A Seventh-day Adventist college in the Washington, D.C. area has decided not to sell its radio station, an asset seen by many church leaders and members as a ministry in the region.

“The motivation to rescind came from church leaders and members throughout the [region] who requested that we address the issues facing the college before liquidating any assets,” said Dave Weigley, president of the church’s Columbia Union, which spans seven states along the east coast and Midwest.

Columbia Union College, located in Takoma Park, Maryland, and founded in 1904, entered into negotiations to sell its radio station earlier this year. School officials said a deal might have raised $20 million to pay off debt, construct new buildings and fund scholarships.

The station, WGTS (91.9 FM) is the nation’s second most popular non-commercial Christian radio station and reaches about 300,000 people each week, including online listeners.

Critics of the proposed sale argued the deal would have lost a large broadcasting presence in the nation’s capital region, which includes the Adventist Church’s world headquarters.

Weigly said the vote doesn’t mean the college will never sell assets, but that board members, church leaders, constituents and church governing bodies across the Mid-Atlantic United States believed it was important examine the enrollment, financial and maintenance issues facing their college before taking further steps.