A Launchpad for Christlike Service The Brock-Barnes Center for Leadership
Over the course of a day at Covenant College, students encounter wisdom from an array of Christlike leaders. Sitting in class, they soak up the hard-earned insights of their professors. Later, they may swing by the student development office to discuss a spiritual musing. During chapel, students receive biblical encouragement from Chaplain Lowe. In the hallway, they might stop to chat or pray with an athletics coach. That evening, students may debrief with their hall’s resident assistant. Covenant College is indelibly shaped by Christian leaders—it is part of our DNA.
A Crisis of Christian Leadership
The guidance of trusted leaders is vital because our broken world needs individuals whose influence is shaped by the biblical values of humility, courage, and stewardship. However, faithful leadership skills aren’t developed by chance but require intentional cultivation. The Brock-Barnes Center for Leadership (BBCL) is one trusted outlet for strong leadership formation at Covenant College.
Recognizing the need for more godly leaders in the world and the Church, Covenant’s Board of Trustees founded the center and developed its mission, vision, and framework. Former college president Dr. Derek Halvorson was appointed as the first executive director in 2023 and served until 2025. The center’s name honors two former Covenant presidents who faithfully led and expanded the college: Dr. Marion Barnes and Dr. Frank Brock. The BBCL carries their legacies forward by equipping students to exercise meaningful influence, practice steadfast stewardship, and build institutions and communities for lasting impact, participating in Christ’s redemptive work. The BBCL is now being relaunched under the leadership of Jenny Whitener, who stepped in as executive director in October 2025.
Mike Kramer, chairman of the Southeastern Trust Company, was an advocate for the foundation of the center and currently serves as a Covenant College board member and chairman of the BBCL advisory board. He explains, “When God’s Word instructs that leaders should seek to serve rather than dominate, emphasizing sacrifice combined with stewardship, that kind of leader is mirroring Jesus and is highly effective, especially in the long run. That leader will motivate, challenge, inspire, and encourage their teams to be part of something much larger than just their own careers or the company’s next quarter.”
Intergenerational Stewardship
To meaningfully develop students into servant leaders, the BBCL has developed an integrated leadership formation model to engage students with mature Christian leaders from a variety of career backgrounds who are committed to integrating their faith into every aspect of their lives. To build on the strong foundation of the Brock Forum and Executive-in-Residence program, new initiatives such as the Executive Roundtable Series—hosted in collaboration with the Center for Calling & Career and the alumni relations team—have led to more opportunities for seasoned leaders to visit campus, share lectures, facilitate conversations, and mentor students. Brock-Barnes student intern and senior Ian Fanning ’26 explains, “We need leaders in the community who have an understanding of who they are, apart from their business and their identity as a leader, who are humble enough to lead from behind. There's not a lot of that right now, which makes it so much more important to train up students who are not going to be moved by all that is happening in the world.”
The center’s intergenerational emphasis allows current professionals to invest in the rising generation. Through this partnership, students gain access to personalized input while executives experience Covenant’s culture and receive encouragement in their endeavors. According to Jenny, “The leadership formation model that we've developed at the Brock-Barnes Center specifically outlines this connection between those who have experience and those who are new at leadership working together. We intentionally build wisdom-sharing opportunities for experienced leaders to share their insights and their wisdom with the next generation of leaders.”
The BBCL’s most recent Executive-in-Residence program brought Brent Beshore, CEO of investment firm Permanent Equity, to campus. Junior business major Reese Galat ’27 received personal advice in a small-group setting where Brent offered to connect her with a senior executive in the city where she hopes to relocate after graduation. Reese also had the opportunity to meet several nonprofit leaders working in careers she might pursue. She reflects, “I have made so many connections with people who are doing what I want to do. I feel like these events are perfect for networking, making connections, and hearing about leadership. The Brock-Barnes Center has given me so much more insight into what I want to do and even changed my mind on a couple things.” Junior BBCL intern Eric Sonnenschein ’27 agrees, saying, “Brock-Barnes events are a great opportunity for students to really take the tangible skills they're learning in the classroom and apply them with the life and career skills they'll be able to bridge to full-time employment.”
The Leadership Fellows Program
Beyond the impact of wisdom-sharing and networking opportunities, the BBCL arms Covenant students with long-term immersive and personal learning experiences. Beginning in the fall of 2025, the BBCL launched the Leadership Fellows Program, a two-semester series of courses designed to cultivate leadership attributes through real-world, hands-on experiences. To participate, students must be nominated by a professor, submit an application, and then be selected by a committee of Covenant staff. Open to students in any discipline, the program is designed to develop practical leadership skills in twenty students. Throughout the year, the fellows engage in leader dialogue, executive site visits, retreats, and community engagement experiences, connecting classroom learning with real-world practice. At the announcement of the program, the committee received ninety-nine staff nominations and forty-eight student applications. The Leadership Fellows Program demonstrates an intentional way that the BBCL seeks to provide relevant and hands-on growth opportunities for students.
Though the programming offered by the BBCL varies in target audience and experience, each event is unified by a common goal: to strengthen leadership skills for the good of the individual, their communities, and the Church, all for the glory of God. President Brad Voyles affirms the importance of the center, stating, “Christian leadership at Covenant is an expression of our mission—forming students who lead with humility, conviction, and a biblical vision for service. Through the BBCL, students learn that leadership is not about prominence, but about faithful stewardship in Christ’s work of making all things new.” Through its thoughtful cross-generational engagement, emphasis on sharing wisdom, and engaging leadership programs, the work of the center is accomplished by forming students intellectually and relationally, preparing them to lead faithfully in any calling.