Page 94 - UB Church and Shen Univ
P. 94
Volume 6 Relation of U.B/EUB Virginia Conferences to Shenandoah University Dec. 26, 2013
135-year-plus history of the school-college-university, district structures, local church, and on national
boards such as the Board of Higher Education and Ministry and University Senate. Yet, the greatest
example of commitment came in the early 2000s as the University committed to spend a quarter million
dollars annually to create and maintain the Church Professions Institute.
This program was to help prepare ministers and lay leaders for the
Church. This commitment of resources to support development of leadership for
The United Methodist Church, which for decades has lost membership annually
and is having difficulty in attracting outstanding candidates to ministry, is a
return investment to the Church that breathed life into the institution in 1875.
Also, the church provided moral and financial support to the institution for more
than 135 years. Indeed, Shenandoah had its start in the U.B. and EUB
denominations that merged with The Methodist Church in 1968 to form The
United Methodist Church. Many trustees were important in the church
connection, but Rev. Lee Shaffer and Rev. Raymond Wrenn dedicated more than
three decades of their lives to building the church mission within the University.
With assets that had accumulated throughout the years of partnership with the
church, Shenandoah returned some of the investment to help keep the church strong and show its deep
commitment to the partnership that provided for the education of thousands of graduates and helped to
make our community and country strong.49
i. In Conclusion
Every good story has an ending, and such is the case with the years 1982 to 2008 for the Davis
presidency at the University.
Long-Range Planning Over the Years. Before describing the retirement year, credit must be
given to a chief mentor for the president during most of these 26 years as president. William “Bill”
Brandt, former President and Chairman of the Board of American Woodmark Company, became a
trustee in the early 1980s. Because of the professional relationship that developed between trustee and
president, Bill became a regular mentor to the president. The two individuals worked together to plan
and shape the future of the University during good and bad times. At least four long-range plans of 5
years or more were assembled and implemented with efficiency and effectiveness. Bill led dozens of
faculty planning sessions and retreats and helped to gain consensus on many difficult decisions and
choices facing the University community. Bill played the important role of guiding the trustees as
Chairman of the Long-Range Planning Committee for almost two decades and served as Chairman of
the Board for a 2-year term, which was the typical time frame for a chairman to serve. Equally as
important, Bill served as a personal coach to the president and helped guide the professional
development and renewal of the president during the same decades. The generosity shown by Bill and
Elaine, his wife, in time, talent and financial resources were a key component in the success that
Shenandoah University enjoyed during this time.
49 The Gruver-Souders UB/EUB Archives, placed in its own room in the basement of Smith Library, it another key way in
which Shenandoah University uniquely contributes to the well-being of The United Methodist Church, especially in
preserving the history and archives of the Virginia Conference. It is hoped that one day the United Methodist General
Board on History and Archives will make the nine volumes of this history electronically available as an on-line resource
for further generations, especially those who cannot readily come to Winchester. —The Editor.
Davis on History of S.C., 1982-2008 84
135-year-plus history of the school-college-university, district structures, local church, and on national
boards such as the Board of Higher Education and Ministry and University Senate. Yet, the greatest
example of commitment came in the early 2000s as the University committed to spend a quarter million
dollars annually to create and maintain the Church Professions Institute.
This program was to help prepare ministers and lay leaders for the
Church. This commitment of resources to support development of leadership for
The United Methodist Church, which for decades has lost membership annually
and is having difficulty in attracting outstanding candidates to ministry, is a
return investment to the Church that breathed life into the institution in 1875.
Also, the church provided moral and financial support to the institution for more
than 135 years. Indeed, Shenandoah had its start in the U.B. and EUB
denominations that merged with The Methodist Church in 1968 to form The
United Methodist Church. Many trustees were important in the church
connection, but Rev. Lee Shaffer and Rev. Raymond Wrenn dedicated more than
three decades of their lives to building the church mission within the University.
With assets that had accumulated throughout the years of partnership with the
church, Shenandoah returned some of the investment to help keep the church strong and show its deep
commitment to the partnership that provided for the education of thousands of graduates and helped to
make our community and country strong.49
i. In Conclusion
Every good story has an ending, and such is the case with the years 1982 to 2008 for the Davis
presidency at the University.
Long-Range Planning Over the Years. Before describing the retirement year, credit must be
given to a chief mentor for the president during most of these 26 years as president. William “Bill”
Brandt, former President and Chairman of the Board of American Woodmark Company, became a
trustee in the early 1980s. Because of the professional relationship that developed between trustee and
president, Bill became a regular mentor to the president. The two individuals worked together to plan
and shape the future of the University during good and bad times. At least four long-range plans of 5
years or more were assembled and implemented with efficiency and effectiveness. Bill led dozens of
faculty planning sessions and retreats and helped to gain consensus on many difficult decisions and
choices facing the University community. Bill played the important role of guiding the trustees as
Chairman of the Long-Range Planning Committee for almost two decades and served as Chairman of
the Board for a 2-year term, which was the typical time frame for a chairman to serve. Equally as
important, Bill served as a personal coach to the president and helped guide the professional
development and renewal of the president during the same decades. The generosity shown by Bill and
Elaine, his wife, in time, talent and financial resources were a key component in the success that
Shenandoah University enjoyed during this time.
49 The Gruver-Souders UB/EUB Archives, placed in its own room in the basement of Smith Library, it another key way in
which Shenandoah University uniquely contributes to the well-being of The United Methodist Church, especially in
preserving the history and archives of the Virginia Conference. It is hoped that one day the United Methodist General
Board on History and Archives will make the nine volumes of this history electronically available as an on-line resource
for further generations, especially those who cannot readily come to Winchester. —The Editor.
Davis on History of S.C., 1982-2008 84
