Click here to see a photo gallery from the Installation Service.

Several hundred guests celebrated the inauguration of Jay Barnes as Bethel University's fifth president during an Installation Service on Friday, March 27. The event was attended by university presidents and representatives from across the country, Bethel President Emeritus George Brushaber, First Lady of Minnesota and Bethel alumna Mary Pawlenty, President of the National Association of Evangelicals Leith Anderson, students, staff, faculty, and friends.

During the service, Barnes was recognized for his humility, excellent leadership, commitment to God, passion for reconciliation, and heart for students. He was challenged by colleagues and friends to remember that "God will lead, direct, and guide in all times" and that the "university presidency is a marathon, not a sprint."

In his address, "Becoming Adventurous Christ-Followers," Barnes challenged the Bethel community to give students a vision of Christ worth committing to. He asserted the importance of helping students incorporate their faith into their lives and careers by living with integrity, loving their enemies, giving to the needy, and engaging the world.