Distinguished friends and colleagues:

It is an honor and joy to accept the Presidency of Olivet University. I begin with Thanksgiving: Thanks to Dr. William Wagner who will see that we truly go to all the world; Thanks to Dean Joan Carter who will hold before us the vision of beauty and grace; Thanks to Dr. Andrew Lin and our Board and all the precious faculty, administrators and students of Olivet who embody our mission; Thanks to my beloved family of whom Dave and Tracey, Carlos and Anthony are here today; and to all who join in this great mission.

Thanks above all to God in whose name we go, and who commissions us and creates, redeems and sustains us every day.

Academic ceremonies are serious occasions but there are many funny stories about them.  One of my favorites is about the president of Yale University who outlined his inaugural address by taking the letters of the name.  "Y", he began, stands for "Youth" and he spoke on that. He proceeded, "A stands for Ability," and so on.  Deep into "L" one student in the crowd turned to another and said, "I am glad this is not the 'Massachusetts Institute of Technology!' " 

I will not follow that form, but speak of 'Education for Transformation'—that I believe is our mission today and uniquely at Olivet. Here we have an historic link with Yale that, like Harvard and Drew and other great universities, began as schools to prepare people for Christian ministry and mission.  The Great Commission of Jesus was their mission. They soon learned that in order to fulfill this they also needed to train persons in language and literature and history and what became the arts and sciences. The basic premise of this development is that the Christian message addresses the highest hopes and deepest needs of humanity. And therefore our institutions of higher learning must prepare people to reach the highest levels of learning and equip them to meet people in their deepest needs… therefore Churches and universities and history.
    
Olivet stands in this great tradition.  But it does not stand still. For we understand that the 21st century offers new challenges and opportunities. A major question looms: can we develop a transformation technology that transforms us effectively as information technology informs us?

Olivet has made education in new media and electronic technology foundational to our mission in a unique way. Thus we are humble because we are young but we are confident because we are strong—strong in the integration of theology and technology.  We have the capacity to use cutting edge technology in an advanced way. I say this not to boast, but to serve.  The Great Commission faces great challenges. War and rumors of war, violence, poverty, illness and consumerism cheapen and destroy life.  We must communicate the power of God's love before we are destroyed by the human love of power.

In the 1st century, Paul wrote to the Romans that we are saved by grace and that grace comes through faith, and that faith had to be preached because faith comes through hearing.

"How shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14).

Today, how shall they see without a preacher? It is as crucial in the 21st century as "How shall they hear without a preacher?" was in the first. For ours is a visual age, and we must learn to communicate visually as well as verbally. The screen is to us what the scroll was then: from the small screen of the computer and television to the large screen for films like C.S. Lewis' "Narnia." You are the generation called to create the stories, and poems and pictures and songs to fill those screens with meaning.   This is why the Colleges of Art and Design, of Information Technology, Journalism and Music accompany our school of theology.  We want the treasures of our tradition to come alive in the meeting places of today. This is our high hope.

Therefore education in the 21st century cannot simply inform us about what is going on.
Beyond information we need transformation. And here we return to our roots in mission.
For Paul observed in Romans 12 that we must not conform to this world, but be transformed—become new people; that is our ultimate purpose.  How is this to happen? By the renewal of our minds—mind understood in a comprehensive way as our wholeness. In a word, by education. By seeking and finding the truth that sets us free.

Olivet is on the edge of this new frontier I call 'Transformation Technology.' Information technology is critically important, for information is power.  But power itself is dangerous. Therefore, the power must have a purpose. And therefore, 'Transformation Technology' is called to place technology in the service of positive values: faith, hope and love—the good, the beautiful and the true.

We are called to transform the world. This is a huge task. It will not be easy.  But the transformation will come as we are renewed, not only in moments of great victory, but also in small acts of love and mercy in everyday life. We have the power to choose and our choices do change lives. And as we are transformed, the world is transformed.

Thus, our ultimate purpose is transformation, and our immediate purpose is education, and our distinctive mission is grounded in theology and growing in technology.

We are in the tradition of the first Christians. Rene Dubos, the great scientist and scholar at Rockefeller University wrote (in "So Human an Animal", 1968): "The substantial citizen of Imperial Rome and the orthodox Jews of the synagogue looked down on the small tradesmen, fishermen, beggars, and the prostitutes who followed Jesus as he preached contempt for the existing order of things. Yet Imperial Rome and the Temple collapsed, while Jesus' followers changed the course of history."

Let us make the great commitment to follow Jesus and pray that the course of history will be transformed through the love of God, self and neighbor.

When I think of this distinguished faculty and administration and the beautiful Olivet students and community I recall the Prophet Joel who prophesied that God would pour out his Spirit on old and young alike with dreams and visions (see Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:14 ff.). And I also recall the singer/songwriter Billy Joel, who sang in "2000 Years" that we are called to be the "Prophets and Angels" of God's new day:  "This is our moment, here at the crossroads of time."

For us: To know God and to make God known, knowing that God makes all things new! Let it be.

Amen. Thank you.