FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK

1 Mannings Ave. May 7, 2001
Kingston 8
Jamaica, West Indies

My family and I were flying to a funeral in Doniphan, MO this past March for my wife's dad, Charlie Howard, who passed away Feb. 27th. I was reading the magazine that the airlines usually use to promote their business and read an article, "Building the Dream. Five Keys to Assembling the Right Team for Any Company" by Don Andersson. It applied well to the ministry of Jamaica Christian College.

It begins, "Gone are the days of the lone ranger entrepreneur. Today's new start-up visionaries realize they can't do everything alone. Their ... success depends on attracting the right people to help ... excell." And it went on explaining how leaders need to stand back and get out of the way so the new can do what they do best.

1. One needs people with varying degrees of experience and skill. This allows everyone to look at a challenge from his or her unique point of view and enables the ministry to develop several alternative solutions, each of which is valid. When this happens there's a greater chance of creatively advancing. We ask ourselves, "What qualities do I lack that someone else may have? How can this person help me reach our goals?"

2. Be clear about the contribution each person should make. When people know how they can contribute to its success, they are more apt to stay and help it grow.

3. Select those who have the ability to work in the unique ministry.

4. Priortize expectations. People can't meet expectations if they don't know what they are.

5. Don't just impose change--plan for it. Whenever a new person enters a ministry, it creates change. This new person is not usually brought in to maintain the status quo. He comes in to impact a situation in some kind of way to shift it, to move it, or to take it to a new level.

There have been new board members added to the Jamaica Bible Seminary. Three are elders in their prospective churches and business men who will add a new dimension to the college. Others are administrators, and preachers.

This adds balance of common business sense mixed with a preacher's heart. There will be some new and some old teachers teaching at the college. Our goal has been one of excellence to have the best teachers teach their favorite subjects to enthusiastic students and you can't help but have a winning combination. Nobody can teach Revelation like Fred Miller. No one can teach the History of the English Bible like Bill Paul, the Bible Collector.

Jamaica Bible Seminary does not try to compete with other colleges. It is a ministry to train men to preach and women to teach effectively. Our goal is to give the tools and training and then get out of the way so each person can do the work that God has burdened them to do!

Rather than expose the preacher students to just a few preachers and teachers, we have had many. This way the men are not stamped out like cookies on a baking sheet to mimic one strong personality and imitate him in preaching style and demeanor. Alexander Campbell leaned on a cane when he preached, so many students at Bethany College bought themselves a cane so they could be like Campbell. Archie Word had a moustache when he preached, so many students in Portland, Or grew a moustache so they could preach like Word.

I'd rather see the preachers, teachers and leaders from Jamaica Bible Seminary mimic or imitate Jesus Christ, as to love, compassion, boldness, courage and faithfulness in their ministries. That is our sacred task.

God bless,

Dr. Richard Geringswald, ThD,
President, Jamaica Christian College