By Brad Dupray
Dr. David Eubanks came to Johnson Bible College (JBC) as a student in 1953, joined the faculty in 1958, and has served since as president since 1969. Eubanks holds a doctorate in history and English from the University of Tennessee and served as president of the 1984 North American Christian Convention. He announced his retirement from JBC last year and is on track for a transition plan to complete his service at the end of the 2006 2007 school year.
How has a Bible college education changed over the past 50 years?
Bible Colleges today provide much more instruction in practical ministries administrative practices, counseling, conflict management, leadership training. Back when I was in school many of those subjects you sort of learned on the job. Even with all that instruction, though, most ministers feel like they haven’t had enough.
You do often hear ministers say, “Now that’s something they don’t teach you in Bible college!” What are the things a minister just wouldn’t have without a Bible college education?
Ministers can wax pretty eloquent on the things they didn’t learn, but one thing they take with them is a strong foundation in biblical study. I value my Bible college education because of the strong foundation in biblical studies. I think another comment they would make is that the Bible college environment places a high premium on commitment to ministry I’m not just talking about preaching ministry but education in an environment that has a strong emphasis on service.
Does our culture scare young people away from ministry?
Some people decry what they feel in some circumstances to be too few men preparing for the preaching ministry. But frankly there’s not a culture out there in the churches that is as conducive to a commitment to preaching as there was. That’s a difference between now and when I came to Bible college 53 years ago. At Christian service camp you had a full time Christian service recruitment emphasis and there was a strong emphasis on commitment to ministry commitment to preaching. The Bible colleges have to work on  students after they arrive to recruit them to preaching more than we did in decades gone by.
When you originally came to JBC were you planning on a teaching career?
I was 17 when I came to school here in 1953. I received a bachelor’s degree in 1957, my master’s degree in 1958, and then started teaching (at age 23). I was hired for a one year stint to cover for a faculty member who had resigned. I had plans on going elsewhere to continue my education at a later date. I was preaching at the Woodlawn Christian Church while I was teaching that first year, and it was going well. I served the Woodlawn church for 12 and a half years while I taught at the college.
Did teaching provide a benefit to your church ministry?
The church grew during all of that period and it was a very satisfying ministry. It was a positive impact on my teaching. It helped me hone my speaking skills while I was learning how to teach. I was working on my doctorate at the same time and raising a family I had a lot on my plate!
Are kids the same today as when you became president in 1969?
We have a large number of very dedicated students now and we had dedicated students then, too. We have a number who are the most dedicated students you’ve ever met. We have had a lot of those in every stage of my presidency. You always have students who have no business being in a school like ours because they don’t have a purpose to serve. In general the students today come with a little firmer purpose than they did a few years ago.
What are the biggest changes over the past 48 years?
One of the developments that has taken place is that we have expanded our curriculum to provide more career options for women. Another one of the satisfactions of my presidency is that we have been able to maintain our historic emphasis on preaching. I don’t think our emphasis has ever been stronger than it is now.
One of the things I’m extremely pleased with is that we have more students enrolled in our missions program than we ever have. We have a strong and thriving interest in missions. One of our newest buildings has a main emphasis as a missions center.
Speaking of women, it was pretty ground breaking for Emma Elizabeth Johnson to have served as president of the college in the 1920s.
She was the widow of the founder of the college. Ashley Johnson founded the college in 1893 and served as president until he died of cancer in 1925. Then his wife succeeded him for two years and she died of cancer. The college was their life. They had one child, stillborn, but no children who succeeded them, so they were married to the college. They willed everything they owned to the college. My wife and I live in the house they built. Some of the furniture we use belonged to them.
I’ve heard that fund raising is the real “grind” for Bible college presidents. How do you keep it fresh keep it from driving you crazy?
Our college was founded to provide an educational opportunity to students who couldn’t afford it. Without gifts you can’t keep education affordable. I greatly value our donors. I have a personal relationship with quite a large number of them. They’re not only donors to the college but they are very close friends. It’s marvelous how dedicated they are many of them never having visited the campus. There isn’t any substitute for the hard work of building relationships. It can be grinding, but it’s very rewarding when you see the results.
How is JBC preparing for the transition?
The trustees and I agreed on a transition time line a year ago two and a half years in advance of my retirement. They have been using the last year to solicit names and reduce the prospects to the traditional “short list.” They hope to make the list short enough to make an announcement by September of 2006. If it’s someone outside of the college, they would hope that person would move onto the campus by January to provide a six month transition process.
Have you been hands on in the process?
I have not been hands on up to this point. When they reach a short list I’ll probably be involved to some degree.
How are you preparing for it personally? Any big retirement plans?
No (laughs). We’re taking our retirement rather low key. We’re purchasing a home about four miles from the college to be near our church. My mother is still living, so I want to be relatively close to her, and we have a grandson close by.
What would Ashley Johnson think about JBC today?
A lot of people who are associated with the college alumni and friends say, “Don’t you think if Ashley Johnson would come back today he would look over the campus and be thrilled with the growth of the college?” I guess I would have to say he would, but modesty keeps me from me saying too much.
What foundations did he lay that are still in place?
One would be strong emphasis on preaching. He main purpose was to educate preachers of the gospel. We have kept that as a major facet of our historic mission. The trustees have mandated that in the next year or two we have a visible and strong preaching center in the center of our campus. I’m committed to a strong emphasis on preaching, and I know that our trustees and faculty are.
Another has been to keep our educational opportunity affordable to students. We maintain a very strong student work program. We have a strong scholarship program for needy students.
We have also tried to maintain a family atmosphere. Nearly all of our faculty and staff live on campus a very high percentage. We actually have 1,200 1,300 people who live on campus.
What will the president of Johnson have to say about you 50 years from now? I don’t know that I would even comment.
I would like to say that I’ve been here so long and, just by virtue of the good things that have happened, I’ve had a lot of recognition. But I would like to make clear that I have had a faculty and staff from the beginning that are more brilliant and creative than I. As president, you get a lot of credit for what other people do. I want to give credit to a marvelous administration and staff. We have a large number of people, 15 or 20, who have been employed more than 25 years. We have two people, Wilbur and Linda Reid, retiring next week, who served 35 years each.
You’re quite the collector of pens. What kind of pen are you carrying right now?
I carry ballpoints in my pocket.
Can I borrow a pen? You can have one.
Brad Dupray is director of public relations and advertising with Provision Ministry Group, Irvine, California.
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