Thoughts from DS Olivia
As I know our district pastors and churches have been faithful supporters of Eastern Nazarene College over the years, I wanted to make sure you heard the news ENC announced today: its Board has voted unanimously to begin the process of closing ENC.
The enclosed letter from ENC President Rev. Dr. Colleen Derr to Dr. Filimao Chambo, General Superintendent, notes that ENC has faced significant financial challenges for at least the past 7 years, and this decision has come after Dr. Derr and the Board pursued several alternatives to closure.
As you can imagine, this is a difficult time for everyone associated with ENC. The Board and Dr. Derr are focused on caring well for the students, faculty, and staff members most affected by the closure. As I hear more about the long-term plans for preserving ENC’s legacy and continuing its mission through scholarships, I will make sure to share it with you.
Please join me in lifting Dr. Derr, ENC leaders, and students in your prayers.
Feel free to call or email me, I'm happy to talk with you. I am not an alum of ENC, but my call to ministry was solidified when I was on a trip to Romania when I was 15. ENC had students there studying abroad. Sharing life with them was instrumental in me saying "yes!" to Jesus to go into ministry. Thus, ENC holds a very significant place in my life just as it does in many of our lives. Can I encourage you to be people of prayer and not gossip, people who go to their knees instead of angrily to social media, and who demonstrate, even in our pain, our Christian Holiness? There is sorrow, there are questions, and there is even anger, but may our witness to what it means to be One Body, united by One Spirit remain intact as we process myriad emotions.
The link below will provide ongoing information about the "move to closure."
Grace and peace to you,
Pastor Olivia
District Superintendent, Upstate New York
| 
