Unity First
On campus since last fall, Jessup’s Vice President of Diversity, Reconciliation and Unity (DRU) is Bishop Parnell M. Lovelace, Jr. (Ph.D., D.Min). Dr. Lovelace is excited to serve in this inaugural leadership role, wholeheartedly embracing it to bring hope and healing. “Our message is clearly redemptive and rooted in the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible,” he said. “Jessup University is deeply committed to the belief that diversity reflects God’s infinite creativity and the intrinsic worth He places on every individual. We understand that all people are made in the image of God, which drives us to cultivate a community where everyone is respected, valued, honored and celebrated.”
Dr. Lovelace returns to Jessup and continues as the founding pastor of Center of Praise Ministries in Sacramento and is known as the “People’s Bishop.” Described as an apostolic strategist, communicator, teacher, thinker and progressive leader, Dr. Lovelace is held in high esteem regionally and globally for his character, integrity and life-transforming teachings. Dr. Lovelace has previously served as a Jessup Board of Trustees member and as an adjunct faculty member.
Jessup is committed to integrating DRU into all aspects of campus life and has developed an Institutional Diversity Action Plan (IDAP). The Plan serves as the guide to facilitate DRU and highlights the University’s posture, as presented in Scripture, to celebrate, cultivate and connect various people groups represented on campus and within the larger community. “We seek to reflect the Imago Dei (image of God),” Dr. Lovelace said. “We celebrate diversity, cultivate through engagement and conversation and connect through the activities and actions we take.”
Making traction through connection, reconciliation is central to the University fostering a unified and inclusive campus environment. “I tell people all the time, ‘If you hear or see something where people are mistreated, say something,’” Dr. Lovelace said.
Conversations with faculty, staff and students affirm that the University strives to engage in dialogues steeped in mutual respect. Student organizations also continue to facilitate activities that reflect the diversity of the campus population through events such as the Martin Luther King Jr. event, International and Mercado Night Markets and Black History Month, for example. “We are looking for a campus-wide commitment, where all of us are willing to come to the table,” Dr. Lovelace explained. “It’s really about unity first because if you aren’t at the table, you don’t recognize diversity and become less likely to do the hard work of reconciliation. I always say that unity is like a wedding where everyone wants to celebrate and have fun, but reconciliation is like a marriage, where few are willing to do the work.”
Providing support to the implementation of DRU integration is the DRU Task Force, comprised of student leadership, administration, faculty and staff. “Jessup is making an investment,” Lovelace said. “This is designed so we can all run with it. These actions stemming from the Task Force, not only reinforce our core principles, they model them to the broader community where we find confusion, deconstruction, political divide and extremism. We are acknowledging our insensitivities and truly want to represent the Body of Christ.”
Whether he’s advising students in meetings or hanging out with them in the cafe or chapel, Dr. Lovelace is focused on bringing student groups together. “I’m living proof that it’s possible to pursue higher education and serve others on campus and in your community,” he said. “Simply put, I’m here to educate, model and dispel stereotypes that separate us because we are the beloved community and we are all better together!”
