Westmont Magazine Westmont Hosts Conference on Spiritual Development

Westmont has been chosen from among colleges and universities across the county to host the 34th annual Lilly Fellows Program National Conference on September 27-29, 2024.

“This is quite an honor and will certainly enhance the visibility of the college within the network and beyond,” says Lisa DeBoer, professor of art and one of the organizers for the Westmont conference.

The national gathering, expected to attract nearly 200 professors and administrators from faith-based colleges, will focus on the spiritual development of college students.

The highly conversational conference will feature three keynote presentations followed by small-group breakout sessions, which allow attendees to consider what to take back to their campus.

The Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities encompasses Catholic and Orthodox schools, including an array of Lutheran, Presbyterian and Mennonite institutions. About 15 members also belong to the Consortium of Christian College and Universities, whose members primarily affiliate with evangelical Protestantism.

Westmont has actively participated in the Lilly network for the last two decades with faculty and alumni benefiting from mentoring grants, post-doctoral fellowships and graduate student fellowships. “Hosting a national conference is a way for us to offer something back to an organization that has supported our mission,” DeBoer says. “While these conferences are intense to host, I hope the program we put together is informative, nourishing and inspiring to all who come.”