General Minister and President, Rev. Teresa Hord Owens, is regularly asked to represent the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in various contexts, including engaging ecumenically with Christians from many backgrounds as well as in interfaith dialogue. At times, however, she has the opportunity to speak at Disciples institutions. This was the case recently as Rev. Hord Owens was the guest speaker during the recent baccalaureate service at Lynchburg College as well as the graduation ceremony at Lexington Theological Seminary, both Disciples related institutions of higher learning.
At Lynchburg College, Rev. Hord Owens shared that prior to becoming General Minister and President, she had worked in higher education for many years as Dean of Students at the University of Chicago’s Disciples Divinity House and graduation ceremonies reminded her of those days: “As dean of students, I would be the one to read the names, shake the hands and give a final word of farewell to our students who were graduating. This whole weekend is food for my soul. It is the work of institutions like Lynchburg College to launch young, wonderful, intelligent, courageous and imaginative young people into the world.” Having previously had the responsibility for making sure students met the “minimum requirements” to graduate, Rev. Hord Owens used that as a theme for her sermon.
Reflecting on Micah 6: 6-8, Rev. Hord Owens spoke about the relationship that people of faith need to have with God and how important it is to live lives of justice. Her words were inspiring and challenging: “The prophet Micah reminds us to do justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with God. This particular text is always used as a banner for the work of justice by Christians, but I want to start with the end of the phrase because I think that is where the minimum requirements really start, to walk humbly with our God.” She went on to challenge the graduates, asking “Will you follow the admonition of the prophet Micah and meet your minimum requirements so that you can soar as God has intended you to soar?”
At Lexington Theological Seminary, Rev. Hord Owens preached on “Imagine. Prepare. Do.” In speaking to graduates about leadership, she said that the work of pastoral ministry is the work of “Binding hearts together and holding them in your heart.” She also quoted one of her mentors, J. Irwin Miller, saying “It is not about you, but about what you can empower others to do.” Rev. Hord Owens spoke about the changing context of the church and wider society, noting that just thirty days after she became General Minister and President, white supremacist marched in Charlottesville: “Since that time, the unimaginable has continued to happen. The people of God are called to transform the world according to the teachings of the Gospel.” She invited those present to dream and to “Imagine what the world might look like if you hold God’s people in your heart.”
In both educational settings Rev. Hord Owens was received with enthusiasm and gratitude. Higher Education remains a crucial priority for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Rev. Hord Owens embodies the church’s commitment to higher educations and leadership development.