Originally from New Jersey, the preacher said he was involved in starting Bible schools in Tampa and Miami’s South Beach long before scouting for a campus for a university dedicated to preaching the gospel and training others to do the same.
Z University is scheduled to open in August 2027, Zito announced in a Facebook video he recorded at Disney World on the nation’s 250th birthday. “God picked the least-churched state in America” — Vermont — for the site of a third great awakening, he said.
Just as important: “God gave us a great deal.”
Green Mountain College closed amid declining enrollment and financial pressures in 2019, and a year later was bought by Raj Bhakta, a businessman who makes a line of craft spirits. But when his plans for a big redevelopment failed to materialize, Bhakta decided to give the campus away.
Zito said his agreement with Bhakta is almost finalized. He hopes to meet with town officials later in July.
Town Manager Paul A. Donaldson said Poultney has not received any information from Bhakta or Zito, and that any new use would require review by the town and state. It is “an evolving development,” he wrote via email.
Larry Schall, head of the regional accrediting agency, the New England Commission of Higher Education, said he knew “nothing” of Z University but noted that gaining accreditation typically takes several steps and a number of years.
Z University wouldn’t be the only young evangelical college in Vermont: Northeastern Baptist College opened in Bennington in 2013 and bills itself as the first four-year, evangelical Christian college in the state established “for the prime purpose of bringing the gospel to New England.”
But Zito’s blueprint is globally ambitious: His goal is to someday open similar schools in Canada, Italy, Dubai, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Poland.
For now, there’s Green Mountain. Zito did not disclose the terms of the deal, but Bhakta previously estimated it would cost $200 million to restore the campus — which includes dormitories and dining spaces, athletic fields, a gymnasium, and a pool — and at least another $1 million annually in operating costs. However, Zito said the cost of maintaining the campus without totally rebuilding would be considerably less.
Meanwhile, some town residents are wondering about the legitimacy of Zito’s proposal. Rebecca Cook, director of the Poultney Public Library, saw Zito’s Facebook post after a friend shared it. Cook said she was confused by the post “because it sounded like a really official announcement with a really serious plan,” but then parts of the video appeared to be “very clearly AI generated, which always makes you wonder these days if you’re seeing real information or not.”
In response, Zito said some AI may have been used to “motion the pictures,” but that the drone footage and photos of the campus are authentic.
The fate of the 115-acre Green Mountain College campus has been a pain point in this town of around 3,000 people in the six years since Bhakta bought the property for approximately $5 million. After scrapping his vision to turn the campus into a $100 million complex featuring hotel rooms, condos, and a micro-distillery, he landed on the idea of bequeathing the campus to a Christian organization.
“The right beneficiary has a vision aligned with the revival of the United States and Western Civilization,” reads a website page where Bhakta solicited proposals for the campus. “They would also recognize this must first begin with the spiritual revival of our Christian faith.”
Bhakta could not be reached for comment. His representative, Andrew Lohse, referred the Globe back to Zito.
Zito said Bhakta is covering expenses until he signs the contract — “no other steps needed.”
In the meantime, Zito added, he’s sought out a meeting with Poultney officials and looks forward to “a good working relationship with the town.”
He has also met with Bhakta on numerous occasions. “He’s Catholic, I’m Protestant, there’s a little bit of difference there, but we had great conversations,” he said.
Zito said that while Bhakta may have been willing to donate the campus to a Catholic organization, “for me, the only option given was to purchase the property.” His plan is to bring potential donors to campus to inspire them to support the school. At the same time, he said, they need to be “exposed to the state and what we intend to do there.”
On Monday, Zito posted another promo on Facebook, advertising a preview of the campus from July 26 to 31 and inviting followers from around the country to join him to experience “the future home of Z University.” “We are ecstatic over what the Lord has done,” he wrote. “Come to beautiful Vermont!”
Some followers are also ecstatic. “New England shall be saved!” proclaimed one Facebook commenter after Zito talked about being “in the midst of what we’re calling a New England flip.”
“People are going to come to Christ in record numbers, particularly in the least Christian states,” he said, adding that Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are collectively known as “the preacher’s graveyard.”
Vermont was last in a recent Pew Research Center report ranking all 50 states and the District of Columbia according to overall religiousness. New Hampshire and Maine were second- and third-to-last, respectively.
Zito is trying to change that. Though he has been hosted most by Word of Life Christian Fellowship in Concord, he has preached all over New Hampshire and in Vermont, too, he said. Night services are often held in church buildings or tents, but “the street preaching is done daily everywhere.”
He learned about the Green Mountain College property from a fellow pastor while ministering in Burlington, and soon made a visit to the “overwhelming, beautiful, sprawling campus,” he said. “It shows well, as the realtors would say.”
Founded in 1834, the former Methodist college boasts Georgian-style architecture, 26 buildings, and bucolic farmland within walking distance of downtown Poultney. Z University would be able to house around 1,000 students and “be almost your typical liberal arts college, except it’s gospel centered,” Zito said, noting he’s neither Republican nor Democrat.
“I’m a little different — that’s why most liberals can handle me.“
Zito’s personal website outlines his vision for awakenings across America, Canada, and Italy, while a donation page invites people to “support soul winning” via PayPal, Venmo, or credit card.
Asked how he would pay to keep the campus going, he said “it’s a faith journey.” In addition to donors, he’s relying on businesses, churches, and “mom-and-pop givers” to support the school’s mission.
Cook, the library director, said whoever takes over the property will need deep pockets.
“That’s probably one of my biggest questions, if it is changing hands,” Cook said. “Does the new owner have a good understanding of the condition of the property, and have the ability to fix it as it should be fixed?
“I’d hate to see it sit at the end of the street and fall apart,” she said.
Brooke Hauser can be reached at brooke.hauser@globe.com. Follow her @brookehauser.
