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FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Friends:
We can almost see the end in sight of the renovation, restoration,
and retrofit of Hobart Hall. It has been three years of work which
has resulted in a wonderful blending of past with a clear vision
of the needs of the future. I think that we have achieved our goal
of restoring and honoring the work that Julia Morgan accomplished
in 1921 with the construction of Hobart while at the same time making
the building a functional space for the 21st century. We have restored
while retrofitting, meeting ADA requirements, and making significant
technological upgrades in classrooms, offices, and student spaces.
I am grateful to so many of you who assisted in this project. We
will be dedicating the new Hobart Hall on October 6th. I hope that
you will plan to attend the party and will look forward to receiving
information about the celebration in the next few months. Please
save the date.
I am quite grateful to God for what we have achieved. I am also
excited about what will be the next phase of our campus development.
We presented to the Board of Trustees at our February 2001 meeting
a campus development plan that included the possibility of constructing
two new buildings that would provide about 70,000 square feet of
space with 50 new parking spaces. We are exploring further development
of our existing campus in order to provide new housing for students
and faculty, additional classrooms and offices, and additional rental
space for our partnership with other educational institutions. While
the plans are only preliminary, the Board of Trustees has authorized
taking the steps necessary to determine the feasibility of the project.
We would hope to self-finance this new project over a period of
years through rental income.
Our campus needs to be adequate to facilitate our vision. We are
planning to grow and develop in terms of both programs and students.
As we develop we will need space that houses our new programs. While
we are focusing on developing our new M.Div. curriculum, we are
also working on other program possibilities. This summer we will
launch the Asian American Center at ABSW. This new center will focus
on the leadership needs of Asian American churches and establish
ABSW as a major center for training Asian leaders on the West Coast.
When this program develops and expands, we will need new space for
meetings, classes, and housing. We are talking about several other
possibilities, including the creation of a doctor of ministry program
focused on preaching and congregational development. The D.Min.
possibility is being explored with Central Baptist Theological Seminary
as a partner.
We want our campus to be a mission tool for our vision. Hobart
Hall is now ready. Now we are looking at what is next with a clear
view as to both mission and finance. As we cast the vision we also
need to develop a realistic financial plan. We are looking at our
campus development plans in terms of both mission and income.
Isn't it exciting to imagine the future? Part of the joy of being
a Christian is the power given by the Spirit to dream dreams and
have visions. We live in eschatological hope realizing the tension
between the now and the not yet. I want us as a school to live with
this tension and not seek to reduce the challenge by settling for
too little or dreaming with no plan of action. At ABSW we are dreaming
but we have our feet on the ground even as we sneak a peak at God's
wonderful future for us. Can you see the new day?
Faithfully yours,
Keith A. Russell
President
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