Susan and John Woodbridge attended the conference luncheon at which the first-ever IACE Service Awards were given. In bestowing the award, IACE president David S. Dockery called Woodbridge one of the finest historians in evangelical life.
Kristen Waggoner also received an IACE Service Award. She is the president of the Alliance Defending Freedom, an organization that helped build a foundation for the growth of IACE in its early years. Waggoner could not attend the conference, but made her acceptance in a video presentation.
In Session One, Scott Rae and Rick Langer of Biola University presented “Mission Faithfulness.”
In Session Two, Colorado Christian University chancellor Donald Sweeting examined “The Abolition of Education and the Opportunity of the Moment.”
Robert Smith Jr., the Charles T. Carter Professor of Preaching at Beeson Divinity School, made a presentation titled, “The Heart of Christian Education.”
Southwestern Seminary students joined IACE attendees in Southwestern Seminary’s MacGorman Chapel to hear Dr. Robert Smith’s presentation.
In Session Four, Ryan Burge of Eastern Illinois University presented “Cultural and Demographic Trends Affecting Christian Education.”
Presentations at IACE usually end with a question-and-answer session. Attendees bring strong questions and discussion points to the sessions.
Bill Stanczykiewicz of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University discussed the distinctives of “Christian Philanthropy,” and included examples found in Scripture.
Attendance at the Sixth Annual Conference set IACE records, with 180 attendees representing 90 academic entities and 34 like-minded supporting ministries.
Ben Caston and Marc Brown of Southwestern Seminary led worship during the conference, both in the Riley Center and MacGorman Chapel.
Timothy Tennent of Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School discussed “Christian Higher Education and the Global Church.”
In addition to announcing the IACE Service Awards, president David S. Dockery updated attendees on membership numbers and two new initiatives for 2025. Read more here.
In Session Four, Biola University business dean Michael Arena discussed “The Challenges and Opportunities of Artificial Intelligence for Christian Higher Education.”
In Session Five, Nancy Pearcey examined “Christian Worldview, Life, and Human Sexuality.” She currently is a scholar in residence at Houston Christian University.
Sage Dining on the Southwestern campus provided delicious meals and afternoon snacks.
Nicholas Willis and Ryan Dougherty of TG Three teamed up to provide the conference’s final presentation, titled “Strategic Planning: The #1 Reason Plans Fail.” IACE and TG Three are offering member institutions customized needs assessments in 2025.