Erika Hunter, contributing writer
Though he faced a semester of physical and spiritual challenges, President Jon Wallace has resumed his place at APU after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments last year. While he was forced to miss most of fall semester, Wallace said he is looking forward to regaining a sense of normalcy this spring.
“There’s nothing like having a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness that causes you to think about your own mortality in light of eternity, in light of what you believe to be true and in light of what you hope for,” Wallace said.
Wallace said that during his time away, he read Scripture that helped him realize suffering brings Christians closer to an understanding of their calling, conforms them to God’s image, aligns them with God’s will and teaches them to surrender.
“For me, this cancer deal really led me to deep water. In that deep water, I found that Christ was holding me up, and that although I was afraid and remained fearful at the devastation of cancer…He is mine and I have found assurance that He [will] not abandon you in these seasons of distress,” Wallace said.
Wallace said he missed spending time with students, faculty and staff on a regular basis, and that coming back to work felt like “going home.” Since his return, he said that he values the opportunity to “think strategically, missionally, operationally and relationally.”
”What I missed the most was just feeling like I was in the middle of things that mattered to others,” Wallace stated.
The campus president of 16 years said that he anticipates spending time with students around campus, at events, the President’s Hike and Commencement. He explained that his goals for the semester are to be able to write meaningfully and for his cancer screenings to come back clear.
“[My vision for the new year at APU is] a community of disciples and scholars who practice grace, truth and forgiveness,” Wallace said.
While Wallace was away, Executive Vice President David Bixby acted as president in his place. Bixby said he refers to the role as a calling for that time in his life and that the experience as acting president was enjoyable, meaningful and educational.
“I viewed it for myself as a sacred time,” Bixby said. “God spoke to me in really tangible ways. I felt like my colleagues came alongside me and supported me in ways I would have never imagined.”
Bixby said he is grateful for the prayers he received during his time in the position. He stated that he wanted to lead APU in a clear and gentle way, and that he sought to model servant leadership, support others and be available and present to faculty and staff.
Bixby explained that he met with mentors whose greatest advice to him was to be himself, not to try and emulate the styles of past APU presidents.
While Wallace was absent, Bixby said that he felt it was important for him to connect Wallace to APU. After Bixby announced the king and queen at the homecoming football game, he included Wallace by asking him to pray in front of the crowd on the field.
“Somewhere around 5,000 people in the stands just went nuts for him,” Bixby said.
In seeking to align himself with Wallace’s goals, Bixby started the Valuing People Task Force during his time as acting president. The task force is made up of faculty and staff who seek to improve employees’ engagement and sense of value.
Additionally, Bixby worked to increase enrollment to make APU more accessible and affordable, as well as develop and improve athletics, the Honors College, discipleship, engineering, the regional center and safety.
While Wallace was unable to perform work duties on a daily basis, he still attended his discipleship group regularly. The group continued to meet weekly and even accompanied Wallace to his radiation treatments.
“Although he was not with us in terms of his position as the president, he still remained in our D-Group and did a very good job of staying connected with us,” discipleship group member and senior English major Maurice Johnson said. “I know that was hard when he was going through that journey.”
For a look at Jon Wallace’s time away from APU, click here