Biola University Acquires Phoenix Seminary

As small seminaries struggle, Biola and Phoenix Seminary chart a path forward.

Biola University’s acquisition of Phoenix Seminary will create the second-largest nondenominational seminary in the nation. The acquisition comes after Phoenix Seminary approached Biola University in January for a merger and offered to donate its Phoenix Campus.

Photo via Biola University

The Arizona seminary will become Talbot Seminary Phoenix, part of Biola’s Talbot School of Theology.

With the merger, the combined schools will enroll about 1,800 students.

Biola President Barry Corey said the schools have always shared a core mission of strengthening evangelical theological education. “For more than a century, Biola University has prepared students to be a faithful and influential witness in the world for the cause of Christ. Through this acquisition, Biola University and Talbot School of Theology seek to honor and carry forward Phoenix Seminary’s deep-rooted heritage while investing in its future for generations to come.”

Similarly, Michael Maples, chair of the Biola University Board of Trustees, said, “We are deeply grateful for Phoenix Seminary’s longstanding service to the church and believe this path…creates an opportunity to build upon that foundation for future generations of pastors, ministry leaders and Christian scholars.”

While Phoenix Seminary officials said the merger was not prompted by any crisis, the school had been running a $1 million budget deficit. According to tax records, the school held $3.3 million in assets. Maples told Christianity Today Phoenix Seminary’s financial health made the decision to acquire it easier. Officials acknowledged the difficulties facing small schools across the country that are seeking to merge with larger institutions.

The merger comes amid a broader policy threat to faith-based education. Postsecondary Education Accountability Framework — part of the broader One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) enacted under the Trump administration — includes an earnings metric that would cut off access to federal student loans and Pell Grants for programs whose graduates fail to meet specific salary benchmarks. The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities and other organizations have raised alarms about the policy.

Because ministry and nonprofit jobs frequently offer lower starting salaries, critics argue the rule disproportionately threatens faith-based, service-oriented degree programs. A significant majority of religious master’s programs and nearly half of religious undergraduate programs would fail these Department of Education earning tests and lose access to federal financial aid.

Talbot School of Theology, Biola’s seminary, received a $10 million Lilly Endowment grant that enabled it to launch the Talbot Embedded initiative — a modular hybrid program with regional locations across the western United States, including the Phoenix Seminary location.

Biola hopes to open Talbot Seminary Phoenix in August. Corey told Christianity Today that Biola, located in Southern California, plans to keep many Phoenix staff, but expects there to be some reductions.

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