A group of clergy members in State College, Pa., plans to open a Christian campus to provide religion classes that would count toward graduation requirements at nearby Pennsylvania State University, a local newspaper, the Centre Daily Times, reported. The Rev. Paul Grabill, who is leading the effort, said the classes would reflect orthodox Christianity “with an evangelical Protestant leaning.”

The first classes, which are scheduled to start in January, will be offered through Eastern University, a nondenominational Christian institution in St. Davids, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia. A nonprofit group led by Mr. Grabill, who is pastor at State College Assembly of God, and five other board members will provide administrative structure, Mr. Grabill said. The local organization’s director, J. James Wager, recently retired as Penn State’s registrar.

An organizer told the newspaper that Penn State would honor transfer credits from the classes, but university officials did not immediately confirm that. However, Penn State generally does accept transfer credits from other accredited institutions, and Eastern is accredited by the same association that accredits Penn State.

Anthony L. Blair, a dean at Eastern, said his university’s goal in the State College venture was to provide Christian students at Penn State with “Christian foundations in their faith. ... We see ourselves as supplementing the good work that Penn State does.”