President D. Michael Lindsay will be stepping down from his role this coming summer. The announcement was made in a surprise campus-wide email on October 21 to the Gordon College community.
Lindsay came to Gordon in 2011 to replace the late Judson Carlberg. Lindsay was among the country’s youngest college presidents at the time of his inauguration.
Three reasons influenced Lindsay’s decision to leave, he explained in the email. Lindsay says that he believes in “institutional renewal,” and believes that his departure now might spur such a renewal at Gordon. Lindsay also cited personal reasons, including his daughters finishing elementary school. He noted that a book he is currently writing about major transitions made him consider where transitions might occur in his own life.
Lindsay’s tenure at Gordon has been marred by both controversy and highlights. A 2014 religious liberty letter signed by Lindsay severed ties with local communities and sparked campus protest. At the same time, Lindsay has overseen the donation of over 100 million dollars to Gordon College through the Faith Rising campaign, money which allowed major institutional reform and an overall reduction in tuition for incoming and current students.
Gordon’s Board of Trustees will oversee the search for a new president; Chairman Hermann Smith will update the college next month with further details.
This is an evolving story and will be updated as new information is received.
President Michael Lindsay to Step Down
“It was a part of my plan to step down after ten years”, says the man who destroyed Gordon College. The emperor has clothes, just the raiment of a turncoat.