David Wheeler, 69, is retiring this summer after 24 years as a professor at Johnson University—and 48 years of ministry overall—but he plans to continue his comedy portrayal of “Johnson historian Clyde Dorkman” for the school’s Senior Saints in the Smokies yearly gatherings.
July 21, 2017
Baptisms Surge at Kentucky Church Thanks to Jail Ministry A Kentucky church is using a jail ministry to add hundreds of lives to God”s kingdom each year. Jessamine Christian Church baptized 227 people during 2016″”a number that is notable because the church averages 525 in weekly worship attendance. That”s an average of 43 baptisms per 100 people in attendance. Only a handful of churches in Christian Standard“s annual church statistics issue””which was compiled by Kent Fillinger and published in May””reached a baptism ratio of 10 per 100 in attendance. Wally Rendel, senior minister of the church in Nicholasville, a city
Dr. Gary Weedman, president of Johnson University, has announced he will be retiring, effective June 30, 2018. During Weedman”s tenure as president, Johnson University experienced tremendous growth in enrollment, academic programs, and facilities. Next year will mark his 11th year as president, 18th year at Johnson, 50th year in Christian higher education, and his 75th birthday. “The words “˜thank you” hardly seem adequate for the 11 years Gary and Janis have faithfully served Johnson University, nor do the words “˜you”ve done a great job” convey sufficiently the praise they are due,” wrote L.D. Campbell, chairman of Johnson”s board of trustees.
July 24, 2014
By Gary Weedman (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) I have received three pieces of advice that have been of equal value to me in the latter part of my professional career. When I went to Milligan College, Dave Rose, a retired insurance executive and alumnus of Milligan, said to me in his cantankerous way, “Weedman, if you”re going to be a successful administrator, you need to learn what I had to learn”””˜hire slowly and fire fast.”” Take your time, attend to due diligence with the first; when you”ve made a mistake, don”t let it
By Mark A. Taylor Some of the best advice I ever received was from Roy Lawson, longtime member of Standard Publishing”s Publishing Committee, and one of this magazine”s original contributing editors. “Emphasize people,” he told me when I asked for ways to make CHRISTIAN STANDARD more effective. “Highlight what people are doing. Promote their ministries and their accomplishments.” Through the years I”ve followed that advice in more ways than one, including a series of special posts you”ll be seeing at this site starting today, all of them from our July print edition”s central feature, “The Best (or Worst!) Advice I
By Mark A. Taylor Some of the best advice I ever received was from Roy Lawson, longtime member of Standard Publishing”s Publishing Committee, and one of this magazine”s original contributing editors. “Emphasize people,” he told me when I asked for ways to make CHRISTIAN STANDARD more effective. “Highlight what people are doing. Promote their ministries and their accomplishments.” Through the years I”ve followed that advice in more ways than one, none of them more engaging than the major feature of this month”s issue. I love our “Best (or Worst!) Advice” pieces for several reasons. First, of course, is the advice
On Monday, Johnson University (Knoxville, TN) and Florida Christian College (Kissimmee, FL) officially merged and became part of the newly established Johnson University System. Florida Christian College is now Johnson University Florida. “This merger will advance the Florida campus by as much as half a century, which is the time it would have otherwise taken to build the degree options and opportunities that Johnson University has in place today,” said Kenny Funk, who served as most recent chairman of the former Florida Christian College Board of Trustees. “Within a few years, Johnson University Florida will have the expanded bachelor”s degree
By Gary Weedman In the summer of 1999, Mary Lou Martin, a Johnson alumna, veteran elementary school teacher, and wife of Professor Bob Martin, led a group of 10 students to China to teach in the English Language Institute of China (ELIC). Little could that intrepid band know what would ensue from their pioneering work. The following year Martin and nine students returned to China, this time to the city of Zhengzhou, Henan Province. This former ancient capital, one of 13 emerging megacities in China, has a population of 8.6 million. These Americans worked with Zhengzhou No. 47 Middle and
By Mark A. Taylor Last month, two Christian colleges announced their intent to pursue a partnership with each other. Johnson University, Knoxville, Tennessee, and Florida Christian College, Kissimmee, Florida, hope to become one institution, perhaps as soon as this year, according to Johnson”s president, Gary Weedman. This is the second such possible merger being pursued between schools reporting in Christian Standard. It should not be the last. Last year Milligan College and Emmanuel Christian Seminary announced a similar plan to consider uniting under one administration. According to Milligan”s president, Bill Greer, and Emmanuel”s president, Michael Sweeney, those talks are continuing
By J.K. Jones Jr. “Rah-Rah” for the CHRISTIAN STANDARD! This is so unlike me to want to lead a cheer for a 146-year-old magazine (founded in 1866 by Isaac Errett), but here I am acting the fool. Those who know me could attest that I prefer a quiet life outside of the public eye. I tend toward encouraging others to stand up and speak out, but at least in this one instance, I find myself uncontrollably vocal. I”d like to take a few minutes and tell you why I”m imitating King David who “was dancing before the Lord with all
By Mark A. Taylor Gary Weedman”s analysis deserves careful reading and thorough discussion among church leaders everywhere. Here”s why: Most of us attend congregations led by ministers and other staff members who graduated from one of the schools listed on pages 14, 15. Most of us attend churches that send financial support to one or several of them. Many of us have urged our own children to attend one of these schools. We have strong emotional, philosophical, and financial ties to these colleges and universities. They deserve our support: they continue to serve faithfully, they continue to improve the quality
By Gary Weedman Our colleges face the same 21st-century issues as the rest of higher education: rising costs, changing demographics, the impact of technology, the effect of globalization, and, especially for us, a question of whether what we do provides value relative to expense or need. The history of our institutions makes these challenges even more acute, since from their origins they have been independent of one another, which hinders any unified response to these 21st-century challenges. I want to address five issues that we must consider if our schools are to remain healthy and effective. 1. Show Me
February 3, 2012
By Gary Weedman For the past 100 years or so, churches and Christians in our fellowship generally have professed to be part of the Restoration Movement. We have not always been clear, however, about what exactly we are working to restore. To this day, perhaps with a bit too much hubris, we say of our early leaders that Thomas Campbell restored the ancient book, Alexander Campbell the ancient order, Walter Scott the ancient gospel, and Barton Stone the ancient life. Work done. Case closed. But for much of the 20th century, many of the heirs of this historical movement thought
May 11, 2011
By Diane Stortz I remember sitting in first-grade reading circle when the letters in the large book in front of me suddenly formed words. Sit, Spot. Run, Jane. Run, Dick. I could read! From then on I read nearly nonstop. Cereal boxes on the breakfast table. My Brownie and Girl Scout handbooks. Stacks and stacks of library books. “Dear Abby” in the newspaper. College texts. Magazines. Self-help tomes. But one book I rarely opened. And when I did, it mystified me. The Bible. In high school I bought myself a New Testament. For college graduation I asked for and received
February 22, 2011
By Mark A. Taylor Jim Tune says in “Stake” that the NACC is better, but less necessary, than ever. His rationale resonates with that of Gary Weedman who contributed one of several “viewpoints” on the NACC for our September 21, 2008, issue. The NACC was created in 1927 as a reaction to what was seen as encroachment of liberal theology and of “open membership” practiced by missionaries. . . . The majority of the leaders of the International Convention . . . were seen to be supportive, or at least tolerant, of the theological liberalism and practice of open membership.
December 2, 2007
Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, Tennessee offers distance-learning graduate options, including a Master of Arts in New Testament with preaching or elective tracks, plus an on-campus Marriage and Family/Professional Counseling program with supervised clinical experience.
June 10, 2007
Gary Weedman reflects on the unfinished work of restoration within the Stone-Campbell fellowship and highlights contemporary voices calling the church back to ancient worship, spiritual life, and unity.
January 21, 2007
A convention comment raises a question about what’s missing in many pulpits. Gary Weedman defines doctrinal preaching, connects it to New Testament speech, and calls churches to restore doctrine with celebration, creativity, and stronger ministry preparation.
January 1, 2007
Meet this year’s lineup of Christian Standard columnists—leaders and thinkers reflecting on Christian life, church ministry, Restoration Movement concerns, and the challenges of Christian leadership.
April 23, 2006
Gary Weedman examines three higher-education trends impacting Christian colleges: shifting demographics, rising costs, and new providers. Drawing on Ten Trends in Higher Education and presidential interviews, he outlines challenges and strategic responses for church-connected institutions.
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