DR. SCOTT W. SUNQUIST

President & Professor of Missiology


The seminary buzzed last week with a two-day board meeting, the inauguration of a new seminary president and dinner for 400 celebrating our 50th anniversary.

It was a memorable week filled with both work and joyous celebration.

However, the most important event may have been a dinner for the Board of Trustees where six seminary staff spoke.

What makes an institution great is not only that it has leaders, but that it has support staff who share the vision and profound depth of life in Christ. We have this at Gordon-Conwell.

This was the first time most Board members heard the names or saw the faces of many of these staff and administrators. And yet, these accountants, dean of students, marketing people and assistants to deans keep the seminary running. They are good at what they do, with attention to detail and compassion for the students. They pray for the students and for the struggling president!

But these people are also Christian leaders. Our staff are working with Cambodian refugees, they are going on mission trips and they are teaching Sunday school. Some of them have taken seminary classes and some have finished seminary degrees. They understand why their work is important.

Even though we had a beautiful worship service-cum-inauguration and a great celebration banquet last Friday, the comments I have heard from Board members were mostly about the inspiring dinner where staff shared about their lives. “Why I work at Gordon-Conwell” was the theme.

I have had many Board members thank me in person or in email for thinking about this. I have tried to redirect the comments, but I have not always been able to. So, let me redirect the compliments and admiration to the correct person now.

Although I would like to take credit for honoring the staff and connecting the Board with the seminary staff, it was not my idea. My chief of staff, Mia Ertel, thought it would be a good idea.

She was correct. And she is one of the quality staff that we have at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

The first 50 years of Gordon-Conwell were great. With staff like this, the second 50 years may be better.

SWS


Scott W. Sunquist, the new President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, writes a weekly blog, “Attentiveness” which is posted each Monday morning on the Gordon-Conwell web site. He welcomes comments, responses and good ideas.