position reports to Provost Michael Emerson, and will be housed within the Office of the Provost.
Acosta, who earned her PhD in comparative literature from Penn State University, has been on North Park’s faculty since 2000, and will continue in her role as professor of English. For the past four years, she has served as division director and associate dean of humanities, arts, and social sciences. Prior to that, she served as director of humanities, and two terms as chair of the English department. She has held numerous additional leadership roles on campus and in the larger Chicago community.
In addition to her success as an educator, Acosta is an accomplished writer and performer. Colleagues, students, and alumni find that she has embodied and championed North Park’s values for the entirety of her professional career. She has been a strong, consistent advocate for the ethnic and racial diversification of the student body and faculty, and has served as a role model and mentor for many.
As part of her new role, Acosta will be working with the deans of the colleges, schools, departments, and other units on campus to create strategies for faculty development and ethnic diversification. She will also oversee the Teaching and Learning Cooperative, work with the Professional Development Committee, and develop faculty-mentoring programs to help faculty progress through each stage of their careers.
In accepting the position, Acosta said, “After 16 years at North Park University, I am honored to serve my colleagues and my students in this capacity, leading the way to a campus that lives its values of equity and justice, built upon a rich immigrant heritage and a foundational Christian tradition.”
“I can think of no one better situated to serve as the inaugural University dean than Liza Ann,” said Emerson. “She embodies everything this important position requires. We need imaginative strategies to continue diversifying our faculty, and we need careful, focused attention on faculty development and mentoring. To become the university we strive to be, elevating the centrality and care of our faculty is essential.”
Gregor Thuswaldner named dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Thuswaldner will serve as both dean and professor of humanities. A native of Austria, he has served as professor of German and linguistics at Gordon College since 2003. In his six years as department chair, he greatly diversified the department faculty, created highly successful major and minor programs, and substantially grew the number of linguistics majors.
So successful is Thuswaldner’s department that College Factual, in conjunction with the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, now rank Gordon as one of the nation’s colleges “Most Focused on Languages and Linguistics.” He is also the cofounder and academic director of the Salzburg Institute of Religion, Culture, and the Arts, a flourishing Christian liberal arts summer study abroad program. He has served most recently as interim director of the Center for Faith and Inquiry at Gordon.
The new dean has a strong background in faith-based and intercultural higher education administration, and a track record of fundraising and obtaining research grants. He is a prolific scholar—he has published six books, numerous journal articles and book chapters, and translated two books from German to English—and an award-winning teacher. After just three years at Gordon, he received the college’s Distinguished Faculty Award.
“I am absolutely thrilled to connect with the Chicago community and join North Park University,” Thuswaldner said. “North Park’s three core values—Christian, urban, intercultural—deeply resonate with me, and as a fellow Covenanter, I am very impressed with the University’s heritage and trajectory. I look forward to collaborating with the faculty on a number of projects in order to heighten the visibility of the College of Arts and Sciences.”
Carmen Velazquez-Alvarez and Blake Thomas honored for embodying University mission of significance and service
CHICAGO (April 28, 2016) — On Monday, the North Park University community gathered in Anderson Chapel for the annual Honors Convocation, a celebration recognizing students who demonstrated excellence in the classroom and community.
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Mary Surridge presented the 2016 Distinguished Senior Awards to Carmen Velazquez-Alvarez, Kerman, Calif., and Blake Thomas, Olathe, Kan. This honor is bestowed each year to one woman and one man from the graduating class, recognizing extraordinary leadership, dedicated service, superior academic performance, and embodiment of the University’s mission of preparing students for lives of significance and service.
Velazquez-Alvarez, a conflict transformation studies major and nonprofit management certificate recipient, fled the violence of her native Veracruz, Mexico, at age 11. She and her family were homeless for several months, managing with little food and without access to medical care. She worked in the fields of California’s Central Valley with her mother from a very young age, and dreamed of one day attending North Park, which she had heard about through her church.
“Carmen’s story is the story of the impossible becoming possible,” says Dr. Liza Ann Acosta, professor of English. “She is leading the way for other undocumented students to dream big and work towards fulfilling their goals. Carmen has made her North Park experience one to remember.”
Velazquez-Alvarez served as the president of North Park’s Latin American Student Organization and cofounder of the Latinas Unidas Mentorship Program, established to prepare her fellow Latina students for success. She was also active as a Faith and Justice Team student leader, and completed an internship this semester with the YMCA’s diversity and inclusion department.
“Carmen is a dynamo, an organizer, and at the forefront of Latino and immigrant justice issues,” says Dr. Linda Craft, professor of Spanish. In addition to her service work, Velazquez-Alvarez was honored this year as one of the top academic students in the state, receiving the Student Laureate Award and an educational grant from the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. She earned a 3.98 grade point average at North Park.
“There are kids who came from Central America or Mexico, and they don’t get to go to school,” Velazquez-Alvarez says. “So I’m not going to school just for me. This isn’t even for me. It’s, one, for God, and two, for my family and the people that I work with and are around me. I know there are serious circumstances that keep them from going to school, but how can my education help them in the future? How can I go back to the Valley and help my people?”
‘An outstanding student and a stellar human being’
During his time at North Park, Thomas majored in both youth ministry and biblical and theological studies, completed an internship that led to a job offer, and participated in multiple music ensembles, all while maintaining a 3.69 grade point average.
“Being a part of the Chamber Singers and the University Choir has been the most rewarding experience for me at North Park,” says Thomas. “From singing Handel’s Messiah with 400 people to going on choir tours around the country, I’ve loved my time being under the direction of Dr. Julia Davids and singing with my peers.”
Thomas came to North Park out of a desire to merge his gifts in ministry and music, and a commitment to serving the city of Chicago. Music Recruiter Dr. Rebecca Ryan has seen Thomas’s success firsthand. “I know Blake well—he served as my admissions assistant for three years and has been active in the School of Music,” she says. “He is an outstanding student and a stellar human being.”
Dr. Daniel White Hodge, director of the Center for Youth Ministry Studies, agrees. “I’m not surprised that he won the award,” he says. “Blake has been an outstanding student with exemplary leadership skills. I’m very proud of him and his accomplishments, including serving as youth intern at North Park Covenant Church, where he was able to do some really good work.”
Following his internship, Thomas has been hired as a youth pastor at North Park Covenant Church, and will begin his position this summer. “North Park University provides a very well-rounded perspective on theology and provides the space for students to discern what is biblical and gospel-centered,” he says. “North Park shaped the way I view God and approach theology.”
In addition to the Distinguished Senior Awards, the Honors Convocation ceremony also noted the top graduating students from each department and school, and service and leadership awards were given to seniors embodying excellence in co- and extracurricular activities. View a complete list of students recognized in this year’s Honors Convocation program.
The University’s graduation ceremonies, including the presentation of the Ahnfeldt Medallion given to the senior with the highest grade point average, will officially close the year on Saturday, May 14, at 10:00 am, 3:00 pm, and 7:00 pm.
April 30 event at St. James Cathedral celebrates Scandinavian life in early Chicago
CHICAGO (April 22, 2016) — Artifacts and records from Chicago’s first Swedish congregation, St. Ansgarius Episcopal Church, are now freely available online and are on display at St. James Commons in Chicago.
The church, established in 1849 in what is now the River North neighborhood, is significant to both the city of Chicago and Scandinavian American history for the role it played in the fledgling immigrant community. “The church records, which survived the great Chicago fire of 1871 and had lately been restricted from use due to their fragility, are valued by researchers for both the light they shed on the early Swedish population in Chicago and for the missing links they can fill for genealogists seeking their roots,” said North Park University Director of Archives Anna-Kajsa Anderson. “We’re excited that not only are they no longer restricted, but that they can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection.”
In celebration, the F. M. Johnson Archives and Special Collections, Center for Scandinavian Studies, Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, and Swedish-American Historical Society are cosponsoring the exhibit St. Ansgarius Artifacts: Under One Roof Again. The gallery features remaining artifacts from the early years of St. Ansgarius, now cared for by several different organizations around the city. It can be viewed free of charge through April 30 in Kyle’s Place Gallery at St. James Commons, 65 E. Huron St., Chicago, Ill. 60611.
The gallery will culminate in the event A Celebration of Scandinavian Episcopal Life in Early Chicago, Saturday, April 30, at St. James Cathedral. The day will include an opportunity to peruse the exhibit, worship in a choral Eucharist, and attend a symposium on the St. Ansgarius Episcopal Church. Register online for the lunch and afternoon symposium. There is no charge to view the exhibit or worship at the Eucharist.
North Park University was founded in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), a denomination formed by Swedish immigrants. North Park maintains a connection to its Swedish and Scandinavian roots through academic programs and other cultural exchanges.
Author Ana SeklerPosted on Categories Profile, Stories
During President Parkyn’s tenure, North Park saw advances on many fronts. Dr. Parkyn presided over Campaign North Park, the largest fundraising effort in the university’s history raising over $63 million in financial commitments which resulted in the completion of the state of the art G. Timothy and Nancy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life. Under his direction, North Park University has been recognized for its leadership in “first family member to college” student enrollment and retention, as well as the ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the student body. Further, nineteen students have received Fulbright awards, making North Park “a top producer” of Fulbright recipients.
CHICAGO (June 2, 2016) — North Park University has announced the appointment of two new deans, effective August 15. 
Thuswaldner will serve as both dean and professor of humanities. A native of Austria, he has served as professor of German and linguistics at Gordon College since 2003. In his six years as department chair, he greatly diversified the department faculty, created highly successful major and minor programs, and substantially grew the number of linguistics majors.
CHICAGO (April 28, 2016) — On Monday, the North Park University community gathered in Anderson Chapel for the annual Honors Convocation, a celebration recognizing students who demonstrated excellence in the classroom and community.
