Dear JWC family and friends,
This year, the theme for John Witherspoon College’s annual fundraising banquet was “Rise to the Name.” It was inspired by a number of sources. There was the reflection on the change in campus and the change in the name of the banquet itself. There was the fact that we are named after John Witherspoon, and we should therefore live up to his reputation as a scholar, a pastor, and a statesman in producing students ready to learn, live, and lead in a Christ-centered capacity. And – of course – there is the most important aspect of all. We are an unashamedly Christian college, which means we have the high obligation of seeking to live in a manner that reflects the name of Jesus the Christ.
The Board of Trustees has been evaluating the state of the college, its needs, and our mission, and we were forced to ask ourselves: in light of the current needs of the college, the larger economy, and the best way to steward the resources that God has given JWC, is a fundraising banquet the best approach? Certainly it is a wonderful and time-honored way to highlight who we are and to share community with our supporters, but it has not typically generated enough donations to warrant the extra costs for venue, food, speakers, hours of labor, etc. With this in mind, while we appreciate each and every one of you, we have determined that we will not be holding the fundraising banquet this year.
While we have canceled this year's banquet, we want to hold tightly to the theme, “Rise to the Name.” We live in a culture that has increasingly derided the name of Christ, by which we are called. But we are not called to be of this world, but to live according to the will and reign of the Lord. And so while the world may mock the Name, we must rise to it all the more diligently. This has been the mission of JWC from the beginning, and each member of the JWC family must strive to rise to the name by which we are called. This is not a mere theme for a fundraiser, but a calling on the lives of all of God’s people. We hope you will accept this calling and pursue it. John Witherspoon College has a commitment to pursue this call, and we have sought to be faithful to this calling. But we cannot sustain this calling on our own.
The Andean condor is the world’s heaviest soaring bird, flapping its wings only 1% of the time it is in flight. The rest of the time it soars. Yet the condor is so heavy that even if it were to flap vigorously, it would be unable to maintain altitude. The reason the condor can soar so effortlessly is because of the thermal drafts caught under its wings. The effort of the bird will always fail without the support of the winds. JWC has sought to rise to its name, and to soar for the glory of the Christ, but the only way this is possible is with the support of our donors. This is why whether or not we have a fundraising dinner, we hope you will continue to support JWC. Nonetheless, whatever the circumstances around us, for as long as God sustains us we will commit to and seek to rise to the name by which we are called, even the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.