“The Friends Center was established to help Guilford College maintain a meaningful contemporary Quaker identity,” said Max Carter, William R. Rogers Director of Friends Center and adjunct professor of religious studies.
In July, Friends Center will have a new Director: C. Wess Daniels.
This will be a big change for the Center since Carter has served in the position for the last 25 years.
As an undergraduate Daniels attended Malone University, a Quaker school, and earned his Ph.D. at Fuller Theological Seminary in Southern California. Daniels was a pastor at Camas Friends Church in Washington. He has also written and edited books on Quaker topics.
The Guilford community is excited about Daniels and the enhancements that will come with his new leadership. He brings a wealth of experience to the position, including being a youth pastor, which will allow him to connect effectively with students.
“Part of my approach to leadership is to come into a place and just essentially learn what is going on without having a grand scheme of changing things,” said Daniels, in a phone interview with The Guilfordian.
Some consider Daniels’ leading while learning approach to be impressive.
Daniels will co-direct with Carter, who will retire this year, for the fall semester. This way, Daniels can learn from Carter as he settles in as the new director.
“I think he’s going to be a really good new addition to Guilford College’s Quaker heritage,” said President Jane Fernandes.
Fernandes played a huge role in the process of hiring Daniels as the new Friends Center director and oversaw the process.
“As president, I was responsible for the search and for the hire,” said Fernandes. “I convened a search committee, and they worked on my behalf … and then they made recommendations to me for the final candidates. While Wess was here on campus for his interview, I had the chance to meet with him and get to know him a little bit … I found him to be splendidly matched.”
The Guilford community certainly looks forward to Daniels’ arrival. Not only does he bring fresh leadership but new knowledge as well.
As director, Daniels proposes to keep Guilford connected to its Quaker foundation while reaching out and working with the wider Quaker community.
“(Daniels) is an expert on the varieties of Friends and the points on which they can converge around common issues, common concerns and common beliefs,” said Carter. “In all the different aspects of Friend Center’s work, he has really good experience, insight and energy … he is well connected in the Quaker world.”
