Update: 6/12/25:
Original story:
Parents sending their children to Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) in Nampa, Idaho, expect a Christian education rooted in biblical principles, moral integrity, and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Yet, a recent post by Idaho State Senator Brian Lenney on X has left many in shock: “So… Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho has all this on display…” accompanied by images of pro-LGBT and explicitly pro-trans books prominently showcased. Senator Lenney followed with, “While BSU closes down their DEI centers, NNU doubles down on woke.” For Christian families who chose NNU for its faith-based mission, this embrace of ideologies at odds with Scripture feels like a stunning betrayal of trust.
Senator Lenney also posted: “it also appears to be in conflict with you know… The Bible.”
As a Christian university, NNU has long been seen as a beacon of biblical learning, a place where young minds are shaped to honor God, family, and traditional values. The Bible is clear in Genesis 1:27: God created man and woman in His image, distinct and complementary. For NNU to highlight materials that celebrate lifestyles and identities many Christians view as contrary to Scripture is deeply alarming. Parents who entrusted NNU to nurture their children in faith now face the jarring reality that the university may be promoting a “woke” agenda, undermining the very principles it was founded upon.
What makes this situation even more troubling is the potential influence on impressionable students. Young adults at NNU, often away from home for the first time, seek guidance in a world increasingly hostile to Christian values. Instead of a safe haven where biblical truth is upheld, they encounter displays that normalize ideas the Christian right sees as incompatible with faith. Parents who sacrificed to pay tuition, expecting a Christ-centered education, now worry their children might be indoctrinated into a secular worldview that celebrates sin rather than Christian values.
Adding to the concern is the question of funding and accountability. As a private Christian institution, Northwest Nazarene University does not directly receive operational funding from the state of Idaho or the federal government like public universities do. However, NNU benefits indirectly from taxpayer support through federal student loans, grants, and financial aid programs like Pell Grants, as it participates in Title IV programs. For Christian conservatives, this raises a critical issue: should public dollars, even indirectly, support an institution that appears to be straying from its Christian roots to embrace a progressive agenda? This feels like a misuse of resources and a further erosion of trust.
The shock for Christian parents lies not just in these displays but in what they signal about NNU’s direction. If the university is willing to showcase pro-LGBT and pro-trans materials, what else might be happening in classrooms, dorms, or campus events? The Christian right views this as part of a broader cultural slide, where even faith-based institutions succumb to societal pressures. Families who chose NNU over secular schools now wonder if they’ve been misled, their trust violated by a university that seems more interested in appeasing the culture than standing firm in biblical conviction.
This is a wake-up call for Christian parents and the church community. If Northwest Nazarene University continues this path, it risks alienating the families who have supported it for generations. The Bible warns in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 against turning to “teachers to suit their own passions,” and parents must prayerfully consider whether NNU remains a place where their children can grow in faith.
The Christian right calls on NNU to reject this “woke” trajectory, refocus on Christ, and honor the sacred trust placed in them. Until then, the shock and disappointment of parents will linger, a stark reminder that even Christian strongholds are not immune to the pressures of a fallen world.
