President Taylor and Pastor Anderson Completing Their First Year

The 2023-24 school year began with two 改变s, 等, in prominent bet365中文大学 positions: President Andrea Luxton and Pioneer Memorial Church Senior Pastor Dwight Nelson retired from their positions and AU welcomed President John Wesley Taylor V and PMC Senior Pastor Shane Anderson.

Initial reactions to these positional 改变s were mixed. Some “sources close to the university” were 有关 about the incoming president’s limited experience leading 机构s 高等教育 and some of the incoming senior pastor’s 的观点关于同性恋, Christian participation in sports, and the Catholic church — but both university leaders’ integrations into the AU community are now complete: they have become familiar fixtures in the university.

President Taylor, in one of his first major decisions, 显著改变 the job description and title of the university’s chief diversity officer position, which was formerly filled by Michael Nixon, who departed from the university after the Spring 2023 semester. 学生 and community members organized a 请愿书 against the 改变 in the diversity position that has, 在写这篇文章的时候, 获得近1分,200个签名. 3月，总统宣布 that the position would be filled by Dr. 威利哈克, who has chaired the bet365中文大学 Seminary Ethnicity, 比赛, and Social Justice Committee for eight years.

Another recent major decision from President Taylor was the 公告创造关怀协会的主席. One of his principal presidential goals, he laid out in a late February chapel service, is to identify “ways in which our University can best fulfill its mission to care for God’s creation.” He has emphasized conscientiousness regarding the environment at all levels of the university — from its students to its administration — and has shown that he will take on-campus environmental issues seriously.

Meanwhile, Pastor Anderson has established himself as head pastor at PMC. 促进校园团结, his sermons have largely been politically neutral; he has generally avoided speaking about the opinions that drew controversy upon his initial appointment. His sermons often feature relatable personal anecdotes and specific instructions for how to apply the principles he discusses. 学生 and university community members are growing accustomed to his signature stool and down-to-earth sermon delivery.

Both Taylor and Anderson have shown that they prioritize connection and conversation with university students and community members. Anderson makes frequent appearances after weekly vespers services and on the basketball court, while Taylor frequently appears at weekly chapels and cafeteria lunches. Their constant presence in the fabric of university life adds to the close-knit feel of the school and shows their commitment to serving the university.

While there was administrative shakeup in the beginning of this school year, both Pastor Anderson and President Taylor have shown their commitment to the health of the university through their active commitments to causes they are passionate about and to the community they are involved in. 目前, President Taylor and the university administration more generally are dealing with significant financial challenges facing the university and the anticipated demographic drop in college-age students in the United States in the years 2025-2030. 然而，在单词泰勒总统的画像, there may be 改变s and challenges, “but we have a God who specializes in challenges.”

Sources (in order of underlined sections)

学生运动 is the official student newspaper of bet365中文大学. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, bet365中文大学 or the 基督复临安息日会 church.

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