"It is a neighborhood Christians rarely visit, where pictures and metaphors touch the imagination, where God expresses His style. Most of us are more familiar, and maybe more comfortable, with preachers and professors, and we'd like God to be like that. Heaven forbid that God should turn out to be an artist." (Schmidt, 2002, A Scandalous Beauty, p. 8).

The arts inspire. They awaken. They heal. The deepest longings of entire cultures are carried on the wings of creative expression. We need the arts and we need leaders who will activate their potential to humanize and transform at the individual, community and national levels.

BGU’s Leadership in the Arts Concentration is designed to equip leaders to engage the life enhancing truths of the arts and their change capacities. Consisting of three courses, LIA 701 (Art, Faith and Compelling Grace), LIA 702 (The Artful City), and LIA 703 (Integrating the Visual Arts into the Life of the Church - offered during the 2023 Summer Term), these Courses inspire and compel leaders to integrate the confluence of faith, imagination, creativity and authentic change into their areas of expertise.

“As a result of taking this class (LIA 702), I feel I have had a breakthrough in my thinking. I have greater clarity on how to balance both the work and the creativity of ministry in my city. I have been given permission to dream again. There’s a fire in my belly to utilize creativity in doing the work God has given me to do and to recruit younger leaders to do the same.” (Danny Lopez, Senior Pastor, New Life Community, East Humboldt Park, Chicago)

Please contact Dr. Maria Pompea with any thoughts or questions regarding the Leadership in the Arts Concentration.

Learn about Dr. Pompea HERE.