Sweet, voted ?One of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America? in 2006 and 2007 by The Church Report, will deliver the keynote address at Glanzer?s Presidential Inauguration at 7 p.m. Friday, May 9 at the college.
Glanzer says his inauguration provides an ideal opportunity for his mentor and colleague to speak, just as the college begins its centennial celebration.
?I think it is important for Tabor to honor and understand our past while passionately responding and aggressively preparing for our future,? Glanzer said.
?Len will help us understand ?What year it is at Tabor? and engage us in a conversation about Tabor?s response and relationship to the future.
?Len understands postmodern culture while committed to a firm faith in Jesus Christ,? Glanzer added. ?He will help us ask ourselves, As we enter our second century, what do we need to know to prepare us for effective service as an institution? And, What do we need to understand as a college as we prepare men and women for a life of learning, work, and service for Christ and his kingdom in the next century??
Sweet is the author of more than 100 articles, 600 published sermons and 30 books, most recently The Gospel According to Starbucks (2007).
He also serves as a professor of evangelism at Drew Theological School, Madison, N.J., and the visiting distinguished professor at George Fox Evangelical Seminary, Portland, Ore., a role that began while Glanzer was dean at the seminary.
?Len came to my rescue by agreeing to participate in an innovative doctor of ministry program that quickly became a popular program for the seminary,? Glanzer said. ?Over the years our friendship has grown as he has served me as a mentor and colleague.?
As founder and president of SpiritVenture Ministries, Sweet is a frequent speaker at conferences in the United States and around the globe.
His Web-based preaching resource, Wikiletics.com, is the first open source (free, unrestricted use) preaching resource on the Web.
His weekly free podcast is called ?Napkin Scribbles,? and a longer subscription-based weekly podcast is available from WiredParish.com.
?Len has a genuine evangelical commitment to Christ coupled with an articulate under?standing of culture and a deep concern for the church impacting culture,? Glanzer said.
?He is someone who has influenced me in many ways including my thinking about postmodernism, the church in today?s world, and my understanding of leadership.
?I trust him and his insights into the people of God serving the world in which we live.?
