Ian Rowe at Cornerstone: If Christ Is Coming, No Vocation Is Ordinary
If God is reaching toward you, will you reach back?
That was the question nationally recognized educator and Cornerstone University National President’s Fellow Ian Rowe brought to life through Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam when he returned to Community Chapel on October 28.
“It is a genuine joy to be back at Cornerstone University,” Rowe said before delivering an urgent message grounded in the university’s 2026-27 chapel theme, Jesus Is Coming Again! He called the university community to consider how Christ’s return should shape their faith and daily lives.
“Scripture does not treat the return of Christ as a distant possibility that we can contemplate at our leisure,” he declared. “This is not a passive statement suggesting a passive response. It is a prescient description of a future that should reorder how we live today.”
God Is Reaching. Will You Respond?
In Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel painting, God’s extended finger nearly touches Adam’s slightly bent finger. For Rowe, the narrow gap illustrates humanity’s responsibility to respond to God.
“God is always there. His finger is extended to the maximum,” he explained. “But the decision to engage is left to each individual. God does the reaching; Adam and you have to do the lifting.”
Speaking to students raised in Christian homes who may never have personally chosen Christ, as well as those who have drifted away, Rowe called them to trust Jesus as Savior and Lord, receive His forgiveness and follow Him as the risen King who is coming again.
Faith That Forms Character and Changes Lives
As co-founder of Vertex Partnership Academies in New York’s South Bronx, where graduating students have achieved a reported 100% college admission rate, Rowe understands the importance of intentional character formation.
“A school that claims to be neutral about character is still forming character, whether they like it or not. It is just shaping character badly and by default.”
He described how faith, personal agency and strong families can help young people overcome cycles of disadvantage. Christian community also offers belonging and accountability amid growing loneliness and digital isolation.
Rowe reminded students that their future professions will give them opportunities to influence others, but they must first consider how their own faith and character are being formed.
“If the king is coming, no vocation is ordinary.”
Living Faithfully Until Christ Returns
Returning to Christ’s promised return, Rowe closed with the image that framed his message:
“The cross is already painted. The tomb is already empty. The door is already open and the knock is already sounding. But the handle is on our side.”
Rowe’s ongoing relationship with Cornerstone includes the university’s Golden Eagle Partnership with Vertex Partnership Academies, expanding educational opportunities through scholarships, internships and mentoring.
Learn more about the Cornerstone University President’s Fellows program and apply to be mentored by National Fellows such as Ian Rowe by scheduling a campus visit or requesting information today.
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