Christ-Centered Presidency: The Threefold Office of Christ as a Theological Paradigm for Leading a Christian College

Colleges and universities look for great leadership from their presidents—now more than ever. Economic turmoil, technological innovation, rapid globalization, increased government scrutiny, public skepticism about the mission of higher education, and the sheer complexity of campus life in the 21st century all require exceptional management, expansive vision, and enormous stamina. Perhaps the University of Virginia’s Brian Pusser can be forgiven for claiming that today’s college presidents have been put in the “untenable position” of being asked to fulfill an office that is “mutating beyond the ability of anyone to do the job.” The need for transformational leadership is perhaps even greater at Christian colleges, which prize spiritual vitality and seek to maintain a morally and theologically consistent mission.