Open Letter to Christian Community

Concerning Jessup University from the Multnomah Family Team

[Cover Letter]

February 13, 2026

Dear Christian Friend,

Attached is an “Open Letter” concerning a justice issue between Multnomah Bible College and Jessup University. I have nothing to gain from this confrontation nor does the Multnomah Family Team. We have not been personally hurt by Jessup University, but we strongly desire to pursue justice. We all have a rich history with Multnomah. Mine is 37 years as a faculty member and ten years as VP-Academic Dean. Our hearts are for Multnomah, Jessup and for justice. For the last five months we have followed the steps in Matthew 18 and consider this the final step of “telling the church”.

For The Multnomah Family Team

Dr. Garry Friesen

Attached: The Open Letter below

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OPEN LETTER CONCERNING JESSUP UNIVERSITY

FROM MULTNOMAH FAMILY TEAM

February 13, 2026

Dear Friend in Christ,

This is an open letter to the Christian community. We have no desire to bring legal action against Jessup University, but we believe there is a moral issue of justice that must be settled with Multnomah Bible College.

Multnomah University was not able to continue. Jessup University agreed to continue a Christian university on the campus if Multnomah would gift all their assets and campus to them. Multnomah agreed. Eighteen months later, Jessup closed the college and put the campus up for sale.

We see two moral issues that require justice. First, Jessup presented itself as financially strong and able to add a branch college. In fact, public records show that they were $74 million in debt and did not have additional capital to create a new branch college. Second, Jessup failed to sustain a Christian college as agreed. Whether they would not or could not keep the promise does not change the result. We believe this failure to keep their agreement disqualifies them to sell the campus and take the proceeds that were earned by Multnomah over 85 years. (Supporting documents are available on the Multnomah Family Team website at:

https://www.multnomahlegacyproject.com/about

Multnomah Family team, an informal group of alumni, met with the Jessup board. Jessup did not answer the moral issue, was not willing to seek mediation and would not postpone sale of the campus to seek a just conclusion.

Our team proposed a fair and just reconciliation. Jessup would return the campus to Multnomah representatives and in turn receive a reimbursement for their 1.5 years of investment to sustain Multnomah. (This reimbursement must fairly calculate money already received such as endowments, items sold, fees collected, etc. and subtract debt Jessup received from Multnomah. A mediation accountant could fairly determine this amount.)

We plead with you to plead with Jessup to pursue mediation and a just conclusion. Failure to keep their agreement should not qualify them to sell the campus and keep the profits.

We believe that we have followed the steps of reconciliation in Matthew 18. The final step is to tell the church. This open letter is our attempt to do that. We appeal to you to appeal to Jessup to seek mediation for fairness over this moral issue. We have given Jessup the opportunity to respond in this letter to the two moral issues.

They did not respond.

Please contact the new Jessup president and the chair of the Jessup board. Identify yourself, explain why you think they should reconcile with Multnomah and then promise to pray for them. Finally, please send this to Christian friends.

Email contact for the interim President Lovelace is: plovelace@jessup.edu. 

President’s webpage: https://jessup.edu/about/office-of-the-president/

Email contact for the board chair Bonnie Gore is: BonnieGore@placer.ca.gov

Sincerely,

Multnomah Family Team

Bethany Myers, Jim Small, Rob Trenckmann, Steve MacLurg, Garry Friesen

A PDF of the letter is available: See Letter

We appeal to you to appeal to Jessup to seek mediation for fairness over this moral issue. We have given Jessup the opportunity to respond in this letter to the two moral issues.

They did not respond.

Please contact the new Jessup president: plovelace@jessup.edu

and the chair of the Jessup board: boardchair@jessup.edu

Identify yourself, explain why you think they should reconcile with Multnomah and then promise to pray for them.

Finally, please send this to Christian friends.

Sincerely,

Multnomah Family Team

Bethany Myers
Jim Small
Rob Trenckmann
Steve MacLurg
Garry Friesen

PS. Here are some good people from Jessup and Multnomah. 
Encourage them to encourage their leaders to seek mediation with Multnomah.

Jessup Chief Operating Officer, Leeanne Varenkamp  - lvarenkamp@jessup.edu
Jessup Chief Financial Officer, Allison Webb - awebb@jessup.edu
Jessup Vice President of Strategic Projects , Erin Hill - ehill@jessup.edu
Jessup Vice President of IT and Strategic Data, Ben Huffman - bhuffman@jessup.edu
Jessup Vice President of Advancement, Ed Jones  - ejones@jessup.edu
Jessup Vice President of Educational Effectiveness, Kay Llovio - kllovio@jessup.edu
Jessup Vice President of Growth and Revenue, Angela Switzer - aswitzer@jessup.edu
Jessup Associate Vice President Events and Experience, Marcie Lemos - mlemos@jessup.edu
Jessup Associate Vice President of Marketing, David Norona - dnorona@jessup.edu

Some of Jessup Programs:
Biblical Studies BA, Libby Backfish, PhD - lbackfish@jessup.edu
Business Administration BS, Michael Obermire, MBA - mobermire@jessup.edu
Criminal Justice, Phil Mancini - pmancini@jessup.edu
Counseling Psychology MACP, Stephanie Caine, PhD - scaine@jessup.edu
Education MAEd, Wendy Westsmith, Ed.D - wwestsmith@jessup.edu
Jessup School of Theology and Leadership, Daniel Gluck, PhD - dgluck@jessup.edu
Director, Center for Bible Study, Max Botner PhD - mbotner@jessup.edu

Multnomah Biblical Seminary Faculty
Ministry DMin, Ruben Alvarado, Th.M. - ralvarado@jessup.edu
Global Development and Justice MAGDJ, Greg Burch, PhD - gburch@jessup.edu
Transformational Leadership MATL, Dave Heitman, Ed.D - dheitman@jessup.edu
Biblical Studies MABS, Paul Metzger, PhD - pmetzger@jessup.edu
Dean, David Timms, PhD - dtimms@jessup.edu
School of Theology and Leadership, MDIV, Derek Zahnd, PhD - dzahnd@jessup.edu