History & Heritage

Trinity International University traces its roots to 1897 when the Swedish Evangelical Free Church began a ten-week Bible course in the basement of a Chicago church. This soon developed into the Bible Institute of the Swedish Evangelical Free Church of America. In 1910, the Norwegian-Danish Free Church established the Norwegian-Danish Bible Institute and Academy. It was first located in Rushford, Minnesota, and then later in Minneapolis with the name Trinity Seminary and Bible Institute. Between 1946 and 1949, the Swedish school merged with the Norwegian-Danish school to form Trinity Seminary and Bible College, located in Chicago.

EFCA Affiliation

Trinity International University is affiliated with the EFCA, an association of some 1,500 autonomous and interdependent churches and church plants united by a mutual commitment to serve the Lord Jesus Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God. The EFCA is seeking to fulfill the Great Commission that Christ has entrusted to His Church. The growing ministry of the EFCA currently extends to some 50 countries of the world.

The EFCA regards Trinity as its gift to the wider evangelical community, making its educational offerings accessible to students from a wide variety of denominations. Indeed, the majority of Trinity students represent non-EFCA churches. The nature of the university allows breadth for Christians from many different backgrounds to study, worship, and serve together.

TIU Today

Trinity International University (TIU) is a Christian university affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America with campuses in California and Illinois.

We exist to serve a distinct purpose and provide a unique experience. One mission unites us: to “educate men and women to engage in God’s redemptive work in the world.” We want to enable our students—at all entities and in every discipline—to be prepared to lead others, as they are entrusted with the gospel, to think and live as Christ-followers in the twenty-first century.

Trinity is also home to a number of academic centers that contribute to scholarly dialogue and hold events every year, including debates, conferences, and lectures, which cover a wide variety of topics and feature respected experts and theologians.

TIU is currently comprised of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Trinity Law School, TIU-Online, The Paul G. Hiebert Center for World Christianity and Global Theology, The Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding, The Center for Transformational Churches, The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity, The Center for Faith and Children, and The Center for Human Rights.