Larry Lichtenwalter Elected President of Lebanon’s Middle East University
14 June 2018 | The Board of Trustees of Middle East University elected Dr. Larry Lichtenwalter as the institution’s new president on Sunday, June 10, 2018. Lichtenwalter accepted the position at the institution based near Beirut, Lebanon effective immediately. According to an announcement on the university’s Facebook page, Lichtenwalter had served as interim president since December 2017 and originally joined the university as the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology.
Lichtenwalter replaces Leif Hongisto, the former MEU president who returned to his native Finland in December 2017 to become rector of the Adventist Junior College in Finland.
Lichtenwalter earned his PhD from Andrews University. He is a well-known speaker and lecturer as well as a published author.
“Dr. Lichtenwalter has demonstrated clear leadership and vision and a deep commitment to Middle East University and its role in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa Union Mission) region,” said Dr. Rick McEdward, chair of the Board of Trustees of MEU.
Middle East University was founded in 1939. It was originally called Adventist College of Beirut and was located in Mouseitbeh, Beirut. The institution was moved to its present location east of Beirut in Sabtieh, Sad El-Bauchrieh, in 1946. The institution was renamed Middle East College in 1946 before becoming Middle East University in 2001.
According to the denomination’s Office of Archives, Statistics and Research, the Middle East and North Africa Union Mission of the Adventist Church of which Lebanon is a part, has 3,938 members and 53 churches.