April 26, 2021
Mid-Atlantic Christian University canceled classes for Monday and Tuesday and is sending students home after the mayor of Elizabeth City, N.C., declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the local sheriff’s office releasing body camera footage in the shooting death last week of Andrew Brown Jr.
March 24, 2021
Harvest Prayer Ministries has started PrayerU, an online school of prayer for individuals, small groups, and churches.
March 10, 2021
Christian Pope will take over as athletic director of Milligan University following the upcoming Aug. 1 retirement of longtime administrator Mark Fox. (Plus briefs from churches in Georgia, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas . . . and more.)
December 22, 2020
Partial demolition of Heritage Hall began last week at Mid-Atlantic Christian University. “This is a delicate removal of the second floor to review if the first floor is salvageable,” MACU reported on its website. “Current expectation from the insurance company is to rebuild the middle section of Heritage Hall and try to salvage the end sections and first floor of the building.” Leaders at the Elizabeth City, N.C., school say they are concerned weather may have caused further damage to the building in the three-plus months since the roof’s collapse. Discussions with the insurance company and consultants are ongoing. Heritage
December 16, 2020
By Jim Nieman A 2020 graduate of Mid-Atlantic Christian University was honored as the North Carolina Student Teacher of the Year for her work this spring with J.C. Sawyer Elementary School in Elizabeth City, N.C. Grace Minter, who is blind, graduated from MACU in May with a degree in elementary education and a minor in Bible. She was valedictorian. Minter now serves as a Braille education teacher with Governor Morehead School, a school for the blind in Raleigh, N.C. In email correspondence with Christian Standard, Minter credited MACU’s “superior” teacher education program, dedicated teachers, and mentorship relationships with helping prepare
November 18, 2020
Mid-Atlantic Christian University, Elizabeth City, N.C., has signed a memorandum of understanding with Rwanda Challenge and Africa Hope Initiatives to offer an accredited associate degree in Bible and ministry to the people of Rwanda and other East African nations. A year ago, Rwanda Challenge director Frank Reynolds approached MACU and shared the need for such a degree. In 2023, Rwandan law will require all ministers to have an accredited associate degree in ministry. Through discussions, the three groups arrived at a solution for providing the necessary degree at an affordable cost. Students will take the majority of the courses online,
September 17, 2020
By Jim Nieman Mid-Atlantic Christian University is awaiting a report from engineers who were on campus early this week to assess viability of Heritage Hall, which partially collapsed on Saturday, Sept. 5, as roofing work was commencing. President John Maurice said MACU’s insurance company will use the assessment to “make a determination on total demolition or partial, based on cost.” “Either way,” Maurice said, “this will be a long process.” Classes were not in session at Heritage Hall that morning—a good thing, as the collapse occurred above the school’s three largest classrooms. “If this would have occurred on [a] Friday
September 8, 2020
At about 11:15 a.m. Saturday, Heritage Hall, the primary classroom building at Mid-Atlantic Christian University, partially collapsed while it was undergoing roofing work. No one was injured or killed. “God’s protection of human life made this a good day,” the university wrote at its website. “The roof was being reshingled and they were here beginning work that morning,” John Maurice, president of the university in Elizabeth City, N.C., told 13newsnow.com. “The neighbors basically said they started to hear the building shifting. Fortunately the roofers were able to get on the ends where it was safe.” “The collapse is believed to
Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Lincoln Christian University president Don Green recently recognized two longtime LCU workers with Distinguished Service Awards. Lynn Laughlin has retired and Freddie Tedrick will end his service with the school at the end of summer. Laughlin began working with Lincoln upon his graduation from the institution in 1964. He first served as assistant basketball coach and director of the physical education program. Eventually he served in a variety of roles: head coach of both basketball and baseball, athletic director, instructor in New Testament, admissions director, dean of students, and finally as vice president
May 17, 2020
By Melissa Wuske An identity crisis is occurring among many denominational churches today. As they wrestle to define themselves amid the competing voices of denominations and modern culture, the Restoration Movement offers leaders and their churches the freedom, in Christ, to craft an identity that fits who they are as a local body while placing Christ firmly at the center. Shifting Identity Is Nothing New Churches leaving their denominations to become independent Christian churches is not a new phenomenon. “Most of the churches that became [part of] the Stone-Campbell Movement were something else first,” said Tim Cole, executive director of
September 11, 2019
Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon A handful of Christian church and church of Christ-affiliated colleges had strong showings in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 rankings of best colleges. William Jessup University, Rocklin, Calif., earned three No. 2 rankings: Regional Colleges West (tied with California State University—Maritime Academy), Best Colleges for Veterans, and Best Undergraduate Teaching (tied with Oral Roberts University). Milligan College in Tennessee ranked No. 4 in Best Value Schools and No. 13 in Regional Universities South (tied with Longwood University). Milligan also ranked No. 43 in Top Performers in Social Mobility for “enrolling and graduating
April 10, 2019
Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman A Christian church pastor in Virginia donated a kidney to a member of his church. James “Beaver” Terry, pastor of Belmont Christian Church in Christiansburg, Va., gave his kidney to church member Eric Nowlin, whose health was failing after years on dialysis, according to the Roanoke Times. Terry first considered donating his kidney to Nowlin while reading Bob Goff’s Everybody Always, which challenges Christians to help those in need—even if it means giving up one of your kidneys. The more Terry looked into the idea, the more things fell into place. A key factor was his blood type—A
February 6, 2019
Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman A lot of connections can be made in church, and that is no more apparent than in the story about how the Indianapolis 500 came to find its newest presenting sponsor. It started two years ago at Traders Point Christian Church in Zionsville, Ind., when open-wheel driver Zach Veach, then 22, asked his pastor, Aaron Brockett, for help in finding a race sponsor. Brockett connected Veach with another church member, Dan Towriss, CEO of what soon would become Group 1001, a major insurance holding company based in Indianapolis. One thing led to another
December 26, 2018
Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Mo., will host a Preaching-Teaching Convention Feb. 18-20. The theme is “No Matter What: Holy Living in a Hostile Land.” Among the speakers will be Caleb Kaltenbach, Brad Tate, Shan Moyers, Ashley Wooldridge, Daryl Reed, Nathan Rector, and Mark Scott. There also will be pre-convention seminars held during the day Monday, Feb. 18, including “Church Leadership: Conversations for the Smaller Church,” “Children’s Ministry Training,” and others. Click here to learn more and to register. _ _ _ Three conferences have been scheduled by e2: effective elders over the next several weeks. Manhattan (Kan.) Christian College will
November 14, 2018
Milligan College’s Emmanuel Christian Seminary will establish a Ministry Resource Center thanks to a $999,863 grant from Lilly Endowment’s Thriving in Ministry initiative, which supports religious organizations as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with more experienced ministers. The goal is for the experienced ministers to serve as mentors and guide their counterparts through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry. Emmanuel’s Ministry Resource Center will have state-of-the-art tools for placing and supporting its graduates in ministry positions. A placement program is planned that will work with congregations to ensure that an incoming pastor’s gifts and skills
October 17, 2018
TCM, which was founded in 1957 and began offering classes at its TCM International Institute in Austria in 1991, is now offering learning opportunities in the United States. “We are not slowing down our ministry in Eastern Europe or Central Asia in any way,” said David Roadcup, global outreach representative with TCM. “We are just adding the U.S. to our ministry, as well as other countries to which the Lord might be leading us.” Stateside course instruction will consist of three months of online work followed by three days of face-to-face lectures and discussion. The next cohort will begin in
September 17, 2018
Hurricane Florence made landfall in Wrightsville Beach, N.C., on Friday and it continues to drop a massive amount of rain in the Eastern United States. Millions of people and thousands of churches have been affected. We encourage church leaders to share news about their churches and how they are coping with the effects of the hurricane. Most importantly, please share how Christian churches and churches of Christ across the county can help. Comment below or send the information to **@********************ia.com. _ _ _ Two Rivers Church of Christ in New Bern, N.C., offers folks a way to contribute to hurricane
April 19, 2018
By Chris Moon KCU Grad Uses Art for the Kingdom A Kentucky Christian University graduate is putting his art to work for Jesus. Cody Sabol always loved to paint. After his freshman year in college, he asked God how he could use his art for the kingdom. God began to answer that prayer when one of Sabol’s friends asked him to paint during an event where the friend was performing. Sabol initially resisted, but then relented after being offered two Taco Bell tacos. (College students can be bribed.) “The paintings turned out awful. A-W-F-U-L,” Sabol wrote on his website,
November 20, 2017
By Chris Moon Pastor Shifts Gears to Raise Funds Jeff Greco will go out of his way for a good fund-raiser””literally. The pastor of Crossroads Christian Church in Wintersville, Ohio, in September cycled nearly 900 miles in eight days from Kansas City, Mo., back to Crossroads. The goal was to raise money to buy a new pickup truck for the church”s missionary in Thailand. Greco embarked on the trip hoping people in his congregation and community would be inspired””not just to give money to help the missions effort, but also to step out in their faith. “I want to
November 21, 2015
By Rick Jett I used to feel sorry for the away team. When I ministered in Marion, Indiana, in the mid-1980s, the Marion Giants were the dominant high school basketball team in the state. They were state champions three years in a row. On game day, everyone in town wore purple and gold to support the home team. Nearly 7,000 fans would fill the high school athletic arena. The ceremony before each home game was designed to intimidate the away team. After everyone stood for the national anthem, the announcer would introduce the starting lineup for the visitors. The cheerleaders
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