A notable remark was made at the time the ELS purchased Bethany Lutheran College: “Once we have discovered that the school is a necessity, we will discover we can afford it. We can do a lot of things that we think are absolutely necessary once they have become a matter of life or death to us.” For many decades Bethany Lutheran College existed as a junior college. In 1996 the synod decided to make the college a four-year baccalaureate-degree granting institution.
