[Perspective] Ancient paths – good ways

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’” Jeremiah 6:16 

For several months, the WBU University Planning and Advisory Council has been praying, working, assessing, revising, and developing a new strategic plan designed to guide the University in its mission. The HLC accreditation team that came to campus last year advised us to launch this process and, as part of their counsel, they encouraged us to assess our mission statement and our core values in light of our Williams Works and Williams Way initiatives.  

Taking their suggestions to heart, we assembled a group of faculty, coaches, administrators, deans, staff, students, and trustees to serve on this strategically important council. These individuals are devoutly committed to working for the growth and success of Williams. As a member of this group, I have been blessed to work with these individuals to plan for our future – to dream about where the Lord desires to lead us in our work to equip and educate our students in their hearts, heads, and hands.  

The University and Planning Advisory Council has worked carefully to revise our mission statement in a way that communicates our identity and purpose clearly, simply, and strategically. After much work and deliberation, we proposed to our trustees at our April 2024 board meeting the following revised mission statement: “Williams Baptist University exists to cultivate Christ-centered leaders who make a difference through their life work.” Our board unanimously and enthusiastically approved our recommendation.  

“To Cultivate Christ-centered Leaders” 

Our revised mission statement has three primary parts. The first of these is the phrase, “to cultivate Christ-centered leaders.” Drawing on agriculture imagery, we view our mission as the cultivation of the whole person. In the Bible, the word cultivate means to foster growth, to nurture to maturation. This understanding certainly captures the heart of what we aspire to do for our students. 

With this meaning in mind, the work of Williams requires cultivation of the head – we are a university, and we provide exceptional instruction and education. Cultivation includes the heart – as a Christian university, we are unashamedly committed to the spiritual formation of our students in their faith and service to the Lord. Finally, we are committed to cultivating the hands – we have launched intentional and strategic initiatives designed to equip our students with a strong, Christian work ethic. 

Our efforts in this area are designed to create Christ-centered leaders. Although we assuredly want every student to graduate with an outstanding education, we are passionately committed to equipping our students to be leaders who love the Lord and love their neighbor. We desire every student to lead in their families, their churches, their communities, and our nation – to lead unapologetically for the glory of God and the good of His creation. Our world desperately needs Christ-centered leaders. I believe God birthed WBU to be a place that meets this critical need. 

“Who Make a Difference” 

The second part of our mission statement involves preparing our students to be leaders who make a difference. On the surface, this seems obvious. However, I believe all of us intuitively know that not all who claim to be leaders actually lead to make a difference for the good of others. Our mission at Williams is to graduate students who are difference-making leaders. 

I was exposed to this idea many years ago by Dr. Bob Agee, one of the individuals the Lord used to shape my philosophy of Christian education. Dr. Agee was the long tenured president of Oklahoma Baptist University and a recognized leader in Baptist higher education. At an event where he was a keynote speaker, he stated that there were two kinds of people who aspire to be presidents of Baptist colleges – those who love the platform and position for their personal benefit and self-fulfillment, and those who understand and embrace leadership as sacrificial, hard work for the good of others. His challenge to us was to guard our hearts from becoming leaders who lead for personal ambition and instead be leaders who make a difference for the glory of God and the good of others.  

Dr. Agee’s admonitions still resonate with me today, and his insights have shaped my philosophy of leadership. I pray the Lord continues to guard my heart and mind, making me into a selfless leader who makes a difference for His glory and for the good of others. Dr. Agee’s counsel also shapes our mission of cultivating difference-making leaders. We work to equip every student to learn and embrace leadership that makes a difference for others. May God deliver us from becoming leaders who lead for love of platform and position, who lead for personal benefit and advancement. May God enable Williams to be a place where we raise up generations of godly leaders who make a difference for others. 

“Through Their Life Work” 

The third part of our mission statement defines where we believe Christ-centered leaders should make a difference – in their life work. The concept of life work includes the work of home and family – this is the core place where Christ-centered leadership must be expressed. We work to teach our students God’s purposes for their identities as men and women – God’s purposes for their lives as husband/fathers and as wives/mothers. Life work unquestionably begins with work in our homes. 

Life work encompasses preparation for our vocations – where we work. The places and expressions of our work – our jobs – are realities where we will invest a large part of our adult lives. Our work will be where most of us will lead daily – influencing others, making a difference for others, expressing our gifts and talents for God and for others. 

Our mission also requires that we equip our students for life work in the church. This includes equipping those called to serve in vocational ministry – pastors, missionaries, worship leaders, etc. Our equipping mission likewise includes training Christ-centered lay leaders for church service. In obedience to the Bible’s teaching on the priesthood of all believers, we believe equipping lay leaders to live their ministry calling in the local church is as important as training those called to vocational church ministry. All followers of Jesus have a life work calling for ministry in the local church. Our mission is to prepare our students to fulfill this part of their life work. 

At Williams, we believe our mission must focus on equipping our students to be Christ-centered leaders who make a difference in all facets of their life work: their families, their churches, and their vocations. 

We are embarking upon a revitalized understanding and expression of the what the biblical doctrine of work means for Christian higher education. This commitment is not a new reality for Williams. From our founding as Southern Baptist College, the mission of our school has been to create disciples who love the Lord and make a difference in their life work. For those of us today at Williams, we have the privilege and responsibility to move forward in this revitalized mission. 

I continue to grow in my understanding and appreciation of the Bible’s teaching on work. Many in the WBU family have joined me in this journey to re-envision and revitalize the doctrine of work in our understanding and expression of Christian higher education. Please pray for us as God moves us in this new expression of our historic mission.