2011
Distinguished Alumni CItations
1.5 million copies. “I criticized the president a little bit, questioned some of his theological depth,” he said. “The book is just a good, hard look at his faith.” Four years later, while rumors circulated about Barack Obama’s faith, Mansfield took on the myth of Obama-as-Muslim in The Faith of Barack Obama, which topped bestseller lists internationally and was
Russ Pennington
JACK MAXWELL
translated into more than 20 languages. The success of those books has led to others about national figures, including Paul Harvey, Sarah Palin, U.S. Grant and Oprah Winfrey. One about Abraham Lincoln will be released this November. Mansfield also speaks around the world on topics of faith, leadership and culture, and is the founder of two firms:
R
uss Pennington’s career as a public school math teacher in Amarillo now seems a far cry from being a missionary in Thailand, rescuing prostitutes and planting churches. Nevertheless, Pennington (’89) and his wife, Tracy (Brasher ’88) are stateside now after spending 16 years in Thailand – a difficult mission field, he said, because of the pervasiveness of Buddhism and its intertwining with Thai culture and patriotism. “People are really open to hearing the Gospel,” he said, “but to become a Christian, for most people, feels like they would be betraying their country.” As missionaries, they did a little of everything, from planting churches to forming a band and playing in bars to reach Thailand’s large population of prostitutes. “We called it street church,” said Pennington, whose band worked with Christian women in the Tamar Center to approach prostitutes and help them leave their lifestyles. “The first time we did it was really intimidating.” In one case, Pennington said, a church member struck up a conversation with a woman spending her first night in the bar. She said she was there because she needed money to put her young daughter through school. She had a nursing degree, and the church put her in touch with a local hospital, which hired her.
The Mansfield Group and Chartwell Literary Group. Still, he has not forgotten his ACU roots. “There’s not a day that goes by,” Mansfield said, “that I don’t draw on something I was inspired to pursue at ACU.” – PAUL A. ANTHONY
“That was a real meaningful year because we saw a lot of girls come out of prostitution into the training program,” Pennington said. The Penningtons also began the Thailand New Life Foundation to provide for the needs of Thai orphans. With their own children reaching high-school age, Russ and Tracy Pennington moved back to the United States, relocating near Tracy’s hometown of Amarillo. Russ became a math teacher, which he said has its own missions-like qualities. “I think being a public-school teacher is tougher than being a missionary overall,” he said. “I’ve got a whole new mission field, I guess.” At ACU, Pennington studied math and worked as a math tutor. Math was a struggle for him, he said, and that helped him better explain the concepts to others who struggled. The experience made him realize he should be a teacher, though the ultimate course of his career wasn’t quite what he initially planned. Many were baptized during the Penningtons’ 16 years in Thailand, a testament to their perseverance in what Russ considers a tough place to be a missionary – but one to which he plans a return in the near future. – PAUL A. ANTHONY
“Life isn’t about a set of compartments or divisions. It’s about being the same person in every respect. If you have that perspective, it opens new opportunities.” – MIkE wILLOugHBy
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