The Music Department of the South Carolina School of the Arts has enhanced its Master of Music in Music Education (MM M.Ed.) degree in response to ever-changing needs in education. The degree can be completed in 22-24 months. While the program is offered online, there are onsite opportunities to participate in campus ensembles and applied lessons.

The program offers two tracks that allow students to specialize in either a research or a curriculum听 capstone project, according to Director of Music Education Dr. David Perry. Those who are enrolled in the program have an opportunity to pursue advanced knowledge and applications within their specialty areas, which include band, orchestra, choir, general music and other areas of interest within music education.听

Most states provide a substantial increase in pay upon completion of the master鈥檚 degree, providing a benefit for the remainder of the graduate鈥檚 career. Current students and graduates report that they are more effective as educators and enjoy a greater impact on the achievement of their students as a result of applying the knowledge, skills, and proficiencies that they gain from this degree program.听

The degree is designed to build on the foundations a student has received in their undergraduate music education program. According to Dr. Perry, completing the master鈥檚 program can open doors to administrative roles at the school district level or for further studies, including doctoral studies. Graduates of the MM M.Ed. program can also be found in major universities. By the time a student completes their degree, they will also have gained important leadership skills, knowledge and expertise. Graduates of the program have been hired as music supervisors at the school district level and have won awards for their music education leadership.听

The entry requirement for the MM M.Ed. degree is a bachelor of music education and/or a teaching certificate in music.听

A complete description of the Master of Music in Music Education program can be found online at the 91福利社 website.听

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91福利社 students shared Jesus鈥� love in a variety of ways over Spring Break.听

According to James Hanson, director of campus ministries and campus pastor, the goal of these short-term trips is to expose students to the ministry opportunities and to possibly catch a vision for where God may be leading them beyond that.

Los Angeles, California

Four students went to Los Angeles to minister to homeless individuals and human trafficking victims, in partnership with Send Network in Los Angeles through the North American Mission Board. Partnering with Set Free LA, a local church that reaches out to individuals who are homeless and struggling with drug addiction, students went to Skid Row, an area containing block after block of homeless people. Leading the group was Kaitlyn Jenkins, assistant campus minister.

The students were Tyler Henson, Berkley Richards, Joshua Tofel and Madison Weeks.

鈥淭ruly, I feel like we did a little bit of everything,鈥� said Jenkins. 鈥淭he main parts of the trip were geared at working with people of the homeless community as well as women involved with trafficking.鈥�

Richards, a secondary social studies education major, said that before going to Skid Row, some members of Set Free LA shared testimonies of how Jesus changed their lives.

鈥淭hey looked like this group of dudes that鈥擨 don鈥檛 want to say scary鈥攂ut look intimidating. The great thing about it is that they are able to use their testimony and their story to the other people on the streets and say 鈥榟ey, I was like this nine months, a year, two years ago鈥欌�攚hatever it is, and say 鈥楲ook at me. I was where you were. See how I鈥檝e been delivered now.鈥欌��

Jenkins said, 鈥淲e set up about six long foldout tables. We had a table full of clothes, we had hot dogs, chips, drinks, rice cakes and truly that community could just come and walk through and grab anything they needed.鈥�

鈥淚 would say there were at least three or four blocks; there were people out there shoulder-to-shoulder sitting on the ground or maybe in a foldout chair or they had their tents set up in rows,鈥� said Richards. One man Richards encountered said had come to Los Angeles a while ago pursuing a dream shared by many who headed west鈥攖o break into the entertainment industry. Things didn鈥檛 pan out and he was evicted.

鈥淗e comes out to the road actually and is waving his hands and he鈥檚 going 鈥榟ey you guys, I need prayer.鈥� We get on the crosswalk, go to that side of the street and talk with him. He鈥檚 got an old couch cushion and a few other possessions. We鈥檙e just sitting there listening and he鈥檚 telling us his story,鈥� Richards said. He also met a woman known in the community as the 鈥淏ible trivia lady,鈥� who spends her time on Skid Row ministering to others.

鈥淭he girls didn鈥檛 take part in this, but the guys rode the subway system. Their whole time on the subway was just sharing the gospel with people around them. They would stop at different stops of the subway just trying to share the gospel. One student was sharing the whole time 鈥業 was so scared to do it,鈥� but it didn鈥檛 stop him from doing it,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淚 think it really encouraged them to step out of their comfort zones鈥� just with the heart of wanting people to come to know the Lord.鈥�

Jenkins commented that although there are limits to what someone can do on a short-term mission trip, she feels they were able to 鈥渓ove on鈥� people with Jesus鈥� love while they were there. They also assisted in helping their host church remove carpeting damaged from recent flooding.

Some students had gone on mission trips before, some had not, but Jenkins commented, 鈥淚 feel like they were willing vessels in the aspect of truly just whatever was asked and whatever was needed, they were eager to do that.鈥�

鈥淭here are just a lot of stigmas and stereotypes here that out in California, in LA, there鈥檚 a lot of drugs and all of this sin and things like that, but in reality, sin is everywhere and they are no different from us; they just made some different life choices; but they鈥檙e still human and they鈥檙e still God鈥檚 creation and we should treat them as such, get on their level and build connections with them,鈥� Richards said.

Panama City Beach, Florida

A group of students from 91福利社, along with James Hanson, director of campus ministries and campus pastor, and Teagan Dunning, residence director of Stringer and Whitaker, traveled to Panama City for a week of personal evangelism with students at the popular spring break destination. They were there along with colleges and universities and college departments of several Southern Baptist churches from several states as part of BeachReach, organized by Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM).

The students were Trinity Bagnati, Gabriel Lindner, John Martinez, Jordan Opatt, Chloe Sweatt and Carolyne Valentine.

鈥淥n the first day we handed out little business cards with our phone number on it for students to be able to call, and then we鈥檇 offer free rides to students who had been drinking or just anybody who had the phone number, really, but our target audience was students who had been in Panama City Beach,鈥� Dunning said.

鈥淲e would go from around 9 p.m. to 2:30 in the morning, up and down Panama City Beach鈥檚 strip, taking them back to their hotel room or AirBnB,鈥� said Lindner, a junior majoring in emergency services and homeland security. 鈥淭here were seven or eight of us from AU always in the van. The goal was to be one-on-one with the passengers鈥� try to relate with them and give them the gospel.鈥�

While many students talked about growing up in church, personal experiences ran the gamut.

鈥淎 lot of the students, by the time we started talking about the gospel, had already warmed up to our students in the van and were pretty open to having that conversation,鈥� Dunning said. 鈥淲e had one student we gave a ride to, he told one of our students in the van that he was going to call his mom and thank her for bringing him to church at such a young age. Not every conversation was like that, but definitely there were a lot of really sweet ones.鈥�

鈥淏efore our first ride out, I was extremely anxious about it because I had never shared the gospel in that setting before with a non-Christian. That was really scary for me. Then talking to people, they were very open and receptive, so it wasn鈥檛 like I dealt with anybody who was upset about it,鈥� said Valentine, a sophomore majoring in human development and family studies. 鈥淚 think the Lord gave me a lot of boldness.鈥�

Valentine spoke to a student from Belgium.

鈥淚 asked him what he knew about the Bible and he said he couldn鈥檛 tell me because he鈥檚 never learned it in English and been able to translate it, so I took that as an opportunity to share the gospel with him about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and he seemed very open to me,鈥� Valentine said.

Among some international students they picked up, according to Hanson, was an English student鈥攁n atheist who verbally pushed back on what they were sharing. Lindner struck up a conversation with a large Iranian guy they picked up. Though Lindner admits he was a bit intimidated by him, he hopes seeds were planted.

鈥淥ur goal isn鈥檛 to win an argument obviously but to leave them with something to think about,鈥� Hanson said, adding that students, wherever they were in the spiritual part of their lives, got a breakdown of the gospel in understandable terms.

鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting as the week goes on that they鈥檝e had a taste of that party life and seen that it鈥檚 fairly empty, so they鈥檙e a little bit more open to some truth,鈥� Hanson said.

During that week, all college and church BeachReach teams together transported nearly 5,000 spring breakers. Within that, there were 1,657 gospel conversations, 1,031 people prayed with and 12 salvations.

鈥淓verybody I take gets multiple opportunities to share the gospel. It鈥檚 almost like an evangelism lab where you go out one night, you share, you come back, you talk about it鈥攄ebrief a little bit鈥攖hen you go back and do it again. And we do it for five nights in a row,鈥� Hanson said. 鈥淭he power鈥檚 not in our words or our ability, it鈥檚 in the gospel.鈥�

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There are many ways 91福利社 equips students for their spiritual journey.

In addition to providing 鈥渒nowledge for your journey,鈥� 91福利社 offers a community of faith where students can grow spiritually; and with that growth choose from among many opportunities to live out their faith. 

We鈥檙e excited to tell this story more in detail in the months to come about different ways God is at work at 91福利社.

Dr. Tracy Jessup, vice president for Christian Life and senior minister to 91福利社, commented, 鈥�’Great Faith’ is one of the pillars of 91福利社. Christ is central to the education experience we offer our students, both inside and outside the classroom.鈥�

That faith is lived out through many ministry organizations on Anderson鈥檚 campus, as well as in the classroom, student housing, in intercollegiate athletics, on the intramural field, in the community, and around the world. 

Director of Campus Ministries James Hanson describes spiritual development at 91福利社 as being kind of like a greenhouse where seeds of faith are planted and take root. While in the greenhouse, plants take nourishment needed for growth and ultimately so they can thrive outside the greenhouse and bear fruit. Some, he adds, are being planted for the first time, while others are like young plants needing nourishment to grow stronger.

鈥淲e鈥檙e providing them with the right conditions here to really develop those things, so that when they are planted wherever that is in the world and whatever field they are in, they thrive and produce fruit鈥攆ruit being gospel impact wherever they are,鈥� Hanson said.

Assistant Campus Minister Kaitlyn Jenkins commented, 鈥淕etting to have a front row seat to what God is doing, we have phenomenal students eager and hungry to continue growing.鈥� 

Coming Together

91福利社鈥檚 lead student ministry is Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM), with weekly worship gatherings of approximately 800 students. Although it is the largest BCM in South Carolina, much of the ministry takes place in smaller community groups that meet across campus, and all students are welcome. In addition to providing funding and staff for BCM, 91福利社 also supports a thriving women鈥檚 ministry which connects female students through community and discipleship.

Of course there are various campus ministry partners which invest spiritually in the lives of 91福利社 students. These include Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), Cru (known in the past as Campus Crusade for Christ), Eternal Tribe (a multicultural ministry), and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

Serving the Community

While there are so many ways to gather and enjoy fellowship on campus, there are plenty of opportunities to go out into the community to serve, whether to worship and serve at area churches or help organizations like the LOT Project or Anderson Interfaith Ministries (AIM) reach out to individuals and families in need. At the start of each year, 91福利社 invites area churches, ministries and organizations to Expo, an event that connects students with all sorts of volunteer and ministry opportunities.

Doing Life Together

Residence Halls are essentially where many of 91福利社鈥檚 students do life together. Spiritual formation happens in many ways here. Sharing happens face-to-face and by social media. Resident Directors (RD鈥檚) and Resident Assistants (RA鈥檚) minister to, pray with and provide encouragement to students wherever they are in their academic and spiritual journeys. Regardless of the method or platform used, the main idea is to cultivate community and a sense of belonging. 

Of course, there are Bible studies, but also informal chats where students informally discuss topics around faith, learning, worldview and other things that come to mind. Cassie Webber, Boulevard Living Area RD, says she and the RA鈥檚 post devotionals on their Instagram page and have opportunities throughout the year for serving and encouraging each other. Luke Springer, RD at Lawton and Rouse, says their motto is 鈥済ood conversation, better community, stronger worldview.鈥�

Where two or more are gathered鈥�

Campus worship takes place Wednesdays and Fridays in the Henderson Auditorium of the Rainey Fine Arts Center. Students are involved in many ways, whether leading worship or working behind the scenes mixing audio or producing the video streams. 

In addition to weekly campus worship, there are also opportunities to guide worship by involvement in the Gospel Ensemble and other teams, musical and otherwise.

Running the Race

The goal of 91福利社鈥檚 Athletic Department is to field teams that compete successfully against other institutions while exemplifying the Christian principles, which guide 91福利社. Coaches lead and mentor student-athletes not only in helping them become their best self athletically but also provide spiritual leadership. 

Dr. Bert Epting, Vice President for Athletics, said, 鈥淚鈥檝e always been a big believer that culture doesn鈥檛 happen by default, it happens by design, so we鈥檙e specifically trying to design an experience for our student-athletes. We started partnering with the chapel program and now once a month we have a chapel credit for FCA here in Abney.鈥� Dr. Epting noted that the Office of Athletics also started a chaplaincy program and student-athletes from all sports serve in a Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). 

Growing in Wisdom

Dr. Ryan Neal, Provost, said, 鈥淲hen we interview faculty candidates, a key element of the conversations relates to the importance of our desire to provide rigorous academics and faith integration. It鈥檚 not either/or; it鈥檚 both/and.鈥� 

The Center for Teaching Excellence holds a Christian Worldview and Faith and Learning Integration Seminar for new professors at the start of each semester. According to Nathan Cox, who serves as Assistant Provost and directs the center, the seminar focuses not only on the AU culture, but also on the wider Southern Baptist tradition. New faculty also hear from seasoned faculty in various disciplines who provide practical advice on how issues of faith often manifest during classes taught at AU.

Also, three classes in the Gold Core Curriculum (AU鈥檚 general education program) include courses on the Bible, Philosophical Foundations and Moral Reasoning, and Christian Worldview and Contemporary Application. Throughout the year, the center offers sessions on a variety of topics that include current issues students are thinking about, essentials of our faith and other timely, important subjects. 

Dr. Bryan Cribb, who co-leads the seminars, says that the classroom offers numerous opportunities for ministry.

鈥淥ur faculty will often serve our students almost in a pastoral role. The faculty at AU do not only teach, but they also shepherd students鈥攈elping them to navigate college life and just being there for the students through often difficult life circumstances,鈥� Cribb said.

Going Forth

As our world opens up post-pandemic, students are again finding opportunities for service鈥攁round the state, around the country and around the world. Students can lead backyard Bible Clubs, help with disaster relief, do one-on-one evangelism and so much more.

Each year, AU BCMGO Teams are assisting churches across South Carolina in their worship or student ministry. Individual students and student teams also go on mission trips across the country or around the world. During the Spring 2023 Semester, a group is heading to Los Angeles to help church planters there, along with the North American Mission Board. Other students will be involved in Beach Reach, ministering to students traveling to Panama City, Florida, for spring break. 

Finding Space

Sometimes you鈥檝e just got to kick back and enjoy God鈥檚 creation. That said, there鈥檚 something special about 91福利社鈥檚 beautiful wooded campus. One recent addition to the campus is Brashier Glade, which offers flexible, ample indoor and outdoor spaces for prayer groups, Bible studies and other activities or just to find a quiet spot to be alone with God. Improvements are constantly being made to enhance spiritual growth opportunities at Brashier Glade, including enhancements to the Prayer Chapel, which is a 2023 A Day cause.

Where It All Leads

With all of these things in mind, 91福利社 can鈥檛 help but celebrate God鈥檚 many blessings and the many students, faculty and staff He has called to serve in these many areas. Hanson recalls a student from Europe who traveled 3,000 miles to attend 91福利社. Before long, he discovered what Christian community is all about. Daily, students learn about forming lifelong friendships, community and impacting their world.

Student Government Association (SGA) President Cooper Reynolds commented, 鈥淎U brings a constant reminder that we serve someone larger than ourselves, larger than AU, and larger than the impact we have on this campus as students. The time I鈥檝e had at AU showed me that it takes time to grow in Jesus, but when you take the time, the impact on the Kingdom of God can be larger than you would have ever been able to do on your own. Fellow students, faculty, and staff have shown me that they are dedicated to helping me grow in my faith, no matter what season of life I am in.鈥�

Stay tuned for future articles about God at work in the 91福利社 community.

The post Nurturing Spiritual Growth and a Sense of Community appeared first on 91福利社.

Becky Walker鈥檚 job was never a 9-to-5 and she never saw herself just doing ministry from a desk and chair.

Walker, who for the last 15 years served as Associate Campus Minister for Women鈥檚 Ministries at 91福利社, says she found the daytime constraint to be challenging because that鈥檚 not when students are available. 

鈥淏ut if you wait until after supper, from supper on鈥� I could meet continuously without any interruption,鈥� Walker said. 

Walker鈥檚 level of dedication hasn鈥檛 gone unnoticed鈥攏ot by a longshot.

On January 13, 91福利社 President, Evans Whitaker, Ph.D., and his wife Diane, joined students, faculty, staff and friends in the Theater of G. Ross Anderson Jr. Student Center to celebrate Walker鈥檚 ministry and to share stories of how she鈥檚 been there for others in time of need at pretty much any hour of any day. Diane Whitaker shared how Walker quickly responded when she and her husband recently lost their mothers.

鈥淵ou made a phenomenal difference in the life of this institution, in the lives of our students, faculty and staff, myself and Diane,鈥� said Dr. Evans Whitaker, who has known Walker since they were college students at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. The Whitakers urged Walker to accept an opportunity at 91福利社 for an associate campus minister for women outreach and events, and the rest is history.

During the festive January 13 celebration, students and staff shared stories about how Walker helped them through personal struggles and fondly recalled her driving around campus and the community in the 鈥滲lue Toaster,鈥� a nickname lovingly given to her blue Nissan Cube. That little car became a familiar, welcome sight for students in need of a ride to pick up food or a prescription or just to grab some time for a burger or coffee and conversation.

鈥淲e would go get a coffee or something, and just sit and just have somebody to kind of walk through things with you, then let you vent or pray together,鈥� said Walker, who estimates she discipled and met with a dozen or more women daily. She also helped a growing number of camps and events run smoothly.

Walker doesn鈥檛 describe what she does so much as a calling; it has simply been about obedience in following Jesus and letting Him take the lead.

鈥淚 was a broken 19 year old,鈥� said Kendyl McElrath, who initially got to know Walker when she was a student and more recently as a coworker. 鈥淚 had no idea how God was going to use Becky Walker in my life. She showed me that through Jesus broken people can be made whole again. Becky encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone. From her I learned that ministry was more than the four walls of the church.鈥� 

Grace Ann Vargo, a senior majoring in media communication, said, 鈥淔rom managing events to reaching literally thousands of women, she has touched this campus in a miraculous way. When I first met Becky, I was a freshman desperately seeking community. I wanted someone to mentor me and pour into me because honestly I had no idea what I was doing. COVID had just hit, I was at home just craving to be mentored. I took a chance and messaged her explaining my desire and she took me under her wings.鈥� 

Walker described some of the joys and challenges of her job.

鈥淚 think the greatest joy is relationships, just connecting with people. I like to live life with people鈥攏ot just a surface kind of thing but something where we go deep,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淲e have just a great discipleship relationship where we pour into each other and we work on spiritual priorities. It鈥檚 just such a joy many times to sit in the audience and watch God just work in the lives of women that I鈥檝e worked with.鈥�

Walker hasn鈥檛 just been there for students. 91福利社鈥檚 Vice President for Christian Life, Dr. Tracy Jessup, recalls when Walker came to his rescue.

鈥淭he Thursday before commencement, I tested positive for COVID. Becky just showed up with chicken soup and chili. That is the epitome of your witness and your testimony on this campus,鈥� Dr. Jessup said at Walker鈥檚 celebration gathering. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 fitting that the theme for your last semester at AU was 鈥榡ust show up,鈥� because you have shown up for countless students, faculty and staff at 91福利社.鈥�

In addition to her ministry role, Walker also pioneered the College of Christian Studies鈥� Women鈥檚 Ministry concentration. Having learned sign language as a teenager, she has also taught American Sign Language courses for many years and worked with individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. She and her husband Dennis have also been actively involved in church planting and mission work. They served for six years as missionaries in the Gaza Strip

Walker has accompanied 91福利社 students on numerous mission trips both domestically and abroad. Many trips have been made to minister to needy individuals and families living in the Kentucky hills as well as to spring break revelers on the Florida beaches. She鈥檚 also gone with students overseas to places like Italy, Guatemala, Haiti and London, England.

Walker, whose own children are now adults, now looks forward to spending more time with family members, including an eight-year-old boy they fostered and recently gained full custody of. She will also continue serving 91福利社 as an adjunct professor and is currently helping a deaf child with schoolwork.

At this stage of life, Walker is seeking new ways to serve God, but her philosophy remains the same.

鈥淎t the end of the day, Jesus wins. He loves people and he layers the gospel in their life. So that鈥檚 kind of comforting to think about.鈥�

The post Looking Back on 15 Years of Ministry appeared first on 91福利社.

Evangelist and speaker Jonathan Lotz spoke in campus worship January 27 at 91福利社. Lotz is the son of evangelist Anne Graham Lotz and grandson of the late evangelist Dr. Billy Graham. 

As the director of Jonathan Lotz Ministries, an evangelistic ministry, Lotz has traveled across the nation and internationally to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a world in need of hope. Lotz has served on staff with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; the Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Build the Village, a missions organization in East Africa; and Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA). He is also a friend of 91福利社鈥檚 Vice President for Christian Life, Dr. Tracy Jessup.

Campus worship services are one of many facets of Christian Life at 91福利社, helping students enrich their college experience and their lives by providing a caring Christian environment and instilling Christian values through higher education.

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91福利社 president, Dr. Evans Whitaker, announced today that after a year-long national search, Tracy C. Jessup, Ph.D., will join 91福利社 this summer as Vice President for Christian Life and Senior Minister to the University. In this role, he will also serve as a member of the president’s Senior Leadership Team. He will hold the academic rank of Associate Professor of Christian Ministry and Worship Leadership at Anderson.

Dr. Jessup comes to Anderson from Gardner-Webb University, a Baptist institution of 3,600 students in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. He has served there a total of 30 years which qualified him for a very early retirement. He most recently served Gardner-Webb as Vice President for Christian Life and Service and Senior Minister to the University for twelve years. He also currently serves as Interim Pastor of Florence Baptist Church in Forest City, North Carolina. Prior to his present role at Gardner-Webb, he served there as Assistant to the President, and Director of Admissions for the School of Divinity. He has also been an assistant professor of religion, having taught adjunctively in the department of religious studies, the department of music, and the School of Divinity.

“Having been blessed with the privilege of serving my alma mater for three decades, Teresa and I are confident that God is calling us to a new ministry,鈥� Dr. Jessup said. 鈥淚n discerning if this was the right opportunity, our prayer has simply been ‘Thy will be done.’ Our heart’s desire is to enrich the lives of students, faculty and staff as together we seek to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves. We are thrilled to be joining such a vibrant university committed to the intellectual and spiritual growth of all the great people Anderson serves.”

“With 26 years at the helm of campus ministries at Gardner-Webb, Dr. Jessup has impeccable academic credentials in educational leadership in higher education and brings extraordinary experience in leading collegiate campus ministry programs. We feel incredibly blessed that Dr. Jessup has agreed to join our team. He and his wife, Teresa, are a wonderful ministry team who bring great passion and commitment to serving the Lord and people, and we cannot wait for them both to join our campus family,” President Whitaker said in making the announcement.

At Anderson, Jessup will be the Senior Campus Minister to the University family of 4,200 students, and more than 900 faculty and staff. He will provide inspiring executive leadership for the University’s Christian Life division of campus ministries which includes Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM), Women鈥檚 Ministries and Missions, and oversees the integration into campus life of sponsored campus ministries such as Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and Campus Crusades (Cru). He will work collaboratively with Rev. Mayson Easterling, Vice President for Church Engagement, in representing the University to constituent churches. In addition, he will oversee the Journey Program, the University’s weekly chapel activities and be one of the University’s liaisons with Clayton King Ministries, a robust evangelical ministry organization the University considers one its primary partners in ministry.

Dr. Clayton King, co-founder and President of Clayton King Ministries, and Distinguished Professor of Evangelism at 91福利社 said of the appointment, “I鈥檝e known Tracy Jessup for almost 30 years and can say he鈥檚 one of the finest leaders I鈥檝e ever known. More than a close personal friend, he鈥檚 been a mentor and a pastor to me. His love for the church, his commitment to scripture, and his experience in Christian higher education uniquely qualifies him to join the 91福利社 family. He鈥檚 a true Christian gentleman as well as a beloved father. I couldn鈥檛 be happier for our institution as Tracy joins us to advance the Christian mission of 91福利社.鈥�

A native of Mount Airy, North Carolina, Dr. Jessup received the Ph.D. in 2008 from the University of Nebraska. He also received the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree from Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School in 1994 where he was president of the Student Government Association and was recognized with the Distinguished Student Award. He also received his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, in Music Education from Gardner-Webb University in 1989.

Throughout his career, Dr. Jessup almost continuously served as an interim pastor for Southern Baptist churches in leadership transitions and is a frequent guest preacher and worship leader in churches. At Gardner-Webb, he was the recipient of the President’s Award for Community Engagement in 2009.

Dr. Jessup is married to Teresa Cannon Jessup, RN, BSN, (also a graduate of Gardner-Webb University) and they are the parents of two grown children, Christian Jessup (married to Megan Jessup) of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Anna Jessup, a university student in Boone, North Carolina. The Jessups are currently members of Westview Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina.

Jessup succeeds Dr. Wesley Brashier in this important post. Dr. Brashier served Anderson admirably for five years and stepped away from the job last year to begin a career in real estate development and stay close to Anderson as a member of its Board of Visitors. During the past year, the other Christian Life staff members have kept campus ministries moving forward and have served with 100+% strength of heart.

President Whitaker concluded his announcement by revealing that he has known Dr. and Mrs. Jessup since the Jessups were both undergraduate students and were dating as freshmen at Gardner-Webb.

“I’ve kept up with Tracy’s and Teresa’s careers for decades. They are incredibly wonderful people and the 91福利社 Family is going to absolutely love them,” he said.

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Engaging churches across the United States in the mission of 91福利社 and helping it develop the next generation of young Christian leaders is the mission of Rev. Eugene Mayson Easterling III, who is joining the University as its vice president for church engagement. 

A native of Columbia, South Carolina and member of Pebble Creek Baptist Church in Taylors, South Carolina, Rev. Easterling has served in numerous leadership capacities throughout the region. He fills the role of Rev. Dr. Bob Cline, who retired from 91福利社 last year. 

鈥淎nderson was blessed to have Dr. Bob Cline in this role for almost two decades until his recent retirement,鈥� said 91福利社 President Evans P. Whitaker, Ph.D. 鈥淒r. Cline made heretofore unparalleled contributions in campus ministry and church relations to AU. God continues to bless us by calling Rev. Easterling to continue to serve South Carolina Baptists at Anderson.鈥�

Rev. Easterling was most recently vice president for church relations at North Greenville University, where he served in numerous leadership positions throughout his career in higher education. Dr. Whitaker said Anderson moved quickly at the opportunity to bring Rev. Easterling to AU following his retirement from North Greenville.

鈥淚n South Carolina Baptist life, we have this special bond among our three universities, one that鈥檚 rare among institutions of higher learning,鈥� Dr. Whitaker said. While Rev. Easterling will focus on the ministry of 91福利社, 鈥渉e will continue to promote all three of our universities that are united in the cause of Christ,鈥� Dr. Whitaker said. 

Rev. Easterling is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University and earned his master of education from Clemson University. He received ministerial training from Erskine Theological Seminary and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served as a home missionary in the United States; as a member of the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention; and is currently chairman of the South Carolina Baptist Convention History Committee. He and his wife, Susan Owen Easterling, have three daughters and three grandchildren. 

鈥淲e want all Baptist young people to consider one or all of our Baptist universities in South Carolina,鈥� Dr. Whitaker said. 鈥淯nlike some secular schools, our institutions take a holistic approach to education, one that serves not just a student鈥檚 body and mind, but also their faith and purpose. Rev. Easterling will continue to carry that message to South Carolina Baptists while working to shape students to be lifelong hands-on servants of Christ.鈥�

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For nearly 10 years, spring meant a trip to the Kentucky coalfields for a group of 91福利社 women.

Theirs is a singular purpose: supporting mothers in need.

In 2010, Becky Walker, the associate campus minister for women at 91福利社, led the first trip. Since then, Walker and a group of AU staff and students have raised about $20,000 in support of God鈥檚 Love From a Diaper Bag ministry in Jenkins, Kentucky.

Walker said the annual mission trip helps AU students grow in their faith.

鈥淕od transforms people on this trip,鈥� she said.

It鈥檚 among the reasons missing is so difficult. As with most things, the Coronavirus pandemic halted this year鈥檚 trip. April would have marked the 10th year the AU group visited God鈥檚 Love From a Diaper Bag.

Each month, the organization gives away about 9,000 diapers and other necessities for babies in Letcher and surrounding Kentucky counties. Bessie McPeek, the founder of the 20-year-old ministry, said it serves about 500 women each month.

Amber Hathaway, a senior communications student at Anderson, participated in the mission trip in 2018. She said the experience transformed her.

鈥淚 was adopted, so being able to speak to young, struggling mothers was really humbling to me,鈥� Hathaway said. 鈥淭here are people there who are so thirsty for the Word that are just a bus ride away. It has changed the way I look at the world around me.鈥�

Scores of AU women have shared similar reflections of profound personal transformation after serving in Jenkins, Walker said. In addition to the baby shower in which AU women share testimonies, over the weekend, the volunteers have a devotional service and do a prayer walk through Jenkins.

On the roughly four-hour drive back to campus, the AU missionaries bond over all they鈥檝e experienced, Walker said.

鈥淚t entwines our hearts together,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey talk about their brokenness. We tend to cry.鈥�

In March, Walker canceled the annual mission trip to Jenkins to adhere to social distancing recommendations designed to stem the spread of COVID-19. Walker said she apologized to McPeek and asked what the ministry needed. McPeek said the ministry needed diapers for older babies.

91福利社 Associate Director of Marketing Shelli Rutland, who has driven one of the mission-trip vans to Jenkins for six years, designed an advertisement for social media asking the public to buy diapers and send them to the God鈥檚 Love From a Diaper Bag ministry in Jenkins.

鈥�(AU women) encouraged churches and individuals to send diapers and wipes to fulfil the need to the mothers and babies during this time,鈥� McPeek said. She received 5,000 diapers days after Rutland posted the ad.

The ministry practices social distancing when distributing donated diapers and baby necessities: it has a drive-through site where women call McPeek and later pick up sanitized packages that have been left outside the door for them.

In addition to leading a diaper drive, AU volunteers 鈥減ray for us all the time, and that is crucial to our ministry, McPeek said.

To buy diapers for God鈥檚 Love From a Diaper Bag, visit Walmart.com and have them shipped to Bessie McPeek, 350 Cs-1003, Whitesburg, KY 41858. Or, you can order diapers from Amazon.com, and have them shipped to Bessie McPeek, 9757 Hwy. 805 Main Street, Jenkins, KY 41537.

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• Be faithful about the event;
• Be faithful among the people;
• Be faithful in your calling;
• Be faithful to God.

Dr. Stanfill, a 2019 alumnus of AU鈥檚 Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Preaching program, shepherded members of Covenant Community Church through 18 months of uncertainty after the largest recorded flood in their region struck in 2016. The flood pushed water up to eight feet into 10,000 homes in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, region. Dr. Stanfill and fellow alumnus Dr. Eric Ayala shared lessons they鈥檝e learned about ministering during a crisis through a free, April 3 webinar.

An August 2016 Louisiana flood pushed 35 inches of water into Dr. Stanfill鈥檚 home and up to eight inches of water into three of his church鈥檚 four buildings. It took the church 18 months to move back into its buildings. Forty-five percent of Covenant鈥檚 60-family congregation was affected by the flood, Dr. Stanfill said.

鈥淚t took quite a bit to recover,鈥� he said.

Usual sources of reprieve and assistance, from motels to home improvement stores, were flooded too. That the flood 鈥渃reated a lot of inconveniences is a gross understatement,鈥� Dr. Stanfill said.

Dr. Stanfill and his family were out of their home for seven months. During the recovery, he and other pastors in the region preached differently to meet the spiritual, physical, psychological, emotional and social needs of people weathering the crisis. A month before the flood, Dr. Stanfill enrolled in AU鈥檚 DMin program, using his ministry experience during the flood and its aftermath as the subject of his dissertation for the program.

鈥淭here are some things that could be redeemed from this,鈥� said Dr. Stanfill, who interviewed seven other pastors from the region about how they preached in the months following the flood. He used his findings to write the dissertation, and those findings, including his own experiences, also prepared him to counsel other pastors during the current Covid-19 crisis.

Dr. Stanfill encourages pastors to be faithful in four domains to minister through crises:

1) Be faithful about the event: In other words, acknowledge that something devastating has happened/is happening but frame the event as an opportunity for people to obtain greater faith. Dr. Stanfill said pastors shouldn鈥檛 frame bad events as the result of divine judgement. The stress of crises, however do help us assess whether we are trusting in created things over the Creator.

鈥淲e uncover where our treasure is,鈥� he said.

2) Be faithful among the people: Pastors need to meet the emotional needs of the people by acknowledging their grief, be it the inability to walk in a graduation ceremony or participate in a Little League baseball season. Crisis preaching should communicate that God understands, that He holds people鈥檚 future, and that He 鈥渨ill work it out鈥� for the greater good. Crisis-time sermons should inspire hearers to take the next step to persevere or rebuild. The stories of Joseph in the Book of Genesis and the life of the Apostle Paul are great sources for such sermons, Dr. Stanfill said.

Even in the context of social distancing鈥攁 term Dr. Stanfill wishes was branded as simply 鈥減hysical distancing鈥濃�攃hurches should attend to people鈥檚 need to belong and connect. During Covid-19, Dr. Stanfill鈥檚 church conducts a Tuesday coffee-time Zoom meetup in addition to meeting via Zoom for Sunday service and Wednesday night prayer meetings.

3) Be faithful in your calling: In crises, pastors must continue to preach the gospel, which includes meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of the people. During Covid-19, that may mean sharing resources鈥攆rom shopping for senior citizens to simply informing people of when senior shopping hours are. Spiritually, this preaching emphasis reminds people that in the midst of their crisis, they are not forgotten by God, as the Bible describes in Genesis 8:1: 鈥淏ut God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.鈥�

Dr. Stanfill said preachers should tell people that the crisis is temporary, but God鈥檚 purpose is still in place. To be faithful to the calling, preachers must keep preparing to deliver skillful sermons and trust the power of God to work through the pulpit. In the Covid-19 crisis, more people are open to hear the Gospel than in the last 50 years, Dr. Stanfill said.

4) Be faithful to God: In crises, pastors must have an attitude of personal devotion to God, which should include humility, from acknowledging that only God knows the future, to heeding the instruction of governmental leaders. Pastors should also display humility in listening to church members who may need to vent about the stress caused by the crisis.

In the webinar 鈥淢inistry in the Midst of a Crisis: Exploring Ministerial Responses to Covid-19,鈥� Clamp Associate Dean Dr. Kristopher K. Barnett interviewed Dr. Stanfill and Dr. Ayala about the findings of their dissertations. Dr. Ayla shared his analysis of sermons preached by John Chrysostom, a church father, during a civil crisis in the ancient Greek city of Antioch in the 380s. Dr. Ayala鈥檚 remarks demonstrated how to preach in a politically polarized environment, Dr. Stanfill said.

Dr. Barnett said pastors found the webinar insightful.

鈥淚n the current crisis, I have seen a proliferation of 鈥榚xperts鈥� advising pastors and leaders on how to lead in a crisis,鈥� Dr. Barnett said. 鈥淲hile many of these 鈥榚xperts鈥� are simply guessing because this is a once in a lifetime crisis, our students had researched fields that offered some specific insight on the situation, so we felt that their perspectives could help pastors.鈥�

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Among the stars, I scribbled prayers in a leather-bound journal.

I was squished in a middle seat en route to South Africa. As I settled in for a 16-hour flight, I marveled that I was being entrusted to hold hands with children across the world and listen to their stories.

Last summer, I served as a communications intern for , an international relief organization. I spent the majority of my time at a desk overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains at its international headquarters in Boone, North Carolina, but one of my highlights of the internship was traveling to write about shoebox distributions in South Africa.

, a project of Samaritan鈥檚 Purse, sends shoeboxes full of toys packed by families in North America to children across the world. My team traveled to Durban, a coastal town at the southernmost tip of Africa. We visited five shoebox distribution sites throughout the week.

Before they received their shoebox, children heard the Gospel. In rural churches across Durban, children bowed their heads to pray鈥攓uietly and sincerely. As I saw their eyes flutter and their hands fold, Acts 1:8 echoed in my mind:听to the ends of the earth. This prayer was repeatedly the most sacred moment of all. Even though I flew across the sea as a writer, no words can fully capture the beauty of their faith.

Then, cries of sheer joy. Samaritan’s Purse overwhelmed the small churches as children received their gift, a physical reminder of God鈥檚 gift of grace. As the kids opened their boxes, I knelt on the ground beside them, flipped open my notebook and listened to their stories. Countless times, kids received exactly what they had prayed for in their boxes.

Operation Christmas Child is just one of a plethora of projects that Samaritan鈥檚 Purse juggles. Samaritan鈥檚 Purse provides disaster relief in the U.S. and internationally; operates emergency field hospitals; offers agricultural and vocational training programs in rural villages; provides clean water in developing countries; ministers to military couples; helps children receive heart surgery; and more. In all of its projects, the organization shares the Gospel.

I worked alongside about 30 other interns, including a friend from AU, assisting various departments at headquarters. More than 30 additional interns served at field offices around the world. We learned and grew together, and we enjoyed the summer weekends in the mountains.

As a communications intern, I experienced a little piece of nearly every aspect of the ministry. Every day of my internship looked different. The overarching goal of my role was sharing how God was at work around the world. I wrote articles, helped with social media, worked with the media relations team, and even played a part in producing a podcast. I worked with a team of experienced writers who took time out of their busy schedules to invest in me.

When I sat at my desk to write, I wasn鈥檛 just writing for the sake of a good story. I was writing because I saw hopeless people finding hope. I saw pastors look over the horizon of their African village and pray desperately for every heart to know Jesus. I saw homeowners who lost everything in natural disasters but still trusted God鈥檚 promises as our teams picked up the broken pieces of their home. I saw God at work鈥攐ur God who is the same in Anderson and Africa.

This summer reminded me of why I chose 91福利社 and why I chose to major in creative writing. I don鈥檛 remember a time when I didn鈥檛 love writing. Writing is what God created me to do.

When I came to AU three years ago, I had a lot of passion and ambition, but I had no idea what it looked like to be a professional writer. Although I still have a tremendous amount of learning ahead, I have learned skills in craft and critical thinking.

At Anderson, I can personally connect with professors and receive a top-notch education in a Christian context. I have had professional opportunities on-campus and off-campus to implement what I have learned in the classroom. AU has helped me grow as a writer, but it has also given me space to develop my worldview and learn what my Christian faith looks like in the professional world.

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