By Krissy Proctor
Staff Writer
Beginning July 1, Bryan College administration will sharpen its focus on spiritual formation through several major structural changes, including eliminating the position of vice president for Student Life and adding a vice president of Spiritual Formation.
“In function as well as structure, this represents a priority for Bryan College,” President Stephen Livesay said in an e-mail sent out last Monday. “Our motto, Christ Above All, and our mission statement mean something. We are sending a message that we want to infuse spiritual formation intentionally into every aspect of college life.”
“We felt like we had the opportunity to align personal and departmental strengths in a way that really aided the college for the next few decades,” Dr. Matt Benson, the current dean of spiritual formation and soon to be vice-president of the same, said Tuesday. “This expanded mission for Spiritual Formation…has profound implications for the college.”
The Spiritual Formation department will be undergoing more than one big change. After July 1, the college’s Worldview Initiative, headed up by Ben Williams and Bonnie-Marie Yager, will be included in this department. Dr. Elizabeth Mosley will join them, as head of the office of counseling and soul care, as well as Ben Norquist of the main office of spiritual formations.
“We have to create multiple arenas through which we will be actively engaged in spiritual formation. The purpose is to infuse into every part of campus, academically and socially, development of a Christian worldview as core to spiritual formation,” said Livesay
Another change will occur in the department of student life, to be renamed “community life.” With the departure of the division’s vice president, current Dean of Students Bruce Morgan will become the dean of community life, under the supervision of Michael Sapienza, vice president for enrollment management. Benson adds that this will be a good thing for students.
“In the near future, students will experience a more streamlined approach to a number of “systems” that admissions and student life have independently had in place. Bringing the new community life area into enrollment management strengthens everyone to consider how to foster a more holistic community,” he said.
Woodlee-Ewing’s current resident director Tim Shetter is also to become the assistant dean of Community Life.
Dr. Peter Held, the current vice-president of the soon to depart “office of student life” will embark on a new mission, according to Livesay.
“As Bryan College expands into areas distant from Dayton, it is critical that faculty there, as well as new faculty on campus, understand and embrace our Christian worldview and spiritual formation emphasis,” he explained in his e-mail to the student body.
Besides Held’s normal duties as senior fellow for Christian Worldview and professor of Christian Thought and Biblical Studies, he will oversee many of Bryan’s new programs, including the chaplaincy program for the School of Adult and Graduate Studies, an orientation program for new faculty and the design of new programs to integrate worldview throughout all of the academic departments.
“Dr. Held’s depth of experience at Bryan, his service in the classroom, his servant’s heart and love for Christ make him the ideal to initiate these efforts,” Livesay said.