Asbury University dedicated its new Howard Dayton School of Business today, named in honor of Christian business author and entrepreneur Howard Dayton.
The new school of business will aim to prepare its graduates to tackle economic, social and spiritual poverty around the world, with the goal of becoming the best business school “for” the world.
“The vision is to have a global impact, because to our knowledge there is not another business school anywhere on the globe who will be doing what we’re going to be doing,” said Dayton in a media release. “As I talk to business people around the world, they’re very eager to learn from what we’ll be doing at the school at Asbury.”
Dayton has written six books on business and finances from a spiritual perspective, and he hosts the nationally syndicated radio program “MoneyWise” through his ministry called “Compass — Finances God’s Way.” He founded Crown Ministries in 1985, which merged with Christian Financial Concepts in 2000 to form Crown Financial Ministries.
Dr. Sandra Gray, president of Asbury University, said the formation of the new business school was a natural fit with the university’s overall mission.
“Our mission is all about preparing men and women to make a difference in their homes, society, family, church and the world; there’s not any segment of life that business doesn’t impact in some way,” Gray said in the media release. “Our commitment to the integration of faith and learning almost mandates a strong business program to integrate our faith principles and Christian value and understanding within the financial and economic decisions we’re making.”
In addition to the dedication ceremony, Asbury University will also be holding a symposium today for students and community members. Panelists at the symposium will include Dayton and Gray, in addition to Peter L. Ochs, founder of Capital III; Jess Correll, chairman of the First Southern National Bank; and Samuel J. Mitchell, Jr., senior vice president of Ashland Corporation.
Asbury, which offers more than 50 majors in undergraduate and graduate programs to a population of more than 1,700 students, has named Dr. Michael Kane as dean of its newly formed Howard Dayton School of Business.
“I know as the leader of this new business school, business holds the power to bless, but only if it is completely surrendered to God,” Kane said in a speech on business ethics in January. “We will follow the triple bottom line, not the bottom line — not just profit, but people and purpose — and that will be the foundation of our new school.”