President Emeritus Brushaber used to say, “Almost every day at Bethel someone is saying something that makes me uncomfortable.” I was always glad when I wasn’t the one he had in mind! His point, however, was a very important one. As a Christ-centered university, our job is to educate, not indoctrinate. How do we do that?

We begin by hiring faculty members who are committed Christ-followers, who are experts in their academic disciplines, who are called to teach, and who understand the developmental level of our students. These faculty members continuously upgrade their own knowledge, go through regular evaluations and peer review, and are affirmed and reaffirmed by our trustees on a systematic basis. We have an amazing group at Bethel!

We have a curriculum that is developmental, grounded in our core values, and guided by stated educational outcomes. We know that entering students are different from seniors. We recognize that what happens in a seminary classroom is different from what happens in the MBA program and is different from what happens in the College of Arts & Sciences. Regardless of the level of student we are teaching, our goal is to help students love Jesus more, not less, and to be well equipped to serve Him now and in the future.

Last week, a team representing the Minnesota Board of Teaching evaluated all programs in the Department of Education. In the team’s exit interview, they commended the department and announced that they were recommending to the Board of Teaching that our programs again be approved through 2017.

The team went out of their way to affirm the advanced preparation of the department, the quality and thoroughness of the report, the hospitality of the university, the openness of all who were interviewed, the dedication of the faculty, and the extraordinary support staff in the department. Like most things done well at Bethel, many departments and individuals (Facilities Management, IT, deans and associate deans, at al.) worked cooperatively to make the visit successful.

Beyond the 53 standards to be met, the team commended the department for exceptional leadership within Bethel, exceptional leadership within professional organizations and state government, and strong connections with schools in diverse communities. A visit to the King Family Foundation Child Development Center, Bethel’s CDC in the Frogtown neighborhood, moved one of the team members to tears because of the work being done there.

Two weeks ago, we gave a sigh of relief and a word of thanks as our trustees left campus. It was a great meeting, and the preparation for it was thorough. Our leadership team worked long and hard to put the right information on the table, and Dan Lindh, our chair, sharpened our focus. This exceptionally able group of women and men are committed to the well-being of Bethel University. Most of them have Bethel connection as alumni or parents, and all are donors of their time, wisdom, and resources. As trustees, they hold a “trust”—the mission of the university. They focus on the big questions: What should we be doing? What matters to our future? What helps or hinders the accomplishment of our mission? What core commitments and skills should those who teach and lead at Bethel have?

It was an interesting question posed at our recent trustee meeting. The subject was Bethel Seminary. “Why does Bethel Seminary matter?” he asked. “Who needs Bethel Seminary to do its work well?” As I thought through my own experiences with the seminary prior to becoming president, I realized that I had an answer to his questions.

For Bethel University, Bethel Seminary matters for several reasons. To state the obvious, it came first. It was the preparation of pastors that John Alexis Edgren had in mind when he called students to Chicago to study in 1871. Edgren’s big picture of pastoral education has become the big picture of all education at Bethel: grounded in faith in Christ, broad and deep knowledge, a heart for the things of God, and a mentoring relationship with a teacher. The irenic spirit that we often reference at Bethel—peace-seeking, grace-filled approaches to others—also springs from our seminary history and our Pietist heritage.

When I try to define Bethel to a prospective student, donor, parent, or any other person unfamiliar with us, I often start with our seven core values. At Bethel, we seek to be: Christ-followers, character-builders, truth-seekers, learners, reconcilers, salt and light, and world-changers. None of these values alone can describe who we are as a community. Just like with any good recipe, each ingredient is necessary. Each of these values is important to defining Bethel University. This fall, I'll try and share a little bit about each of these values—what they mean to Bethel University and what they mean to me.

Last week, we celebrated our desire to be reconcilers during our annual Reconciliation Day. The day included a special chapel featuring wonderful music and the words of Dr. Pete Menjares, associate provost of diversity leadership at Biola University, followed by a luncheon and afternoon forum including Dr. Menjares and representatives from the Bethel community. A photo gallery from the day is available. Listen to Dr. Menjares' chapel message online.