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.

In an August interview, Schaller laid out some of the changes people can expect to see going forward.

Student formation

In a return to its founding principles, the Centennial Institute’s primary focus will be CCU students, not the general public. Schaller says that even top-flight colleges produce graduates who are “malformed or unformed,” lacking intellectual rigor, a biblical worldview and an appreciation for conservative philosophy.

Centennial Institute will still do public events with big-name speakers, but these events must serve students by giving them chances to interact with thought leaders on campus.

Classic conservatism

Schaller says he wants the institute to “call people back to traditional conservatism” at a time of confusion about the tradition.

Instead of “chasing headlines,” Centennial Institute will focus on doing “the formative work needed to understand the key tenets what it means to be a conservative” and how to apply these values to public policy,” Schaller said.

Students should expect to hear more about Russell Kirk, William F. Buckley. Jr. and other conservative thinkers of the past.

Schaller says President Donald Trump’s economic and industrial policies — including tariffs and state management of corporations through government shares of US Steel and Intel —violate conservative values of small government and free enterprise.

He says these values rest upon a Christian foundation that “recognizes the fallen nature of all humanity and is skeptical of granting anyone significant power.”

A ‘reasoned voice’

During Centennial Institute’s pause for self-examination, leaders discussed whether it was seen as too harsh in its tone and too divisive in favoring some portions of conservatism’s “big tent” over others.

“We want the Centennial Institute to be a winsome, reasoned voice,” Schaller said. “Wanting to ‘own the libs’ is not who we are.”

Conservative cooperation

Centennial Institute is one of many conservative think tanks and advocacy groups in Colorado, and Schaller says these groups fail to reach their potential because of competition and infighting.

To promote unity among groups, Schaller has resurrected the Center Right Coalition, which has met three times this year, with 16 groups participating in the latest meeting in June.

Western Conservative Summit returns

The summit returns July 31-Aug 1, 2026, but there will be changes that conform to Centennial Institute Centennial Institute’s new identity.

The event will be held on CCU’s campus, which will allow speakers to interact more with student while saving money.

It will feature “serious thought leaders,” such as Arthur Brooks, former president of the American Enterprise Institute.