FALL 2025 21 E.M. Bounds, a great spiritual hero of the faith, wrote in his book Power Through Prayer that “the Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.” I believe that when our hearts are focused on keeping Christ at the center of it all, our minds are directed toward cultivating habits and patterns that reflect this desire. The very best methods we can apply in our approach to keeping DBU Christ-centered are methods that are inspired by God. Thus, all the more important reason for our seeking the Lord through prayer, scripture, and fellowship with other like-minded believers. LIVING OUT OUR COMMITMENT Over the years, I have seen and experienced the Lord grant inspiration to erect statues on campus that point our students to Jesus and His Word, to inscribe Scripture on walls and within classrooms, and to create programming that fosters scholarship and teaching that embraces faith integration. I have been blessed to participate in deep and meaningful conversations that encourage the formation of governing documents, strategic plans, hiring practices, job descriptions, and organizational structures that stem from our desire to ensure that Christ is woven throughout and preeminent in all that is created at DBU. Every student organization, athletic team, and partnership we form reflects our dominating emphasis on how these relationships best reflect our vision and mission to build a University that honors God. Even in how we award scholarships to our students, you can see a clear and unapologetic approach to how we attract, cultivate, and ensure an on-campus culture that is committed to Christ. Our main scholarship programs remain the Christian Leadership Scholarship and Christian Service Scholarship, and students must first qualify for one of these scholarships before being eligible for consideration for academic merit scholarships. Our faith also drives a pursuit of excellence across academics, athletics, and operations. We are blessed with programs that attract and challenge our brightest students, such as the University Honors Program, Omicron Delta Kappa, Tri-Beta, the Debate Team, and Presidential Fellows. In our athletic division, DBU student-athletes have earned multiple NCAA Division II National Championships and numerous conference titles, and our baseball program continues to be a national powerhouse in NCAA DI competition, demonstrating both skill and Christ-centered character. Excellence extends to our classrooms and campus operations as well, with innovative academic programming and a commitment to stewarding our resources wisely so that every area of DBU reflects both competence and calling. This fall, DBU made a commitment that for the first fifteen minutes and the last fifteen minutes of the “workday” the Prayer Room at DBU would be occupied by a full-time employee or a group of full-time employees praying for DBU. We decided to further “operationalize” our commitment to prayer. Additionally, we are actively enlisting at least 2,000 “prayer warriors” committed to praying daily for DBU. We have just over 1,200 on our list today. These are two examples among many ways we are living out our commitment of being a praying university, committed to seeking the Lord above all else. AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT There is an unwavering commitment and persistence to place Christ at the center of it all at DBU, and we believe this is our distinctive as a nationally ranked comprehensive liberal arts university. I love serving with our employees for so many reasons, but beyond observing their ability to demonstrate excellence in their work, there is a shared desire we have to serve and love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Keeping DBU Christ-centered means we recognize that apart from Christ we can do nothing. Therefore, we maintain a healthy commitment to understanding that He is our lifeline, our everything. No matter the obstacles or challenges before us, or however lofty our vision may be, there remains an unrelenting dedication to our persistence in coming to work every day fearing God, keeping His commands, and faithfully obeying His lordship and leadership over His university. I may never become the lawn mower king, but I am proud of how I have learned to serve the King of Kings at this special place we call University Hill. A place wholly devoted and dedicated to keeping Christ at the center of it all.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODc4ODgx