From President Lance Sherer

Ministry is changing. Culture is changing. The flux of reality is notoriously difficult to predict and impossible to impede. In the midst of the swirling waters of cultural confusion, Wesley College is standing firm on the foundation of her calling. Wesley College was born out of the compelling vision of dedicated godly men who dreamed of an institution that would prepare people for vibrant ministry and holy living. In fact, the reason we exist as an institution is still, "To prepare students to fulfill the Great Commission." We will accomplish this mission through providing "a Christ-centered, biblically based, Wesleyan-oriented education."

Because the Great Commission has been and must continue to be a fundamental element of the Wesley College legacy, we are compelled to seize every opportunity that will advance our purpose. I believe that there is an emerging invitation to fulfill our mission through designing a strategic and measurable leadership development process at Wesley College. Developing strong "Great Commission" leaders will prepare our students to effectively influence people for Christ and equally important to develop others who can influence even more people to follow Christ. Erwin McManus writes, "They give their lives away passionately, and through the magnetism of their own lives, they move hearts that have long gone still (236, Seize)." I believe that Wesley's development of students in character, knowledge, and passion is exceptional, and we have trained our pastors with the theory and knowledge of leadership.

As I contemplate the dilemma of raising up Great Commission leaders, my heart resonates with the present implications of this quandary. George Verwer, founder and coordinator of Operation Mobilization, said that less than 5 of every 100 young people who acknowledge a call to missions will ever actually participate in cross-cultural ministry. In this season of the church where studies indicate that there will be a dramatic shortage of pastors in the coming years, the point of contact does not appear to me to be only how do we find more young people who are willing to be pastors and missionaries but how do we keep the ones that God has already entrusted to us. John 3:16 has implications for this. God said, "I have one Son and I sent Him into your world so that you could be saved." This is how God thinks! Our responsibility as an institution is to capture these young hearts for the Lord and train them how to carry out the Great Commission.

In addition, I believe that a more intentional leadership development process will address specific and critical needs within the church. In October, 2002, Dr. Ravi Zacharias gave the Convocation address at Wesley Biblical Seminary. From the book of Daniel, Dr. Zacharias uncovered a particular dilemma that may prove to be the central and most pivotal crisis confronting the development of young Christian leaders. He demonstrated that the Babylonians, as the secular world is today, were seeking to capture the choicest young hearts and minds of the day. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego contented with crisis as an example forus, and through their confrontation with the wooing of the world, they demonstrated the power that four young influencers following the heart of their God can have in the life of a nation.

Each of us can sense the pressures upon these young Hebrew men. Still today, our young pastors struggle with the siren's call from the world to give their life to something other than ministry. Whether the draw is something as innocuous as sports or hobbies, or as glamorous as acquiring positions of prestige and power, we must remember that THE WORLD WILL ALWAYS REWARD TALENT. In this youth driven culture, where parental values are literally driven by children's desires, Wesley College must begin to find ways to intentionally and strategically direct these young leaders in the way of their call. We must protect them, prepare them, and encourage them to stay the course, never forgetting that the world is diligently trying to steal the best hearts and minds of the church.

Wesley College is poised to become a primary buttress in fulfilling this desperate need for the church. We are raising up leaders through discipleship groups which are focused on leadership training. Some of these places of development are the Student Government Association, the resident directors, the resident assistants, and even one-on-one training. Each of these rising leaders have assumed responsibility for intentionally influencing campus life through positive attitudes, writing letters of encouragement, and by providing positive leadership to each student to whom they have influence. Specific training takes place through reading leadership books like, Being a People Person, Developing the Leader within You, etc. We then dialogue together over the material and seek to immediately implement the information into our daily lives. This process closely resembles an on-the-job training approach which has proven to be one the most successful ways to train leaders. Through these groups and through one-on-one training, we have emphasized the necessity of creating a positive, energetic environment where every student has a clear sense of community and of purpose. Each of these leaders has committed to creating and to maintaining a high sense of student morale

Wesley College is becoming much more intentional and focused on leadership infusion. I believe that the resolution to the conundrum of filling pulpits with seasoned leaders and of fulfilling the Great Commission begins by teaching students how to lead others and even more importantly, how to lead themselves. As we accomplish this, we will create an educational culture that captures the hearts, minds and imaginations of our young people for Jesus Christ and for the ultimate fulfillment of our greatest call: the Great Commission.

The task before us is not easy, but there is no higher calling.