Strategic Partnership Announced to Develop Leaders in Evangelism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Madison, WI) — Wheaton College Graduate School and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership to develop leaders in evangelism. Citing the crucial need for leaders who are able to think critically and act creatively to embody and communicate the gospel in our contemporary world, Wheaton College President Dr. Duane Litfin says, “The partnership of Wheaton College with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in this effort makes sense. Our goal is to work together to create a synergy in generating evangelistically-oriented leaders that neither organization working alone could achieve.”

This new partnership will connect staff with a passion for evangelism from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship with Wheaton Graduate School’s new Master of Arts in Evangelism and Leadership. As Terry Erickson, National Director for Evangelism with IVCF comments, “I am very excited about this opportunity to work together with the Wheaton College Masters program toward raising up a next generation of evangelism champions for InterVarsity around the country. I am also encouraged that the Director for the Wheaton program is one of our own, long time staff member and campus evangelist Rick Richardson.”

InterVarsity staff will receive a full 25% scholarship toward Wheaton’s forty credit hour Master of Arts in Evangelism and Leadership. Staff can earn the degree while remaining full time in ministry with InterVarsity, since the program is offered in all modular format. Staff can attend courses for two to three weeks a year, and earn the degree in three to four years. Courses will be offered both at Wheaton College and also through InterVarsity’s National Institute for Staff Education and Training (NISET).

Upcoming courses include:

• The Emerging Generation, Popular Culture and the Gospel: April 16-29
• Planting and Developing Reproducing Ministries: June 18-20
• C.S. Lewis- Apologist of the Head and Heart: June 21-23
• Evangelistic Speaking and Apologetics: NISET course June 28-July 4

For more information, connect to the website at www.wheaton.edu/evangelism/, or contact Rick Richardson, Associate Professor and Director of Wheaton’s Masters in Evangelism and Leadership. Rick is working closely with Terry Erickson, National Director of Evangelism, to insure strong overlap with InterVarsity’s evangelistic vision and priorities.