February 2010 Q & A with Dr. Pedrone

Dr. Dino Pedrone Transitions to Full-Time Presidency at Davis College

Dr. Dino Pedrone has been the president of Davis College since April 2008. From that time until December 1, 2009, Dr. Pedrone remained the full-time Senior Pastor of New Testament Baptist Church in Miami, Florida and traveled weekly between the College and the ministry of NTBC. Beginning January 1, 2010, Dr. Pedrone transitioned to Davis College full-time after resigning from his leadership role at NTBC. His energy and enthusiasm have been contagious on our campus and we welcome him and his wife, Bobbie, as they make a transition to live in Binghamton. Learn more about Dr. Pedrone’s vision for Davis College below from a recent conversation with Sharon O’Connor, Director of Marketing and Development.

Q: Dr. Pedrone, what led you to make the transition to lead Davis College full-time?

A: New Testament Baptist Church in South Florida is an amazing place. The ministry has over 120 acres on two campuses and around 250 employees. When I accepted the call to come to Davis the vision was to set up teaching sites in various places with a strategic one being in South Florida on our campuses. I was thrilled when  Middle States and the Department of Education of Florida accepted the South Florida  campuses as a teaching site for Davis. I spent the time from April of 2008 leading both of these ministries plus overseeing the Florida Association and International Association of Christian Schools.  Nearly every Sunday afternoon after our morning services I would travel to Binghamton and arrive late Sunday night at the airport. Through the kindness of trustees at Davis I was provided a car and a beautiful place to stay. On Wednesdays I usually took the 5:40 AM flight back to South Florida and would be in my South Florida office around noon. I would then do the work of the church ministry and again on Sunday repeat the same exercise. Although God gave me great strength there developed an obvious need. The College has many places for the President to speak, meetings to attend with friends of the College and a variety of things that I could not do because of my limited time. As the financial crisis hit South Florida our church needed the Senior Pastor to be there more. There was a sense of conflict that was developing in my spirit. I spent two nights without sleep as God began to deal with my heart. Both my wife and I became absolutely convinced that the Lord was directing me to Davis to lead the outstanding team that we have here to train the next generation of Christian women and men in ministry. Knowing that this was God’s will I then proceeded to tell my family, the church leadership and then the congregation. In an almost simultaneous way I told the leadership, faculty, staff, and students at Davis. I am here because of the call of God. I am very thankful for a marvelous wife and supportive family who have been there for me every step of the way. 

Q: What will you miss most about Florida and the ministry of NTBC?

A: There are a number of dear people that I will miss. The winter weather that hovers around 70 will definitely be missed. Although I am booked nearly two years in advance in preaching I will miss preparing the Sunday sermons. I plan on using this time of preparation to have more time to continue to write books and articles for Christian publications. I plan on writing at least one new book every year and to continue to write articles for various publications.

(Dr. Pedrone’s latest book What in the World is God Doing? is available for purchase online at www.davisny.edu/president/books.htm or through the Davis College Christian Bookstore by calling 607.729.4494.) 

Q: What is your vision for Davis College?

A: Davis College has historically been a school of Bible and ministry. Since the days of our founder, John Davis, our school has had a passion to teach the Bible in such a way that men and women can communicate it. The College has had great Bible professors of the past such as Bancroft, Barackman, Griffis, Wagner. Today we have Parker, Snyder, Baker, and Colton. All of these are individuals who are well schooled in the Holy Scriptures. In the days of Practical Bible Training School most graduates went into ministry. The ministries were very needed and effective. The ministries were usually pastoral, youth, missions, or a few unique ones like camping. Today ministry is very broad. The purpose of our College is the same today and it is characterized by our  mission statement that includes “…the equipping of students with the knowledge, competencies and skills needed in an ever changing world for service and leadership in the church, Christian organizations and society.” What I desire is that we can do this in a world class way which means that we do the best with what God has provided to us. We may never be the biggest but we can be the best God would have us to be. The following must be addressed.  We need to have an academic program that has quality enhancements so students can continue to grow; to recruit and retain the best possible faculty; to be world class; to be about community/locality and a college that is training the next generation of leaders. There will be a strong emphasis on men called of God to go into the ministry of pastoring churches. Our College will be a school that has a clear Biblical worldview that matures the institution’s academics. We are to be a school that strives to improve the presentation and functioning of all areas and to revive alumni relations and to network with the broader local community. One of the great attributes of Davis is that we are providing a wide spectrum of opportunities with our Counseling and Teaching English as a Second Language programs. I desire to see first class programs in International Ministries and Music/Worship Leader. Our Youth Ministries program recently was redesigned and approved by New York State. Professors such as Melious, Flipse, Seavey and Novak are preparing students to impact the lives of people. If I were to put the vision into one sentence it would be the following: We are Davis College, a college of Bible and ministry, training the next generation to serve our Lord.            

Q: How do you feel God has used the College in Greater Binghamton and around the world?

A: There are men and women around the globe that are graduates of our institution and are faithfully serving the Lord. I suppose it is very accurate to say the sun never sets but that the gospel goes out from a Davis College graduate. The community is becoming very aware of our school. There are many examples of this. Guests such as the editor of the local newspaper have been on campus to attend a Tuesday Presidential Chapel; the mayor of Binghamton had lunch with some leaders and students at the Klee Dining Hall; numerous contractors came on the campus to examine the structural needs; our Marketing and Development Department is connecting with constituent groups through the use of various media. This is just a small sampling of what is taking place. The impact is huge and we want to see it to continue to grow.  

Q: What are some areas that will be immediately impacted by your full-time presence at the College?

A: I will be more available to visit churches and speak and present the College. There are numerous leaders in the community that I have not been able to connect with because of my previous schedule. I want to spend the bulk of my time with our trustees, faculty, staff, students, and the community. The ability to connect in person is the most important thing. 

Q: What are some of the challenges that face Davis College presently?

A: There are many maintenance areas that need to be addressed because of an aging structure. There are so many positive comments on the work that our maintenance team is doing but there is much to be done. We want each of our classrooms to be world class.  Some of our trustees have been a huge help in these areas. There are numerous areas that we want to continue to improve such as IT, transportation, services to the students, and whatever it takes to support our students.  I definitely want to see our professors write more. We have an outstanding group of professors that have much to give. These challenges are our opportunities to make a difference. The greatest challenge is to provide our students with an affordable education. I am very impressed with the quality and the commitment of our students this semester. Our friends who give to the general fund of the College or remember the College in their planned giving are a huge blessing to our students. (Learn more about how our planned giving professionals can assist you with leaving a lasting legacy -- visit our Planned Giving Resource Center online) 

Q: What do you enjoy most about being president of Davis College?

A: I enjoy the people who are a part of our college. The trustees, faculty and staff are awesome. The group though that is number one is our students. They excite me and I am delighted to see them and I enjoy them. Whether they are on the mountain top or in the valley (as we all get sometimes) I simply enjoy being around them. 

Q: What are some of your dreams for the College?

A: Most importantly, and something that is already a reality we will continue to build upon, my dream is to train men and women for ministry. That is the greatest dream. I also want to see teaching sites up and down the East Coast. I desire to see our students excited about serving Jesus and seeing a difference in their lives by serving others. Life was meant for service and I can think of no other joy then to see our students serve their Lord. I have many dreams for Davis College that I am not sharing now but will do so at the proper time. I need to bathe these in prayer. There is a Dream Book that my colleagues have put together with the input of Davis faculty and staff. Many of those dreams I believe will become a reality. Television and radio in addition to the Internet are great places to reach out into the local community and broader audience for Davis. As we see the wonderful hand of God on this 110 year old institution, I believe there will be some grand and glorious days ahead for our college.  I encourage all of those who have been a part of the past of our college (whether it was PBTS, PBC, OR Davis) to join our team and help us; to those who have never been a part of this team, you are invited to come and help us. You are not only welcome but wanted!    

Tuesdays during the academic semester are President’s Chapel at 11 AM on our student-friendly campus in Johnson City, New York. Dr. Pedrone invites friends from Greater Binghamton and the region to visit and experience the culturally relevant biblical higher education offered at Davis College.