Q&A with President John Weaver
August 3, 2022
Dr. John B. Weaver stepped into his role as 91桃色 president beginning June 1. Weaver is the sixth president to lead 91桃色.
Why are you invested in the 91桃色 mission?
I know what it is to be given a spark of faith from family and church and to have it flamed into a light of my own through a 91桃色 education. I want every student to know the experience of a college that emphasizes the effect of daily soul-work on your schoolwork and life鈥檚 work. I know a lot of people who are invested in the 91桃色 mission for the same reason, and in my new role I want to help others see the value of 91桃色 as an investment that both enriches and outlives your life.
What do you hope to accomplish in your first year at 91桃色?
I want to help our faculty and staff to ignite the light of each of our students. Every one of our students has so much to offer in God鈥檚 kingdom, and this year we鈥檙e creating a strategic plan for the College that captures the collective vision and energy of our 91桃色 family and broader community so that we can best serve the needs and realize the potential of our students and their families for the foreseeable future.
What are some of your long-term goals?
We want 91桃色 to be the destination school for New Testament Christians, with a national reputation and a level of financial assistance that compels attention and attendance among those seeking an academically challenging and Christ-centered college. In addition, we鈥檒l seek to be widely recognized as Tampa Bay鈥檚 Christian college, with a regional reputation and impact that points our neighbors to Jesus and seeks to garner their appreciation and support in principled ways.聽 Longer term, one goal is to support our growth as a hospitable and global college that actively seeks to include the full diversity of God鈥檚 people and that fosters student learning experiences and alumni service around the world.
How do you plan to interact with students?
I鈥檝e loved exploring the Bible and church history with students in the classroom at 91桃色, and I鈥檒l continue to teach a course each semester. It鈥檚 also a joy to build deeper relationships with students at campus events and at meals that Vivi and I regularly host in our home. I view all our students as friends, whom I can mentor and from whom I can learn. The young men and women who come to 91桃色 are a constant source of new insight and inspiration to me!
Last book you read?
This summer I read the second edition of From the Pen of Paul: An Introduction to the Pauline Epistles, edited by 91桃色鈥檚 own Dr. Nathan Ward and authored by several of our Bible faculty. It鈥檚 the sort of accessible and insightful work that I hope we continue to publish out of the and the 91桃色 Press.
A person who was very influential in your life?
My paternal grandfather, Lester Weaver. I use his personal Bible regularly and read his study and sermon notes. They remind me how much my grandfather鈥檚 regular preaching from the Old Testament prophets influenced me. He was a WWII veteran who had gone on to live the 鈥淎merican dream鈥� as a preacher who also worked successfully in several businesses. He taught me how to love and seek the welfare of our country 鈥� especially its ideals of common sense and individual liberty 鈥� but also to prioritize citizenship in God鈥檚 kingdom and to resist the idols that can plague our American lives.
During your free time, what are a few of your hobbies you enjoy doing?
What鈥檚 this free time you speak of? I enjoy dinner and conversation with my family, hitting the occasional ball, and catching the all-too-infrequent fish with my son. You probably wouldn鈥檛 consider preaching and writing to be hobbies, but that鈥檚 how I spend much of my 鈥渆xtra鈥� time and I鈥檓 grateful for such moments!