President's Remarks Archives -Page 1 of 1 - �۶�ֱ�� University

�۶�ֱ��’s 14th President: Meet & Greet

�۶�ֱ�� University — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 16:15:19 +0000

One Webb: We are better together.

Good morning, everyone.

Thank you all for being here today. It is truly humbling to stand before a community that cares so deeply about �۶�ֱ�� University. Whether you are a neighbor, a supporter, a student, an alum, or a friend of this institution, your presence today reflects the strength of the �۶�ֱ�� family and the shared belief that what happens here matters—not just for our campus, but for our region and beyond.

If you will bear with me, there is some gratitude that needs to be shared before we go on with the rest of the event.

First and foremost, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Every blessing in my life, every opportunity to serve, and every success this University has experienced is because of His grace and provision. �۶�ֱ��’s story is one of faith, a story of people who have trusted God to lead, provide, and sustain through every season. My prayer is that we continue to walk boldly in that faith and to keep Christ at the center of all we do.

I would also like to offer my gratitude to the many people who have helped make this moment possible and who continue to shape the future of �۶�ֱ�� University.

To the Presidential Search Committee, thank you for your time, your diligence, and your discernment throughout this process. I am deeply grateful for the hours you invested in reviewing applicants, conducting interviews, and ensuring this University found the right leader for this moment in its history.

To our Board of Trustees, thank you for your confidence in me and for entrusting me with the privilege of guiding �۶�ֱ��’s next chapter. I am especially thankful to our Board Chair and the Chair of the Search Committee, Rev. Dr. Lamont Littlejohn, for his steady leadership, his wisdom, and his unwavering dedication to this University. His faith and friendship mean the world to me.

To my wife, Dr. Brittany Evans, thank you. Time together is our most precious resource, and I thank you for allowing me to invest so much of that time in the calling that brought us here today. I desire to be a great president, but I also want to be a great husband. Please know I would not be standing here without your steadfast love, encouragement, and faith in me.

To the �۶�ֱ�� community, our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters, you are the heartbeat of this institution. Your work, your prayers, and your belief in our mission have carried �۶�ֱ�� through transition and into a new season of opportunity.

And a special word of thanks to all those behind the scenes who made today possible, including our event staff, communications team, and others. You brought this day together beautifully and with very little time, and I am so grateful for your commitment to excellence.

As I step into this role, I do so with deep humility and a clear sense of purpose. �۶�ֱ�� has always been more than a place to earn a degree. It is a place where students discover their calling, where faith and intellect meet, and where service is a way of life.

Scripture reminds us in James 2:17 that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” That truth speaks directly to who we are and where we are going. Faith brought �۶�ֱ�� this far, but it is our action, our courage, and our unity that will shape our future.

As we build that future together, my vision for �۶�ֱ�� centers on four guiding priorities:

Strengthening Our Foundation.

We will steward our resources wisely by aligning investments with mission and ensuring that every dollar advances our purpose. Stewardship is not just financial; it is spiritual. It is about caring well for what God has entrusted to us.

Taking Care of Our People.

Our faculty and staff are the soul of �۶�ֱ��. We will prioritize their growth, their well-being, and their success because when our people thrive, our mission thrives. Whether it is through professional development, compensation, or fostering a culture of respect and support, we will take care of those who take care of our students.

Enhancing the Student Experience.

We will continue to raise the bar for academic quality, expand programs that meet the needs of a changing world, and provide experiences that prepare our students for both life and leadership. We will focus on learning that transforms hearts as well as minds.

Living Out Our Mission Boldly.

As a Christ-centered university, we will lead with faith and courage, strengthening our partnerships, serving our neighbors, and ensuring that �۶�ֱ�� remains a light for this region and beyond.

At the heart of it all is One Webb, the belief that we are better together. One Webb reminds us that every classroom, every field, every office, and every partnership contributes to something greater than ourselves. When �۶�ֱ�� thrives, our community thrives. When our students succeed, our region grows stronger. And when we unite as One Webb, there is nothing we cannot achieve.

So today, I simply want to say thank you for your faith, your prayers, your partnership, and your belief in this University.

Together, we will honor our past, serve faithfully in the present, and build a future defined by faith, excellence, and hope.

Thank you, may God bless each of you, and may God continue to bless �۶�ֱ��… Let’s get to work!

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2022 Fall Academic Convocation

�۶�ֱ�� University — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 13:15:42 +0000

Surround Yourself With Success

Good morning, everyone. It is really, really good to see you all.

I’m excited that we are here. I’m grateful that we are together. I hope you had a good first week of classes, and I hope you’re ready for a strong and successful semester.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am eager to see all that we can accomplish during the academic year ahead, and I just want to spend a few minutes this morning encouraging you to make the most of the opportunities that await you.

Faculty recognitions

There’s no better way to begin my remarks than by congratulating Professor Garlock for her well-deserved recognition as an outstanding teacher.

Outstanding teachers are not just effective classroom lecturers. They mentor. They advise. They inspire. Their impact can be felt throughout a career and throughout a life.

So, thank you to Professor Garlock…and thank you to all of the �۶�ֱ�� University faculty.

Thank you, faculty, for your daily demonstrations of expertise.
Thank you, faculty, for the energy, dedication, passion and compassion you bring to the classroom and to the entire teaching enterprise.
And thank you, faculty, for the paths you illuminate for our students…not only the path to graduation but also the path to a meaningful life.

Students, if you would, please join me in an enthusiastic round of applause for our faculty!

We are Blessed to Be Here

Alright, so here we are. Week 2 of the academic year. Convocation is a time for us to formally launch the year ahead…to remind ourselves of why we are here…and to issue each other a set of challenges that will help give us purpose and direction in the months to come.

Now, let’s think for a moment of where we are. And I mean physically where we are. It was on or about this place 117 years ago that some people from two local Baptist associations came together for a common purpose. In 1905 they created Boiling Springs High School as a place “where the young…could have the best possible educational advantages under distinctive Christian influence.”

Then, in 1928, Boiling Springs High School became Boiling Springs Junior College.

In 1942 the school was renamed �۶�ֱ�� Junior College to honor both O. Max Gardner, who had served with distinction as North Carolina’s 57^th governor…and his wife Faye Webb-Gardner.

By 1971, �۶�ֱ�� Junior College became �۶�ֱ�� College, and then in 1993 �۶�ֱ�� College became �۶�ֱ�� University.

As we start this semester, Fall 2022, �۶�ֱ�� University is home to 3,200 students at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.

Our students come from 91 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, from 44 US states, and from 45 foreign countries (in a one-stoplight town we have 108 students from 45 foreign countries! That’s awesome!).
We have 603 NCAA Division-I student athletes across 22 teams.
We have more than 36,000 living alumni spread out literally across the globe. They are thinkers, doers, and world-changers.
We have more than 80 academic degree programs across five colleges and schools…and we just had our newest degree program approved yesterday for a January 2023 launch (MPA10).
We now also have…Starbucks. Can I get a woo-hoo?

This place that today we call �۶�ֱ�� University has come a long way over the years, and you are here to help us write the next chapter in its great story…and we are here to help you write the next chapter in your great story.

I’d say we are pretty darn blessed to be here. �۶�ֱ�� isn’t perfect. Boiling Springs isn’t perfect. But I wouldn’t trade our challenges here for what the rest of the world is deals with on a daily basis.

You are college students in a safe college town being taught by professors who care about you and being served by a professional staff that wants you to be successful, happy, and healthy.

Yes, sometimes the Wi-Fi can be spotty…we’re working on that.
And, yes, I know Zoca ran out of burritos one night last week…and we’re working on that one, too.

But, folks, I want to stress how blessed we are to be living and studying and working at a place called �۶�ֱ��. If you take a moment and peer outside our bubble, you’ll see that it’s a pretty crazy and a deeply divided world out there.

11.4% of all Americans now fall officially below the poverty line

5.7M working age Americans are unemployed…they want to work, they’re looking for work, but they don’t have jobs

Inflation hit a 40-year high this summer when it reached 9.1%

Political rhetoric in Washington and around the country shows no signs of healing our polarized society.

Outside the United States, we know that tens of thousands of people have died in a nasty war in the Ukraine as well as in other wars across the globe.

14% of the world’s population is functionally illiterate

According to the CDC, there are 2 billion people worldwide who do not have access to clean water at home. 2 billion…that’s billion with a “b.”

Yes, my friends, we are pretty darn blessed to be here. We’re pretty darned blessed to be who we are.

That blessing comes, however, with a certain measure of responsibility.

Call to Action

When you hear that people are struggling, it is easy to get depressed. It’s easy to want to turn away, to wring our hands, to shrug our shoulders. But I believe that we at a university like this one—a Christian university—have a special responsibility. “To whom much is given, much will be required.” (Luke 12:48)

Where we see sickness, we should seek the knowledge that leads to cures. �۶�ֱ�� can do that.

Where we see poverty, we should become entrepreneurs so that others might prosper. �۶�ֱ�� can do that.

Where we see ignorance, we should be inspired to teach…and to teach those who will themselves become teachers. �۶�ֱ�� can do that.

Where we see people who have lost their way, we should share a helping hand and we should share our faith. �۶�ֱ�� can most certainly do that.

To whom much is given, much will be required. And I am so proud to be at a university where we willingly step up to that challenge.

be your best bulldog

Sadly, my generation has never been called “The Greatest Generation.” That term has been rightly reserved for our grandparents and our great-grandparents.

My generation didn’t defeat fascism in Europe and Asia in the 1940s.
My generation didn’t discover a cure for polio in the 1950s, and it didn’t land a man on the moon in the 1960s.

Sometimes, I think, my generation derives too much entertainment from the negatives. Just watch the nightly news on television.

We’ve given you gas prices that have spent most of the summer above $4.00
we’ve given you the cancel culture
we’ve focused too much on ourselves and our bank accounts, our iPhones, our Apple watches, and the Internet.

My generation has given you “The Great Resignation.”

We’ve chosen remoteness over relationships, distance over proximity, and solitude over community.

We tear each other apart anonymously on social media, rather than look each other in the eye and try to build each other up.

My generation has so much work to do, and we promise you that we’ll do better.

But I say all of this because I want to challenge you and your generation to be the ones who bring us all back together.

You can’t care for humanity if you run from it. Don’t resign yourself to being remote from each other; instead, revel in the relationships you build.

38 years ago, when I started college, I went to my freshman English class and the professor had a quote written on the chalkboard:

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was 18, so I rolled my eyes…but the professor had us write the quote down, and I’ve remembered it.

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year…Don’t wilt or waver in the face of the challenges you see around you. Instead, be inspired by the positive impact you are going to be able to make one day as a college graduate. And, until then, remember that sometimes the best day of the year is the day you do something to make someone else smile.

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. The evidence shows us that college graduates have greater life satisfaction…so, stay on the path.

Public opinion surveys show that college graduates have greater life satisfaction…so, stay on the path.

College graduates are more likely to be civically engaged and to influence their communities…so, stay on the path.

College graduates know how to peacefully coexist with one another in an increasingly diverse world…so, stay on the path.

College graduates make positive and lasting differences in the lives of others…so, stay on the path.

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.

At �۶�ֱ�� we have a perpetual call to service. Our call is to serve God and Humanity. I ask you to hear that call and to act on it.

Students, faculty. Make this a great year. Enjoy every moment. Seize as many opportunities as possible. Surround yourself with positivity. Immerse yourself in a culture of success. Attack each day with an attitude of confidence and compassion.

Recognize that you are in a special season of your life. And commit yourself to using the knowledge you gain here, the skills you acquire here, to lift up those around you.

Don’t wilt from challenges and ignore them…but instead be inspired to action. And in your action, bring joy, comfort, and hope to those around you.

“For God and Humanity.” You’ll hear that a lot around here. I think God is the easy part. We’re here to help you on that journey…but don’t forget about humanity.

Thinking About What to Say to You Today

Admittedly, that’s a little more than my college chancellor said to me 38 years ago when I began at that big red school in Raleigh.

He said:

Study hard.

Stay healthy.

Join a club.

Have fun.

YES! Have fun. College is fun.

Pancake Bingo
Cheering on the Runnin’ Bulldogs
Dressing up for The Webbies
Concerts
The Big E
Hanging out at the Broad River

In addition to having fun, do something special…

Decide to study abroad
Spend a semester in Washington, DC, with our new The Webb in Washington program
Get that internship that you know you’ll need
Go on a mission trip, or just get out and serve the community

But keep your eyes focused on a higher purpose. Keep your heart, soul, mind and strength fixed on doing good…for yourself and for others. Be your best Bulldog, friends, and you’ll have an amazing year.

Thanks for your attention this morning. Have a great week, a great semester, and a great year. We care about you. We love you. We pray for you each and every day. And we will be here for you every step of the way.

May God bless you. May God continue to bless �۶�ֱ�� University. And ‘Sko Dawgs!

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2021 Fall Academic Convocation

�۶�ֱ�� University — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 20:03:52 +0000

Why Not Us, Why Not �۶�ֱ��?

Faculty and Students of �۶�ֱ�� University, you really are a wonderful sight for sore eyes!

We didn’t get to do this last year. But today, thanks to the grace and glory of God, we are together again in this special place, celebrating the start of a new academic year. And, I for one, am extremely grateful.

If you are new to �۶�ֱ��, you’ve been welcomed and oriented pretty thoroughly over the last week.

If you were with us last year and are returning to �۶�ֱ��, you’ve also been welcomed back quite thoroughly…we’ve had a faculty assembly, we’ve Worshipped at the Webb, we’ve had a Connect Fair, last night we had an amazing speaker from FCA talk to our student-athletes…and now, to finish it all off, we have Convocation.

Convocation is a calling together, a summoning, or a convening. It is a time-honored academic tradition at most universities, including our own.

And Convocation gives me the opportunity to give you a brief message…a message of thanks, a message of encouragement…and a message of action, indeed a call to action. Parts of my message today will be quite serious…some of it a bit heavy. But I promise that we will end on a light and loud note!

Thank Our Faculty

Let’s begin with a message of thanks. And the object of my appreciation is the relationship between the two groups assembled here today.

Students, that means I want to speak to you about our faculty.

At �۶�ֱ�� we are indeed very fortunate. We aspire to world-class instruction. We promise world-class instruction. And that doesn’t happen just by hoping for it. To give you world-class instruction, we have to have dedicated, innovative, and inspirational teachers. And at �۶�ֱ��, we do!

We have faculty with impressive academic pedigrees who actually care about the success of their students (and that doesn’t happen everywhere).

We have scholars and practitioners who go the extra mile not just to teach their students but to mentor their students, to coach their students, to listen to their students.

In short, we have a talented and helpful group of professors…who work every day to ensure your success.

So, to all of the faculty assembled here today, I say thank you.

Thank you for your expertise.
Thank you for the energy and passion you bring to the classroom.
Thank you for the paths that you illuminate and the journeys you guide…not only the path to graduation, but also the path to a meaningful life.

And to you, our students, I want you to know that these faculty are here for you. We are all here for YOU. And together we welcome you to this new academic year.

[Students, I ask you to join me in a round of applause for our faculty.]

Students, your return to campus energizes all of us. We are excited to work with you and to watch you grow and succeed.

And as we stand here on the precipice of the first full week of the Fall semester, I could try to encourage you by saying the obvious…study hard, make good choices, get involved.

Probably every university president or chancellor across the country is using those words this week: study hard, make good choices, get involved.

But I’d like to go beyond the obvious, and let’s spend a little time this morning doing something else.

Let’s think a little bit about the year 2025.

2025

Some of you here today are part of the Class of 2025. You’re just now starting your college journey. We want this to be the most rewarding four years of your life. Some of you will finish sooner, some later. But for all of us I think we should take a moment for the following ponderable…What will life look like in 2025?

Now, you might think, that’s just four short years from now…not that much can change. But think back in time to four years ago…2017.

In 2017:

Probably none of us had ever heard of COVID or Coronavirus
In 2017, we weren’t using this thing called Zoom to interact with other humans
In 2017, a businessman named Trump was in the White House
The Number 1 Google search was “Hurricane Irma”
“The Big Bang Theory” was still on TV
Ed Sheeran had the Number 1 single in America,
A gallon of gas cost $2.41, and
The Atlanta Falcons, yes the Atlanta Falcons, were in the Super Bowl.

A lot, I mean a lot, can change in four years.

So, as we sit here today, let’s project a bit into the future:

What’s the workplace going to look like in 2025?…when you take that first job after graduation, will you be working in an office or will you be dialing it in from home in your pajamas?

What about technology? How small will our phones get? How big will our watches be and what will they able to do? How will we shop? How will we date? (and by “we” I mean you). Will we still read books? And if so, will we be able to read them while our cars drive us around town?

Will the traditional family as the core of society be strengthened or further weakened?

Will we be at peace or at war?

Will the gaps between rich and poor be larger or smaller?

Will the increasing diversity of our society lead us to greater cooperation or to heightened tensions?

What will the rest of the world think about us here in the United States? Will America still be a shining city on a hill, a beacon to the world?

What about our Christian faith? Will the church grow, or will it decline?

2025. Just four short years.

The crystal ball is always murky, but my point in gazing into it is to encourage you…to encourage all of us…to take a little ownership of our future. To write our own story. To actively shape our destiny, rather than to passively await it.

As Winston Churchill is said to have observed, ‘Americans will always do the right thing, but only after they have tried everything else.’ [REPEAT]

Cut to the chase, my friends, and do the right thing first. As college students, as college graduates, as faculty and staff, let’s do the right thing first.

Why are you here?

College is, in part, about obtaining the right skills, knowledge, and understanding to do the right thing.

We’re all here to help figure out what the right thing is.

Students, why are you here? Recent study by Federal Reserve Bank of New York concluded that Americans with a bachelor’s degree earned on average 75% more each year than those with only a high school diploma. That’s the “college wage premium.”

Why are you here? Marketability, access to job opportunities, ability to specialize in particular career skills, pathway to advancement, employment security…But is that why you are really here?

The evidence shows that college graduates are happier and lead healthier, longer lives than those who didn’t go to college.

Public opinion surveys show that college graduates have greater life satisfaction…

They are more likely to be civically engaged and influence their communities…

College graduates are able to actively produce new knowledge, not just consume knowledge that others give them

College graduates know how to peacefully coexist with one another in an increasingly diverse world

College graduates make positive and lasting differences in the lives of others…they make an impact.

If the college experience transforms regular people into thinkers, and doers, and world-changers, then why not us? Why not the people in this arena. Why not �۶�ֱ��?

Why Not Us?

We live in a divided society and a broken world…humanity needs healers, uniters, and peacemakers.

Why not us? Who among us will stand up and step up? The world needs more �۶�ֱ��. More of our nurses and health care professionals, more of our educators, our counselors, our pastors…Let us be the solution.

We live in a time of fear…humanity cries out for those who would give comfort and instill confidence. Why not us? The world needs more �۶�ֱ��.

We live in an era of pathogens and pandemics…humanity needs researchers who can harness the power of science to cure and to prevent. When the world searches for answers, why not us? Our biologists, our chemists, our physicists…

We live in a community where children go hungry, where shops are closed, where parents struggle to pay the bills. Where prosperity is elusive, why isn’t it �۶�ֱ�� that steps in to find the solutions. Our College of Business should be front and center in the effort to grow economic development in our own backyard.

Why not us…

At �۶�ֱ�� we have a perpetual call to service. Our call is to serve God and Humanity. I ask you to hear that call and to act on it.

If we want to improve the health of our communities…if we want to make those communities more prosperous and better educated…and if we want to serve the spiritual health of Cleveland County, or western North Carolina and beyond…then who better than �۶�ֱ�� University to do the heavy lifting. It rests on us, my friends…it rests on �۶�ֱ��. For God and Humanity…that’s our mission, and that’s our charge.

Our university was founded 116 years ago by people with vision who wanted to lift up those around them. Ladies and gentlemen, every one of us in here has inherited that noble mission.

When I think about our call to service, I often think about one of my favorite Christian hymns….a song popular across many denominations, written in 1981 and titled, “Here I am, Lord.” The lyrics may be familiar to some of you:

Here I am, Lord
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night
I will go, Lord
If You lead me
I will hold Your people in my heart

Here we are, Lord. Choose us. Choose �۶�ֱ��.

Wrap

So, in the academic year ahead, of course I want you all to have fun…to enjoy each other and to enjoy your time here.

Pancake Bingo, the Webbies, and football at Spangler Stadium…
But remember…always remember…that gifted people have great responsibility. As our Bible tells us, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.”

One demand on all of us in the coming year is to stay vigilant about this pandemic that has yet to go away.

There’s the famous line from the old movie Wizard of Oz: “There’s no place like home.” This is our home. This is our family. Whether for one semester, one year, four years, or a career…this is our home. History teaches us that people will fight most ferociously to protect their family and their home. That’s what we need to do this year. That’s what I will ask you to do. We will do whatever it takes to keep this place open and to keep you on track for success.

So, there’s my message to you today:

We should be thankful for our faculty.
Take ownership of your destiny for the next four years.
Answer the call to service.
Protect our home and our university family.

Fight Song and Bo

OK, everybody, I want you to have a great semester…a great academic year. And here’s how we are going to close Convocation.

We’re bringing back an old tradition and making it new again. We recently rediscovered the lyrics to the �۶�ֱ�� fight song. Everybody’s got a fight song, and we do, too…but nobody signs along because the lyrics were literally lost in the archives for years.

So, with thanks to Josh Cheney and our concert choir we’re going to close by signing the GWU fight song.

What’s a fight song without a mascot? If I can get a really loud ‘Sko Dawgs, we might be able to get Bo to join us on stage for the fight song…

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2019 Dimensions

�۶�ֱ�� University — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 13:30:00 +0000

President’s Address at Dimensions

9:30, Tucker Student Center

Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Neal, for the kind introduction.

Thanks for letting me join you…this is a large and impressive group. I’m glad to see you all. I hope you’re doing well and that the semester is off to a fast start. I also hope that you’re ready for some football…tonight, Charlotte, Richardson Stadium, 7:30, be there and be loud. If we have any members of the football team here this morning, please stand and let us show our appreciation. Our thoughts and prayers will be with all of our players and coaches as they represent us in competition tonight.

But, first, and more importantly, Dimensions. You know that like many of you, I’m new here…so this is my first exposure to Dimensions at �۶�ֱ��.

Since I’m leading the program, I did what perhaps some of you also did and I looked online for some information to better understand how we can best use this time together.

According to the description on our website, the purpose of Dimensions is “to nurture students spiritually, intellectually, and culturally from the perspective of a Christian worldview and to promote a sense of community.” We can do that!

Some of you are here this morning because you are eager…you are hungry for this kind of spiritual, intellectual, and cultural growth. And I appreciate that appetite. But I’m smart enough to know that others of you are here because of the R word…it’s Required.

Whatever the reason that got you up and out of bed and here this morning, I am grateful for the chance to share some thoughts with you as we begin the new academic year. You’re not in class. You’re not at practice. So, even though it might be required, it’s not a bad place to be.

In the time that I am going to spend with you today, I want to do a few things:

First, I want to put myself in your seat and anticipate some of the questions that I’d want to ask the new president of a faith-based, Christian university.
Second, I want to share with you some words of scripture and some recollections that I have of the time of life that you are experiencing right now. I hate sounding like the old man reminiscing, but it is reminiscing with a message. My message to you today has three quick parts: responsibility, belief, wisdom.

Before I do either of those things, let me issue some disclaimers. I’m a teacher, not a preacher. I’m a political scientist, not a pastor.

But I am a lifelong Christian. I grew up in the Church. I met the girl who would become my wife in the same church in which I was baptized. The church has been there at every step in my journey through life.

Like most people I know, my journey has had its share of peaks and valleys. My faith has been tested. My resilience has been challenged. I am guilty of looking upward for help far more frequently than I have fallen to my knees and offered praise and thanks.

But I am here with you this morning to say how very grateful I am that God has led me to GardnerWebb. And I’ll be honest, I do feel called to be here. I do feel that we are ALL here in this special place at this particular time for a reason.

Now, if I’m 18 or 19 or 20 years old and I’m sitting where you are, I might roll my eyes with a little skepticism if I heard somebody say that to me. And, that’s OK. But I firmly believe that we all have a calling. I really do. I think that our calling is divinely inspired…and the great question of our lives is whether we answer the call in time to make a difference. Let me repeat that: I believe the great question of each of our lives is whether we answer God’s call in time to make a meaningful
difference in this world.

And if I’m you (and after I rolled my eyes), sitting here at this particular time and in this special place, I’d want to ask the new president of GWU at least three questions:

What does it mean to me (Bill Downs) to be a Christian?
I’m not going to get theological on you. I’m not going to talk about doctrine or about worship styles. We can do that at another time and in another place. But, to me, being a Christian is about finding purpose in life. It’s about faith in something larger than yourself. It’s a recognition that in this life we are all works in progress…we are all imperfect…but we all have the hope of being saved. We all have the hope of making a meaningful difference in this life, and we all have the hope of something that is lasting, something that is eternal, after this life.

To me, Christianity is about forgiveness. It’s about goodness. It’s about grace, and it’s about relationships. To me, Christianity is about unselfishness.

The late Billy Graham (one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th century, who was born right down the road from us in Charlotte) was fond of saying, “God has given us two hands – one to receive with and the other to give with.” Those are important words—we can’t just be passive recipients of love and kindness, we have to actively distribute love and kindness to those around us.

That, to me, is what it means to be a Christian.
What does it mean for us to be a Christian university?

�۶�ֱ�� is a university, not a church. But we have a 114-year history of commitment to higher education that integrates learning with Christian life. We have strong Baptist roots, but our student body is a rich and diverse mosaic of denominations. And we are fiercely proud of our diversity and how we welcome everyone into conversation about faith.

Our university has an official mission statement, just like every other university. And our mission statement was crafted by people who came here long before me and who worked on this language at great length: “By embracing faith and intellectual freedom, balancing conviction with compassion, and inspiring a love of learning, service and leadership, �۶�ֱ�� prepares its graduates to make significant contributions for God and humanity in an ever-changing global community.”

“GWU is committed to service, displayed in Christ-like moral action that respects the dignity and value of every person.”

Our university should provide an “environment that fosters intellectual and spiritual growth; encourages physical fitness, service, social and cultural enrichment; strengthens and develops moral character; and respects the value and individuality of every student.”

I’ve worked at many universities…but I’ve never worked anywhere that has been so intentional about developing good people, and not just good graduates. What we’re trying to do here, my friends, is special.
President Downs, what is your favorite Bible verse?

I Corinthians 16:13, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” Life comes at you a million miles an hour. I anticipate moments in our future when we are going to have to have a little courage. We will get tested, and we will have to stay strong. A copy of that verse stays right there in my portfolio, and I can open that up and be reminded at any time: courage, strength and faith.

You now know a little about me as a Christian and about how �۶�ֱ�� approaches its mission.

Let me reflect next on some things going on in my world when I was an undergraduate, and some strong messages from the Bible that helped guide me through those times.

Part I. Responsibility.

I don’t know much about you, but I do know that you all have great ability. You wouldn’t be at �۶�ֱ�� unless you were high-ability students.

I know that you are gifted academically. Many of you are gifted athletically. I envy you all! I suspect that your achievements have gained you some much deserved praise.

My guess is that you’ve been told that you’re gifted…you were courted and wooed and recruited by schools that wanted you to join them. It’s all pretty heady stuff for a teenager…it can build you up, and sometimes it can freak you out.

If I travel back a bit in time to my college years… I’m sitting in a Sunday School class at my home church in Raleigh. The teacher leading that day looked us straight in the eye and challenged us: “Gifted people have great responsibility.” He hammered that message home, drawing from Luke: Luke 12:48 “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

You’re young. You’re brilliant. You’re all rising stars. You have the future and the world at your fingertips.

Embrace and enjoy this great moment of potential.

Don’t be burdened too much too soon by the weight of responsibility and expectation…but do keep in mind that your blessings of brilliance mean that people will soon begin to look to you to lead, to serve, to do the right thing, to set examples for others. Much will be demanded, much will be asked. Don’t wilt or waver in the face of those expectations…rise to them and deliver your best.

College comes with a significant dose of stress, anxiety, and pressure. Let me just encourage you to take it as a compliment that somebody—a professor, a coach, a pastor, a friend—will look you in the eye and let you know that much is expected of you.

Gifted people have great responsibility.

Part II. Believing in what we cannot see.

John 20:24-31 Story of the empty tomb after the crucifixion. “Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’

But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.’

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’

Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!
Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”

…blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (that is the important part)

Like many of you, I grew up in the Christian church. Sunday School and the 11:00 service each week was what I knew. Baptism, confirmation, affirmations of faith. A firm and unwavering set of beliefs. A set of friends and peers who shared the same firm and unwavering set of beliefs. And then college…and the first thing I heard was that I was in college to become a critical thinker. Belief was not going to be good enough, what mattered was data, evidence, and empirical proof.

Do not underestimate that challenge. Do not underestimate how college can be a period of both doubt and discovery. That’s OK.

When I was your age, I wasn’t sure it was OK, but I learned to appreciate the spiritual journey. Enjoy the marriage of faith and critical thinking. Like most marriages, it can have its rocky moments…and sometimes you’ll have to work at it…sometimes you’ll have to say you’re sorry…sometimes you’ll have to ask forgiveness…but in the end, if you stick with it, you can live
happily ever after.

Part III. Final quick message is about wisdom.

Proverbs 13:10: “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Knowledge is a double-edged sword. Gaining more of it can tempt you into arrogance and pride. I deal with smart people every day, and I see excessive pride every day. No doubt, as I have traveled my academic journey, I have been guilty of it as well.

But I’ve also found knowledge to be quite humbling. The more you learn the more you realize just how little you actually know.

Wisdom comes in taking advice…allowing yourself to be mentored…recognizing that there is always, always some greater source of knowledge than yourself.

“Where there is strife, there is pride,
but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Make good use of your advisors. Make good use of your professors, your coaches, your counselors, your RAs, your peers.

These are some words and thoughts that have served me well over the years…I hope they can do the same for you.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for walking your path with us here at �۶�ֱ��. Thank you for pressing pause on the drama of daily life to think about the meaning of life, to consider our place in this world, and to ponder how we each might make the world a better place.

I hope you have a great Thursday. Go make somebody smile.

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2019 Fall Academic Convocation

�۶�ֱ�� University — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 15:53:00 +0000

I want to begin my brief remarks by congratulating Professor Moser for his well-deserved recognition as an outstanding teacher. Following an award-winning instructor allows me the opportunity to highlight what I think is one of our greatest points of pride here at �۶�ֱ�� University…and that’s the fact that we have world-class faculty.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I have only been here less than two months. But the more I learn about �۶�ֱ��, the more I like about �۶�ֱ��. And I really, really like that we have such dedicated, innovative, and inspirational teachers.

We have faculty with stellar academic pedigrees, but they’re also people who care—and care deeply— about the success of their students.

We have scholars and practitioners who go the extra mile to mentor their students.

So, to all of the faculty assembled here today, I say thank you. Thank you for your expertise. Thank you for the energy and passion you bring to the classroom. Thank you for the paths you illuminate…not only the path to graduation, but also the path to a meaningful life.

And to you, our students, I want you to know that these faculty are here for you. We are all here for YOU. And together we welcome you to this new and promising academic year.

August is my favorite time of year. You know, a lot of people see August as the end of summer…as something to be dreaded…something that gets here way too fast. But in my view, and in the academic world, August is a time of renewal and rebirth. Your return to campus energizes all of us. We are excited to work with you and to watch you grow and succeed.

As we get into the full swing of the semester, I could stand here and simply try to encourage you by saying the obvious…study hard, make good choices, get involved.

Those are all obvious bits of advice…and they’re obvious for good reason.

But beyond the obvious, I want to underscore one important message as we launch this new year. And the message is this—we are a private university with a very public mission. We are a private university with a very public mission, and it is incumbent upon all of us to live up to that public mission in some way.

A lot of private schools keep their students in a bubble…we don’t. A lot of private schools erect high walls to keep the community out…we don’t. And at a lot of private schools, the faculty stay perched in some lofty ivory tower…ours don’t.

Just think about �۶�ֱ��’s motto…Pro Deo et Humanitate…“For God and Humanity.”

Our focus is on God and Humanity. You simply cannot have a more public mission than that.

Let’s consider, just for a moment, our own backyard here in Cleveland County:

According to some recent data that I have seen, the poverty rate of households in Cleveland County is 19.9% (that’s one in every five households);
59% (well more than half) of Cleveland County children are said to live in “poor” or “near-poor” households;
25.3 % of county children are reported to live in “food insecure households,” putting at risk their immediate health, safety and ability to learn;
We’re told that only 56% of women in Cleveland County received early prenatal care, and 11% of babies were born at low birthweight;

And, finally, the data suggest that 11% of high school students didn’t graduate on time.

As you ponder these statistics, consider for a moment some of the strengths that we have as a university.

We have strong degree programs across all of our colleges and schools. But think in particular about our signature programs in the Health Sciences, in Business, in Education, in Divinity.

If we want to improve the physical health of our communities…if we want to make those communities more prosperous and better educated…and if we want to serve the spiritual health of Cleveland County, and western North Carolina and beyond…then who better…who better than �۶�ֱ�� University to do the heavy lifting? It rests on us, my friends…it rests on �۶�ֱ��. For God and Humanity…that’s our mission, and that’s our charge.

Our university was founded 114 years ago by people with vision who wanted to lift up those around them. Ladies and gentlemen, every one of us in here has inherited that noble mission.

So, in the academic year ahead, of course I want you all to have fun…to enjoy each other and to enjoy your time here. Enjoy the Pancake Bingo, homemade ice cream parties, and football Saturdays at Spangler Stadium. But remember…always remember…that gifted people have great responsibility. As our Bible tells us, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.”

We are a private university with a very public mission. As you each pursue that mission in the year ahead, be bold…be distinctive…and be authentic.

If you do those three things…if you are bold, distinctive, and authentic…you will make an amazing and lasting impact on the lives of those around you.

Have a great semester, everybody! Have a great year! And, as always, Go Bulldogs!

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