December 30, 2025
What’s Next?
For the Christian, a new year means another growth step to take, another goal to set, and more fruit to bear in God’s kingdom.
Articles for tag: Johnson Bible College
April 15, 2025
Johnson University to Expand Science Program with New Building
Johnson University broke ground of a new science building as part of an effort to bolster the institution's science programs.
February 15, 2024
THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘The Future of Johnson Bible College—Will It Survive Its Founders?’ (1924)
In 1924, Ashley Johnson, the founder of what is now Johnson University, wrote: "Nine years ago I broke down completely and was under the care of a physician. While I waited in bed for two months, Mrs. Johnson kept the work going and came nearer freeing it from debt than ever before. During these nine years I have fought for my life and the work which God gave me to do with all my heart." . . .
November 16, 2022
Beloved Christian Minister Ben Merold Dies
Ben Merold, 96, a beloved minister in Christian churches and churches of Christ for almost three-quarters of a century, died Wednesday morning. Merold was known as a church builder and a friend of the small church.
May 17, 2020
The Boy with the Odd-Shaped Head
By C. Robert Wetzel Crew cuts were popular among boys in the late 1940s. What distinguished them from today’s short haircuts was that the closely cropped hair of the crew cut had to stand straight up. This necessitated at least two occasions of special care. It took a bit of thick hair gel to achieve vertical status, and a weekly trip to the barber to ensure the perfect shape. Hence all through high school, I made my Saturday visit to Charlie’s Barber Shop in Hugoton, Kansas, to nurture this dubious bit of fashion. I think I must have been about
February 12, 2020
Longtime Kentucky Pastor Makes Leap to Greater NYC Church
By Chris Moon From Keavy, Ky., to Long Island, N.Y. The change in environment and culture—at least within the United States—probably doesn’t get more drastic than that. And that’s exactly the jump that Tommy Lanham made. The longtime Kentucky pastor is now in his fifth month as co-pastor of Glen Cove (N.Y.) Christian Church, a small congregation on Long Island, about 15 miles northeast of Queens. Lanham says the culture shock wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. “We always had heard that New Yorkers are rude,” he told Christian Standard. “That has not been our experience at
February 20, 2019
Wrestling Champ Gives Shout-out to His Church (Plus News Briefs)
Norfolk (Neb.) High School wrestler Conner Cowling capped a dominant season with a state championship over the weekend, and he credited his church with encouraging him along the way. The senior lost his mother and two grandparents during the last few years. Cowling told the Norfolk Daily News that at one point in high school he started to get into trouble and feel depressed. “But my friend . . . introduced me to Fuel—a youth program at my church, First Christian Church [in Norfolk], and I discovered God and Christianity, which really helped me,” Cowling said. Cowling hasn’t missed a youth
October 25, 2018
Reporting on Johnson University’s Origins
Johnson University is hosting its 125th Anniversary Celebration today through Saturday at its Knoxville, Tenn., campus. We congratulate and extend best wishes to Johnson University, and pray for their continued success. In that spirit, we thought it would be fun to look back on the first few mentions of the school in the pages of Christian Standard . . . from way back in the 1890s. But before we do that, we should provide a few historical facts not contained in our reporting. Johnson University was founded as the School of the Evangelists on May 12, 1893, by Ashley and
February 9, 2018
Ben & Pat Merold: Still Having Fun After 68 Years
By Kelly Carr Ben and Pat Merold—most folks seldom say one of their names without the other, and that’s just fine with them. When they talk, you hear their love for one another, the joy they feel together, and the immense pride they have about the other’s ministry. One could easily declare that Ben and Pat Merold are who we all hope to be when we grow up! Ben and Pat share their story of a lifelong love for serving the Lord and for each other. Jumping into Ministry The year was 1948. Pat, a freshman at Johnson
May 14, 2012
Obituaries from 2011
ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF OBITUARIES Connie Lynn Bolinger, 58, of Nashville, TN, died May 22, 2011, after an extended illness. She was born Feb. 12, 1953, in Gary, IN, the daughter of Elwood and Bonnie (Starks) Bolinger. She grew up in the First Christian Church of Hessville, Hammond, IN. A graduate of Morton High School in Hammond, she attended Indiana University and Saint Brieuc in Brittany, France. After moving to Nashville, TN, in 1990 she became staff assistant at First Christian Church, later Aspen Grove Christian Church, of Franklin, TN, a position she held for 21 years. She was a gifted
Eubanks Institute Hosts “˜Forwarding Agents” Event
By Jennifer Taylor On May 23 and 24, the Eubanks Institute for Missions at Johnson Bible College (Knoxville, TN) hosted a gathering of forwarding agents, missionaries, and others interested in missions to discuss the agents” multifaceted and important role. Speakers at “The Work of the Forwarding Agent: Past, Present and Future” included Reggie Hundley, Ziden Nutt, Chris Templar, and Carrie Beth Lowe. Workshops and main sessions focused on finances, education, public relations, publishing, and more. The Eubanks Institute was established in 2006 and named in honor of former JBC President David Eubanks and his wife, Margaret, to recognize their significant
May 11, 2011
Reading the Book Rarely Opened
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
Johnson Bible College Changing Name to Johnson University
Last week, Johnson Bible College also announced a new name; the school will become Johnson University. “Committing ourselves to be a Great Commission school means that we explore as many ways as possible to prepare persons for Great Commission work,” says the school”s Web site. “It also means that we must try to eliminate any barriers to that purpose. . . . This new name enables us to provide alumni greater access to “˜closed” and “˜limited access” countries, thus to most of the unreached/unevangelized world; recruit more students for Great Commission vocations by more accurately communicating our academic quality; facilitate
Christian Colleges, 2010-11 (chart)
By Staff Our annual chart provides attendance and faculty figures, income and expenditures, contact information, and more for 29 colleges affiliated with Christian church and church of Christ. Click here to view the 2010-11_college_chart
October 24, 2010
The Influence of Just One
By Mike Kilgallin and Clay Perkins One servant in God”s hands can truly make a difference. Consider the story of G.H. “Dean” Cachiaras, a teenage immigrant from Greece who ended up polishing shoes. One day as he polished the shoes of a doctor casually reading a newspaper, the man discovered the boy was from Greece. The doctor lowered the newspaper and spoke to him in his native language, “Young man, what do you plan to do with your life?” The doctor encouraged G.H. to attend his alma mater, Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, Tennessee. The boy enrolled, began studying the
July 11, 2010
The Boy with the Odd-Shaped Head
By C. Robert Wetzel Crew cuts were popular among boys in the late 1940s. What distinguished them from today”s short haircuts was that the closely cropped hair of the crew cut had to stand straight up. This necessitated at least two occasions of special care. It took a bit of thick hair gel to achieve vertical status, and a weekly trip to the barber to ensure the perfect shape. Hence all through high school, I made my Saturday visit to Charlie”s Barber Shop in Hugoton, Kansas, to nurture this dubious bit of fashion. I think I must have been about
December 31, 2009
Obituaries from 2009
(Listed alphabetically) Gerald D. “Jerry” Bright, 94, died March 2, 2009, at the Stanton (KY) Nursing Home. He was born March 27, 1914, in Akron, OH, to Henry Proctor Bright and Minnie Shoup Bright. The 1938 graduate of Kentucky Christian University (known then as Grayson Normal Institute) also attended Butler University School of Religion, Indianapolis, IN. In 1938 he began his first full-time ministry with the Church of Christ in East Liberty, OH, during which time he met his wife, Mabel, of Bluffton, OH. They married June 15, 1941, and he continued as minister there until 1944. They served churches
December 14, 2008
Disability Ministry in the Christian Church
By Jim Pierson For 25 years, the Christian Church Foundation for the Handicapped has influenced the disability ministry world. While CCFH”s influence has spanned faith groups, I wanted to determine its impact on Christian churches. Established in 1983, the ministry”s board developed two goals: to provide residential care to adults and to develop disability ministry materials for churches to meet the spiritual needs of people with disabilities. I will discuss the influence of the disability ministry materials. In the 1960s while directing the East Tennessee Children”s Rehabilitation Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, I researched what churches were doing to minister to
September 21, 2008
NACC Viewpoints: A Subjective Observer”s Recommendation
By Gary E. Weedman I like the North American Christian Convention. I have attended since the 1960s and have many great memories of workshops, worship services, and reunions with old friends and former colleagues. I have participated in workshops and twice led morning Bible studies. I have fond memories of sermons that inspired and gave new perspective, of worship services that brought us into the presence of God, and of Communion services that helped us in “discerning the Lord”s body.” So, I”m not a completely objective observer. I”ll try, however, to put on my administrative hat and consider this project
February 3, 2008
Herb Bleakney”“Unpaid, Unsung Youth Ministry
By Shawn McMullen My father-in-law, Herb Bleakney, worked for decades in a Pennsylvania steel mill. That was his day job. But in the evenings and on weekends, he was part of an elite group of men in his smaller church who took upon themselves the task of discipling the young people in their congregation. The men who helped him also worked full-time jobs, cared for their families, and served the church in many other ways. Even so, while my wife and her siblings were in their teens, these men poured themselves into the lives of the church”s youth. They planned
