In his presentation to Olivet University representatives at the Leadership Retreat meeting in Danville, CA this year, Professor of Olivet Theological College & Seminary Dr. Joseph Ray Tallman interpreted the school's statement of mission with a keen eye towards the future. The following is a selection of his remarks delivered on Thursday, August 10, 2006.

"I want to emphasize three words in our mission statement: 'prepare,' 'integrate,' and 'equip.'

"Preparation? It's preparation of people – in other words, human beings, children of God, people who love Jesus. The process of preparation involves establishing biblical authority and authenticity within the framework of knowledge and wisdom for our students' personal growth and development. It's the key moment when the ministry of the school comes into play. 

"Integration is the process of assimilating biblical application of truth into the decision matrix for value choices that honor and glorify God and enrich mankind for future generations among all people and cultures. That's the theological heart of what's happening at Olivet University. 

"The third word is 'equip.' It's the process of shaping individual lives through spiritual growth in faith; character growth with integrity; vocational growth with competence; intellectual growth with scholarship; servant growth with compassion; and life fulfillment with joy. We're moving into all areas of cultural impact, and this movement is aligned with our mission statement and connected to our objectives for this school year. 

"This is a new day and new era, and we can see that God is in this in a major way. And I think God is going to do great things through Olivet University in Academic Year 2006-07 in a global context."