Promises and an invitation
by Barry C. Bartel president, Bethel College; James M. Harder president, Bluffton University; Loren E. Swartzendruber, president, Eastern Mennonite University and Seminary; James E. Brenneman, president, Goshen College; Howard Keim president, Hesston College
We are Barry, Jim, Loren, Jim, Howard, Nelson and Carlos. God has called each of us to work in our own setting—and together—to help people discover life’s greatest joy: to know and follow Christ.
Mennonites are part of a five-century witness to the radical discipleship of the Gospels. We believe that the world needs the integration of heart and mind that Mennonites seek and that we need to learn from others. The passion for education that formed our institutions generations ago is undiminished today, part of Mennonite Church USA’s commitment to the church and the world.
We invite you to join us, and we promise you the following:
1. Spiritual growth and a Christian worldview that Christ is our center. From it, students can build a foundation of values and commitments in a complex world. We support the work of the Holy Spirit in our students by inviting them to know Christ and follow him daily. In partnership with home and congregation, our institutions are places where people may embrace God’s redemptive work within them.
Mennonites are world Christians. Our campuses are transnational in scope and multicultural by conviction and presence. We believe great minds think differently and that encountering those differences prepares our students to serve the world community and boldly advocate for a Christian worldview.
2. A comprehensive liberal arts education requires students to engage in spiritual discernment. Our academic programs feature valuable content and excellent instruction by knowledgeable and accessible faculty who are themselves committed to Christ. We call forth not only intellectual gifts but the development of personal mission. Our goal is to provide students with the best content available and to teach them how to think and how to lead with integrity.
3. Our campuses are part of the body of Christ—supportive communities where knowledge, skills and character are shaped. Students are treated as individuals and made to feel welcomed and valued. We believe God created us to live relationally. Christ-centered relationships formed on our campuses can be cross-generational and lifelong.
4. We want to remove cost as a barrier for anyone who wishes to be part of our institutions. Few students pay the “list price” of tuition. About 98.6 percent of our students receive some form of financial aid—grants, loans and on-campus work compensation, along with congregational and area conference support, which we match. Our strong programs allow students to graduate on time.
Alumni of Mennonite educational institutions of all levels are likely to be involved and active in the church. They are leaders of the denomination, area conferences and congregations. Day-to-day, week-to-week, our institutions benefit families and congregations through leadership and resources.
We want you and your children to be part of Mennonite higher education. We invite you to visit www.MennoniteEducation.org and share your reflections. Thank you for the work you have entrusted to us, and may God bless your own work and witness.
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