Seward will have a few new faces around as Dr. Bernard Bull starts his first year as Concordia University’s president.
Bull comes to Seward with his wife Joyanna, to whom he has been married for 25 years, and his two children Bethany, 17, and Nathaniel, 13.
The Metro East Lutheran High School in Edwardsville, IL, graduate has been involved in the Lutheran education field for 24 years and has worked with students from kindergarten all the way through college.
Bull comes into the role with an impressive educational background attending Concordia University Wisconsin (B.A.), Concordia University Chicago (M.A.), The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (M.L.S), and Northern Illinois University (Ed.D.).
Along with Bull’s service in Lutheran education, he created his own business.
“I started a consulting business when I was 23 that continued in various forms for the next 25 years, first helping non-profits and faith-based organizations explore possible futures and prepare for those futures,” Bull said. “This later expanded to include helping a variety of organizations: education companies, startups, think tanks, professional associations, K-12 schools and universities.”
Bull’s experience doesn’t stop at education and business; he’s also a researcher and an author.
“I am an applied researcher. Much of my work has focused upon futures in education, educational innovation, models of Christian education and critical issues in education,” Bull said. “I’ve also been blessed to serve as editor, co-author or author of eight books.”
The research that Bull has done has allowed him to take up podcasting.
“I have a lifelong love of being an applied researcher, which resulted in me meeting and interviewing well over a thousand educators and innovators during my career,” Bull said. “This eventually led me into podcasting where I hosted a former podcast called the ‘Moonshot Edu Show,’ a current podcast called ‘Edu Futures’ and a new but secret project that I get to announce in the near future.”
The Christian and togetherness aspects were big reasons why Bull came to Concordia.
“Our world is blessed by Christians who embrace the call to be salt and light, engage in deep thinking and cultivate the curiosity and compassion to listen and learn from others,” Bull said. “The Concordia community is a place that prepares people for such a life.”
Bull said that he also likes the academic and togetherness feelings that you get from campus.
“I appreciate Concordia’s recognition that learning in the classroom is important, but that the entire community is part of the learning journey,” Bull said. “We also learn by looking out for one another; sharing meals with one another; gathering in clubs and groups; creating, performing and enjoying music and art and joining in prayer as we regularly gather in worship. As president, I believe that one of my callings will be to support others in helping to sustain and grow such a vibrant, holistic and Christian learning community.”
Bull feels that his background makes him a good fit for Concordia.
“I feel that God has called me to serve and lead at Concordia,” Bull said. “I bring a passion for Lutheran education that comes from a very deep and personal place. I also feel that I bring many lessons learned from decades of service in many different forms of education. I bring an unwavering commitment to joining the community in embodying Concordia’s identity as a distinctly Lutheran and Christian university, and relentlessly exploring the practical implications of this for what we do and how we do it.”
Bull also wants students to know he brings strong leadership skills students can rely on.
“Students can expect many things from me as a leader,” Bull said. “They can expect me be an active and engaged part of the community and life at Concordia; uphold the mission and identity of Concordia; embrace a posture of listening and learning from others that informs our decisions and plans for the future; work hard to secure a strong and stable future for Concordia; support Concordia as a caring and compassionate community; challenge us to explore what it means to embrace the unchanging promises and truth of God’s word; challenge us to think deeply and act boldly, but with humility, as we explore new possibilities and opportunities.”
Overall, Bull is excited to start the school year and serve Concordia.
“I look forward to joining in Concordia’s beautiful expression of a Christian academic community, seeking ways that we can interact with, learn from, serve and love the many neighbors in the world around us,” Bull said. “I am excited to discover ways that all of us in the Concordia community can further commit ourselves to exploring, understanding and responding to critical issues in the church and society from a distinctly Lutheran and Christian perspective.”
