Adventist Education Leadership:

Celebrations are vital to the collective human experience. Anniversaries and other milestones help us remember significant moments and the people essential to our existence. Throughout the Bible, there are calls to remember and acknowledge God’s leading. In Joshua, stones were used to memorialize God’s guidance (Joshua 4:5-7). And throughout Deuteronomy, we’re reminded of the blessings of recognizing God’s providence (see Deuteronomy 8:10-18). It is a healthy exercise to meditate on the blessings that the Lord, in His lovingkindness, has bestowed upon us, and this two-part issue of The Journal of Adventist Education® seeks to do just that. In doing so, it is appropriate to reflect on the ministry of Adventist education, evaluate and assess our victories, gains, strengths, challenges, and shortcomings, and suggest a way forward.

This year, the School of Leadership at Andrews University celebrates both its 30th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of the university. We can learn lessons from our history to guide our decisions in the present, which will impact the future. On the verge of crossing the threshold of the second quarter of the 21st century, the faculty of the School of Leadership invited scholars and practitioners to celebrate these milestones by reflecting on the trajectory of Adventist education and, more importantly—to stimulate the imagination, hearts, and minds of Adventist educators—to consider new ways to do even better in the future, despite the real challenges that we face. The result of this call for articles is this special compilation of conversations about Adventist educational leadership—its past, present, and future.

What Lessons Can We Learn From the Past?

While the structures and traditions of our educational systems are grounded in Scripture and shaped through well-thought-out principles of Christian philosophy and worldview, we must not be afraid to ask questions and challenge how they help us support our mission "to restore in men and women the image of their Maker"¹ and to prepare "an army" of young people, "rightly trained" to carry to the whole world" the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour."² Three important questions framed this collection of articles, which will be published in two successive issues:

• What lessons can we learn from the past?
• Is there a different, more effective way to take the ministry of Adventist education to the next level?
• How can we use pedagogy, andragogy, and technology to support our ministry and to engage our youth?

For this first issue, the authors grapple with these questions and, where applicable, offer recommendations for systemic changes. In the book Leading With Soul: An Uncommon Journey of Spirit, Bolman and Deal put forth the following idea: “Every organization is a family, whether caring or dysfunctional. Caring begins with knowing—it requires listening, understanding, and accepting. It progresses through a deepening sense of appreciation, respect, and ultimately, love. Love is a willingness to reach out.”³ The authors contributing both issues are all part of the global family of Adventist educators, each having served for more than 20 years in various levels in K-12 through higher education as teachers, faculty and staff, and educational leaders. As Adventist educators, they are committed to the mission of the church’s schools. As they reflect on the past, they also look forward to the future, acknowledging that we must always be ready to ask challenging questions as we strive to strengthen the ministry of Adventist education around the world.

In response to the question, What lessons can we learn from the past? Gustavo Gregorutti reflects on the philosophical foundations of Adventist education (its contribution, mission, and objectives). In “Adventist Higher Education and Its Unique Design,” Gregorutti seeks to reignite the conversation about the unique purpose and transformative impact of Adventist education and its capacity to provide wholistic, true knowledge, specifically to expand the kingdom of God in a way that local traditional churches are not positioned to do.

Effectively Leading Adventist Education

Several of the articles submitted respond to the question, Is there a different, more effective way to lead Adventist education? In a rapidly changing legal, political, and socioeconomic landscape, educational leaders must be proactive, realizing that doing business as usual is not enough to meet the challenges of the 21st century. To quote the words of Ellen G. White, referring to Nehemiah, with “wise forethought and resolute action,”⁴ educators are to take innovative and bold initiatives while retaining the focus on our beliefs, values, and mission. They need to enlist the support of the constituency for this vital ministry, diversify the sources of revenue, train a new generation of resilient Christian educators, embrace technology, develop a more effective board of trustees, and implement a competitive curriculum as they face secularism, financial pressures, and overreaching government regulations.

Some of these bold steps include challenging how we’ve always done things. In the Perspectives column, Sharon Aka, in “Implications of ‘Non’: Building Inclusive Communities in Higher Education,” laments the use of the term “non-Adventist” and urges educators to be more inclusive and welcoming in the language used to talk about our brothers and sisters from other faiths. For her, our Adventist higher education institutions are ideal places for cultivating that sense of belonging and building vibrant, inclusive communities.

In the Research column, Janet Ledesma, in “COVID-19 Impact on the School Principal Leadership: Lessons Lived and Lessons Learned,” shares the inspiring findings of her recent qualitative study. She interviewed eight educational leaders about their personal and professional experiences navigating the social, financial, and government regulatory challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis. She shares the stories of school leaders who survived that crisis by relying on their faith and their ability to adapt and innovate.

Supporting Adventist Education Through Pedagogy, Andragogy, and Technology

In addition to reflecting on our past and evaluating how we communicate our mission, articles in this issue also address the question How can we use pedagogy, andragogy, and technology to support our ministry? Janine Lim, in her article, “Leadership in a Digital World: Navigating Technology in Adventist Education,” addresses the critical role of effective leadership in a rapidly shifting technology landscape impacted by artificial intelligence, cybersecurity threats, and scarce financial resources. Christian thinking, self-control, integrity, stewardship, and discernment are all essential components that will decide the outcomes of these initiatives.

Edgard Luz expands on the unique challenges and opportunities of Adventist education in Northern Asia, a diverse and challenging region rapidly transformed by technological innovations. He asserts the application and adaptation of transformational, intercultural, and servant leadership might be particularly effective in that context.

Leading Adventist Higher Education

Finally, in contemplating the role of leadership in Adventist higher education, both issues will contain a special section dedicated to conversations with former presidents of Adventist higher education institutions. These conversations were part of a research project on Adventist higher education leadership in which former presidents shared reflections on their own tenures. In these interviews, leaders share their experiences, lessons learned from their mentors, and stories from the frontlines of service. The lessons drawn from this study will be helpful to current and future presidents and board members.

Over the past few decades, several articles have been published on reflective practice in educational leadership.⁵ This series will join the conversation exploring the role of self-reflection in a university president’s journey,⁶and will seek to address unique challenges associated with that highly visible role in our church system. In this issue, we share three conversations: Loren Agrey, former president of Asia-Pacific International University in Thailand and current president of Burman University in Alberta, Canada; Andrea Luxton, former president of Newbold College in Bracknell, England, Canadian University College, and Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, U.S.A.; and Delbert Baker, former president of Oakwood College/University and vice-chancellor of Adventist University of Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.  Three additional conversations will be published in the second issue.⁷

Keeping the Mission in Mind

We hope these articles stimulate more conversations about the past, present, and future of Adventist education. As Adventist educators, we are invited to partner with God to fulfill the Great Commission. To achieve this goal, Adventist education leadership must remain rooted in the Scriptures and, with an unflappable trust in the Lord, be open to new ways of doing ministry, forming new partnerships, and creating an effect of synergy. We can embrace counsel that reminds us that,

“The Lord can use most effectually those who are most sensible of their own unworthiness and inefficiency. He will teach them to exercise the courage of faith. He will make them strong by uniting their weakness to his might, wise by connecting their ignorance with his wisdom.”⁸

The challenges are gigantic and many, but we hold to this hope with excitement and confidence in the One who declares, “‘Do not fear, for I am with you’” (Isaiah 41:10).⁹

Bordes Henry Saturné

Bordes Henry Saturné, PhD, serves as Vice President for Strategic Enrollment, Marketing, and Communication and Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. At the time of coordinating this issue, he served as Chair of the Andrews University School of Leadership. An ordained minister, he served in New York as a church pastor, school principal, and conference superintendent of schools. He was Vice President of Atlantic Union College in Massachusetts, U.S.A., and Vice President of Asia-Pacific International University in Thailand. He is a New York State-certified School District Administrator. His research interests focus on leadership development and the challenges and opportunities unique to faith-based educational institutions. He may be reached at [email protected].

The Journal of Adventist Education staff expresses heartfelt appreciation to the coordinator of this issue, Dr. Bordes Henry Saturné, for the many hours devoted to selecting topics and authors, providing input on article content, and promptly responding to the editor’s questions during the planning and production of this issue.