First Impressions by President Greg Christy
One year ago, I learned I was nominated for the presidency of Northwestern College. My initial reaction was one of great interest.
From the beginning of my time at Dakota Wesleyan University in 1995, I have had a strong and growing admiration for Northwestern. It began with meeting [Vice President for Advancement] John Greller and increased as I got to know other employees of the college. I even was fortunate to hire several Northwestern alumni to work for me at DWU. In every case, I have been impressed by the personal and professional qualities of these people—especially their deep spiritual commitment.
My perception of Northwestern was that its people were authentically living out what the college claimed to value—the pursuit of academic excellence within a Christ-centered, Reformed worldview. Few colleges proclaim the name of Christ as boldly as Northwestern does, which was the foundation for our initial interest.
Michelle and I began a months-long period of personal discernment as we opened ourselves to this possibility. While there are many reasons from a worldly perspective that this opportunity might be appealing, our prayer from the beginning was that God would make his calling abundantly clear to us and to the Northwestern community.
Believing that Jesus is not just our Savior, but sovereign Lord of our lives and Lord of all, we searched the Scriptures, prayed earnestly, and sought the counsel of godly friends and family. Our desire was to be open to God’s leading should he choose to move us from a place we loved dearly. Over time, we have learned that his plans for us are far better than the plans we make for ourselves.
God used countless Scriptures and the prayers of many people to show us clearly that he was calling us to take this step of faith, if invited. One verse he continually brought to my attention was Isaiah 6:8: “Whom shall I send? … Lord, send me.”
Since accepting the position in October, God has graciously confirmed his calling, which has given us great peace in the midst of transition. My family and I have been overwhelmed by the generosity and hospitality of the NWC and Orange City communities. We feel blessed to live, work and worship in such a special place and are honored to follow in the footsteps of so many outstanding predecessors.
As I have been visiting with faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni and community members, I’ve discovered that Northwestern’s distinctives are what I thought and much more. I am impressed by our faculty and their commitment to the integration of faith and learning. Our staff are deeply committed to the mission of the college. Our students are bright, energetic, and desire to learn, grow and serve God and others. The alumni and RCA friends I have met speak passionately about the college and support its mission with their time and resources.
What a privilege we all have to partner with God in educating the next generation of leaders, who will be sent forth from this place to engage the world and impact the kingdom for the cause of Christ. That is a purpose worth giving one’s life to.
Greg Christy
President