North Park has served five generations of students and continues to grow in diversity, academic relevance, and Christian commitment. Our Chicago location is a great asset that reflects the School’s global reach and outlook.
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North Park offers more than 40 graduate and undergraduate programs in liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies. Classes average 17 students. 84% of our faculty have terminal degrees. Academics here are rigorous and results-oriented.
North Park Theological Seminary prepares you to answer the call to service through theological study, spiritual development, and the formative experiences of living in a community with others on a similar life path.
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North Park University Welcomes Students, Faculty, Staff for 2012–2013 Academic Year
Dr. David Parkyn, president of North Park University, Chicago.
President addresses enrollment, recruiting realities
CHICAGO (August 23, 2012) — North Park University will open its 121st year when classes begin August 27. The University is welcoming more than 3,200 undergraduate and graduate students this year. More than 550 students are entering college for the first time or are transfer students, representing more than 30 states, and at least seven countries outside the United States.
First-year commuter and residential students, as well as transfer students, began arriving August 22, and are participating in Threshold, an orientation program for new students, through August 26. Returning students will arrive as early as August 25. Some athletes and international students arrived earlier this month.
Faculty and staff met at the Chicago campus August 21 for the University's annual Gathering Day activities at Anderson Chapel. Dr. David Parkyn, president of North Park University, presented his annual State of the University address, discussing several topics of interest.
Looking ahead, Parkyn cited the October 26 groundbreaking for the Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life as a indicator of a great year, and a "transformational" project for student learning at the University. The building project is the significant component of Campaign North Park, a comprehensive $57 million fundraising campaign for the Johnson Center, the University's Annual Fund, student scholarships, and Chicago-based academic programs and faculty development.
Parkyn also noted complexities in academic enrollment, reporting that undergraduate retention is up, recruitment results are mixed in adult, graduate, and North Park Theological Seminary programs, and new undergraduate enrollment is below the target set for this academic year. The University will begin the school year with 110 fewer new undergraduate students than one year ago, and 35 fewer new students than its recent five-year average. Faculty and staff will be invited to fall community gatherings to discuss enrollment data, recruiting of students, and to share ideas to effectively address the challenge of student recruitment in the years ahead, Parkyn said.
Parkyn told the faculty and staff that challenges in both undergraduate and graduate enrollments are signs of a rapidly changing marketplace and learning environment. The University "must update the way we recruit students, tell our story, what we offer to students, and how we approach teaching and learning," he said.
"We must discover how we need to change, and we must embrace this necessary change deeply and quickly," Parkyn said. "Our responsibility is to imagine new ways of being North Park, and to engineer these into a renewed North Park."
As evidence of the need for change, the University president cited rapidly expanding use of mobile devices for communication, access to information, and for learning. He also cited recent studies that suggest young adults raised in evangelical churches have "a deep love for Jesus and a growing ambivalence about the church." Both are concerns, Parkyn said, "because at North Park we love Jesus and the church, and because we are a church-related university."
North Park University is "an exceptional institution" for educating students into faith and preparing them for church vocations, he said. "Our responsibility is clear: to make sure that after their formative years with us, today's young adults love Jesus more deeply than they ever have, and to assure that the future of the church, now in their hands, is in good hands. This is no small responsibility, but we're among the very few who can address it because of the critical, timely, and formative role we have in the lives of young adult Christians," Parkyn said.
The University values the expertise and experience of its employees, the president said. "In every challenge before us we must not forget the talent in this room, the intelligence our community will bring to these challenges, and the creativity we will draw on to address these opportunities together," Parkyn said. Quoting business writer and author Jim Collins, Parkyn added that he has "a deep and abiding confidence that we will reach the tops of our mountains because we will climb together."
Gathering Day activities also included worship, a performance of hymns led by the Children's Choir of Oakdale Covenant Church, Chicago, and introductions of new faculty and staff. New undergraduate students and their parents were welcomed to the University August 22, at an opening convocation. New Seminary students were welcomed at a breakfast August 23, with additional orientation activities to follow.
North Park University offers 37 majors and a variety of minors, pre-professional programs, and certificates. Graduate students can earn master's degrees in education, music, nursing, business, nonprofit management, theology, and ministry. Working professionals and adult students can earn bachelor's degrees in eight majors through courses offered in evening and weekend classes in Chicago, Arlington Heights, Grayslake and Waukegan, all in Illinois, plus online formats. The University is comprised of a college of arts and sciences, five professional schools, and a theological seminary. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church.
North Park University Campus Buildings Renovated, Updated this Summer
Renovations in Anderson Hall were extensive, including a newly refurbished lobby.
Meanwhile, site prep continues for the Johnson Center
CHICAGO (August 20, 2012) — As site preparation proceeds for the highly anticipated Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life, several notable improvements were also made to existing campus facilities this summer, said Carl Balsam, North Park University executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Residents moving into the Anderson Hall this month will see significant changes, including code-mandated infrastructure improvements — such as a retrofit of fire sprinkler systems and the upgrade of an obsolete elevator — combined with substantial improvements to the living spaces of the building, Balsam said. "The entry lobby was completely redesigned and furnished. The rooms were freshly carpeted and repainted. Perhaps most notable was the installation of new furnishings in all of the rooms, including modular furniture that can be stacked in a variety of combinations," he said.
New wood doors with Salto locking devices were added throughout Anderson Hall, allowing residents' access to their rooms via the proximity chip in their ID cards. Also added was a new mechanical room which houses the fire sprinkler pump and associated gear, as well as hot water heaters that were added after flooding in 2008, Balsam said.
Outside Anderson Hall, a small parking lot for institutional vehicles was added, since coordination for institutional vehicles was transferred to Magnuson Campus Center and will be under the direction of Dan Gooris, director of campus security and auxiliary services. Gooris and his team will administer driving tests for those wishing to drive institutional vehicles.
Other improvements include continuing refurbishment of various campus offices, including the IT offices in Caroline Hall. Code-mandated fire sprinklers were installed in the Carlson Tower and some Seminary apartments were renovated.
Site preparation for the Johnson Center began shortly after the conclusion of the 2011–2012 academic year. Large trees were relocated from the north berm area of the proposed construction site to other locations on campus, clearing the way for the building site. The University worked with electric supplier ComEd to relocate a significant electrical conduit before the removal of some campus apartments began on the north side of the Greenspace.
A formal groundbreaking ceremony for the 101,000-square-foot Johnson Center is planned for October 26, with construction expected to be completed in time for the 2014 fall semester.
University School of Business and Nonprofit Management Earns Reaccreditation
The IACBE reaccredited both undergradute and gradute degree offerings in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management.
IACBE reaffirms SBNM accreditation
CHICAGO (January 5, 2011) — The Board of Commissioners of the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) announced that it has reaffirmed for seven years its accreditation of degree programs in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management (SBNM) at North Park University.
Dr. Wesley E. Lindahl, Nils Axelson Professor of Nonprofit Management and SBNM dean, said he is "thrilled" the school was reaccredited. "We value the recognition that this accreditation provides for our management and business programs. The constant improvement model of assessment and planning provides a way for SBNM to stay current and up-to-date in our programming," he said.
"The reaccreditation by the IACBE is an affirmation of the commitment to quality education by SBNM," said Dr. Joseph Jones, University provost. "We have an exceptional group of faculty who serve our students in so many ways. I am proud they have obtained this standard of excellence."
The IACBE, based in Olathe, Kan., is a professional accrediting organization for business programs in student-centered colleges and universities throughout the world. The organization focuses its accrediting process on outcomes. The University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management was first accredited by IACBE in 2005. Faculty and staff began preparing for reaccreditation in August 2010. They gathered information, updated the school's outcomes assessment plan, documented assessments results and completed a self-study, the results of which were submitted to IACBE in December 2010.
In March, two representatives from other IACBE schools visited North Park University to conduct an assessment and review of the University program. They met with undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, University officials, and members of the school's advisory board. The School of Business and Nonprofit Management responded to a request for more information during the summer months, and last month, the school was informed that IACBE's board had granted reaccreditation.
The IACBE accredited business programs in these degrees offered by SBNM:
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Higher Education Administration (MHEA)
Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM)
Master of Management (MM)
Master of Nonprofit Administration (MNA)
Bachelor of Arts in Advertising
Bachelor of Arts in Business and Economics
Bachelor of Science in Advertising
Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics with concentrations in accounting, economics, finance, international business, management, marketing, and nonprofit management
Dave Kersten Installed as Dean of North Park Theological Seminary
Rev. David W. Kersten was installed as the Dean of North Park Theological Seminary on Sunday, September 16, 2012.
Rev. Dr. Dave Kersten greets University Dean of Students Andrea Nevels after the convocation worship service.
New leader installed as part of annual Fall Convocation
CHICAGO (September 18, 2012) – Rev. Dr. David W. Kersten was installed as the 11th dean of North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS) September 16 as the Seminary celebrated its annual Fall Convocation, welcoming new and returning students for the academic year. The event, held at the University’s Anderson Chapel, was webcast to an international audience by North Park University.
“I am profoundly aware of the many shoulders I stand upon, and I’m grateful for the heritage and legacy of North Park Theological Seminary,” Kersten said in response. “I want to express my deep appreciation to the entire faculty, staff, and the interim leadership team that guided the Seminary through a season of transition and a lengthy search process. In this new role, my goal is to keep student formation and learning the focal point of our work.”
Presiding at the Convocation, Dr. David Parkyn, University president, described the convocation as having two parts — the installation of the dean and the reception of new students. With a smile, he described these components as “the dean in waiting, and the dean at work,” he said. “This convocation today in all of its parts is a moment of true joy. Make this a wonderful, joy-filled gathering today, and we’ll praise God as we do so.” The congregation — those attending in-person and those watching in the United States and globally via webcast — were “a representation of a host of God’s people,” Parkyn observed.
In a homily titled “Nothing is Impossible with God,” Rev. Dr. James R. Sandberg, pastor of Trinity Evangelical Covenant Church, Oak Lawn, Ill., said the day was about God. “God has gifted you — given you all the gifts needed at this pivotal point,” he said. Sandberg challenged Seminary students, Kersten, and the faculty to carry in their hearts that “nothing is impossible with God.”
Kersten began his duties at the seminary August 1. He was formally called into his new role at the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) this past summer after he was nominated by the University board of trustees, following a process of study and deliberation. Both the University and the Seminary are affiliated with the ECC.
Parkyn led the installation litany that included sections delivered by Paul Hawkinson, Green Oaks, Ill., vice-chair of the University board of trustees, speaking on behalf of University leaders; Rev. Dr. Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom, NPTS associate professor of theology and ethics, on behalf of the Seminary community; and Rev. Gary Walter, ECC president, on behalf of the ECC. Rev. Deborah Penny, NPTS associate director of field education, led a prayer of dedication. Parkyn presented Kersten a Celtic Cross as a symbol of his leadership appointment. As many as eight representatives of seminaries of other denominations and faith traditions were represented.
New and returning Seminary students were introduced and welcomed by Rev. Dr. Stephen Chester, acting dean of academic programs, and Rev. Deborah Auger, dean of students and community life.
In his charge to students, Kersten cited Song of Solomon 2:10: ‘Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” While acknowledging that the verse has been interpreted in many ways, he characterized it as a call to action, and urged students and faculty to hear God’s voice, and allow themselves to receive God’s love.
“Hear the invitation, the charge, even the command: ‘Arise my love, my fair one, and come away’ in this new season of your lives,” he said.
'Reignite Your Vision' Theme of University's Axelson Symposium June 4-5
'Innovation Institute' opens two-day event
CHICAGO (May 4, 2012) – More than 500 nonprofit leaders are expected to attend the 13th Annual Axelson Center Symposium for Nonprofit Professionals and Volunteers, June 4-5 in Chicago. The event is a key networking and professional development conference focused on effective strategies for leadership, innovation, funding, communication, and growth in the nonprofit sector. This year's conference theme is "Reignite Your Vision."
Hosting the event is North Park University's Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, which works to enhance performance and effectiveness of individuals and organizations in the nonprofit sector through education, service, and resources. A pre-conference Innovation Institute on June 4, and the Symposium on June 5, will be held at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza.
Dr. Pier Rogers, director, Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, said a goal of the conference is for participants to learn at least one "best practice" they can implement in their organizations. "We want attendees to think outside of the box. The language of management and best practices is something that we really want to encourage," she said.
The Symposium provides a "mind-opening opportunity" for nonprofit leaders to share ideas for excellence, said Kathy Schaeffer, Axelson Center advisory board member and president, Kathy Schaeffer & Associates, Inc., Chicago. "Every year, participants praise the Symposium for its on-target focus on the issues that matter most today. No other conference in Chicago attracts such a talented and diverse gathering of thoughtful, caring leaders dedicated to learning new and better ways to carry out their nonprofit missions," she said.
Harold Rice Jr., executive director and chief executive officer, Albany Park Community Center, said the Symposium will help to better position agencies to be "viable and relevant" for years to come. "The significance for nonprofit leaders at all levels to attend this year’s Axelson Symposium is because it's filled with critical information and tools for those in the leadership position to make significant impact and critical gains with the negative headwinds that this sector will face for the next 2 to 5 years," said Rice, also an Axelson Center advisory board member.
Highlighting the June 4 Innovation Institute is an internationally known speaker on workplace innovation, Larry Keeley, who is president and co-founder, Doblin Inc., Chicago. Other speakers that day are Mary F. Morten, president, Morten Group, Chicago; Martin Levine, general director, JCC Chicago; and Dr. Robert Wright, chief executive officer, the Wright Institute, Chicago.
Presenting the opening keynote address at the June 5 Axelson Symposium is Robert Egger, founder and president, Washington-based DC Central Kitchen, the nation's first "community kitchen." "We think he will really add to what we hope this conversation will be about — innovation, and about reigniting the vision of your organization going forward," Rogers said. Aaron Hurst, president and founder, Taproot Foundation, New York City, will also speak June 5. Taproot connects pro bono business talent with organizations working to improve society, and has a Chicago location.
Attendees will learn from more than 40 experts leading concurrent workshops and forums on a variety of topics important to nonprofit leaders, such as board leadership, funding models, volunteer engagement, succession planning, communication, philanthropy, and a debate titled, "How Corporate Should Nonprofits Be?" A resource center includes more than 20 corporate and nonprofit exhibitors that will provide cost-saving resources and strategies for nonprofits.
"That President Obama is willing to host an Easter breakfast, invite only Christian leaders, and include a personal address himself, and involve singers like Sarah Groves and a sermon by Joel Hunter, is a symbolic way for President Obama to express his faith," McKnight said afterward. "Events like this do not impose faith on Americans, or even privilege the Christian faith, but they do give the President an opportunity to express his faith and support the Christian message of the death and resurrection of Christ."
It was clear that Obama did not invite only "progressive Christians," to the breakfast, McKnight said. "I was impressed by the spectrum," he added. Others in attendance included Rev. Eugene Cho, lead pastor of Quest Church, Seattle, a congregation of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), McKnight said. North Park University is affiliated with the Chicago-based ECC.
In his remarks, the president thanked the Christian leaders for "the compassion and the kindness" they express through their ministries. "I’ve seen firsthand some of the outstanding work that you are doing in your respective communities, and it’s an incredible expression of your faith. And I know that all of us who have an opportunity to work with you draw inspiration from the work that you do," Obama said.
Reflecting on the "wonder of Easter morning," the president said, "It’s an opportunity for us to reflect on the triumph of the resurrection, and to give thanks for the all-important gift of grace. And for me, and I’m sure for some of you, it’s also a chance to remember the tremendous sacrifice that led up to that day, and all that Christ endured—not just as a Son of God, but as a human being."
McKnight attended the breakfast with his wife, Kristen. "It was an honor to be invited, and we will treasure this the rest of our lives," he said.
North Park University Chemistry Program to Obtain Flash Chromatography System
The Chemistry Department will acquire this flash chromatography system for use by chemistry students. (Image courtesy of Sorbent Technologies, Norcross, Ga.)
New equipment to enhance program, aid in future certification
CHICAGO (December 18, 2012) — North Park University's Chemistry Department will soon obtain a significant instrument to be used by chemistry, biology, and pre-health students enrolled in mid- and upper-level chemistry courses. Acquisition of a flash chromatography system will give more than 80 students hands-on experience with rapid chemical separation techniques, enhancing laboratory education and research.
Being able to separate compounds mixed together is an important part of chemistry, said Dr. Jonathan Rienstra-Kiracofe, professor of chemistry and department chair. Currently, the process is slow and time-consuming without the flash chromatography system, limiting what can be done in a typical laboratory session.
"If we have an instrument that can speed up separations, we can process many more samples in a lab teaching time period," Rienstra-Kiracofe said. "The flash chromatography system has a pump that forces the liquid through specialized columns at high pressure, and in doing so, it produces a separation that happens quite quickly."
Funded mostly by a grant from the Max Goldenberg Foundation, Chicago, and other University funds, the portable, table-top system costs slightly more than $10,000. This is the foundation's fourth grant to the University chemistry program, helping to fund significant equipment purchases to enhance student education, and to help the department achieve its goal to become certified by the American Chemical Society.
The flash chromatography system will be used most frequently by organic chemistry classes taught by Dr. Isabel Larraza, associate professor of chemistry, though the system also has uses in analytical chemistry and biochemistry.
There are wide-ranging benefits for students who gain experience with the system, she said. Students who attend graduate school will use flash chromatography systems often. In industry, research and development work usually requires flash chromatography, Larraza said. For example, chemists working in the pharmaceutical industry use flash chromatography to purify compounds to be tested in drug manufacturing. The system also fits with the Chemistry Department's commitment to "green chemistry," she said. "We're economizing on all the materials, and will be able to use safer solvents such as water—thus we're protecting the environment," Larraza emphasized.
In addition to the flash chromatography system, Rienstra-Kiracofe said the department expects delivery this month of an instrument that uses x-rays to detect elements' concentration levels in samples. Known as a "TXRF," it is among the new instruments the department will use when it moves into the Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life, expected to be completed in 2014. Acquiring the TXRF now will enable student researchers to learn how to use it and to design experiments for future classes. Another new instrument the department will acquire when it moves into the Johnson Center is a full-size Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer. It already has a miniature NMR, thanks to a 2011 Goldenberg Foundation grant.
University Breakfast Series Focuses on Nonprofit Success in Challenging Economy
Jimmie Alford discussed topics affecting the nonprofit sector at the University's October 30 Breakfast Series event in Chicago.
Axelson Center provides strategic solutions to improve nonprofits
CHICAGO (November 5, 2012) – Nonprofit organizations must adapt their business models to the current economic climate, and act strategically in response to a variety of challenges, particularly declines in program funding from government sources and philanthropy. That was the message from Chicago nonprofit executive Jimmie Alford, who spoke to more than 100 people about nonprofit trends and challenges at a North Park University Breakfast Series event October 30.
Alford is founder and chair of The Alford Group Inc., a well-known national nonprofit consulting firm, and has been named by The Nonprofit Timesas an influential nonprofit leader. He is also executive-in-residence of the University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management and an advisor to the University's Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management. Through its workshops and conferences, the center teaches leaders about nonprofit trends and how to meet significant challenges, he said.
Just as in other sectors of the global economy, uncertainty is a key issue for nonprofits, Alford told the breakfast audience. Some factors affecting nonprofits include high unemployment, strains on family finances, and financial turmoil affecting 39 state governments. "Going forward, nonprofits have to look to the future with eyes wide open," he said. "It isn't so much that these and other factors are barriers or challenges. The question is, 'What is your strategic response?'"
For nonprofits to be vibrant, effective, and have high impact, Alford said they must plan for "uncontrollables." Those that can engage key stakeholders and adjust their enterprises for the future "will be the nonprofits that will be highly effective and highly valued," he said.
Alford also warned of a "huge liquidity crisis" in the next 2 to 3 years because of declines in charitable giving and declines in tax revenue to governments, both of which fund many nonprofit-based social service programs. "I think overall, the amount of money flowing to nonprofits from tax-based entities will dramatically reduce," he said. "There will be an evolution of nonprofits trying to be more self-sustaining."
Enhancing revenue generation for nonprofits has been a focus of recent Axelson Center workshops, said Dr. Wesley E. Lindahl, dean of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management. "With funding from state governments being delayed and philanthropy suffering a downturn, nonprofits have to be very creative in terms of revenue generation. We've offered several sessions on that," he said. Improving governance by nonprofit boards of directors is another focus, Lindahl said. The Axelson Symposium for Nonprofit Professionals and Volunteers, attended by more than 500 people, offers executives and managers a chance to learn from each other and from more than 30 speakers, Lindahl added. The next Axelson Symposium is June 3-4, 2013, in Chicago.
Alford said he has presented several Axelson Center workshops on self-generated income in recent years. "The whole idea of the Axelson Center workshops is that if you spend a day on the topic, you're going to be opening your mind to some other ways of doing business. These sessions can be provocative and cause you to think about doing things differently. That's the purpose," Alford said.
Chicago Better Government Association Honors University SBNM Faculty Member
The Chicago BGA honored Jimmie Alford October 2 at its annual luncheon. (photo by Wesley Lindahl)
Jimmie Alford presented Lifetime Achievement Award
CHICAGO (October 2, 2012) — The Better Government Association (BGA) of Chicago presented its 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award to Jimmie Alford, executive-in-residence, North Park University School of Business and Nonprofit Management (SBNM). Alford is founder and chair of The Alford Group, a consulting firm that works exclusively with nonprofit organizations.
This year marks Alford's fiftieth year of working with nonprofits. The award was presented October 2 at the BGA annual luncheon in Chicago.
"This award is most thrilling because of the broad impact that the Better Government Association has in our community," he said. "Their recognition of my career which embodies North Park University’s mission of education for a life of significance and service is a wonderful tribute." Alford said he is pleased that two outstanding civic leaders, Renee Crown and Ron Gidwitz, will present the award to him.
"The faculty and staff of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management are very proud of Jimmie Alford and his accomplishments at the Chicago Better Government Association. The story of their growth over the past few years is amazing, and Jimmie played a big role in making this happen. Congratulations to Jimmie on the Lifetime Achievement Award," said Dr. Wesley E. Lindahl, SBNM dean.
Alford will be the keynote speaker at the University Breakfast Series event October 30 at the University Club of Chicago, Lindahl added. The topic, "Trends and Headwinds: Implications for the Nonprofit Sector" will focus on the business environment for nonprofit organizations, along with trends, constraints, opportunities, and the possible impact of the upcoming elections. The session will also include forecasts about the next three to five years for nonprofits.
Alford founded his own consulting firm to serve the nonprofit sector in 1979 after serving 16 years with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. The firm, now known as The Alford Group, quickly grew into one of the premier consulting firms in the United States and has served more than 3,000 nonprofit clients since its creation. In 2007, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University, as well as an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Aurora University, Aurora, Ill.
Alford has been recognized twice by The Nonprofit Times as "one of the 50 most influential people in the nonprofit sector." The Association of Fund Raising Professionals (AFP) in 2009 named Alford the recipient of the prestigious Chair’s Award for Outstanding Service, given to individuals for exceptional service to AFP, the fundraising profession, and the philanthropic community. Alford is active as a volunteer, as chair, CeaseFire Chicago (now Cure Violence), and as senior advisor to the BGA.
Blount said King was "a shining example of what can happen when one commits his or her life to something worth dying for." Blount, an assistant professor of formation, youth and culture at Garrett-Evangelical, and senior pastor of Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church, Waukegan, Ill., told the packed chapel that King accomplished much to advance civil rights in 13 short years, and was a catalyst for changing the world. In the 44 years since his death, great strides have been made to advance King's vision and dreams, Blount said, including the election of Barack Obama as president.
However, Blount insisted that King's dream still remains "a dream deferred" for many people of color because of racism, high unemployment, the dismantling of affirmative action, growing numbers in prison, declining college enrollment and inadequate funding for schools. Blount warned against becoming complacent about civil rights.
"Could it be that many of us have stopped acting on the dream? Could it be that many of us have decided that we've achieved enough?" he said. Quoting King, Blount also spoke of a kind of social "schizophrenia," in which people talk about peace, but prepare for war; say they want children to have an adequate education, yet hold down funding for public schools; say children are the future, but deny and block opportunities for them; and say every life is precious, then question whether health care if a right or privilege.
King's dream will not be fulfilled "unless we find the strength to love," Blount said. He called on people to make sacrifices for the good of others. "That means that we ought to be willing to make enough of a sacrifice that no one goes hungry. That means we ought to be willing to make enough of a sacrifice to let those who are sick have access to adequate health care. That means we ought to make enough of a sacrifice that no child is truly left behind," he said.
"Let's claim the strength to love so that when we come back again next year, this time we can declare that we have moved Dr. King's dream further and further towards being fulfilled," Blount added.
Readings and prayer at the service were contributed by Rev. Deborah Penny, Dr. Mary Adams Trujillo and Rev. Michael Thomas, University and Seminary faculty, staff, and students. Mittie Cowan, a North Park University student, sang two hymns.
The high school students then met in small groups with North Park University student leaders who discussed what it mean to be courageous leaders in school, at home, and in the world. The adults met separately to talk about challenges in teaching and raising their children, and incorporating faith practices into the lives of young people. The groups also discussed multicultural, multiracial and multi-faith issues they face. They concluded the day with a tour of the North Park University campus.
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Rev. David W. Kersten was installed as the Dean of North Park Theological Seminary on Sunday, September 16, 2012.
