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Institutional Vision of Christian Vocation: The Foundational Core
The institutional vision of Christian vocation serves as the foundational core—the “engine”—that guides, inspires, and motivates every aspect of our project. The core assists the Messiah College community in developing the language and categories needed to intelligently consider Christian vocation in light of the heritage and mission of the College. Language is a critical component of any culture, and the purpose of the Christian Vocation project is to shape the culture of Messiah College in ways that will make thought and action related to Christian vocation increasingly more prominent in campus conversation. The primary purpose of the core is to shape an understanding of the importance of Christian vocation that is consonant with the College’s religious identity and educational mission. First, our Christian Vocation project is an intentional recommitment to the focus of Messiah’s historic mission. The foundational core is charged with helping the College reflect more deeply on the rich meaning of our mission and identity statement. Specifically, how can we assess “maturity of intellect, character, and Christian faith,” and how does that maturity explicitly relate to the work of Christian ministry in the church and in the world? How should Messiah’s tripartite emphasis on service, leadership, and reconciliation shape the way Christian vocation is articulated and modeled within the curricular and cocurricular programs of the College? Second, our Christian Vocation project is based upon and supportive of Messiah’s religious identity. Rooted in the Anabaptist, Pietist, and Wesleyan traditions, which melded together to form the distinctiveness of the Brethren in Christ denomination, Messiah has a significant responsibility to care for and nurture those traditions. (For an example of a partnership between Messiah College and the Grantham Brethren in Christ church, go here.) However, neither the College nor the Brethren in Christ Church has ever been tightly doctrinaire in seeking to maintain and guard this core identity. In fact, both institutions have sought to embody an “embracing evangelical spirit” with regard to persons from other Christian traditions. Thus, from its very founding, Messiah College has welcomed students, faculty, and staff from different denominations and theological perspectives. Today, more than ever, Messiah College seeks to be a welcoming institution where all Christians can flourish in both educational and spiritual formation. These two sides of our heritage—the more particular and the more ecumenical—can sometimes seem at odds with each other. However, we view this as a creative tension. Through Christian Vocation: Service, Leadership, and Reconciliation, we acknowledge both our particular heritage and our ecumenical commitments.  Funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
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