Hobby Lobby founder and CEO David Green and his family have donated $20 million to Birmingham’s Highlands College.
The gift will fund the first of the college’s two residential halls.
Founded in 2011, the college is a Bible college dedicated to preparing students for full-time Christian ministry.
“Our family sees this gift as an investment paying dividends as each graduate fulfills their calling,” Green said. “Highlands College is like no other. It is a community of believers, leaders and learners who develop the whole person in spirit, mind and body.”
The school will break ground for the residence hall, on U.S. 280 at Grandview, later this month. The five-story facility will have 126 rooms for 252 students and is expected to be complete in late 2022.
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It’s part of a new 70-acre campus being built and set to open later this year.
“We envision Highlands College as a world-class facility for training servant leaders of character and competence, and the gift invested by the Green family goes a long way toward fulfilling our vision,” said Chris Hodges, chancellor of the college. “We are so grateful for their confidence in our mission and the impact Highlands College can have in our world.”
Becoming a residential campus is key for Highlands.
“A residential campus is essential to realizing the holistic, academy-style education and training approach that sets us apart,” said Mark Pettus, president of the college. “The Green family is enabling us to activate and accelerate this key part of our vision.”
