Dr. Glenell M. Lee-Pruitt, current Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs for Jarvis Christian University, has been named as the Designated Candidate that will move forward to be considered for the position of President at Jarvis Christian University with a term that could begin on July 1, 2023, following Dr. Lester Newman’s retirement.

On February 17th, the Jarvis Board of Trustees approved the appointment of a Transition Committee to design a process to consider a Designated Candidate for the office of President of Jarvis Christian University following Dr. Lester Newman’s retirement. The Transition Committee began meeting and designed a process that was approved by the Board of Trustees on February 24th. Since that time, the Transition Committee completed the first two steps of the process, which were to: (1) gain the candidate’s consent to be considered, and (2) conduct interviews with key stakeholders of Jarvis about the readiness of the Designated Candidate for this post and the experiences they had with the Designated Candidate.

The Transition Committee is ready to move now into the third step of the Board-approved process, which is to announce the name of the Designated Candidate…Dr. Glenell Lee-Pruitt, hold a formal interview and provide some opportunities for interaction with faculty, staff, students, nearby alums and neighbors to Jarvis. As such the Transition Committee will conduct a formal interview of Dr. Lee-Pruitt and host a JARVIS DAY OF GATHERINGS on Wednesday, March 29th. This important day will begin with a faculty and staff gathering at 10:30 a.m., a 1:30 p.m. gathering with students, and a 4:00 p.m. reception for alumni and external constituents from the surrounding communities. At each of these meetings, Dr. Lee-Pruitt will share her vision for Jarvis Christian University, and there will be a brief Questions and Answers Session for those in attendance. The Transition Committee will hold these meetings on campus.

Dr. Glenell Lee-Pruitt has been a part of the Jarvis administration since August 2012, when she began her tenure as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. Since that time, Jarvis has twice added the role of Interim Vice President for Student Services to her portfolio of responsibilities.

As part of the executive team, she helped develop an aggressive enrollment management plan that moved student enrollment from Spring 2012 enrollment of 266 students to Fall 2018 enrollment of 964. She has provided leadership for establishing the Renaissance Program for Adult Learners that operates both on the main campus and at the Dallas Teaching Site. In addition, she was part of the team that successfully worked to reaffirm the institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges without follow-up or recommendations in 2014, submitted three sub-change documents that resulted in the establishment of the Dallas Teaching Site; oversaw the creation of Jarvis Online (JOL), the current graduate programs, and the re-establishment of the Associate of Arts (AA) degree; increased the number faculty with terminal degrees; and participated in budgetary management which has resulted in the University receiving five years of unqualified audits.

In 2016, Dr. Newman and the Board of Trustees moved forward in succession planning for the institution which put in place specific training, continuing education, regular familiarity with the work of the office of President, as well as personal learning and exploration of the role and responsibilities of the office of President for several key executive leaders at Jarvis, of which Dr. Glenell Lee-Pruitt was one.

She has been an active executive leader on the campus as she has established international programs to enhance students’ experiences globally. With her support, Jarvis has received a Change Agent Award from UNCF for work with the Career Pathway Initiative; restructured Student Success Services to help with student retention, established a Community Service program to extend JCU’s reach into the community; instrumental in the start of the Early Start Summer Program (ESSP) which serves as a pipeline for student enrollment for the Fall Semester. Additionally, she has secured several grants that have netted over $4 million dollars in grant funding. There are many more programs, innovations, and experiences for both students and faculty that Dr. Lee-Pruitt has contributed to during the past 12 years. Once meetings from the third step have been completed, the Transition Committee will determine whether or not to move Dr. Lee-Pruitt’s name forward in the fourth step of the process: the recommendation to the Board of Trustees regarding the Designated Candidate, Dr. Glenell M. Lee-Pruitt, as Jarvis Christian University’s next President. The Board is scheduled to vote on Friday, April 14th.

Members of the Transition Committee include Rev. Chris Dorsey, Mr. Glenn Etienne, Mr. William Fisher, Ms. Deborah Mitchell, Mr. Shiervan Ursin, and Rev. Dani Cartwright, chair. Mr. Torry Edwards, Chairman of the Jarvis Christian University Board of Trustees, stated “I am fully confident in the Board appointed transition committee to produce a recommendation to the full Board of Trustees.”

Recently, a generous bequest from Dr. William Dowell of First Christian Church – Chattanooga enabled the Disciples Divinity House to double scholarship awards to students. This spring, through the partnership between Vanderbilt Divinity School and DDH, all Disciple students received 100% tuition awards. Tuition awards from DDH supplement the scholarships awarded by Vanderbilt Divinity School.

“We are leaning into our core identity with renewed enthusiasm,” says the Acting Dean, Rev. Beth Pattillo, herself an alum and former House resident. “Our hallmarks are a supportive and engaged community, financial assistance that helps keep student debt low or non-existent, and low-cost housing adjacent to the Vanderbilt campus.”

Chartered originally as The Disciples Foundation, Inc in 1927, the Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt seeks to prepare excellent Disciples ministers through a supportive community of faith. For almost a hundred years, DDH-Vanderbilt has provided tuition awards, low-cost housing, and programming on the practice of ministry. Each semester, students focus on a particular aspect of ministry, including sacred practice, missional and nonprofit practice, personal spiritual practice, and more.

DDH sits one short block from Vanderbilt Divinity School, providing convenience and affordability amidst the rising costs of the Nashville real estate market. The House welcomes Disciples of Christ students as well as ecumenical residents from other traditions as space allows. The diverse community this year represents five countries, nine states, and two American territories. Opportunities for friendship and ministry formation abound!

A long-term visioning plan, begun in 2018 and interrupted by the pandemic, has recently come to fruition as DDH explores where its ministry may meet the current moment and beyond. The Board of Trustees looks forward to sharing more in the coming weeks about the future they are pursuing for the Disciples Divinity House.

DDH-Vanderbilt continues to receive applications for tuition assistance and housing for the 2023-2024 academic year. Inquiries should be directed to: admin@discipleshousevandy.org, and more information can be found on our website. www.discipleshousevandy.org.

There can be no doubt about it that uncivil discourse has become a sign of our times. Link this to violence targeted against Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Refugees, and the LBGTQIA community and we have a prescription for just how far we have fallen as a people. Such ugly, deadly targeted violence and harsh judgmental pronouncements are making us mean people. We are witnessing what happens when distrust of one another is bred into the human heart and mind. All hell is breaking loose.

It is my perception that we have tarried too long in deconstruction mode. The result is that our existence thrives on tearing people down people, and our faith in one another is devastatingly eroded. People have become more expendable. Have we lost the ability to build people up and instill faith in one another? What has happened to the teaching to love our neighbors as ourselves?

I am afraid that Jesus’ indictment in the Parable of the Two Sons is ours, “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom” [Matthew 21:43]. Just as Jesus’ indictment to the Two Sons is ours, so is his promise, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you” [Matthew 21:31]. Jesus teaches that they will go into the kingdom because they witnessed God’s power and believed. For those of us who have witnessed God’s power of liberation, but remain imprisoned by our old prejudices and stereotypes, judgment day is coming.

When Christ calls us to his side, he calls us to die to ourselves and live for him. When he calls us, he calls us to leave behind the old baggage of hate and sin and to take up faith, hope, and love. When he calls us, he calls us to rid ourselves of all that is ugly and to embrace all that is good.

For millennia, the church and its educational programs and institutions have been in the business of nurturing positive change in the human heart. Our 15 Disciples-related colleges and universities, seven seminaries, graduate schools of theology, and divinity houses have educated and prepared students to serve the world and become leaders of society. Our faculties have broken new ground of inquiry leading to knowledge that is useful to all humanity. We must continue to be about growing and learning and becoming better people than we have been– more knowledgeable, more compassionate, and more understanding.

For those of us in church-related institutions, we must continue to navigate ourselves around a Christianity that has become more icing than cake and dig way down to the core of things. Where has the substance of our faith and inquiry gone? We are in danger of contracting spiritual diabetes if we do not feed people healthy religion. The world needs us to put our faith and knowledge into action.

Cherishing civil and open discourse, treating one another with respect and love, embracing diverse thoughts and viewpoints– let those of us who are members and friends of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and lovers of higher education pledge that:

• We will do more than belong, we will participate.
• We will do more than believe, we will practice.
• We will do more than care, we will help.
• We will do more than be fair, we will be kind.
• We will do more than forgive, we will forget.
• We will do more than dream, we will work.
• We will do more than teach, we will inspire.
• We will do more than earn, we will enrich.
• We will do more than give, we will serve.
• We will do more than live, we will grow.
• We will do more than be friendly, we will be a friend.

I once heard a story of an aged, dying father who called his seven daughters around him. He gave each one a stick and said, “Break it.” Each daughter easily broke the stick given to her. The old father then bound seven sticks in a bundle, gave it to his eldest daughter, and said, “Break it.” She could not. Then the second was commanded to try. She could not, and nor could any of the rest. “So,” said the father, “it is to be of you. Alone you are weak; together, you are strong.”

Our church and church-related institutions of higher education must pool our collective wisdom to make this world a healthier, safer place for all the world’s inhabitants. Alone we are weak, together we are strong. We can do it. We must do it. We will do it.

Togetherly yours,

Ron

Christian Theological Seminary, an ecumenical seminary related to the Disciples of Christ denomination,
invites nominations and expressions of interest for the position of Vice President for Academic Affairs
and Dean of the Faculty.

The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty (VPAA and Dean) will join CTS at an
exciting time of change and progress as the Seminary implements its ambitious 2030 strategic plan and
prepares to celebrate its 100th Anniversary. As the chief academic officer, the VPAA and Dean will work
closely with President Mellott and the senior leadership team, will lead a talented and committed
faculty, oversee an experienced and able administrative staff, and support both the academic and
student life committees of the Board.

The successful candidate for the VPAA and Dean of the Faculty position will be a seasoned educational
leader with a track record of success in progressively responsible positions, including time as a faculty
member. A strong embrace of CTS’s mission, vision, and strategic plan, and a record of active
engagement in church and community are expected. The next VPAA and Dean will also evidence a
strong understanding of and appreciation for the history, ethos, and beliefs of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ). A doctorate in a field that complements the work of the Seminary with a minimum
of a master’s degree in theology is required. Ordination is preferred.

APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS
To receive full consideration, application materials should be submitted not later than April 10, 2023.
Application materials must include:

A letter of interest, which responds directly to the leadership priorities and qualifications outlined in the VPAA & Dean Search Profile;
A current curriculum vitae; and The names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of five professional references (please indicate your relationship with each). No references will be contacted without prior permission granted by the candidate.

Application materials should be sent electronically (MS Word or PDF) to:
ChristianTSVPAA@agbsearch.com

The VPAA and Dean Search is being assisted by AGB Search. Please direct nominations and inquiries to:
Loren Anderson, Ph.D.
Senior Executive Search Consultant
AGB Search

Mobile: (253) 223-3566
loren.anderson@agbsearch.com
Shannon McCambridge, J.D. LL.M
Senior Executive Search Consultant
AGB Search
Mobile: (206) 310-7560
shannon.mccambridge@agbsearch.com

CTS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate with respect to recruitment, hiring, or any other status of employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other category protected by law.

By Chaplain Bruce Fowlkes, Eureka College, Eureka, Illinois

“Mayor Lind, hello! This is Chaplain Bruce at the college. Gotta question I’d like to ask you….” Hearing my voice, the mayor was immediately concerned about my wrecked front yard. A water main had burst on Christmas Eve, threatening to flood my basement. The crisis had been averted, thanks to the city workers who pumped and dug for over four hours in the 14◦F darkness.

A dozen years ago, out my front window, I saw a lone boy raking my yard – coincidentally where the frozen, muddy hole is today. It was Eric, a youth from Eureka Christian Church. A nice kid, like so many of our church youth, here and everywhere. Blessed to have our youth, yes indeed, I thought that day.

Honestly, the young people I serve give more to me than I can ever give back to them. Deep purpose. I’m constantly searching for the right moment- to say the right thing, to offer the right assistance- in hopes of earning a bit of my calling, all with the faith that today I know enough to serve well, those I’m called to serve.

Alas, at least for this 60-year-old, the world’s current rate of change has out-paced my ability to make sense of it. The wealth gap, entrenched racism, mass violence in sacred spaces of learning and worship, toxic nationalism, politics without character, soul-less intelligence, monetized attention, polarization for profit – I would stop there, except then the pandemic’s global upheaval entered the scene.

Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, my sense of purpose and call has gained new clarity. The most urgent needs facing students and their families are no longer the complexities of the elite and privileged. Rather, food insecurity, crushing debt, mental health, suicide, care for extended family members, etc., are re-aligning the work of higher education, in and out of the classroom. Students, just like the rest of us, have a deep need to feel safe enough to belong.

Somewhere. Somewhere safe, then welcomed, then included, then valued, then loved, then missed when they’re gone. Home. Church. School.

That’s why I called Mayor Eric Lind to ask him to bring the address for Eureka College’s annual Founders’ Day Convocation, to tell his Eureka story. Not because he’s a Eureka College alumnus – he’s not. But the story Eric told on Founders’ Day was of deep belonging, and the sense of generosity, service and leadership engendered by his congregation at Eureka Christian Church, his hometown, and its little college, Eureka.

Eric continues the great Eureka call and story of joining faith, learning, leadership, and service – cut from the same cloth of the abolitionist Christians from Kentucky who settled here so long ago. At 25 years old, Eric has already given more to the community’s common good than most ever will.

(And, if you happen to read this, Mr. Mayor, don’t worry about my yard. It’ll get done soon enough!)

A few years back, then Editor/Publisher John M. Buchanan, writing in The Christian Century, quoted a few sentences from Frederick Buechner’s essay titled, “The Church.” You can find this essay in Buechner’s book, Secrets in the Dark. I believe these words can give some direction to the readership of the Higher Education Digest.

Here are Buechner’s words:

“Maybe the best thing that could happen to

the church would be for some great tidal wave

of history to wash it all away — the church

buildings tumbling, the church money all lost,

the church bulletins blowing through the air

like dead leaves, the differences between

preachers and congregations all lost too. Then

all we would have left would be each other and

Christ, which was all there was in the first place.”

I first read these words back in 2015. It was long before the “great tidal wave of history,” Covid-19, would appear. Nevertheless, Buechner’s words seem appropriate to address where we find ourselves today in the church and its institutional expressions. I am reminded that our call into existence as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), our birth certificate if you will, was a last will and testament.

As I write, it is reported that there have been 6.85 million Covid-19 deaths worldwide. Between January 3, 2020 and February 6, 2023, there have been 1,097,246 Covid-19 deaths in the United States. The bells of death have tolled and the church as we once knew it has changed. So have its institutional expressions like colleges, universities, and graduate schools of theology. We are all trying to make sense of our present and coming realities. Although there is no one path forward, there is a determination to move forward into this journey of unforeseen endings, with hope and creativity. The church and its institutional expressions have been here before, just check-in with your church historian friend.

Some of the current realities facing the church have been accelerated by the pandemic. There has been a decrease in median worship attendance. Births, baby dedications, baptisms, marriages, and membership growth and development are not keeping pace with the congregation’s rate of attrition due to people leaving, resigning, retiring, moving, and dying. Decreasing enrollment in some of our higher education institutions are causing concern as schools heavily reliant on residential learning are pivoting to create on-line and hybrid learning opportunities. With increasing costs to earn a degree, conversations have heightened about the value of higher education.

Let’s visit Buechner again, keeping in mind the impact his words have for both congregations and church related institutions of higher education:

“. . . many neighborhood and rural congregations

require courageous and new thinking if they are to

survive — new thinking on the part of denominational

executives, pastors brave enough to walk into

challenging situations, and people willing to let go of

a church model that no longer works.”

We are all — church and academy — in a state of transition, but all is not doom and gloom. The good news is that there are opportunities and possibilities for our future. To get there, we must put the fear of change and the paralysis it causes on hold. We lean into our futures despite the current realities of demographic decline and its accompanying economic and spiritual distress. We learn from the present realities and find new ways to function and be faithful. Our congregations and educational institutions are in the process of recreating church and higher education anew for this day and time.

I suppose that when all is said and done it will be true that the center and core of congregational life and our related institutions is “each other and Christ, which is all there was in the first place.” This is probably not a bad place to start as Higher Education and Leadership Ministries leans into its future during this time of transition. I am so glad to be part of the new discoveries you are making as you search for a new President. Keep looking through the front windshield and not your rear-view mirror. This will surely take you to the place God wants you to be.

Leaning forwardly yours,

Ron

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