What Does a Principled Christian Leader Look Like?

In the summer of 2018, we highlighted the five key components of the John Jay and Saratoga Fellows Programs in what we called our Life Together series. Then in the fall of 2018, we released our Learning Together series, which highlighted the five academic modules in the John Jay curriculum. This semester, we are starting a new series, entitled Leading Together.

In his book, How to Be A Conservative, the late Sir Roger Scruton observed:
Conservatism starts from a sentiment that all mature people can readily share: the sentiment that good things are easily destroyed, but not easily created. This is especially true of the good things that come to us as collective assets: peace, freedom, law, civility, public spirit, the security of property and family life, in all of which we depend on the cooperation of others while having no means singlehandedly to obtain it. In respect of such things, the work of destruction is quick, easy and exhilarating; the work of creation is slow, laborious and dull. 

For over twenty years—first through the Witherspoon Fellowship and now through the John Jay and Saratoga fellowship programs—the John Jay Institute has been preparing principled, faith-informed men and women for this “slow and laborious” work of building (and re-building) institutions, communities, schools, churches, and other assets essential to flourishing communities. We have and continue to help form our Fellows with the foundational principles necessary for this essential work. We know well that this work will not be quick. At the same time, more than 800 Witherspoon, John Jay and Saratoga alumni are already having a significant cultural impact through their professional work, families, churches and communities.

 In this new Leading Together series, we will be highlighting five John Jay alumni who are in positions of leadership in diverse fields—alumni who are using the principles learned at the John Jay Institute to impact their communities, building the “collective assets” and deepening the impact of the Institute throughout the nation.

If you like what you read in this series, you may also enjoy reading our Life Together and Learning Together series, which highlighted the five key components of the John Jay/Saratoga Fellows Programs and the five academic modules of the John Jay Fellowship, respectively.