Dr. Drew Flamm, who started as Grace College and Seminary’s seventh president on July 1, speaks during his inauguration ceremony on Friday, Nov. 4, at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace in Winona Lake. His wife Stephanie Flamm is on the left side of the photo. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WINONA LAKE — New Grace College and Seminary President Dr. Drew Flamm has pledged to remain true to the institution’s foundation.

Flamm made the promise during his inauguration ceremony on Friday, Nov. 4, at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace in Winona Lake. He started as Grace’s seventh president on July 1.

Becoming the youngest president in Grace’s history at age 40, Flamm told Grace staff, students and alumni, community members and others that he would be focused on remaining faithful to what the school was built on: the “cornerstone” of Christ.

“At Grace College and Theological Seminary, we are built on our cornerstone: Christ Jesus,” he said during his address. “And in Him we find our reason, purpose and mission. In Christ, our strivings find value. In Christ, our scholarship has meaning. In Christ, our community is strengthened. In Christ, our careers have purpose.”

“We stand here today as the Grace family because of the men and women who have labored together on this campus for 85 years repeatedly relying on Christ as the cornerstone and we praise God for giving us this firm foundation,” he said. “As we move into the next story of this Grace story, I intend to build upon this sure, steady foundation with four key building blocks.”

Those are spiritual vitality, financial stewardship, faculty and staff thriving and student success, he said, elaborating on each one.

“Those are the blocks, but it only works when they are aligned with the cornerstone, Christ Jesus. It is all centered upon Him and all for His glory,” said Flamm.

Related to his talk regarding the cornerstone, Flamm mentioned how rocks were used as a memorial in Scripture and how he would keep a small pile in his office to remember “this day when all of you … have shown graciously your support, to remind me of the duty ahead to impact the next generation.”

“But most of all to remember this, to remember that I need the Lord’s help and I have the Lord’s help, and He is my chief cornerstone,” he added.

He reiterated his thanks to other people for “support” after the ceremony to InkFreeNews.

“I would just say thank you to students, faculty, staff, community, civic leaders,” he said. “What this represents is collective support for what’s going on at Grace College and Seminary and a desire of all those folks to make a difference in the lives of students, to get our students ready to go make a difference in the world.”

Dr. Drew Flamm, right, and his wife Stephanie Flamm smile for a photo before the ceremony starts.

The Lancer String Ensemble performs at the start of the ceremony.

State Rep. Craig Snow, himself a Grace graduate, speaks.

Suzie Light, former Kosciusko County Community Foundation CEO, speaks.

The Lancer Chorus performs during the ceremony.

Grace College Student Body President Kiersten Martin speaks.

Grace Seminary student Lonnie Anderson Jr. speaks.

The Flamms’ sons participated in Scripture reading during the ceremony. From left: Rihaan Flamm, Jadon Flamm and Bennett Flamm.

Grace Seminary alumnus Dr. David Dockery speaks.

Flamm, left, listens as Grace Board of Trustees Chair Dan Renner speaks.

Kondo Simfukwe speaks before praying during the ceremony.