The Biola community is losing valuable assets as two distinguished educators have decided to step down from their positions, both after dedicating more than two decades to the university.

Dennis Dirks, academic dean for Talbot School of Theology, announced to the Talbot community last week his intention to resign after serving faithfully for 35 years. Michael Anthony, vice provost of academic development and effectiveness and a professor of Christian education, is resigning after 27 years to take over the role of president and CEO of Hume Ministries.

Impacting the Biola community

Both administrators have been impacting Biola in potent ways. As a dean, Dirks has played a decisive role in planning an efficient faculty recruiting program. He also emphasized the priority of quality teaching and programming at Talbot and influenced the establishment of multiple graduate extension programs in Ukraine, Manhattan, New York and Orange County. Anthony has also been influential in a myriad of ways by founding the Center for Faculty Development, playing a key role in developing and bringing into fruition the Distance Learning department and overseeing the report for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Both men envision and highly value extending Biola’s mission in equipping men and women in mind and character to impact the world for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dirks’ plans to stay active in ministry

Although Dirks is stepping down as the academic dean for Talbot, he said he still wants to be involved with Biola at some level.

“I’m actually not sure it’ll be retirement yet,” Dirks said. “I’m planning to step down from the dean position — maybe into a position of lesser responsibility — but if something like that doesn’t work out, I don’t plan to retire from serving the Lord, I want to keep on serving as long as I have energy.”

Seeking God’s will

Since 1970, Dirks has, in some way, been involved in the Biola community. Outside of Biola, Dirks is involved in numerous ministries, including the International Council for Higher Education and his home church. Even though Dirks has been successful as a dean, an advisor and a Talbot staff member, he says that he never sought to obtain a certain position, but rather, sought for God to steer his life. Dirks emphasized the need for Biolans to do the same.

“What calling is God placing on your life?” Dirks probed. “What is he directing you towards? Once that is identified, just commit to obedience and faithfulness and God will take care of the details.”

Dirks said that he will especially miss working with the Talbot staff, who he says, share the same passion for ministry and commitment to raising up strong leaders for the Lord’s work as he does. Dirks emphasized that a hallmark of Biola is its dedication to integrating faith and academics, something that he hopes Biola will continue to uphold long after he is gone.

“There are great things ahead for Biola,” Dirks said. “There are great things ahead for Talbot. I know God is going to use this institution in some wonderful ways in the years to come.”

Anthony’s legacy as mentor and administrator

Starting his Biola career as professor of Christian education in 1984, Anthony was promoted and became the Christian education department chair. He was then promoted to social provost for five years, and finally assumed his current position as the vice provost of academic development and effectiveness. There is no word regarding Anthony’s placement. Meanwhile, the 11 departments he supervises are temporarily being overseen by four people who have yet to be announced. Anthony is currently in charge of the interterm and summer school programs, library, media center, faculty development, department of distance learning, diversity effectiveness, department of integration of faith and learning, faculty resource and development grants, accreditation, and instructional services.

Anthony leaves a deep imprint of dedication, passion, and guidance behind him that has had an apparent effect on students and colleagues alike.

“It’s not about putting degrees on students’ walls,” Anthony said. “It’s about impacting their heart, so it gives me, as a faculty member or an administrator, a chance to impact their lives.”

Anthony went on to say how some of his students are still dear friends to him even though some have graduated more than 25 years ago.

“Discipleship is a really big deal so the classroom is the means, and the end for me is to be able to mentor students,” Anthony said. “By the time they graduate, they are individuals who are deeply involved in my life and I’m deeply involved in their life.”

Anthony has officiated students’ weddings, taken them on mission trips, and even has a student’s child named after him.

Anthony’s colleagues have made no less of an effect on him and his time here.
“I’m going to miss the relationship with colleagues a lot because I’ve done life with so many of these faculty,” he said.

Aligning missions

The life-changing opportunities that Biola provided, such as being at Ground Zero right after the Sept. 11 attacks, seeing the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and being present in Haiti after the earthquake have left a lasting sense of gratitude and reverence in Anthony towards Biola and its mission.

During his time at Biola, Anthony founded the Center for Faculty Development, which focuses on helping faculty, played a key role in developing and bringing into fruition the Distance Learning department, and oversaw the report for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. His vision for Biola is in tandem with its own mission, to equip men and women in mind and character to impact the world for the Lord Jesus Christ.

“I would like to see Biola have more of a global impact, which would include hybrid degree programs and distance learning online programs,” Anthony said.

Biola has approximately 60 classes online, and envisions that number to go up over 1,000 in the next few years, according to Anthony.

“I think we can go all over the world with Biola’s distinct approach to education, and online allows us to be able to do that,” Anthony said.

Although he will be leaving Biola, Anthony looks forward to continuing the relationship between Hume Ministries and Biola with his new executive position. He also said that because Biola students work at Hume Lake Christian Camps during the summer and professors speak there, the connection between him and the Biola community will remain strong.