University of the Saints

DALLAS – With the vision of Southwest Region Conference President Calvin Watkins, we launched the University of the Saints, a training school for lay members desiring to work in building the Kingdom of God. We have begun the Spanish branch of the university. The curriculum for the Church Leadership Certification includes eight classes and we hope to graduate 400 to 600 lay leaders. Participants receive instruction on the theological foundations for Christian leadership, how to manage conflict in the church context, how to instill change and other basic topics related to church leadership. In a Review and Herald article dated Nov. 6, 1888, Ellen G. White wrote, “The minister should not feel that it is his duty to do all the talking and all the laboring and all the praying; but he should make it a part of his work to educate workers in every church.” This declaration as well as Jethro’s counsel to Moses in Exodus 18:1-12 underlines the importance of a leadership program to train lay leaders.

By Vanston Archbold, Multilingual Director