General Minister and President Speaks at Jarvis Christian College Founders Day Convocation

Jarvis Christian College’s 2018 Founders Day celebrations took place from March 19-25, 2018, with a number of events, lectures and services. On Tuesday, March 20, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Rev. Terri Hord Owens, was the featured speaker at the Founders Day Convocation. Dr. Lester C. Newman, President of Jarvis Christian College, shared that “It was an honor to have Reverend Teresa Hord Owens join us in celebrating 106 years of educating our students by serving as the keynote speaker for the Founder’s Convocation. Reverend Owens captivated the audience with a powerful message that resonated well with all in attendance. We will never forget the roadmap for success that she eloquently provided us – imagine, prepare, do.”

Reflecting on Jarvis Christian College’s relationship to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Dr. Newman also noted: “We had strong support. Rev. Bernard “Chris” Dorsey, President of Higher Education Leadership Ministries, introduced our illustrious speaker, Rev. Owens, while Rev. Andy Mangum, Regional Minister of the Christian Church in the Southwest, provided us with the invocation and benediction. We were truly blessed by the fellowship.” In addition to Rev. Hord Owens, Rev. Dorsey and Rev. Dr. Mangum, Rev. Kyle Fauntleroy, Pension Fund Area Director for the Southwest Region, was also present at the Founders Day Convocation.

Jarvis Christian College is a historically black college (HBC) located in Hawkins, Texas. The school began as Jarvis Christian Institute, modeled after the Southern Christian Institute in Edwards, Mississippi. Formal instruction began as early in 1913 after Major James Jarvis and his wife, Ida Van Zandt Jarvis, donated 456 acers to the Christian Women’s Board of Missions with the understanding that a school would be built to provide quality education to African American children. During the first few years, elementary and high school classes were offered, with the first college level courses beginning in 1916. In 1928, the school incorporated as a college with the state of Texas granting a formal charter to Jarvis Christian College in 1939. Over the years, the college has grown in its course offerings and now has a satellite campus in Dallas.

A Passion for Higher Education and the Development of Leaders

One never knows how responding with a “yes” can change the course of one’s life. Eli Rolón Jeong, currently a PhD student in Ethics and Cultural Studies at Claremont School of Theology and the new Associate Regional Minister for Children, Youth and Young Adults for the Christian Church in Illinois-Wisconsin, was invited in 2006 to participate in the inaugural Disciples Leadership Institute (DLI) gathering. He says that at the time he had a good job and was involved with his local church, Iglesia Del Pueblo Christian Church in Hammond, Indiana. However, after accepting the invitation to DLI, the relationships formed and experiences gained served to redirect his life and calling: “At DLI, I encountered a diverse group of young adults who were passionate about the work of the church. Encouraged by their contagious excitement, I began exploring the possibility of ministerial work as my vocation. In the fall of 2008, after attending my third DLI gathering earlier that summer, I notified my boss that I would soon leave my position to prepare for studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School.”

After earning a Master of Divinity at Vanderbilt, Rev. Rolón Jeong received a Master of Arts in Ethics from Iliff School of Theology in Denver. An ordained minister with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he has served in positions with NAPAD and HELM, has served as a director of Chalice Press and on the Disciples’ General Board, and engages in intentional theological dialogue through the Constructive Theologies Project. In reflecting on Eli’s time serving HELM, Rev. Chris Dorsey, President of HELM, says that “Eli is a remarkably gifted person. He played a pivotal role in HELM’s recent transition toward greater financial stability. His leadership of DLI and his work in coordinating the Leadership Fellows program has contributed significantly to HELM’s success.”

His current PhD studies in Ethics and Cultural Studies have great importance in both the academy and wider church. Rev. Rolón Jeong says “My academic focus is on the formation of identity, an endeavor that requires careful exploration of historical and oftentimes contingent conditions through which those identities are formed. My goal is to curiously uncover what is often taken for granted in order to hopefully produce new and innovative ways of knowing, doing, and being.”

His recent call as Associate Regional Minister for Children, Youth and Young Adults for the Christian Church in Illinois-Wisconsin will provide new opportunities to bring together his passion for higher education and the development of leaders in the church. Rev. Rolón Jeong notes that “this position affords me a responsibility in the development of young folks. Here, my training as a theological educator in ethics and cultural studies could have significant impact.” He also expresses thanks for the previous opportunities and experiences offered through the church that have led him to serve on the Regional level: “I am grateful for Higher Education and Leadership Ministries, and especially for the DLI program, which served as the catalyst I needed to explore a call to ministry.”

Disciples Affiliated Schools See Increase in Applications

At this time of year, when many high school students are making decisions on where to attend college in the fall, Disciples affiliated schools are reporting a record number of applications for admission for the upcoming academic year. Texas Christian University broke the mark of receiving over 20,000 applications for the first time. At Chapman University, 14,170 applications were received (an 8% increase over last year) and represent students from all 50 states as well as 62 countries.

Other Disciples affiliated schools also report growth in the number of applications received:

Midway University has experienced a 69% increase in applications from 2017 to 2018
Transylvania University saw a jump from 1400 to 2400 applications between 2016 to 2017. This year is on pace to reach 2400 again.
Drury University has seen a 27% growth in applications from 2015 to 2018
Hiram College has received 33% more applications in 2018 than were received in 2016
Bethany College has experienced 22% growth in applications over the past two years
Lynchburg College and William Woods University have seen a 10% increase over the past two years
Over the past six years, Culver-Stockton College has gone from averaging 1,500 applications to nearly 4,600 per year.

When discussing possible reasons for the increase in applicants over the past few years, admissions counselors shared that there are several factors. Through increasingly sophisticated marketing strategies, schools are able to share their messaging more directly and personally with students and families. In addition, an ever-increasing number of schools use the Common Application, making it easier for students to apply to multiple schools.