Chapter 2

A Diverse University For A Diverse World

Fresno Pacific University is located in the Central Valley of California. We are nestled between Los Angeles California and San Francisco California. The place in which we exist is called the breadbasket of the world. In the central valley, we are known for our agricultural services to the world. We grow food here, raise cattle here, and serve all of humanity with the gifts that God has given to us. The California university school systems are known all over the world for tremendous thinkers and services of scholars and practitioners that make our university college systems one of the best. However, the distinctive of the Fresno Pacific University is one that the California school systems does not have. We are a Christian liberal arts university. Our distinctive is that we are followers of Jesus Christ first and then we are educators.

The Christian distinctive of Fresno Pacific makes us an anomaly in Northern California. Our unique position is that we are the only Christian University for the Central Valley. We are called by God to serve multiple cultures in multiple cities in the Christian liberal arts tradition. This makes us very diverse, unique and set apart for the glory of God. It is from this position of diversity that we recognize our privilege to work on behalf of God in the earth calling men and women to himself and equipping, empowering, and enriching life with the Christian worldview.

The challenge of every Christian University is the challenge of being diverse and embracing diversity in our dark and dying world. According to Scripture the world [humanity] has fallen from their original state with God and are in opposition to God’s agenda for humanity. Therefore, the body of Christ exists to go into all the world[earth]and make disciples, serving in collaboration with God, to redeem and reclaim humanity for himself.

We have been made stewards with a call to do something great on behalf of the one who loves us and has made us in his image and desires to include all of humanity in his redemption plan. Therefore, kingdom diversity is inclusive, in that God calls every man, and every woman to be involved in the work of God in the earth until all have been redeemed and all are included in the glorious plan of salvation for all. This makes kingdom diversity inclusive. This is the privilege that we have in the earth to work on behalf of a God who loves us and uniquely has set us apart to work for him on the earth. He also calls for us to lay down our lives in active service and submission to win those who have rejected him. Our calling is to serve the entire human race not to exalt one particular race or culture, above another.

Fresno Pacific University exists to work in the kingdom of God, on behalf of God, teaching in the liberal arts tradition how God has come to reconcile himself in the world. Through various modes and traditions in several diverse schools of learning, we embrace an academic agenda to send forth laborers into the world. The various fields of services include the natural sciences, the arts, the humanities, religion, and social sciences, in business or other areas. We endeavor to train leaders, that will one day stand before God and give an account of their deeds done in the body. Fresno Pacific University agenda is a kingdom agenda, that is awaiting the coming of our savior and king.