– Hi, Alliance family. I want to give you an update on our Alliance schools. As you may know, The Alliance has four educational institutions, three of them with more than a century of impact: Simpson University in California, Crown College in Minnesota, Toccoa Falls College in Georgia. Not quite as old but also making a significant impact is the Theological Seminary of Puerto Rico.

Several Alliance leaders invested a couple of days this month at Simpson University at the invitation of President Norm Hall and his team. The times that we’ve spent on visits like this have been so encouraging. You’d be inspired to see the number of students who are pursuing Jesus and His plan for their lives. Developing leaders is a vital part of what The Christian and Missionary Alliance is all about.

I think of the time that Jesus looked out at crowds of people and was filled with compassion and told His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” That’s still a relevant call today, so would you pray with us that the Lord will raise up many more workers who are equipped, filled with the Spirit for impact wherever He leads them?

One of the great gifts within The Alliance is the diversity of educational pathways available to develop people for both local and global ministry, in addition to residency programs in local churches and online opportunities, like the Alliance School of Ministry. Our schools are forming a generation of leaders who are deeply rooted in Christ and prepared to carry the gospel to places near and far. Workers for the harvest, just like Jesus asked us to pray for.

We repeatedly hear stories of students who first discovered The Christian and Missionary Alliance through one of our schools. Students arrive seeking education, but many leave with something far deeper, a calling. Just one example—a few years ago, a student arrived at Toccoa Falls unsure of his direction. But through the guidance of professors, thoughtful classroom discussions, relationships formed along the way, this student began to own his faith in a new way, and what began as an academic exploration became a formative spiritual journey. He’s now graduated, and he and his wife are doing their Alliance Licensed Ministry Experience, ALME for short, at an Alliance church, preparing to work with Muslims in another part of the world. This young man’s story, like so many others, was shaped in a community committed to discipling the next generation.

That’s why our schools matter. They are places where education meets calling, where the next generation meets Jesus in ways that can change everything. Between Crown, Toccoa Falls, Simpson, and the seminary of Puerto Rico, hundreds of students graduate each year with a Christ-centered education, and a significant number of those graduates go on to serve in Alliance ministry locally and globally. These graduates serve as pastors, international workers, chaplains, marketplace leaders, community advocates, and lots more.

In fact, over the past five years, 140 students from these schools have become licensed workers within The Christian and Missionary Alliance, carrying the heart of the C&MA wherever God leads them. God is at work in so many young people today, and our heart is that the Lord will raise up hundreds, even thousands of new workers, as The Alliance continues to bring all of Jesus to all the world.

Two news items. I’m excited to share an important milestone with you regarding our seminary in Puerto Rico. This school, which was originally birthed out of Alliance Theological Seminary in New York, is now itself a member of the Association of Theological Schools. We anticipate full accreditation in just the next few months. This is a really significant step forward, affirming the strength and credibility, future impact of this work. We’re really grateful for a very competent team of leaders at the seminary, confident that the Lord will equip many more servants for effective ministry.

In other news, at Council 2025, we announced a collaboration agreement with Asbury Theological Seminary. Our hope was to bring Alliance graduate education back to New York City. However, due to the lack of responsiveness from the New York State Board of Education, our collaboration agreement with Asbury ended on December 31, 2025. This wasn’t the outcome we had hoped for, yet we continue to trust that God will open the right doors in His timing and through His means.

In closing, can I plant a seed here for you? In your own church or network of relationships, there may be an individual that you sense God is calling. Could it be that you’ll be the one who says to them, “You know, I see God’s hand on you. He shines through you and He’s gifted you. Do you think it’s possible that He’s calling you to vocational ministry?” Anyone come to mind? Those kinds of conversations are often what the Lord uses to help a person consider their calling, and that person’s growth and ministry reach might become a significant part of your life impact.

I’m glad to be teamed in this mission with you. We serve such a powerful and kind and faithful Father. Would you pray with me that He will do far beyond what we could ever ask or imagine? Thanks so much. I’m grateful for you.