By Steve Rabey | The Gazette
The Centennial Institute is back after a leadership change, a pause in major activities and a period of self-examination to determine if Colorado Christian University’s conservative think tank lost its way.
After former director Jeff Hunt left in early 2024 to do talk radio full time, Centennial Institute canceled the 2024 Western Conservative Summit, a two-day political rally that was its biggest public event.
Centennial Institute said the summit would return in 2025, but it didn’t. Instead, leaders spent half a year deciding what they wanted the 16-year-old think tank to be.
They decided to make some changes and hired Greg Schaller, a Christian scholar and teacher to lead the way. He started as Centennial Institute’s director in January, returning to the campus where he previously taught political science.
The first public event under his leadership is the inaugural Centennial Impact Summit on Sept. 26-27 at Colorado Christian University in Lakewood.
“Theology, Technology, and Anthropology: Reclaiming Embodiment in a Brave New World” will explore technology’s role in the rapid erosion of conservative and Christian values. Among the keynote speakers is John Stonestreet of the Colorado Springs-based Colson Center, which promotes Christian worldview. Registration costs range from $10 to $125.
“We want the Centennial Institute to be a voice in Colorado, the Mountain West and nationally on what it means to be a conservative,” said Schaller, who previously led John Jay Institute, which was founded in the Springs and trains conservative Christians for careers in government and public service.