from the president We are in the midst of leadership transition and change at Corban University. I find it helpful during this time to “go back to the basics,” and be reminded of our heritage and our past. The Corban Difference is that Jesus Christ is central to all of our teaching and learning. This might seem obvious in courses related to Bible, theology, Christian living, ministry and church history. But at Corban it is equally true in the arts, the natural sciences, the humanities. Jesus Christ is central to chemistry, to sociology, to the history of music; to English literature, to Western civilization, to abnormal psychology, to physics and to philosophy. As we roll out our plans and declare our aspirations for the future, I want to be clear. During this time of transition we celebrate the contributions, hard work and faithfulness of those who have gone before us. Arthur Woods and Eugene Eymann provided bold leadership and vision for Phoenix Bible Institute; Herb Farrar, Heber Van Gilder and Fred Brock similarly for Western Baptist Bible College. Tom Younger and John Balyo served as change agents and in their unique ways helped Corban navigate financial challenges and constituent transitions. David Miller and Reno Hoff provided leadership to prepare and implement capital projects, enrollment growth, the name change to Corban College, the merger with Northwest Baptist Seminary and the change to university status. We are able to now have big aspirations because of these men, and many other men and women of faith, who worked tirelessly to provide Christ-centered education up and down the West Coast. Our current goals and ambitions are actually their legacy. I am indebted to so many past and current Corban trustees, faculty, staff and alumni for their personal attention to my growth and ability to think and reason. The Apostle Paul put it like this in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The gift I’ve been given by Corban is a framework for human thinking. The discipline of making decisions about what ideas I will think about, embrace, and apply to my life. Corban instills the discovery of ideas, thoughts, values, and perspectives of Jesus Christ, applying these concepts to our lives in such a way that Christ can be woven into the fabric of our lives. To speak of Christ-centered education is to make the claim that Jesus is the centerpiece of all human knowledge, the reference point for all our experience. It directs our attention to the only One who can serve as the centerpiece of an entire curriculum, the One to whom we must relate everything and without whom no fact, no theory, no subject matter can be fully appreciated. It is the claim that every field of study, every discipline, every course, requires Jesus Christ to be rightly understood. When change and transition lead us to feel overwhelmed and inadequate, it’s right where the Lord can work and be glorified. We greatly appreciate your prayers for Reno and Linda Hoff, the Board of Trustees, our administrative leadership team and the Inauguration Steering Committee. We serve a good and gracious God, and commit this magazine, and our thinking, planning and activities to Him. Soli Deo gloria. Sheldon C. Nord
President
Did You Know? Corban undergraduate students are required to take 24 units of Bible and theology in any major as well as perform 150 hours of church and community service before graduation. 4