Series: News

Point and Jessup Cited as ‘Enrollment Success Stories’

The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities published an article on “Enrollment Success Stories” that features two of our Restoration Movement colleges: Point University in West Point, Ga., and William Jessup University in Rocklin, Calif. The story describes how, in 2006, Point University had 423 students, limited course offerings, and outdated facilities. “A firm of consultants estimated that it would take $17 million to make facilities fit for its current number of students,” the article stated, “as well as a $50 million investment to accommodate 1,200 students.” Much has changed over the past dozen-plus years. As of fall 2018, more

May 22, 2019

Salty Church Marks 9 Years of Sunrise Services on Beach (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Salty Church in Ormond Beach, Fla., recently celebrated the ninth anniversary of its weekly sunrise worship service on the beach. The service launched in May 2010 and is held at 7 a.m. at the Granada Beach Approach. It is a way to attract “beach people”—surfers, bikers, and tourists. But the service tends to attract all kinds of folks, lead pastor Robbie O’Brien told the Ormond Beach Observer, which wrote a story about the milestone. “The beach is typically a great equalizer,” O’Brien said. “We don’t know who’s rich or poor, or sometimes, we don’t know who’s homeless

May 22, 2019

Christian College Graduation Notes, Leadership Transitions

Compiled by Jim Nieman Mother and daughter graduated on the same day at Milligan College on May 11. JoDee Dotson was one of eight inaugural graduates in Milligan’s new Doctor of Education program, while her daughter, Taylor, also crossed the stage that day and plans to return in the fall to pursue a master’s degree in occupational therapy. One of Milligan’s MBA graduates couldn’t attend commencement. Vanessa Botero was with the Milligan cycling team that was competing in the Division I Varsity Nationals in Augusta, Ga. But Milligan president Bill Greer hoofed down to Augusta, Ga., on May 12 to hand-deliver the diploma to Botero. (Oh, and Milligan finished second in the competition.)

May 21, 2019

Rusaw Takes on New Challenge

Pastor steps down after 28 year at Longmont, Colorado, church to lead Spire By Chris Moon “I’m not a hugger,” Rick Rusaw told Christian Standard as he was preparing for his last weekend as pastor with LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colo., “but I’ve been giving out a lifetime’s worth of hugs this week.” Rusaw stepped down Sunday from his 28-year run at LifeBridge and now is focusing his efforts as CEO of Spire Network, the successor organization to the North American Christian Convention. Rusaw started at the church in 1991 after a stint as executive vice president at Cincinnati

May 16, 2019

WWII Medal of Honor Recipient with Ties to Boise Bible College Dies

Robert Dale “Bob” Maxwell, 98, a Medal of Honor recipient who, with his late wife, Beatrice, established a scholarship that is awarded each year to an outstanding preaching major at Boise Bible College, died May 11. “He was a very humble, quiet person,” close friend Dick Tobiason told the Bulletin in Bend, Ore., where Maxwell lived. “He smiled whenever he talked about veterans, the flag, country, and patriotism. He loved being an American.” Maxwell died more than seven decades after quickly grabbing a blanket and throwing himself on a German hand grenade in France on Sept. 7, 1944, according to

May 15, 2019

Churches Donate 3 Tons of Pennies to Camp (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Lake Springfield Christian Assembly in Chatham, Ill., is learning the power of the penny. The Christian camp has collected a million pennies from 26 churches during the past two months to help generate funds to acquire an additional 2.7 acres of land. The $10,000 in pennies were put on display in a large bin at the camp; they weighed 6,000 pounds. “(The lesson here) is that every penny counts, especially when you’re a 501(c)(3),” camp manager Kerma Yotter told the State Journal-Register. “What’s more amazing, and we see it all the time, is God’s provision through his faithful

May 14, 2019

Ranson Closing Out 40-Year Career at Hazelwood Christian

By Jim Nieman Back on May 20, 1979, during his first Sunday as senior minister with Hazelwood Christian Church in Clayton, Ind., Steve Ranson had no idea it would be his first of 2,000-plus Sundays there. He was unaware the church had had 31 ministers since its founding in 1910—a span of 69 years. That’s a new minister every two-plus years. “It wasn’t trending well,” Ranson deadpanned. But things worked out, though Ranson now confesses that, early on, he was occasionally at a loss for topics to preach about. “It wasn’t like it is today, with the Internet and so

May 8, 2019

Florida Students Rescued by Aptly Named Boat

Florida Students Rescued by Aptly Named Boat Two high school seniors from Christ’s Church Academy—affiliated with Christ’s Church in Jacksonville, Fla.—endured a harrowing ocean adventure and were rescued by a boat with a fitting name. The pair were swimming near Vilano Beach when they discovered they were too tired to make it back to shore. “We were just going for a normal swim,” Heather Brown told ABC News. “But the current kept taking us, and we didn’t realize it until we were completely off track.” Brown and Tyler Smith were stuck at sea for an hour and a half, during which they prayed that God would save them

May 8, 2019

Church Finds Time Capsule, Restocks It (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Central Christian Church in Portales, N.M., discovered a 60-year-old time capsule while expanding its building. As contractors removed a plaque that marked the cornerstone of the building, they discovered a Bible, a copy of the local newspaper from 1958, a church bulletin, and a history of the church written by then pastor Glen E. Hull. The Eastern New Mexico News tracked down Hull, 86, who now lives in Florissant, Mo., with his wife of 62 years, Inez. CCC was Hull’s first ministry. “You always go back to your first ministry. It brings back lots of good memories,”

May 3, 2019

Christian Living

Dahlman Chronicles Long Journey in Search for ‘Home’

By Jim Nieman When S.J. Dahlman hiked the Wilderness Road in 2013, he explored not only his surroundings, but a slice of the nation’s history and the larger meaning of “home.” He also produced a book—a requirement of the Master of Fine Arts degree he was pursuing—which was recently published by the University of Tennessee Press. “I came to see this book as a way to get better acquainted with a region of the country where I had lived for years,” said Dahlman, who is completing his 20th year on faculty at Milligan College in Tennessee. “Even though I had

May 1, 2019

Johnson Retires from The Creek but Continuing with e2

By Chris Moon Gary Johnson has decided to have just one full-time job from now on . . . and he’s pretty excited about it. “I’m like a kid on Christmas Eve,” he said last week as he prepared for his last Sunday on the job as pastor of The Creek in Indianapolis. “I’m waiting for 8 a.m. on Monday morning to arrive when I only have to wear one hat.” Johnson retired Sunday from 30 years at the helm of The Creek, which he saw grow from 250 in attendance to more than 4,000 during his tenure—something he attributes

May 1, 2019

Miscellaneous

Emmanuel Receives NACC Archives (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Emmanuel Christian Seminary’s Helsabeck Archives has received the contents of the archives of the North American Christian Convention. The seminary has been sorting through 100 boxes that contain photos, audio, and visual material spanning the 90-year-plus history of the NACC. “When the NACC contacted us about donating their archives, I was thrilled,” said Katherine Banks, college archivist at Emmanuel. “Because the Helsabeck Archives is focused on collecting the history of the Christian church/church of Christ branch of the Stone-Campbell Movement and the convention has been such a pivotal part of that branch’s history, I knew it

April 30, 2019

Alexander to Succeed Derry as President of Hope International University

When Dr. Paul H. Alexander assumes the presidency of Hope International University in August, he will become the first alumnus of the institution to serve in that role. Alexander has been selected to succeed Dr. John L. Derry as president by HIU’s board of trustees. Alexander will begin serving as the institution’s seventh president on Aug. 16, upon Derry’s retirement. A presidential inauguration at the school in Fullerton, CA, is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 17. “I consider Paul one of my best friends and have had the privilege of working closely with him for nine years in his role as

April 28, 2019

Giving & Fundraising Stewardship & Generosity

‘Your Debt Is Forgiven’

Pathway Church in Wichita redirected some funds and worked with a nonprofit to pay off the medical debt of 1,600 Kansas families as an Easter gesture demonstrating how Jesus Christ forgave our debts. “We decided to take some of the money that we would normally give to people who are in financial need,” lead pastor Todd Carter told the church on Easter, “and we took some of the money we would normally use to be able to promote our Easter services” via advertisements and direct mail. “We wanted to send out a different kind of mail this year.” Letters to

April 24, 2019

Ozark Library’s New Fine Structure Based on Pull-ups (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Mo., is looking for creative ways to attract more people to the Seth Wilson Library—and to shed the perception that libraries are stuffy. To that end, library director Derek Moser has installed a pull-up bar as a way for students to pay off their overdue books. Moser says library fines—which have been done away with—are relatively inconsequential in comparison to the cost of a lost item. “The idea came to me that if we did a pull-up, that might actually match the crime a little bit better because it’s discipline related,”

April 17, 2019

Four Christian Universities Celebrating Milestone Anniversaries

By Jim Nieman At least four Christian colleges are celebrating significant anniversaries in 2019: Mid-South Christian College is turning 60, Great Lakes Christian College is marking 70 years, Lincoln Christian University turns 75, and Kentucky Christian University will mark its 100th anniversary. KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY Kentucky Christian University in Grayson will celebrate its 100th birthday during Fall Homecoming Sept. 27-29, and again on Dec. 1, the actual anniversary of its founding. The Homecoming plans are still being finalized but will include a performance by 64 to Grayson, a Christian music group that formed at KCU; live performing artist (speed painter),

April 17, 2019

Church Helps Workers after Restaurant Fire (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Whitewater Crossing Christian Church in Cleves, Ohio, is helping about 50 employees of a local restaurant that suffered a kitchen fire earlier this year. The church has been holding weekly fish fry fund-raisers during Lent for Kreimer’s Bier Haus, a German-American restaurant just down the street from the church. The restaurant’s kitchen caught fire in January and the eatery has been closed for renovations since then. “Mark Kreimer, the owner, is a very good friend and part of our church,” said executive minister Jess Adkins. “We were trying to see how we could

April 17, 2019

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

Gardenside Helping the Homeless in Lexington

By Jim Nieman Volunteers at Gardenside Christian Church recently finished their sixth winter of helping the homeless population in Lexington, Ky. Gardenside is one of about two dozen churches in the city that participates in the Room in the Inn ministry, says church member Karl VanDyke Jr. Gardenside houses a dozen homeless men on Tuesday nights, twice monthly, during the winter. “We provide everything they need,” VanDyke says. This past winter, 130 Gardenside volunteers were at work seven separate nights. The final tally showed the church provided 84 beds, along with 84 dinners, breakfasts, and brown-bag lunches. VanDyke says volunteers

April 15, 2019

Elder Killed in Canadian Church Shooting

A shooting during morning worship in British Columbia, Canada, left a church elder dead and another person injured. Church members wrestled the rifle-wielding suspect to the floor and held him until police arrived. Dead is Salmon Arm Church of Christ elder Gordon Parmenter, 78, who was apparently targeted in the shooting. The suspect, 25, is a man Parmenter had helped in the past, said Dave Parmenter, the victim’s son. Gordon Parmenter died at the scene. One person who tried to intervene was shot in the leg and was airlifted to a hospital. He is in stable condition. According to the

April 13, 2019