This fall, Belmont’s leadership introduced SOUL, a new framework to help us think about wellbeing across our University community. 

As I wrote about it here, SOUL stands for Seek excellence, Offer gratitude, Unleash hospitality, and Live the dream together. These actions help us develop key virtues like humility, joy, love, hope and wisdom, leading to personal growth and community wellbeing. This is the kind of wellbeing that the apostle John prayed for his friend in 3 John 1:2 – the ability to prosper in all respects, remain in good health and thrive in our souls.

Scripture teaches us that our souls thrive best in community. As members of the Belmont family, we understand the unique gift of growing and learning together in a caring, supportive environment. 

One of the ways in which we seek to do this is by hosting the annual Hope Summit – a three-day gathering of Agents of Hope from around the world, each bringing unique ideas to launch real change. During this year’s event, several of our campus leaders reflected on the SOUL virtues, offering insight and encouragement for our entire community, and I wanted to share them here with you

Winning with HUMILITY: the Belmont way

For hall-of-fame basketball coach Rick Byrd, humility stands as a vital, yet often overlooked, virtue. 

During his tenure from 1986-2019, Coach Byrd led the Bruins from a small NAIA program to a nationally acclaimed Division I team. During these pivotal years for Belmont Athletics, Coach Byrd instilled in his players the importance of humility over arrogance, especially in high-pressure situations. At the gathering, he said, “I’m old school. I believe that you should respect the players you are competing against. Respect your teammates, respect the game, respect the officials.”

Coach Byrd recognized that the greatest players stood out for more than just their athletic prowess – he coached athletes to play with a confidence rooted in humility. 

His philosophies remain the gold standard of Belmont Athletics and carry important lessons far beyond the court. Christ-centered leaders are called to embrace humility not just in the spotlight, but in the quiet, everyday moments of our lives. In doing this, we seek excellence of the highest degree. 

Embracing JOY: A gift to share and choose

Next, Jim McIntyre, Dean of Belmont’s College of Education, shared his thoughts on the gift joy.

“As an educator, I feel like I have an unfair advantage when it comes to joy.” Jim credited his students as his greatest teachers of joy. With decades of experience working with students, Jim has grown to see joy as a two-part experience: both a gift and a choice. 

As a believer in Christ, Jim views joy as an “unearned endowment bestowed by the Almighty upon all of us.” Where happiness is something we ceaselessly strive for, joy is the peace and jubilation we discover through unmerited friendship with God. It’s steady, enduring and always within reach. It’s a gift that we don’t want to keep to ourselves – one that compels us to share with others. 

Jim and his colleagues in the College of Education embodied joy as they dressed up in costume during our community-wide trick-or-treat. They recognized that beneath all the fun and the laughter, there is something deeper: joy! 

Joy is the impetus of human connection and the key to recognizing God’s nearness in our daily lives. When we say “yes” to laughter with unlikely friends, we open ourselves to be transformed by joy, revealing a common humanity that is far more powerful than our differences. 

LOVE: a force that unifies and inspires

Capturing the full essence of a virtue like love is no easy task – it transcends words. At Belmont, we are blessed to know so many artists and musicians who use the power of music to express truths that words alone cannot.

At the Summit, we heard a moving song about love from our friend and former Belmont trustee CeCe Winans. With 15 Grammy wins and over 30 Dove Awards, CeCe’s accolades are a testament to her incredible talent. But what truly sets her music apart is the meaning behind it: love.

Cece views love through a biblical lens, as beautifully described in Colossians: it’s the virtue that “binds everything together in perfect harmony”. Love, especially expressed through music, has a unique ability to convene people from diverse backgrounds, enabling us to experience the kind of unity that Christ intended for creation. 

For Cece, love is more than a feeling – it’s the driving force behind creativity. It’s a strength that empowers us to overcome rejection and fear. When we embrace the unconditional love of God, we are invited to extend that same love with others. 

Building belonging through care: The HOPE effect

We heard from Executive Director of Health and Wellness Adam Pace about the power of hope to cultivate familial belonging. 

Adam is actively engaged with Jovenes en Camino – an organization that provides shelter and support to orphaned, abandoned and abused children in Honduras. Through his work, Adam has seen countless lives transformed by hope. He shared how the organization provides a sense of family to those without one, transforming the course of their lives. 

Hope is something we can’t create on our own. It grows when we’re cared for – spiritually, emotionally or physically – allowing us to see ourselves as part of a community of love. And when we recognize that we belong, we are inspired to offer our gifts with others. It is this cycle, of receiving care and lavishing care on others, that creates a ripple effect of hope and transforms the communities where we live and work. 

As an institution, we take seriously the call to care for our neighbors, especially those in vulnerable situations, including children in foster care. That’s why we’re hard at work researching and collaborating to cultivate hope in Nashville and far beyond.  

Leading with WISDOM: Listening, Learning and Trusting God

Our Chief of Staff and VP for Administration Susan West shared the role of wisdom has played throughout her life’s journey. 

She began with an instructive verse in scripture – James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” 

For Susan, a commitment to true wisdom beckons a lifetime of learning and dependence on God. Despite her extensive executive experience, Susan emphasized that her knowledge and professional prowess only carry her so far – that what really guides her toward truth is God’s wisdom. 

“Godly wisdom teaches me to go beyond facts and feelings… it informs me to wait on God’s timing and instructions before I make a decision that will impact the people that He has chosen me to lead.” Susan’s approach to wise leadership is a striking contrast to many popular notions of leadership we see today. While conventional leaders feel pressure to know all the answers immediately, wise leaders find joy in asking questions and value the quiet discipline of listening. Where conventional leaders act to be noticed, the wise leader acts to serve others.

Becoming people of purpose: Cultivating virtue

As we continue to embrace the SOUL framework, we adopt a vision of Christ-centered wellness and a new way of showing up in our daily lives with intentionality and purpose. 

Humility, joy, love, hope and wisdom are pathways to live lives that are distinctly virtuous. Stories like ones shared by our leadership remind me that cultivating true wellness – for our bodies, minds and souls – is more than an individual pursuit; it is a shared journey. In seeking fresh perspectives and cultivating unlikely friendships, we set ourselves up to be continually made new.