Fifth Annual IACE Conference Examines Unity, Synergy, and Strength
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FORT WORTH -- The International Alliance for Christian Education concluded its three-day annual conference Friday after six sessions and 10 presentations focused on helping attendees strengthen their callings to Christ-centered education.
Presentations by key Christian leaders focused on IACE’s aims to unify, synergize and strengthen its membership, which has grown by 11 schools since last year’s annual conference. Membership now includes 84 educational institutions and 33 like-minded supporting ministries.
About 165 educators attended at least one of the six sessions at the Riley Conference Center on the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, representing nearly 90 institutions and organizations.
“We are thrilled to bring together gifted speakers, well-known authors and influential thought leaders at our annual conference,” IACE president David S. Dockery said. “We trust everyone who attended was blessed, helped, strengthened and energized by what they experienced.”
Dockery announced the debut of IACE’s new monthly podcast called Integration. It will focus on continuing conversations and information flow that starts at in-person meetings. He also called attention to a new issue of the IACE’s online journal, which also is called Integration.
Following a pre-conference workshop titled “Building Confidence in Uncertain Times,” session one Wednesday evening featured Christopher W. Brooks, a pastor from Woodside Church in Troy, Michigan, who addressed the question, “Is Christianity Good for our Communities?”
Brooks said Christians should be quick to embrace the power of a biblical worldview, and quoted Chuck Colson’s observation that this worldview is more consistent, morally rational and workable than any other belief system. He also urged embracing the power of creative calling and collaboration.
But he added that our most important work starts at home.
“I am convinced that the greatest thing God has called me to do is to pour into (my son) Judah and the rest of my family,” Brooks said. “No one can rob us of our witness to our children.”
Sandy Willson, interim president of the Gospel Coalition, led off session two on Thursday morning with an examination of the biblical foundation of Christ-centered higher education. He referenced Colossians 2, where Paul writes that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
“Real education has to be Christian education, because Christ is the ruler of it all,” Willson said. “You only obtain this knowledge if you seek it as a true treasure.
In session three, Reformed Theological Seminary chancellor and CEO Ligon Duncan looked at the calling of faithful Christian leadership for Christian higher education.
“There’s never been a time when it’s been more important to plant our feet in the word of God and take a stand,” Duncan said, referring to secular calls to modify biblical teaching to conform with modern moral expectations.
Duncan said Christian faithfulness often requires learning how to love those who hate you. He warned that Christians should not expect the world to love them back, as we read in Scripture that the world did not love Jesus in similar circumstances.
Session four presented information on the “dechurching” of America. Authors Michael Graham and Jim Davis presented extensive research they have done in connection with a significant dropoff in church attendance the past 15 years.
They said about 15 percent of all adult Americans have dechurched in that time, representing 40 million people -- 15 million of whom left evangelical churches.
Amid what seems to be bad news, Graham and Davis reported that in surveys, many of the people who departed indicated a willingness to return to church if invited to do so.
The topic is relevant to Christian educators because most dechurching takes place between the ages of 13 and 30. They added that college students who are involved in both a church and campus ministry are three times more likely to stay in church.
Jurie Kriel, global director for the Lausanne Movement, presented his thoughts on global collaboration.
Kriel mentioned there is a danger of becoming complacent due to past success while ignoring how quickly world knowledge is changing. He said in 1900, it took about 100 years for world knowledge to double. By 2022, the world’s knowledge was doubling every 12 hours.
“The duplication of effort is our greatest threat to performing the great commission,” Kriel said. “The super power of the future will be community collaboration.”
Session four concluded with the continuation of a discussion of threats to Christian higher education that started in last year’s annual conference.
Robert Westervelt, Nicholas Willis, and Ryan Dougherty of TG Three, a company specializing in strategies for Christian higher education, looked at the common problems of incompetent leadership, the sharp decline in male students, and managing mission alignment.
Westervelt challenged Christian institutions to prioritize coherent mission, core values, and campus culture. Dougherty said attempts to lure more men to campus by adding athletic teams often result in financial losses, and ignore the need for all students to choose a Christ-centered school for the right reasons. Willis warned that spiritual life and chapel services need to be closely aligned with the school’s overall mission, and that hiring should be selective, as Christian schools can no longer afford to make mediocre appointments simply to fill a vacant position.
In session five, Christopher Yuan told the story of his life before Christianity. He lived a promiscuous homosexual lifestyle that included the sale of illegal drugs. He became a Christian while serving a federal prison sentence.
Yuan said many in the LGBTQ movement see homosexuality as their total identity as human beings.
“Now that I know Christ, I can hate my sin without hating myself,” Yuan said. “Before I was a Christian, I could not do that.”
Yuan is spearheading an education project called “Holy Sexuality and the Gospel,” a series of animated videos he hopes will serve as in-home education tools for Christian families.
“Who we are impacts how we live, and how we live impacts who we are,” Yuan said.
“We have to point people to Christ and freedom.”
Session six on Friday morning concluded the conference with an update on pending legal issues that could impact Christian higher education from Greg Baylor, counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, and two moderated panel discussions.
The first panel focused on Artificial Intelligence and its implications for the campus and classroom. Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Seminary, moderated the discussion. Melinda Stephens, provost at Geneva College, offered a working definition of AI for the discussion: “allowing a computer to perform what a human being would normally accomplish.”
Jacob Shatzer, associate provost at Union University, noted that faculty members are more concerned with students experiencing the rigors of researching, outlining, writing and editing a paper than they are in the finished product. It is the process they will bypass by allowing AI to research and organize a paper.
But Reg Grant, senior professor of media arts and worship at Dallas Theological Seminary, said he requires his students to demonstrate they can use AI without violating academic integrity. “I don’t think it’s something to be afraid of,” Grant said, “it’s something to use wisely and to the glory of God.”
The second panel took on staffing, funding, and mission priorities for Christian higher education.
Moderator Tom Cornman, provost at Corban University, began the discussion with the observation that it is important to resist secular accommodation that waters down the school’s mission. Drew Flamm, president of Grace College and Seminary, said it is important for presidents and other cabinet members to realize that the first people who slip off mission are usually at the top of the leadership chart. He mentioned that he has formed an unofficial, off-campus board that he allows to critique his decisions and actions with the understanding that they will speak up if he slips off the mission.
Janice Supplee, vice president for marketing and communications at Cedarville University, mentioned Job One for marketing sometimes is incorrectly identified. “It’s not to build awareness or win advertising awards or be unforgettable,” Supplee said, “but to build trust with our stakeholders. Determine the key messages and say them over and over and over again. We can’t get bored with those key messages.”
Pat McLaughlin, founder of Timothy Group, named four key priorities for campus leadership: public relations, constituent relations, student recruitment and fundraising. He said all four priorities hinge on the ability to build strong relationships.
Twenty-one sponsors made the conference possible this year.
The Platinum Sponsor was Impact 360 Institute. The Gold Sponsor was Witness to Win. Silver Sponsors were Bill and Judy Bradish, Clark Higher Ed, and GuideStone Financial Resources. Bronze Sponsors included B&H Publishing, Jack Carmichael, Christian Employers Alliance, Conner Insurance, Crossway, International Mission Board, Made to Flourish, NACCAP, NXT-PG, Sage Dining Services, TG Three, The Timothy Group, Union University School of Education, Stand for Life, Religious Freedom Institute, and Inspire.
Dockery announced online registration for the fourth annual IACE Faculty Development Conference May 21-24 will open next week. He encouraged all member institutions to consider sending at least one faculty member to the event.
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