A Five-fold Vision for a Renewed Witness at Ohio Christian University
In assessing the institution I inherited as an interim president, I saw five ways I felt OCU could begin to ascend and thrive again, provided we could successfully address each situation. I believe Ohio Christian University truly has the potential to be the premier conservative Wesleyan Christian undergraduate school in the nation. The following is my strategic vision for the University.
Re-center the university on its doctrinal center for faith and practice. Ohio Christian University was founded to teach students to receive, then model the soul converting, heart sanctifying love of God in Christ that spiritually and morally transforms the world. We interpret Scripture through the lens of John and Charles Wesley, believing their doctrine of sanctifying love best corresponds to Scripture’s truths. We believe that the work of atonement is two-fold. First, the grace of God through faith justifies a person, cancelling the penalty for their sins. Secondly, God’s grace wholly sanctifies a person empowering them through the Spirit to defeat sin’s power in their lives, freeing them to walk in joyful obedience, being conformed to God’s will and ways. These great truths must be robustly preached and taught until love is the measure of rule for our community. Only then can a person be freed from personal self-interest to, in love, walk with Christ hand in hand for the redemption of the world.
Re-Build the engine that once caused OCU to thrive in its enrollment and business dealings. Attrition and atrophy can dissipate a school’s drive and thrust to outcompete other schools for enrollment and measures of excellence. To thrive, this engine must be re-built. To re-build the engine, enrollment issues including retention, marketing dollars as a premium, and a strategic development program for income and gifts must be a day-to-day part of our academic lives.
Re-construct the School for Ministry. This vision would re-forge our constituents with our alums and once again identify the culture at Ohio Christian University as one with ministry, either lay or professional, at the center. The world of Christian ministry must flow once again in and out of our doors. The uniqueness of our school’s history is lost when ministry is merely one of many majors in our school. Ministry is not merely one of our university offerings, rather it is our raison d’etre. The state of Ohio needs an undergraduate institution heading the charge on this. Moreover, the theology of Wesleyan holiness for which the Churches of Christ in Christian Union was raised is a universal expression of love which needs always to be reclaimed for future generations. “Love will not fail.”
Establish a major for science and medical training, of which nursing will be a principal part. Twenty percent of all college applicants are requesting such programs and OCU will thus increase its recruitment options twenty percent by strategically building such a program. Science and medicine is a booming industry in Ohio, particularly in the growing Columbus region. It is time to leverage this field as an asset for our university. Moreover, healing ministries have always been a part of Christ’s plan for community. Providing this field of study as an option can only strengthen our Christian agenda.
Establish a major for agriculture. Train our students to help Ohio as they feed the world. Ohio is a national leader in growing food for our world. Christ said, “I was hungry, and you fed me.” Ohio Christian University is in one of the great agricultural belts of our nation, so equipping students to serve the agriculture industry lines up with one of the great industries of our state. This major would create value for our school. While agriculture is one of the great majors for Ohio State University, it is also true that many of Ohio’s farm families have a great commitment to church and the Christian faith. Therefore, offering a Christian option for these families where they can study seems to offer a strength that we are currently missing. We must give agriculturists a chance to know us and prayerfully help us in this great enterprise. Agriculturists in Ohio tend to be magnanimous people and that corresponds to the OCU agenda. I truly believe there is a bright future for us if we pursue this strategy.
This five-fold vision for Ohio Christian University can help our school thrive spiritually
as well as academically while providing a new relevance to our state and local communities.
