Dear Friends,

I write to you today as the sixth president of Houghton University. The recent change in our name has been an exciting opportunity for Houghton’s students, faculty, staff and alumni to celebrate and give God thanks for all that He has done for us.

As we celebrate, I want to assure you that, even as our name has now changed, our mission remains the same. We remain steadfast and unapologetic in our commitment to providing a Christ-centered, academically challenging education to students from diverse traditions and backgrounds, equipping them to lead and labor as scholar servants near and far. We hold fast to our roots as a Christ-centered institution of The Wesleyan Church, remaining true to scripture and the convictions of orthodox Christianity and sensitive to the movement and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We continue to integrate our Christian faith into each and every aspect of the university.

While our resolve and commitment are as strong as ever, our mission is now manifested in some new and exciting ways. These include new or enhanced undergraduate and graduate programs, renewed vision and excitement around Houghton Online, and, most recently, the launch of Houghton’s Early College. With this issue of Houghton Magazine, we highlight some of the ways Houghton University is moving fearlessly forward in proclaiming the Gospel and equipping scholar-servants for disciple-making, service and leadership in diverse fields and sectors, all in the context of a rapidly changing 21st-century environment.

With Christ as our rock and our foundation, we move fearlessly forward with the relentless pursuit of excellence in every aspect of our being. We pursue excellence in leadership, in service, in teaching and learning, in scholarship, and in Highlander athletics. But we do so not out of vanity or for our own glory but for the glory of God. With Christian humility, Houghton’s students, graduates, faculty and staff continue to lead the way. This moment in Houghton’s history and the history of Christian higher education demands that we be prayerful and deliberate. To that end, we humbly solicit your continued prayers and partnership in what God is doing in and through us at Houghton University.

Yours in His Excellence,

Wayne D. Lewis, Jr.
President