June 21, 2021
Dr. Litfin served as Wheaton College's seventh president.
(Wheaton, Ill.) The Wheaton College Board of Trustees has named the Wheaton College School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership for President Emeritus A. Duane Litfin, the College's seventh president. Dr. Liftin served as president of Wheaton College from 1993 to 2010.
The A. Duane Litfin School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership is home to the College's graduate and undergraduate programs committed to rigorous scholarship, doctrinal integrity, and effective, global education in these vital areas of Christian witness and engagement. Together, the faculty and students collaborate to serve Jesus Christ and advance His Kingdom through excellence in liberal arts and graduate programs that educate the whole person to build the church and benefit society worldwide.
“President Litfin’s enduring contributions to Wheaton College are manifold,” observed Board Chair Jim Goetz, “which is why the Trustees enthusiastically approved this visible gesture of appreciation. Among his many accomplishments, he enhanced the Faculty through the Faith and Learning Initiative, initiated the Doctoral Program in Biblical and Theological Studies, promoted Wheaton's Evangelism Initiative, envisioned the College’s Global Programs and Studies, and authored a highly acclaimed and timely book on his vision for Christian higher education, Conceiving the Christian College (Eerdmans, 2004).”
“We are very pleased to honor Dr. Litfin in this way,” said President Philip Ryken, who succeeded Dr. Litfin in 2010. “His singular contributions remain an indelible part of the College and its mission to serve Christ and His Kingdom. These accomplishments, along with his broader personal involvement in the global proclamation of the gospel, faithful pastoral ministry, and ecclesiastical and academic leadership will drive the objectives of the Litfin School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership.”
“During his time as President, Dr. Litfin touched virtually every aspect of Wheaton College, building on its heritage and positioning it for the robust future, which we now enjoy and endeavor to develop further,” said Ed Stetzer, executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center and Dean of the School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership. “It is a great privilege to serve as dean of the school that henceforth will bear Dr. Litfin's name.”
The Board also voted to establish the A. Duane and Sharon Litfin Scholarship Fund for the benefit of graduate students pursuing degrees within the School, as well as students pursuing PhDs in Biblical and Theological Studies; raise foundational, endowment funding for the Graduate School Global Impact Fund to support the development and delivery of innovative programs within the School; and to host a one-time symposium during the 2021-22 academic year to advance the work of the School and to formally celebrate these honors with Dr. Litfin and his wife, Sherri.