He began gathering support for the school and on March 29, 2009, seventy community members met in West Frankfort to discuss the subject of building a Christian college in Southern Illinois.

[3] As part of the IBHE approval process, the college received a thorough review that included: site visits and meetings, and analysis of the course catalog and offerings.

[5] The college opened offices in downtown West Frankfort, planned to hold classes at the community high school, library and park district buildings.

The ceremony marked the official opening of the college and included speeches and prayers from Dr. Morthland, faculty, and guest speakers.

The college utilized two classrooms and a computer lab in its administration building on Main Street in West Frankfort.

[7] In October 2011, the college received approval from the IBHE to offer a BA in Business Administration to begin in the 2012–13 academic year.

[9] In the summer to 2012, the college continued expansion efforts and purchased the historic former Elks building located at Oak and Emma Streets in West Frankfort.

The same report also indicated that the Illinois Board of Higher Education was conducting an official investigation into the financial irregularities, and that the IBHE has received communication from Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, Morthland's accreditor, indicating that it, too, would be conducting its own review, investigating “possible issues of non-compliance with TRACS accreditation standards.” The letter from IBHE states that according to the Illinois Amended Code 1030, notification of investigation is the first step in what could lead to the revocation of a college's certificate of approval to operate.

In the fall of 2013, Morthland College was approved by the United States Department of Education to disburse Pell Grants, Direct, and Indirect Student Loans.