CALLED ~us wit/£ 0 n July 1, Dr. Dan Williams began his position as vice president of church relations. Before taking his job, Williams was the pulpit minister at College Avenue Church of Christ in El Dorado, Ark., for 28 years. During Williams' time as a minister, he wrote and distributed a curriculum for small group Bible studies, which over 1,900 churches nationwide used. He was also known among ministers worldwide for his ministry resource called Preacher Stuff, an email outreach that facilitated the exchange of ideas and materials between ministers. Williams also had his own private practice for marriage and family counseling and taught as an adjunct professor for Harding School of Theology. His new role utilized many of the skills he had learned and the connections he made in ministry. According to Williams, his purpose in his new position was "to maintain, strengthen and, wherever possible, to expand Harding University's connection to the churches and the churches' connections to Harding." Upon entering the position, Williams became an intermediary between the Harding administration, the College of Bible and Ministry, and churches across the nation. He also took charge of coordinating events such as Lectureship, and Arkansas Ministers and Wives Day. He also spoke in chapel to encourage student to become members of a local church. The position of vice president of church relations was a crucial role in preserving the identity of Harding, according to Williams. "[Dr. Bruce Mclarty] is very passionate about keeping Harding a completely distinctive Christian university,'' Williams said. "So many universities over the years drift away from their Christian origins, and when universities get disconnected from their church background, they have a tendency to lose their focus and their identity." Kent Jobe, who worked with Williams at the College Avenue Church in El Dorado, Ark., for 12 years and succeeded him as the head minister, believed Williams was chosen for the position because of his deep love and appreciation for the ministry. "When 1.interviewed for the church here 12 years ago, one of the elders told me that, in his opinion, Dan 'was the best kept secret in the brotherhood,"' Jobe said. "After 12 years of working with him on a daily basis, I wholeheartedly agree. I'm excited for the Harding family to experience what we've enjoyed at College Avenue for years." As one of Mclarty's first presidential actions, he appointed Williams the vice president of church relations. Mclarty said he knew, even before he was named president, that he wanted to invite Williams to be a part of the presidential cabinet. He had respected Williams for a long time because of his preaching and writing abilities. Mclarty also chose Williams because of his godly character and involvement with ministries, qualities that were both important to the position. According to Williams, his experience working as a minister and organizing various things such as gospel meetings, his small group curriculum and the email outreach were what best qualified him to fulfill the position of vice president of church relations. His work in those areas established connections with churches nationwide, which strengthened Harding's connections. "Whenever I go out and preach, I always have one foot in kind of two camps," Williams said. "One foot is in the church and in ministry and the other is in Harding University." Kristin Baldwin
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