Wheaton College graduate Philip Ryken becomes school's 8th president

After graduating from Wheaton College in 1988, Philip Ryken prayed he would someday return to stay.

That prayer was answered Feb. 19 when Wheaton College's board of trustees hired Ryken to become the school's eighth president.

"It's an amazing honor and a wonderful blessing," said Ryken, who grew up in Wheaton.

The senior pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia will begin his new duties July 1, replacing the retiring Duane Litfin. Ryken recently was on campus to meet with the staff and faculty and speak to students.

He talked to the Daily Herald about his vision and hopes for Wheaton College. Here's an edited transcript of that conversation:

Q. This is a homecoming for you, isn't it? A. My family moved here in 1968. My dad (Leland Ryken) has been a professor of English at Wheaton College for 42 years. I went to Wheaton Christian Grammer School and Wheaton North High School. Then I went to Wheaton College.Do you have childhood memories of being on campus?A. So many of the things I love in life are associated with Wheaton College. I remember as a schoolboy coming on campus to go to orchestra concerts put on by college students. That really awakened for me a love for music. I went to countless Wheaton College basketball, football, soccer and baseball games. And my first job was working in the library on campus. Wheaton is also where I met my wife during freshman orientation in 1984. So whether it's music or sports or learning or romance, to me it's all been associated with Wheaton College.At what point did you decide you wanted to pursue the college presidency?A. This is something we (Ryken and wife Lisa) have been talking about and praying about for the past six months. This is probably the only other job in the world I would have considered. We really had the hope and the expectation we would stay in Philadelphia at Tenth Church for the rest of our lives, or at least for the rest of our ministry.What made the Wheaton job so appealing?A. Wheaton College is a leading academic institution and probably regarded as the finest Christian college in the world. Every year we send out hundreds of talented, energetic graduates to serve Christ and his kingdom all over the world. The challenge and the opportunity of providing leadership for that kind of institution is absolutely unique.A lot has changed on campus since Duane Litfin became president in 1993.A. Dr. Litfin has provided extraordinary leadership for Wheaton College and will go down as one of the great presidents in our history. He has raised the academic standing of the college. He has broadened our ethnic diversity. He has dramatically improved our facilities. And most importantly, he has maintained the theology and mission of the college. It's a huge privilege for me to succeed such a terrific president.Is it intimidating to replace someone who has accomplished so much?A. Honestly, I do not find it intimidating to succeed Dr. Litfin for this reason: I have a clear sense of calling to this role and I believe God will give me whatever grace I need to do that work faithfully. I can only be the president God has called me to be.Q What is it like making the transition from the pulpit to the presidency of an academic institution?A. I'll have a huge amount to learn about academic leadership. And I think everyone in the Wheaton community understands this. However, one advantage I have is that for the past 10 years I have been serving on the board of visitors and now the board of trustees. This means I already have many relationships with people on campus and have some acquaintance with the academic and spiritual and financial issues a college faces.I also think pastoral ministry is very good preparation for a presidency because one of the things you learn in ministry is how to help people resolve conflict. And that's always going to be an important part of leadership anywhere.What is your vision for the college?A. There are a number of issues we need to address in coming years. We need better facilities for our conservatory and library. We need to continue to broaden the ethnic diversity of our student body and faculty. We need to develop sustainable models of funding that make it possible for students to afford a first-rate college education. We need to develop broader global partnerships for education.But my biggest priority is to encourage Wheaton College to become more and more a community of grace. Wheaton is a very performance-oriented college and I want to encourage us all to know the love and the grace that God has for us. And then to pursue excellence in response to that grace.You mention you want to broaden ethnic diversity. How do you do that?A. We broaden the diversity of our campus by building strong connections to churches across the country that are in minority ethnic communities. We do it by continuing to recruit and retain minority faculty. And we do it by praying God will enable us to represent the full diversity of his church.What about the rising cost of college tuition?A. There are some people that have a wealthy enough background to be able to afford a Wheaton education already. We have many students who have more limited means, who therefore are absolutely dependent on the generous commitment of our alumni to continue to support the mission of Wheaton College. I expect this to be a challenge for me throughout my tenure at the college - to do everything we can do to make sure qualified students are not going somewhere else simply for the reason of cost.In the short term, what is the biggest challenge you need to overcome?A. I think my biggest short-term challenge is simply to learn how to be a good president for Wheaton College.False20001217Philip Ryken, who has been appointed the eighth president of Wheaton College, chats with Mary Polansky, administrative assistant, and Lynn Wartsbaugh, administrative secretary.Tanit Jarusan | Staff PhotographerFalse