Larry Burnley Seeks to Leave Messiah College Uncomfortable
"We need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable."
Timothy Mackie
Issue date: 12/10/09 Section: News
As he prepares to depart from Messiah College, Burnley says that the school will face two overarching challenges regarding multicultural issues as it marches into the next decade. First, he says the college will have to overcome its shyness of the difficult conversations which often arise when an organization commits itself to intellectual, cultural, and class inclusiveness.
"There's something about Messiah's cultural ethos that causes it to avoid these conversations," says Burnley. "We need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable."
Second, Burnley says the school should aggressively expand its recruitment of students from urban areas. He says that the school's future hinges on its ability to reach out to this demographic.
Burnley leaves Messiah College with appreciation for the opportunity and honor of serving it. "I've grown a lot here," he says. "I've stumbled, but I've grown from it."
He leaves the college with this challenge. "Messiah needs to show willingness to go to Calvary. It's only through Calvary that the resurrection is possible."
"There's something about Messiah's cultural ethos that causes it to avoid these conversations," says Burnley. "We need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable."
Second, Burnley says the school should aggressively expand its recruitment of students from urban areas. He says that the school's future hinges on its ability to reach out to this demographic.
Burnley leaves Messiah College with appreciation for the opportunity and honor of serving it. "I've grown a lot here," he says. "I've stumbled, but I've grown from it."
He leaves the college with this challenge. "Messiah needs to show willingness to go to Calvary. It's only through Calvary that the resurrection is possible."
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