A Note From Dave’s Desk

One of the greatest blessings that accompanies my role as general superintendent or “lead pastor” for EFC-MAYM is the ongoing opportunity I have to provide personal, tangible support for our ministry to college students.  With a home office in Wichita and a field office in Haviland, I have easy access to campus life at both Barclay College and Friends University. This allows me to continue to serve as an adjunct professor at Barclay, as well as a guest lecturer at Friends.  And I am deeply grateful to affirm that the leaders at both of these schools are equally committed to exalting our Lord Jesus Christ and putting Him first in all things (cf. Mt 6:33).

While this clear and uncompromising allegiance to Christ has been a cornerstone of the Barclay experience for as long as I can remember, this has not always been the case at Friends.  But thanks to the bold initiative of the Friends University Board of Trustees, things have taken a dramatic turn over the past few years.  In the spring of 2014, the Board approved a revised mission statement that clearly reaffirmed the institution’s core identity as “a Christian University of Quaker heritage” that seeks to “equip students to honor God and serve others by integrating their intellectual, spiritual and professional lives.”  In the spring of 2015, this was followed by an announcement that the University was hiring a new president who fully embraced the school’s renewed identity and mission, a highly capable and qualified leader who was also unapologetic in expressing her deep and unwavering commitment to Christ and his Kingdom.

In July of 2015, Dr. Amy Bragg Carey assumed her new duties as president of Friends University, and I have quickly grown to value her friendship and partnership as a sacred companion on this journey with Jesus.  Although she did not come from a Friends background, Amy and her family were eager to learn more about the University’s Quaker heritage, and soon found themselves visiting local Friends churches. Over time, they found a home at Northridge Friends Church, where they have become active participants.

But it would be best to let Amy tell her own story, so I would encourage you to take some time to read the attached letter that provides a firsthand “presidential perspective” on the current state of affairs at Friends University, including an invitation to support Amy and the rest of her leadership team as they seek to usher in a new era of distinctively Christ-centered education for a new generation of emerging leaders. 

With one voice, let us give thanks together for every evidence of spiritual renewal on our college campuses, both in Wichita and in Haviland and in every other corner of the Kingdom.  And let us continue to pray with one voice, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10).

Grace and peace,

Dave Williams, General Superintendent