LifeWay Acquires Student Life

LifeWay Christian Resources, a non-profit subsidiary of the Southern Baptist Convention, has acquired Student Life. Student Life, based in Birmingham, Ala., has provided Christian summer camps, conferences and information for children and youth across the U.S. since 1993. Founders Investment Banking acted as financial advisor to Student Life shareholders in the transaction with LifeWay.

PRESS RELEASE

Founders Investment Banking, LLC (Founders) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Student Life, LLC by LifeWay Christian Resources (LifeWay), a non-profit subsidiary of the Southern Baptist Convention. The acquisition creates one of the largest providers of Christian student conferences in the world.
Founders acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Student Life shareholders in the transaction with LifeWay, performing market research and identifying the right partner for Student Life as they worked to achieve shareholder objectives. This is Founders’ third engagement with Student Life over the past two years.
Student Life, based in Birmingham, Ala., has provided Christian summer camps, conferences and information for children and youth across the U.S. since 1993. The organization provides ministry with Gospel-centered, Bible-based experiences that transform youth and kids into devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
LifeWay Christian Resources was established in Nashville, Tenn. in 1891, and is one of the world’s largest providers of Christian products and services, including Bibles, church literature, books, music, audio and video recordings, church supplies and Internet services through LifeWay.com. The company also owns and operates 165 LifeWay Christian Stores across the nation, as well as two of the largest Christian conference centers in the country.
“The combining of Student Life and LifeWay is a joining of two companies with a shared vision of providing high-quality, mission-driven camp experiences for children and youth. Student Life will benefit from LifeWay’s scale and depth, while LifeWay will have the opportunity to leverage the strong foundation the Student Life team has created,” said Duane Donner, Founders’ managing partner.
As two of the largest providers of Christian student conferences, LifeWay and Student Life combined minister to more than 100,000 teens each year. “This new season of ministry is exciting. Being a part of the LifeWay family will allow us to continue to serve the churches we have previously served, while partnering with new youth ministers throughout the country to raise a generation of devoted Christ-followers,” said J. Robert Davis, Student Life president.
About Student Life, LLC
Student Life is an inter-denominational ministry that exists to help people know Christ through His Word. It accomplishes this by offering Gospel-centered, high energy summer camps and youth conferences that explore the Bible and life with Jesus Christ. The staff places incredible value on the Bible, prayer and partnering with the Church so that teens and kids might be transformed into devoted followers of Jesus.

About Lifeway Christian Resources
LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, established in Nashville, Tenn., in 1891, is one of the world’s largest providers of Christian products and services, including Bibles, church literature, books, music, audio and video recordings, church supplies and Internet services through LifeWay.com. The company also owns and operates 165 LifeWay Christian Stores across the nation, as well as two of the largest Christian conference centers in the country.

About Founders Investment Banking, LLC
Founders Investment Banking is a merger and acquisition advisory firm based in Birmingham, Alabama. Its team’s proven expertise and process-based solutions help companies and business owners access capital and prepare for and execute liquidity events to achieve specific financial goals. The firm’s practice areas include a General Transaction Practice focused on clients from a variety of industries located in the Deep South, and an Internet & Digital Media Practice that serves clients operating nationwide in the Internet and digital media sector. In order to provide securities-related services, certain principals of Founders are licensed with Burch & Company, Inc., a registered broker-dealer. Burch and Founders are unaffiliated entities.