Executive committees of the boards of two evangelical colleges last month approved a merger of the institutions. Pending the approval of the Barrington College and Gordon College boards of directors, the two will become one in the fall of 1985.
If that happens, the Barrington campus near Providence, Rhode Island, would be sold. Many of Barrington’s faculty members and students likely would make the 80-mile move to the Gordon campus in Wenham, Massachusetts. What the merged school would be called has not been determined, but sources say it probably would be called Gordon College.
Because the two nondenominational colleges are close geographically and philosophically, they have competed for students. This year, Barrington’s fall enrollment dropped to 460; Gordon’s remained steady at nearly 1,100.
Barrington president David Horner proposed a merger five years ago, but Gordon balked because of Barrington’s financial problems. Gordon officials credit Horner for working financial miracles at Barrington. Since he took over in 1979 at just 29 years of age, the school has operated in the black. Prior to his arrival, it had endured nearly a decade of deficits.
Nevertheless, Barrington’s future did not look bright. During the next ten years, colleges in the Northeast will face a projected 35 percent decline in the number of prospective students. By considering a merger, both schools are anticipating the troubled waters ahead.
David Macmillan, Gordon’s vice-president for development, stresses that both schools view the proposed move as a merger, despite the appearance of a bigger institution swallowing a smaller one. Macmillan points out that Barrington has as many alumni (6,000) as Gordon. He adds that the strength of Barrington’s faculty and programs would be a major contribution to a merged college. “The new school could become the focal point of evangelical education in the Northeast,” he said.
“There is a sense of loss, and with that comes some sadness,” said Horner. “But there’s also a tremendous sense of excitement about what we see being created here. I believe the Northeast will be better served by a single evangelical institution of higher learning.”
According to Macmillan, the new institution would honor all credits earned at Barrington. He added, however, that it is not certain all the programs now offered at Barrington would be retained. Students likely to be affected most are the more than 100 commuters who attend Barrington because it is nearby. Also, there probably would be some casualties among Barrington’s faculty members.
Horner said the major criterion for the decisions that remain is “what’s best for the merged institution.” At this point, he said, that standard probably would entail sacrificing Barrington’s name.
Spokesmen for both schools agree that retaining the Barrington identity would be a top priority if the merger is approved. William Buehler, professor of Bible and theology at Gordon, said it would take “some creative thinking to figure out how this can be done.… I don’t think naming a building Barrington Hall would do it,” said Buehler, who taught for 17 years at Barrington before coming to Gordon 5 years ago.
Buehler has talked extensively with Barrington faculty and staff. He said he is surprised at how positive most of them are about prospects for the merger. “They see the wisdom behind it,” he said. “They see it as a way to continue Barrington’s ministry.”
