The Open Door Creed
- bepanneton
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Carrying Them as Far as They Can Go:
Where Dallas Herring Meets Matthew 25
I am a higher education administrator at a small, rural community college in eastern North Carolina. A recent homily (on Matthew 25:31-46) inspired me to align the tenets of that Gospel reading with the mission of the Community College System that served me 35 years ago, as a high school graduate who didn't know what he wanted to do or where to go next, and has been my professional home for more than two decades.
The Gospel of Matthew 25:31-46 calls us to care for the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. When woven together with Dr. Dallas Herring’s visionary philosophy and the empowering missions of both the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) and a small, rural community college in Eastern North Carolina, this scripture translates seamlessly into the daily work of lifting up our most vulnerable students.
“Many of our students may be ‘one flat tire’ away from dropping out.” ~retired Community College Nursing Program Director
At a small, rural community college in Eastern North Carolina, the margin between a student achieving a life-altering credential and being forced to abandon their dreams is often razor-thin. This reality is deeply reflected in the institutional data: 83% of 1,397 students walk through the doors part-time, fiercely balancing their education with the competing demands of jobs, rent, and family. Furthermore, 76% of the degree-seeking undergraduates rely on federal Pell Grants just to make their education financially viable. Serving a population that is 74% female and beautifully diverse, that community college campus does not just provide a syllabus; it provides a lifeline.
This fragile reality is precisely where the secular mission of the North Carolina Community College System converges with the sacred mandate of Christian discipleship.
When Dr. Dallas Herring challenged our system to “take people where they are and carry them as far as they can go,” he laid down an educational framework that perfectly mirrors the spiritual call of Matthew 25:31-46. The hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, and those bound by generational poverty are not abstract theological concepts—they are the very individuals sitting in the classrooms, logging into distance courses, and trusting those institutions with their futures.
As higher education faculty, staff, and administrators, our leadership cannot merely be about managing budgets or observing policy. We are called to be the ones who help patch that flat tire. By viewing the open-door policy not just as an admissions metric, but as an altar of grace and opportunity, we transform our daily administrative work into a living ministry.
The following reflections serve as my creed—a reminder that what I can do to empower the most vulnerable student on our campus, I do directly unto the Lord.
1. On Welcoming the Stranger and "Taking People Where They Are."
"In Matthew 25, Christ calls us to welcome the stranger. In our community colleges, that stranger is often the first-generation student, the displaced worker, or the adult learner standing hesitantly at our open doors. By honoring Dr. Dallas Herring’s philosophy of 'taking people where they are and carrying them as far as they can go,' we do more than provide an education; we extend a holy welcome, transforming an unfamiliar campus into a sanctuary of opportunity for all."
2. On Feeding the Hungry and Fostering Generational Change
"We are asked by the Lord to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. We answer that call daily by fighting the starvation of poverty through what Dallas Herring envisioned as 'Total Education.' When our system delivers the skills needed for transformational generational change, we aren't just building a workforce—we are deeply nourishing the least among us and clothing them in the dignity of a sustainable future."
3. On Visiting the Imprisoned and Promoting Fairness
"Many who walk onto a community college campus arrive imprisoned by circumstance, self-doubt, or past mistakes. When we actively fulfill our college goal to promote an atmosphere of fairness and opportunity for all, we are visiting the imprisoned and unlocking their chains. Education becomes the key that sets them free, allowing us to carry them toward community prosperity and grace."
4. On Serving the "Least of These" Through Economic Mobility
"The historical mandate from our system's founders to 'never forget the poor' is not just an educational directive; it is our Matthew 25 imperative. Every time we remove a barrier for our most vulnerable students—those who are financially, emotionally, or academically impoverished—we are serving Christ Himself. Our daily work is the faithful pursuit of economic mobility for the least of these."
5. On Quenching the Thirsty and Being a Training Partner
"'I was thirsty, and you gave me drink.' So many in our community thirst for a second chance, a living wage, or simply someone to believe in their potential. At community colleges, when we step up as exemplary leaders and training partners, we provide the living water of lifelong learning. In lifting up our most needy students, we quench the thirst of our entire community."
6. On Caring for the Sick and Embracing All
"A student suffering from the anxieties of life, food insecurity, or a lack of direction is the very person Jesus calls us to care for. When our college embraces the unique qualities of all and surrounds our students with innovative support services, we tend to the weary. We meet them in their vulnerability, take them exactly where they are, and walk alongside them as far as they can possibly go."
7. On The Open Door as an Act of Faith
"Our open-door policy is not just a statutory obligation; it is a profound act of faith. To look at a student who has been marginalized, forgotten, or told they are 'less than,' and to offer them an enriching path to success, is to look into the face of God. What we do for the most struggling student in our classrooms, we do unto the Lord."
8. An Administrator's Creed
"'I was a stranger to higher education, and you welcomed me. I was hungry for a better life, and you trained me. I was bound by poverty, and you empowered me.' This is the Gospel lived out in the mission of the North Carolina Community College System. As faculty, staff, or administrators, our highest calling is to ensure that 'opportunity for all' is not just an institutional goal, but our continuous act of love in serving the least of these."
9. A Unified Amen
In closing, this creed reminds us that our leadership is never merely about budgets or policy, but about people. When we actively patch the flat tires of life and remove systemic barriers for our most vulnerable students, we fully realize the true mission of the community college as a continuous act of love.
The Final Mandate: Fulfilling the Sacred and Secular Call
Ultimately, the framework outlined in this creed serves as a definitive roadmap for transforming daily administrative duties into an impactful ministry of grace. By anchoring the open-door policy in the shared philosophies of Dr. Dallas Herring and biblical discipleship, institutions like a local community college become true sanctuaries of hope and economic mobility.
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