Elevation Church, a North Carolina congregation with more than 10,000 members, has announced that it will open Elevation College in the fall of 2026 in partnership with Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida.
In a recent Instagram post, the church explained, “This is for traditional college-aged students who feel called to ministry and want to earn an accredited degree from Southeastern University while gaining hands-on experience at Elevation Church.”
Southeastern University, a private Christian institution affiliated with the Assemblies of God, already collaborates with Elevation Church through the Elevation Church Ministry Leaders Series.
This program is designed to equip ministry leaders with greater effectiveness “with in-depth training in interpreting Scripture and biblical context.”
Southeastern emphasizes on its website that it welcomes “students from all Christian backgrounds and denominations.” The university notes that its student body includes “many Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc., as well as nondenominational students,” all of whom share a commitment to Christ while “appreciating our differences.”
Southeastern expands its offerings nationwide through the SEU Ministry Network, partnering with more than 200 churches to combine accredited academics with real-world ministry training.
According to the university, “Any student looking for a Christ-centered education and who has interest in the degrees and opportunities at your site could be a good fit for enrollment. SEU partner sites are also a popular alternative to community college for 'traditional' college age students (recent high school graduate/young adult). Student [sic] who complete their degree at your partner site receive an SEU diploma.”
In June 2023, Elevation Church withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention after more than two decades of participation in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
Although the church made no public announcement at the time, a letter later circulated online indicated that Elevation’s departure from the SBC was “effective immediately.”
While the church did not offer an explanation for the decision, some Southern Baptist leaders—including Denny Burke, professor of biblical studies at Boyce College—suggested that the move may have been prompted by the SBC’s vote to prevent women from serving as “a pastor of any kind.”
