“It was crazy!”
That’s how freshman Luke Flanders described the moment he and nearly 200 new students entered Faith’s Welcome Rally to begin the 2026–27 school year.
“I didn’t know what to expect. I was at the back of the line,” Flanders recalled. As the freshmen walked down the gymnasium aisle, upperclassmen and seminary students clapped and cheered to welcome them. “They were supporting us,” he said. “I felt like they were cheering us on and telling us, ‘You can do this. You don’t know what you’re getting into yet, but you can do this, and it’s going to be a great year.’”
The size of that line was significant. This fall, Faith Baptist Bible College welcomed the largest freshman class in its 105-year history—20 percent larger than last year’s. Approximately 90 percent of Faith’s new students chose to study and live on campus.
At a time when many Bible colleges and Christian schools have faced enrollment challenges, Faith is grateful for continued growth, as its student body has doubled over the past 15 years.
Mark Davis, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing, sees the incoming class as an encouraging sign of the health of Faith’s residential community.
“It’s a huge blessing, especially when you consider the vast majority of them wanted to be a part of the campus culture,” Davis said. “The health of the campus growth is really exciting—it’s really a testament to the culture that the Lord is building here.”
Growing and Reaching Further
Faith’s reach is expanding, too. Students have come to campus from 33 states and seven countries, and this fall, Faith welcomed students from many churches and schools that had never before sent a student to campus.
Student Life Director Dennis Wilkening also sees a connection between that growth and Faith’s campus culture.
“Healthy things grow,” Wilkening said. “I think that says a lot about the culture that was already here at Faith.” He said the new students have already “grabbed a hold of” the Eagle Nation culture and have become part of campus life.
Experiencing Eagle Nation
For Flanders, that sense of belonging began quickly.
“Even the Student Center is one of my favorite places to hang out,” he said. “The ping pong, the pool table, the coffee—meeting people is really, really fun. It makes you feel so much more comfortable and excited for the rest of the year.”
That culture doesn’t happen by accident. Student Life intentionally placed juniors and seniors throughout the residence halls this year, creating opportunities for upperclassmen to invest in freshmen through relationships and discipleship.
“The atmosphere is pretty electric right now on campus,” Wilkening said.
Making Room for Growth
That kind of residential experience requires room. Faith added a new women’s residence hall last year, but with another record incoming class and 90 percent of new students choosing to live on campus, housing is once again tight. Plans for a new men’s residence hall targeted for Fall 2028 will provide needed space for continued residential growth.
For Flanders, the value of living on campus is already clear.
“I would choose being on campus over being off campus every time,” he said. “Meeting the guys, the staff, the professors— they invest into me.”
And although he enjoys being part of Faith’s largest freshman class, he hopes the distinction doesn’t last long.
“I feel special being part of the biggest freshman class,” Flanders said. “But I hope we aren’t the biggest freshman class next year—that the campus keeps growing.”
You can read about Faith, but the best way to understand Eagle Nation is to experience it.
Come visit campus. Attend daily chapel, sit in a class, eat in the dining hall, spend time in the Student Center, and meet the students who make Faith feel like Faith.
Come see for yourself what it means to be part of Eagle Nation.
