Multiplying Kingdom Leaders – Stories of Impact
On Mission for Eternal Impact
“Kingdom leader” is more than a phrase at the University of Mobile — it is a defining outcome of our mission: The University of Mobile exists For Christ & His Kingdom to Multiply Kingdom Leaders for the Glory of God and the Good of the World. Every classroom, chapel and campus experience is intentionally designed to shape students who will lead with faith, integrity and eternal purpose.
Academic departments, student life events, athletic programs and campus ministries work in concert to develop graduates who are grounded in truth, shaped by faith and equipped to lead with integrity wherever God calls.
That intentionality is more than aspirational language – it visibly shapes campus life and is the driving force behind new programs and initiatives marking the second year of UM President Charles Smith’s administration.
“Kingdom leadership is the heartbeat of the University of Mobile,” President Smith says. “We want every student to leave here equipped not only with knowledge, but with the faith, courage and character to make a lasting impact for God’s Kingdom.
“The true measure of our mission is not how many students walk across the stage at graduation, but how many walk into the world ready to lead with integrity, serve with compassion and make an eternal impact for Christ on whatever path He places before them.”
What is a Kingdom Leader?
What exactly does it mean to be a Kingdom leader, and why is it central to UM’s mission?
Dr. Jason Lee ’91, provost and vice president for academic administration, explains:
“Kingdom leaders are distinct from typical leaders in that Kingdom leaders are defined by Kingdom characteristics and driven by Kingdom goals. Kingdom characteristics include humility, patience, integrity and goodness (Galatians 5). Kingdom goals include service, witness, stewardship and glorifying God in all things, at all times, forever (Colossians 3:17 and 1 Corinthians 10:31).
He cites four keys to creating academic programs that develop Kingdom leaders:
• Academic innovation ensures students are receiving superior training marked by creativity, the latest methodologies and high academic standards.
• Academic partnerships with businesses, medical providers, ministry partners, schools and government agencies expose students to real situations, contemporary challenges and professional mentoring.
• Program efficiency helps students progress through their programs in a timely manner and helps lower student costs and student debt.
• A Christ-centered faculty provides God-honoring programs and courses with a commitment to excellence that glorifies the Lord.
“That intentionality in everything from the classroom to chapel ensures students are equipped to lead with wisdom and character long after they leave this campus,” Lee says.
Shaping Leaders Through Student Life
Leading the overall student experience is Tim Adams, UM’s new vice president for student development and collegiate athletics. He holds a Master of Theological Studies with emphasis in leadership from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Bethel University. His extensive background includes 16 years of pastoral ministry in Liberty and Camdenton, Missouri, as well as leadership roles with Kanakuk Kamps and K-Life Ministries.
A former collegiate football player with a coach’s heart for students, Adams brings a clear vision for strengthening a campus community that shapes graduates who leave UM saying their college experience was transformational.
The Student Leadership Retreat of Fall 2025 kicked off that effort. Faculty and staff identified more than 150 student leaders – sophomores through seniors – from academic, athletic and student life programs across the university. In a week-long intensive experience prior to fall semester’s start, students learned from UM staff and faculty – including President Smith – what it means to be a leader on campus.
The first chance students had to practice leadership in the new school year was Ram Rush, a high-energy week of activities designed to integrate the new freshman class into the campus community. Ram Rush sets the stage for a new student’s successful college experience.
“My vision-cast for the Student Leadership Retreat was that we, as a group, have the opportunity to raise the tide and, with it, all ships in the bay,” Adams says. “For us, that’s the freshman incoming class. We have an opportunity as leaders to make sure these new students have a great experience as they come on campus for Ram Rush. To say to this new group of student leaders that ‘We see you as a person who can help us do that’ was really a rallying point of the retreat.”
Spreading Ram Rush energy throughout the school year are events like The Weekender, a jam-packed weekend filled with activities while increasing attendance and excitement at athletic competitions. The Night Before brought students from across the campus community to a dress rehearsal for Christmas Spectacular, giving them a chance to see friends perform at a professional level in a fun environment that includes games and prizes.
Game Day Choir put a new spin on fan support when over 100 students in full choir robes became the noisemakers for a men’s basketball game. Under the direction of Dr. Andrew Goodwin ’10 & ’23, dean of the Alabama School of the Arts, the choir responded to specific moments – such as singing “Miss It” to the tune of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” when UM’s opponents were shooting free throws.
Within athletics, Adams is providing clarity and direction through a vision built on four pillars — character development, excellence, scholarship and competition — helping coaches and student-athletes understand how to pursue success while growing as Kingdom leaders. Nearly 500 student-athletes representing UM’s 21 intercollegiate teams gathered for the university’s first Spring Convocation for Athletics, a chapel-style service focused on spiritual growth and discipleship. Guest speaker Heiden Ratner, a former collegiate basketball player and founding pastor of WALK Church, challenged athletes to anchor their identity in Christ, not competition. Preaching from John 15, Ratner encouraged students to remain rooted in Jesus, reminding them that lasting victory begins with a life built on Him.
Leadership in Action
Jared Baria ’09 & ’24, director of student life, says Kingdom leadership is about more than titles or positions; it is about equipping students to live out their faith, to serve and to influence others for Christ in every aspect of their lives.
“All of our students and all Christians will have an opportunity to lead somewhere in life – that may be leading in the workplace as an employee or employer, it may be leading in your home. Christians are called to live on mission no matter what they do. Our professions do not change the mission,” Baria says.
The UM experience is rich with opportunities for students to practice Kingdom leadership. Ambassadors and Presidential Fellows guide peers and represent UM with integrity. Campus Activities Board gives students practical experience in developing and implementing campus events. Student Government Association empowers students to implement innovative ideas to enhance the UM experience. Programs like Make Much Bible study deepen relationships with peers while strengthening personal relationships with Christ. Each month, students gather for Prayer Walk across campus, lifting up the university family. Prayer Room happens each semester, bringing students together for an intense time of prayer and worship. Residential Assistants mentor students in dorms through prayer groups and Bible study.
During 2025-2026, University Ministries student teams led worship and Baria preached the gospel to incarcerated men and women at the Baldwin County Correctional Center. Three services at Mobile County Metro Jail – for juveniles, women and men – resulted in 12 professions of faith.
Athletics and intramurals are also spaces for Kingdom leadership. Students learn to compete with excellence while reflecting Christ in all they do, whether on the court, in the gym or at a game-day event. “Even a guy playing intramural pickleball can do so for the glory of God and can represent Jesus well in competition,” Baria says.
Developing Leaders at Every Level
If Kingdom leadership is to be multiplied efficiently, students must see it modeled effectively by those who teach, mentor and guide them. That starts with recruiting faculty, staff and coaches who embrace UM’s Christ-centered culture and providing them with opportunities for growth, such as the annual Ignite Conference each fall. Dr. Rick Langer, retired professor and co-author of “Mission-Driven Colleges: Keeping First Things First in Christian Higher Education,” joined President Smith for a keynote address and armchair discussion about what it means to be a Christian university at the Fall 2025 Ignite Conference.
Additionally, President Smith has called faculty and staff to embody the university’s core values – to be hungry team members passionate about progress, humble servants eager to put others first, smart leaders who approach both people and projects with wisdom, and happy and hopeful colleagues who are encouraging and optimistic.
At the Leadership Project, faculty and staff gather regularly to study influential leadership books through a biblical framework, engaging in thoughtful discussion about how Christ-centered leadership applies to their roles on campus. The initiative fosters shared language, deeper alignment around mission and a renewed commitment to leading with humility, integrity and purpose. Fall semester’s study focused on Patrick Lencioni’s “The Ideal Team Player” and spring semester 2026 is reading “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” by Cal Newport.
The President’s Cabinet further strengthens the university’s investment in developing a workforce of Kingdom leaders. Bringing together administrative leaders from across the university, the Cabinet provides a forum to hear updates on key initiatives, offer input and ensure collaborative, mission-driven decision-making. The result is not merely administrative coordination, but unified leadership shaped by the same Kingdom principles UM seeks to instill in its students.
By intentionally developing leaders at every level, the University of Mobile reinforces a culture where Kingdom leadership is not only taught — it is practiced, modeled and multiplied daily.
Kathy Dean uses her passion for storytelling and “playing with words” to share the stories of people, place and purpose that make the University of Mobile unique. As associate vice president for university communications, she manages media relations, edits the TorchLight alumni magazine, and oversees university communications. A former award-winning journalist, she is a two-time recipient of the Baptist Communicators Association grand prize for feature writing. Kathy and her husband, Chuck, live with three extremely loud miniature schnauzers.
