The Magazine of Northwest Christian University Winter 2020
Celebrating Our Legacy 1895 - 2020 125 Years of Wisdom, Faith & Service
THE
BEACON BULLETIN
The Beacon Bulletin President Joseph D. Womack '89, Ed.D. Vice President for Academic Affairs Dennis Lindsay, D. Theol. Vice President for Advancement Keith Potter ’84, M.Div., Hon. D.D. ’11 Vice President for Finance & Administration Gene DeYoung, M.B.A. Vice President for Student Development & Enrollment Michael Fuller, M.A. Administrative Support Jennifer Box Rachel Morse '19 Editor Corynn M. Gilbert, M.Ed Director of Alumni & Donor Relations Staff & Faculty Contributors Nick Askew Tomas Carradero '19 Angela Doty '00, M.A. '05 Princess Fox '02, M.A. '04 Michael Fuller, M.A Emily Johnston, M.A. Jeremiah Leslie Jennifer Little, M.A. Cami Ogden, M.A. Alyssa Perovich '21 Keith Potter '84, M.Div., Hon. D.D. '11 Kelsay Rychener '14, M.A. James Watson, Ph.D. Joseph D. Womack '89, Ed.D.
The Beacon Bulletin is published by Northwest Christian University as an information service and is posted on the NCU website. For information, call 541-684-7318. Readers are encouraged to submit text for publication to the Office of Advancement, attention Corynn Gilbert Email: cgilbert@nwcu.edu, or Mail to: 828 E. 11th Ave. Eugene, OR 97401-7345 NCU reserves the right to edit all copy. Articles should include names and class years (if applicable) for all pictured.
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On the Cover: NCU students in 2019 may look different from NCC students in the 1960’s, but campus life has always been centered in wisdom, faith and service.
Contents President's Corner
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Our Legacy An Enduring Foundation 4 Alexander Campbell
Our Legacy of Community
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Our Legacy of Student Leadership 25
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One Legacy of Faithful Service 27 Our Legacy of Influence Our Founders 8 Multi-Generational Families 9
Our Legacy of Change
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Our Legacy of Scholarship
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Our Legacy of Music
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Our Legacy of Athletics
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Our Legacy of Ministry
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Our Legacy of Campus
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Our Legacy of Graduates
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Beacon News Fall at NCU 32
Alumni Notes
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In Memoriam
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President’s Corner A Second Genesis This legacy edition of The Beacon, like this chapter of NCU life, represents a significant pivot. Even my own place in the NCU story is at a turning point. After ten years at a university that’s turning 125 years old, we’re moving boldly into a fresh era—a kind of second genesis. We’re thinking in fresh terms about how to expand our reach, improve our campus, grow our student body and answer God’s call for the next 125 years. In the past decade, we’ve been guided by a Vision 20/20 driven by these strategic initiatives:
1. Affirm our Christ-centered identity 2. Honor our people 3. Enhance our academic quality and reputation 4. Advance our financial sustainability 5. Grow our enrollment 6. Improve our campus capacity 7. Deepen our culture of innovation and accountability
In the Summer 2020 edition of The Beacon, I will share specifically how the Lord has granted progress in each of our goals over the past ten years. Please know, however, that you have been a tremendous help in sustaining progress, especially in our financial sustainability. Your gifts and support have propelled us into this new season. Your ongoing partnership makes new goals possible. Now 2020 is upon us and our achievements in the last ten years drive us forward with a new set of needs and directives. This will be the year for clarifying paths forward, mobilizing around solutions and inviting broad, strong partnership. This magazine is like a hinge pin, displaying through words and pictures how we’re turning a corner into our best future. As excited as I am about this beautiful commemorative issue, the next one will be even more compelling as God has us moving in significant ways. I’m thankful you’re on the journey with us. God bless you in 2020.
Joseph D. Womack, Ed.D. President
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Our Legacy of Wisdom, Faith & Service
An Enduring Foundation
By Dr. Joseph D. Womack '89, President
Education … “Enlarges, invigorates, beautifies, and adorns the soul and spirit of man.” -Alexander Campbell, Millennium Harbinger, Vol. 3, no. 9 (November, 1856). p. 637.
I
have always believed the principle of knowing one’s history and context is a necessary exercise in knowing one’s self. A notion applicable to institutions as well. Looking back on 125 years as an institution, I am struck by a consistency of mission through many seasons of challenge and success. This consistency
Rehm Hall, Eugene Divinity School
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in knowing one’s self has guided NCU through more than 12 decades of service within the landscape of higher education, in large part because our mission is built on sound principles. By the time church leader and educator, Eugene Sanderson and pioneer business,
church and civic leader, James Bushnell founded NCU in 1895, they had been profoundly influenced by the thoughts of Alexander Campbell, an ordained minister, educator and leader (along with church leader, Barton Stone and evangelist, Walter Scott) who led a reform effort known as the Restoration
125 Years 1895-2020
Willamette Street in the city of Eugene, circa 1900
Movement. This movement resulted in the development of non-denominational Christian churches focused on the unity of faith with few essentials and a reliance on scripture. He argued that the association of members of the Christian faith should be influenced by nothing more prominent than the teachings of Christ – no political, ethnic, philosophical, creedal, geographic exclusions – but unity under the Lordship of Jesus. These commitments birthed the church tradition that buoyed the founding of NCU and continues to support the University today. Campbell wrote extensively of his thoughts and hopes for higher education, having founded his own college, Bethany University that is still in existence today. His thoughts on the subject may be categorized by a commitment to the wholeness of persons, the notion of lifelong learning, the centrality of Biblical instruction, the formation of moral
character and the responsibility of civic engagement and sacrificial service. Long before the objective of education addressing the whole student would become familiar to the academy of the late 20th Century, Campbell wrote, “The analysis and synthesis of man and his relations to the past, the present and the future of his being and wellbeing, is the grand essential theme of all physical, intellectual, moral and religious education.” (Millennium Harbinger, Vol. 5, no. 3 (March 1862), p. 112.) “Excellence in education …”, he wrote, “will consist of three things … in teaching and training a [student] to think, to feel, and to act.” (Millennium Harbinger, Vol. 7, no. 9 (December 1836), p. 583.) Campbell believed that the formation of moral character is the supreme end of education and considered the Bible to be noblest of all classics and the study of which was “the great moral engine of
civilization.” (A. Campbell, 1863, Lectures and Addresses, Philadelphia: Challen & Sons.) The academic study of scripture, according to Campbell, was not meant to replace classical studies as curriculum, but to enhance the whole educational enterprise as the deepest source of wisdom available. “A school without the Bible is like a Universe without a center and without a sun,” he wrote. (Millennium Harbinger, Vol. 6, no. 9 (November 1856), p. 649.) He was committed to the transcendent importance of education to the individual and the formation of character. For Campbell, the development of the individual and the cultivation of the mind of citizens led to the development of society and the promotion of civic influence and service. Higher education for him was tantamount to the development of our culture and should Continued on page 6
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Our Legacy of Wisdom, Faith & Service promote lifelong learning. “To be learned, and wise, and good, and useful members of society, we must always be learning.” (Millennium Harbinger, Vol. 6, no. 1 (October 1932), p. 259.)
Newspaper announcement for the opening of Eugene Divinity School (The Daily Eugene Guard, August 1895)
Alexander Campbell’s influence on our own founding was evident in our early objectives for the institution, set forth in an advertisement that ran on October 15, 1895 in the local newspaper that described Sanderson’s and Bushnell’s intention for the NCU experience. “It is desired,” the ad read, “that our students shall acquire proficiency, at once scholarly and practical, for immediate service in all departments of Christian work.” Evident at our very beginning was a powerful core objective that has long endured – the integration of the intellect with faithful Christian service. This integration, the simultaneous existence of the two goals of academic rigor and practical service, has served the institution well for over twelve decades, finding semantic variation through time. It is here at the point of integration where we realize the value of intellectual inquiry through the lens of the Christian world view. This is where we discover that true learning is realized best through practice; that it must both enlighten the mind and improve the human condition. When James Bushnell (serving as the first President of the Board of Regents) encouraged and supported the founding of NCU with Eugene Sanderson (serving as the first Dean), they built a foundation on a mission profoundly influenced by our church heritage and its leaders, particularly the thoughtful insight of Alexander Campbell. Northwest Christian University thrives today because of its unique mission of wisdom, faith and service that drives our vision to help students discover and answer God’s call for their lives. After 125 years, a number of name changes and thousands of graduates, our founders’ frontier spirit lives and grows because we are a university built on an enduring foundation.
Note: The table in both photos is still in daily use in the President's Office at NCU to this day
Early photo of Dr. Eugene Sanderson, Dean and first President
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First
125 Years 1895-2020 THE LEGACY OF
Alexander Campbell Founder of the Stone Campbell Movement
Used By Permission: TheRestorationMovement.com
On the wholeness of the person: “Education…enlarges, invigorates, beautifies, adorns the soul and spirit of man…excellence in education consists of three things—to think, to feel, to act.”
On the formation of moral character: “The formation of moral character, the culture of the heart, is the supreme end of education or rather is education itself. With me education and the foundation of moral character are identical expressions.”
On the centrality of Biblical study: "A university without the Bible is like a universe without a center and without a sun.”
On the focus of service to others:
1907 library made up of James Bushnell's personal collection
“Develop individuals and you develop society; cultivate the minds and enlarge the powers of the citizens, and you promote the glory and increase the influence of the republic.” The Beacon | Winter 2020
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Our Legacy of
Influence
Dr. Eugene C. Sanderson 1859-1940
• Served as founding Dean of Eugene Divinity School (1895) and president of Eugene Bible University (1908-1930)
• Founded Christian Workers University – Kansas Bible College (now Manhattan Christian College) in Manhattan, Kansas in 1927
• Published the periodical Church and School (later the Christian Journal, 1920, and World Evangel, 1925) in 1909
• Founded Evangel Christian University (now William Jessup University in Rocklin, CA) in San Jose, California in 1936, later calling upon EBU graduate William Jessup '32 to carry on the work in 1939 as Sanderson was declining in health
• Organized the first association of independent colleges in Oregon in 1919 • Incorporated the International Bible Mission (IBM) in 1920 • Built Pacific Christian Hospital (now Sacred Heart Medical Center – University District) on the EBU campus and incorporated a nursing school in 1923 • Assisted in the founding of Minneapolis Bible College (now Crossroads College) in 1913 and served as president from 1924-1932
• Founded colleges that no longer exist: including Pullman Bible Chair in 1909 (adjacent to Washington State University), Seattle Bible College in 1919, Colorado Bible College in 1927 and Missouri Bible College in 1928 • Built several philanthropic organizations in Eugene under the corporation of the school, including a girl's junior college (1911), a home and school for boys (1926) and a home for the elderly (1927)
James A. Bushnell 1826–1912 • Prominent Willamette Valley businessman, rancher and educator who partnered with Eugene Sanderson to found Eugene Divinity School in 1895 • Served as the first President of the Board of Regents for Eugene Divinity School from 1895 until his death in 1912 • Provided a significant portion of the financial resources to ensure the success of EDS, chaired the committee to raise the initial funds, and contributed much of his own book collection to form the first library • Came across the Oregon Trail from the East Coast to homestead in the Willamette Valley • Established the first school in the area and was its first teacher
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• Founded the first Chamber of Commerce in the region and the first bank in Junction City, serving as its President • Built the Junction City Hotel Company and a renowned regional opera house • Helped start several Christian churches in the region and funded the pastors’ salaries and served as a church elder for many years • Served as the President of the Lane County Evangelistic Board, the Secretary of the Oregon Christian Convention and the Vice President of the Oregon Christian Missionary Society • A staunch abolitionist, Bushnell was selected as sergeant of the area's Union Cavalry
125 Years 1895-2020
Generations
Kistlers and Whislers, Brocks and Stocks
in the NCU Story
By Keith Potter '84, M.Div.
Any exposure to NCU yields an unavoidable truth. Some family names, like Kistler and Whisler, Brock and Stock, Rhee and Haskell, Hutchins and Siefke, Pomajevich and Morse weave through the NCU story for generations. The list goes on and on of family names that keep popping up through the decades.
T
he greatest risk in writing this article is in offending several multigenerational Beacon families. The author married into a generational story (Spencer, Wright, Potter) and we hope to add new branches to a meaningful legacy. But ours is modest compared to so many others. On this page, you’ll see three interesting examples, culminating in significant legacies of ministry, service and philanthropy. Are we still growing these family trees? Some trends make intergenerational stories less likely. First, potential students now choose from a plethora of college options and enjoy more information and mobility than ever. Second, we rarely get clusters of students arriving from the same towns or churches. Third, our heritage churches are not the sole driving force behind student recruitment as they once were. We love and honor our heritage churches, but a majority of our students now come from dozens of other Christian denominations. Finally, the notion of ministers begetting ministers begetting ministers, all trained at NCU, is not as common as in past generations. However, as our children and grandchildren make their educational choices, NCU continues to be a wonderful place to carry on a cherished family legacy.
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Traci Sims ’92, M.B.A. ’02 enjoying campus life (far right, eating pizza); nearly 20 years later his son Josh Sims ’22 (far right, eating pizza) does the same.
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Our Legacy of Influence A LEGACY OF MINISTRY Mowes and Moons, Powells and More Powells One distinctive family tree has produced twelve pastors, missionaries and professors at seminary or Christian colleges. This unique legacy traces back to Hubert Eden Mowe, who attended NCU in 1912 and later Spokane University ‘19, our sister campus at the time. H.E. Mowe’s sister Lilian married famed Congo missionary, Everard Roy (E. R.) Moon ’03, namesake of NCU’s Moon Hall.
student body President, served churches in Iowa and Washington.
After Lillian’s untimely passing, Rev. Mowe married his second wife Mabel (Dorsey). Together they served several churches in the western United States and sent their daughter Marilyn ’51 to NCU, where she met pastor and educator Robert Powell ‘51, who served as a beloved NCU professor for many years.
Two more generations of ministry followed. Robert and Marilyn’s son, John Paul (J.P.) Powell ’72, former Waylighter and student body officer at NCU, has served churches in Oregon, Iowa, California, Texas and Pennsylvania, as well as mission efforts in at least six countries around the world. Meanwhile, his wife Rev. Dr. Pamela Powell spearheaded the spiritual formation program at Fuller Seminary. Their son, Rev. Elliot Powell, pastors a church in Texas, while their daughter, Rev. Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt, is a professor at Wheaton College. Ronald’s daughter Christy Mowe McCauley is a missionary in Austria.
The ministry and family tree kept growing. Marilyn’s brother, Ronald Mowe ’51, served as a pastor in Washington. Robert’s sister, Patricia (Powell) Albertson ’51 served as an elder of Eugene First Christian for many years. Robert’s much younger brother Brent Powell ’73, former
In a thorough description of this legacy, Rev. Dr. J.P. Powell writes about NCU as “a grand endeavor” with “a great vision to ring out the redeeming, transforming gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ by sending women and men from generation to generation.”
A LEGACY Murphy to Wells, Rev. John E. Murphy from Monmouth, IL led a wagon train to Oregon in 1852 and founded the town of Monmouth, OR. He was instrumental in starting NCU’s precursor college in Monmouth (now Western Oregon University). A few generations later, Goldie Ruth Wells ’17, M.R.E. ‘39 emerges as one of our fabled missionaries. After receiving her undergraduate degree from NCU, Goldie was ordained in 1918 and served with the Moons for over thirty years in the Belgian Congo. Wells Hall in the Burke-Griffith Building pays tribute to her service. Goldie’s sister, Gladys Wells ‘21, married Emil Helseth and birthed five children. All three boys became pastors and both girls married pastors, with NCU serving as the training ground for most. The network of branches on this tree includes numerous evangelists, pastors and educators, including George and Lulu Eccles (Spokane University), Floyd ’51 and Emily (Helseth) Diehm ‘53, Raymond ‘45 and Miriam (Eccles) Helseth ’45, Ralph ‘45 and Evelyn (Peterson) Helseth ‘46, Ron ‘65 and Mary Ann (Helseth) Parrott ‘65, David ‘70 and Kathy (Kiser) Helseth ‘71 and other notable leaders and servants for God’s church.
Bob Powell ’51 J.P. Powell ‘72
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125 Years 1895-2020 A LEGACY OF PHILANTHROPY Bushnell and Murphy, Price and Morse
Carol & Jim Cure
OF SERVICE Helseth to Cure
A second significant family line traces back to John E. Murphy, a pioneer in Christian higher education. Even more noteworthy, this family tree includes James A. Bushnell, a pivotal founder of our university (featured earlier in this magazine). This extraordinary farmer, entrepreneur, church leader and donor contributed to the development of Christian higher education in Monmouth (now Western Oregon University), and particularly at NCU, where he served as the Chair of the Board of Regents (Trustees) for the first two decades of our existence. Another branch from that tree yields Lottie (McMurray) Price ’31, who
graduated with a degree in music before a long career as a piano teacher. The Lottie Price Music Building is part of her legacy and a beloved landmark on our campus. Two generations later, Lottie’s grandson Frank Morse ‘66 graduated from NCU, as did his sister Judy (Morse) Lyon ’67. Frank married Linda (Butler) ‘64 and they continued a legacy of leadership and benevolence that has shaped the entire NCU story. The Morse Event Center stands as a testament to the generosity and inspiration of several Morse family members. Throughout our story, the Bushnell to Morse lineage is responsible for an unparalleled philanthropic contribution to the University.
Carol (Helseth) Cure, along with her husband Jim, recently made a historic gift to the future of the University in honor of their family history. The story of their generosity will be told in a future edition of The Beacon.
“On Sunday morning, October 15, 1908, a high school girl from Halsey, Oregon, rode the train to Eugene to attend the dedication services of this new building [what became the Goodrich Administration Building]. Although she spent many exciting and strenuous years in Christian service as a missionary to the Belgian Congo, she still cherishes memories of the thrill she received from this visit to what became her alma mater. That girl and missionary is Goldie Ruth Wells. Class of ’17.” From Crusaders for Christ, 1971
Frank ’66 and Linda (Butler) Morse ‘64
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Our Legacy of
Change
Eugene Divinity School 1895-1908
Eugene Divinity School founded in Eugene on October 15, 1895 by Board of Regents President James A. Bushnell and then-Dean (and President-to-be) Eugene Sanderson to prepare pastors for frontier congregations. Established next door to University of Oregon for access to UO general studies curriculum. • Women allowed admission from the beginning • 300 matriculants, 39 graduates (including 13 women) and 20 faculty in total • Tuition & Fees: $5 per term
Eugene Bible University 1908-1930
Expansion of the academic offerings lends to a name change to Eugene Bible University. Under President Sanderson, EBU enrolls over two thousand matriculants and confers 415 degrees, nearly half of them to women. Goodrich Administration Building and Lottie Price Music Building are constructed. The curricula include schools of Oratory, Music, Liberal Arts, Nursing and Bible. • James Bushnell chairs the Board of Regents during great growth, contributing significant personal resources including his own book collection to establish the library • Four other colleges administrated by EBU • Pacific Christian Hospital (now PeaceHealth) founded by EBU
Eugene Bible College 1930-1933
The Great Depression forces EBU to reduce operations, reincorporate as Eugene Bible College and reduce curriculum to ministry programs only. Significant financial challenges force the school to sell off assets and eliminate extraneous programs and corporations. Spokane University fails during the economic crash and merges with EBC, with many SU students moving to Eugene. New leadership under President Childers helps with the reorganization and survival of the school.
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125 Years 1895-2020 Northwest Christian College 1934-2008
EBC survives the Great Depression and becomes Northwest Christian College, a name that more accurately reflects the scope of its ministry. NCC curriculum remains ministrycentered for next 40-50 years with the continued partnership with UO serving as the source of the general studies curriculum. Kellenberger Library and BurkeGriffeth Hall are completed to meet the growing enrollment, particularly after World War II veterans return home and the GI Bill is enacted. Presidents Kendall Burke, Ross Griffeth, Barton Dowdy, Bill Hays, Jim Womack and David Wilson each leave their own mark on the growing college. • Expansion of majors and joint degree options with UO • Addition of more athletic programs, including women’s athletics, leading NCC to eventually join the NAIA • NCU chooses to honor our entire heritage, despite movements and shifts in denominational polity
Northwest Christian University 2008 – 2020 NCC moves to become Northwest Christian University, becoming increasingly independent from the University of Oregon as our curriculum and student services expand. Additional graduate programs are added to the curriculum and new majors are offered. The student body also grows through the expansion of online and hybrid degree programs to serve more students in various stages of their lives and careers. Alumnus President Joe Womack ‘89 returns to campus for a season of considerable growth. • Physical campus expands and acquires additional nearby properties to accommodate growing enrollment • NCU becomes a member of the NAIA Cascade Collegiate Conference • Nursing programs are rebirthed to respond to regional healthcare needs • Student body tops 800 students by 2020
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Scholarship
Our Legacy of
By Dr. James Watson
The idea of a “Christian liberal arts university” may, at first blush, seem like an inherent contradiction. In fact, when I was first asked to write this brief reflection on the legacy of scholarship at NCU, a friend asked me whether it wouldn’t be wiser to avoid the term “liberal arts” altogether, for fear that some readers might take it amiss. Of course, I hold our readership in higher regard than that, and so let me begin by saying it flatly:
Northwest Christian University is a Christian liberal arts university—and that is precisely what she ought to be.
D
uring the first week of my freshman writing and research classes, I write the words “liberal arts” on the whiteboard, and then ask the students to define them for me. Sharp as the students are, I’m usually met by an uncertain silence. The confusion stems from a mis-parsing of the phrase itself, which, etymologically, has nothing to do with the modern connotations of either “liberal” or “art.” And so I begin to trace the history of the phrase on the board: “artes liberales” comes into English from the medieval Latin, and refers to the seven branches of study that made up all of classical education (no “hard” versus “soft sciences” dichotomy here).
“liberal arts” actually means “the studies befitting a free person.” A slave or serf had no need of knowledge beyond basic mechanical utility. As I remind the students, they are by definition “free
The real revelation, though, is that the word “liberales” does not describe the artes (studies, skills) at all, but rather the nature of the scholars themselves who are undergoing the task of acquiring them—that is, free persons. And so
persons” (whether they feel like it or not) simply by virtue of having been granted the historically rare privilege of pursuing knowledge at a university. And thus in our writing classes, we begin our apprenticeship in “rhetoric” with an
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awareness of the mantle of responsibility attendant to this privilege. But this does not remove the question: how can a Christian—purportedly concerned with things “not of this world”—spend her time pursuing truth and beauty for their own sakes, when there is so much “practical” work to be done? This tension is not new. The leaders of the Stone Campbell Movement out of which our university was birthed wrestled with the same questions. The very cornerstone of their ideology was a rejection of ecclesiastical complexity in favor of “getting back to the basics” as they saw them. “No creed but Christ; no book but the Bible” was their battle cry. We can hear an echo of this in today’s various evangelical philosophies. This outlook would seem to preclude much in the way of university study. However, both Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell did value
125 Years 1895-2020
education, influencing Eugene Sanderson and James Bushnell to found Eugene Divinity School, intentionally locating it across the street from the University of Oregon in order to benefit from its robust liberal arts resources. How are we to reconcile these dynamics? St. Augustine wrote that “a person who is a good and true Christian should realize that truth belongs to his Lord, wherever it is found.” The upshot, if we are to believe this, is that we may dive unafraid into the ocean of truth—that we may truly “be in the world,” as Christ commanded—knowing that there is no back alley of truth we may find that, rightly understood, would not be a facet of Truth itself. Scripture bears this out emphatically; the very nature of the Incarnation demands that it be so—Christ being “the radiance of [God’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature,” and the one who “upholds all things by the word of His power.” It is in the light
of this freedom that Christian scholarship has always thrived. True inquiry, humbly undertaken, leads not away from Christ but towards him. This is why so many professors over the past hundred and twenty-five years have spent decades laboring on the corner of 11th and Alder. A Christian university affords a truly unique environment for learning—one that transcends the function of a Bible college or seminary. And so these teachers have sought to throw open the rooftops over their classrooms, pointing out the brilliance and grandeur of God’s green earth, whether by means of theology or geology; economics, philosophy or literature. Names such as Herb Works, Song Nai Rhee, George Knox, Michael Kennedy, and Anne Maggs still reverberate through the lives of countless students who have gone on to change the world while living out their vocation. In my first four years at NCU, I have seen this faith in God’s presence in the
world vindicated in my classrooms. I am content that unearthing the small truth in a particular literary text, or getting at a shade of meaning in a poem, or grappling with just how a novel achieves its beauty, are in themselves enough. And it is from this place of resting in Christ’s immanence that the larger conversations do in fact arise, naturally, and with a groundedness that they would not otherwise have had. C.S. Lewis famously has his Professor in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe ask the children in dismay, “Don’t they teach logic in the schools anymore?” This, of course, is why the world needs the “artes liberales” perhaps more than ever—civilization depends upon leaders who have learned how to think before deciding what to think. But we who are Christians need the liberal arts even more desperately: for they are the birthright of those who have found joy in the Truth.
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Music
Our Legacy of
Dr. Karen DeYoung conducting the University Choir & Orchestra, Experience Christmas 2016
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M
usic has been a long-standing tradition in the Doty family, and Northwest Christian University played a significant role in that musical heritage. As a third generation graduate, I follow my father and mother, Loren '77 and Denise (Goodwin) Doty '76, as well as my grandparents, Orris '49 and Norma Jean (Miller) Doty '50, in completing a bachelor’s degree from Northwest Christian College. Just like my dad and my grandpa, I had the privilege of serving on a traveling singing group and representing the University in churches throughout the Pacific Northwest and along the West Coast. Orris sang in three quartets from 1946-1949, Loren was part of Waylighters from 1973-1975, and I traveled with Pilgrimage from 1997-1999. As noted in Grandpa’s memoir and in talking with my dad, all three of us share the sentiment of being drawn to the opportunity to travel and sing, and it certainly didn’t hurt that all of us received some sort of tuition benefit. In addition, these musical groups influenced our paths in profound ways, opening doors for us to pursue God’s call. Grandpa initially began as a music major with the intention of becoming a music teacher. However, during his time at NCC, Grandpa received the call to ministry, went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree and faithfully served for 33 years in full-time pastoral roles and 10 years in interim roles in over 14 churches. Grandpa went to be with the Lord on February 9, 2018. I’m confident that he was greeted with “Well done, good and faithful servant.” For my dad, the travel and exposure to churches launched the process of being wooed into church ministry. The call to ministry was confirmed after being asked to serve in a youth ministry role when my parents returned from their honeymoon. Dad later went on to seminary, and he’s been serving as the pastor at Tualatin Hills Christian Church for over 36 years. I vividly remember a Pilgrimage group singing at our home church when I was in the 5th grade. It was then that a spark ignited, and I set my sights on going to NCC and being part of a music group. To kindle the flame, I prioritized music in preparation for college, continuing piano lessons, singing in elite choirs and performing in a musical. During my senior year of high school, I visited campus and ate lunch with John Hakes. Having a music faculty member take the time to answer all my questions, when I wasn’t even a music major, really made an impression on me. It only fueled the fire. Within my first year at NCC, I auditioned and was stunned when I made the group. The Doty family legacy continued. Those two years of traveling and singing were some of the most formative years for me as an individual. I grew so much in my faith, my relationships, my love for music, and my desire to serve in the church. Some of my fondest college memories are associated with Pilgrimage and include traveling in the blue van, forging meaningful friendships, exchanging inside jokes, swapping stories of home stays (both good and bad), being caught in a snowstorm and sharing in the power of worship through music. Promoting the University with Pilgrimage set the foundation for me to work as a student admissions counselor my senior year, which led to a full-time admissions counselor job after I graduated and essentially launched my career in Christian higher education.
By Angela J. Doty '00, M.A. '05
Continued on page 18
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Our Legacy of Music This year marks my 20th year working in higher education (my 17th year with NCU!). Over the past 20 years, I have watched the University’s music program evolve and change. Group names have changed, from Pilgrimage to New Creation to Virtue to Grove Collective. Program directors have left their own indelible mark on the program, including Dr. John Hakes, Melissa Stock and Dr. Karen De Young. Fashions and hairstyles have most definitely improved. Even the technology of music has advanced. Yet, there are two things that still shine bright –– the impact the music program has on the lives of the students who participate and the blessing audiences receive from their gifts. May the legacy of music continue for many more generations to come.
Excerpt from Orris Doty’s memoir: “One of the first things I did the fall of 1945 was to try out for the NCC Quartet. The
quartets from the college had always been a highlight when they came to Tillamook. My music background, singing in the church choir, singing in the high school choir and dramas, helped me land the first tenor spot. I never thought it was possible to make it, especially with the others that were trying out, but evidently, my voice blended better with the others. It was a wonderful experience being on the quartet because of the travel and being in the churches of the Northwest. It was also helpful because it paid my tuition. Of course tuition in those days wasn't very much, $25 a term. I was on the quartet for three years. The second quartet, the one with Renzema, Kimsey, Johnson, was the one that forged very close ties. We kept getting together at various times to sing, and my senior year we did an Easter meeting in Caldwell, Idaho. Then after college, through the years we have gotten together. We did week-long meetings at Coquille, Kern Park, Hillsboro, as well as a week for the Oregon Christian Convention. For the meetings after college, we used a piano player, which helped us. We sang for the 75th and 100th anniversaries of Northwest Christian College.”
1947-48 NCC Quartet: (L-R): Orris Doty '49, Glenn Johnson '51, Jim Kimsey '50, Ray Renzema '50
1997-98 Pilgrimage: Back (L-R): Jesse Lough '00, Angela Doty '00, Justin Thomas '99, Tara (Lenee) Fischetti '00, Holly (Ivey) Blackman '99, Adam Janes '00. Front: Heather (Rosen) Ivey '99.
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1974-75 Waylighters: Back (L-R): Dan Powell '76, Loren Doty '77, Gene Hill '75, Jim Sullivan, Gary Brower Front (L-R): Trudy (Bowman) Robinson, Debbie (Smith) Martin, Penny (Schiffman) Johnson, Kelly (Doyle) Smith '78 2012-13 Virtue: (L-R) Hans Coburn ‘16, Helen (Rogers) Blackshear ‘13, Sam Koekkoek ‘15, Samantha (Volta) Reiswig ‘16 and Jason Haggard ‘14
Our Legacy of
ATHLETICS Character. Scholarship. Competition. Christ.
These consistent threads have been interwoven throughout the tapestry of Beacon/Crusader athletics history for the better part of 60 years.
By Nick Askew Britnee Joaquin '19
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Our Legacy of Athletics
Academics Considered the father of NCU athletics, Dr. William Richardson brought an academic focus to the sports program from the start. A New Testament and church history professor, Richardson served as the Faculty Athletic Representative as
Women’s Volleyball, 1980’s
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Today, NCU is at the forefront of academic excellence in the Cascade Conference and the NAIA. With average Grade Point Averages routinely sitting above 3.25, the Beacons are the only school in the CCC to win the President’s Cup for Academic Excellence in each of the past four years. Additionally, since 2010, eight NCU athletes have been named CCC Scholar-Athletes of the Year, far exceeding the totals of any other school.
In 2007, NCC took a huge step forward as they joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and their more than 275 schools. The early years were lean, but it did not take long for the Beacons to make their mark, winning their first Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship in women’s cross country in 2013. Just two years later, the women’s cross country team took home the NAIA National Championship. The men’s basketball team returned
Women’s Cross Country, 2014-2015
poster, ketball er B as C r us a d
9-2020 olf, 201
The USCAA was also the home to the Crusader softball team which took national runner-up honors in 2002. The Beacon volleyball teams of the late 70’s also had their share of success, winning Pacific Northwest Christian Conference championships in 1976 and 1978.
Men’s G
The President’s Scholastic Award, given to the student with the highest cumulative GPA among the graduating class each year, went to men’s basketball player Dax Bryant '99 in 1999. In a dramatic upswing, three of the last four winners have been student-athletes; Michelle (Fletcher) Tyler '17, Rosa (Schmidt) Wright '18, and Britnee Joaquin '19.
The Crusaders and Beacons have had a rich history of success on the field of play, dating all the way back to the men’s basketball team’s first winning season in 1961. Men’s basketball set the early standard, winning numerous Willamette Christian College Conference and West Region Championships. That success bled into an unrivaled decade in the 1980’s, as the team won six National Bible College Athletic Association (NBCAA) National Championships including five straight from 1983-1987. After joining the National Small College Athletic Association (NSCAA), which later became the USCAA, the Beacons went on to win two more national championships along with seven other top-four finishes.
000's
Those same principles that guided the team in those early years, and each class since, continue to guide the athletic department at NCU. Today, the “TriAthlete Model” includes equal emphasis on academics, competition and character development, while maintaining a Christcentered focus.
The attention to molding well-rounded student-athletes continued throughout the decades with many standout performers outside of the court. One fine example is the Kendall E. Burke Award, which is given on the basis of high scholastic standing, inspiration to students and faculty, high ideals of Christian character and contribution of talents to the University and voted on by the student body. This award has gone to student-athletes eight times, including notable names such as Robert Hutchins '65, Frank Morse '66, Keith Potter '84 and Britni (Steiling) D'Eliso '11.
Athletics
oftball, 2
An early value statement found in the 1965 yearbook said, “The importance and value of intercollegiate competition is found not in the win-loss record compiled, but in the growth in Christian character, sportsmanship, academic excellence and athletic ability.”
he helped to launch both the Crusader men’s basketball team as well as the Willamette Christian College Conference.
Women's S
B
orn out of a desire to expand beyond the local “church league,” the Crusaders started their first year of intercollegiate men’s basketball in 1959. Led by local pastor Wayne Osborne, who served as the first head coach, NCC established a reputation built on a foundation much larger than just what took place on the hardwood floor. Osborne once said, “In our athletic program…we feel that the development of sportsmanship, self-control and certain other disciplines are necessary to build strong Christian character. In addition to building Christian character, a high quality of scholarship is maintained by the participants.”
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125 Years 1895-2020 to prominence under the leadership of Luke Jackson, winning a pair of CCC Championships and advancing to three NAIA national tournaments in a four-year span. In 2018, Bailey Dell '18 brought home NCU’s first individual NAIA National Championship in the Javelin and the following year she was joined by 3000m Steeplechase champion Anika Rasubala '20. Christ and Character Long before the Beacons joined the NAIA and began applying the Champions of Character program and its five core values (respect, integrity, responsibly, servant leadership and sportsmanship), student-athletes were living out God’s call in their lives through service. “Christian” is much more than a middle name at NCU and Crusader/Beacon athletic teams have always had a passion for following Christ’s example in their lives. As the 60’s turned into the 70’s and 80’s the teams continued to lead by example under the tutelage of head coaches Dwayne Cox '64 and Dave Lipp '71 and Jim Womack '63 (who later became President of NCC). The 1980’s saw a boom in outreach projects under Lipp and women’s volleyball coach Jeanette (Scofield) McHarness '75, including visits to juvenile detention centers, hospitals and area schools for youth rallies. Today, a larger population of over 200 student-athletes serves the community in many ways each year including partnerships with Food for
First NBCAA National Championship Men's Basketball team, 1983
Lane County, Special Olympics and Hosea Youth Services. Throughout history, a number of Crusaders went on to spend their careers in ministry, in churches, hospitals, prisons and on the mission field: Darrel Crouter ’63, Gary Ivey ’66, John Richardson ’73, Hall-of-Fame recipients Don Hodney ’78 and Greg Ishmael ’78, John Tastad ’84, Wayne Rowe ’90 and Traci Sims ’92 are just a few among many long-time pastors. Chairman of the NCU Board of Trustees Clare Buhler ’80 has been the lead pastor at Harrisburg Christian Church for over 20 years, while his son Gabe Buhler ’07 serves as the church’s youth pastor. Even more recently, young Beacon alumni Aaron Dilla ’11, Britni (Steiling) D’Eliso ’11 and Myranda Johnson ’19 are all serving in Eugene area churches. Notable NCU athletes have also established themselves as leaders on the national athletic stage. Mike Petersen ’83 has experienced great success as a college and professional basketball coach and is currently Assistant Coach for the Women’s NBA team, The Atlanta Dream. Mickey Loomis (’73-’78) provides leadership to the NFL in his role as the executive vice president and General Manager of the New Orlean’s Saints. Additionally, Mickey serves as head of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans NBA team. Over the past ten years, five athletes have earned the Cascade Collegiate Conference Champion of Character Award and three were also finalists for the NAIA Dr. Leroy Walker Champion of Character award.
Women’s Basketball, Spokane University, 1922
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Ministry
Our Legacy of
By Jennifer Little, M.A.
A
s Crusaders for Christ, students from Eugene Divinity School all the way through Northwest Christian College were characterized as those who, out of devotion to Christ, obey the Christian admonitions to “Put on the whole armor of God, Go ye into all the World, and Preach the Word” (Crusaders for Christ, p. 3). Beacons are standing at the beginning of our next 125 years as a university and continue to shine brightly, built on this firm foundation. Put on the whole armor of God Equipping students for their futures starts with putting on the whole armor of God – from the belt of truth to the sword of the Spirit. The Ross B. Evans Chapel, renovated in 1994, has seen decades of sound biblical teaching from Chaplains Jim Buckley '68, Ed McIndoo '58, Steve Poetzl,
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Cambodia Missions Team
Troy Dean and so many others, amidst ever changing fashion and worship styles. Though daytime chapel services were relocated to the Morse Event Center in 2016 to accommodate the growing student body, student-led worship experiences, from the Praise Gatherings of the 1990’s, Kardia in the 2000’s, and now Wednesday night chapel, continue to utilize the intimate space of the chapel. Chapel has consistently provided opportunities for students to hear the truth, grow in faith and even find salvation. Go ye into all the World One doesn’t don armor in order to stay home. Crusaders and Beacons have a rich history of going out into all the world, starting with our own city of Eugene. The September 2009 issue of The Mishpat student newspaper marks the beginning
of a ten-year tradition of Embrace the Community Day, when afternoon classes were officially canceled for one day in September each year to allow students, staff and faculty to serve together all around the city. What started with five service locations throughout Springfield and Eugene has now grown to over twenty locations, including some of those original ministries like Hosea Youth Services and Camp Harlow. Global missions has been a long-time value of NCU. Class of 1948 graduate and former NCC Director of Development C. Alton Brostrom wrote the following in his 1973 Memo to Ministers:
“Throughout the history of Eugene Bible University, Spokane University, and Northwest Christian College, missions have been taught. You are well aware of
125 Years 1895-2020 the great missionaries this College has produced. . . . The teaching of missions is now taking on a new emphasis. . . . The central figure is Professor Herbert Works '61, our present professor of missions. . . . He studied under Dr. Donald McGavran, long-time missionary to India. . . . The thrust is not only to produce missionaries, but to prepare pastors and other church workers including laymen who will be knowledgeable and concerned about the world mission of Christ’s church.” That thrust has not been in vain. This summer, we will be celebrating our 10th year of sending students to work with Agape International Mission (AIM) in Cambodia and Puente de Amistad in Mexico, not to mention trips to at least ten other locations in the last fifteen years. Our Cambodia trip in particular has been the catalyst for many in our
community to return for a year or more of service with AIM. In a world filled with a lot of darkness, our Beacons are shining. Preach the Word As the educational focus of the University has broadened from a Bible school to a liberal arts curriculum, what it looks like for our students to “preach the Word” has broadened as well. For over a century, students have supplied pulpits both near and far. While it is still true that we continue to graduate excellent pastors, worship leaders, teachers and missionaries, we also have deepened our curriculum in preparing students to discover the call of God beyond the limits of what has traditionally been considered “ministry.” Our All are Gifted, All are Called course, integrated into the general education requirements in the early 2000’s, helps students develop
their ability to recognize and follow God’s calling in both career and life. Campus Ministry lives at the precise intersection of NCU’s most beloved values: the pursuit of wisdom combined with a growing faith fleshed out in acts of service. Each generation brings with it different kinds of change. Those changes challenge us to pursue wisdom in different avenues, put our faith to work in new environments and serve our changing communities in ways that we’ve never done before. The true strength of our values lies in their ability to weather the winds of change and emerge 125 years later refined and ever true.
Top left- EBU Day, 1930’s Top right- Student preachers, 1930’s Bottom left- Ross Evans Chapel, 1950’s Bottom right- Embrace The Community Day, 2019
Community
Our Legacy of
By Princess Fox '02, M.A. '04 & Alyssa Perovich '21 Orientation Leaders at Fish Week, 2000’s
Community. It’s what draws students to NCU, it’s what keeps students here and it’s what ties alumni together as Beacons for Life.
F
ew campuses build and sustain community on campus like NCU and this has been true for decades. Despite the many changes in everything from technology to fashion, the legacy of living as a member of the NCU family has lived on. Throughout our 125-year history, NCU has been committed to the foundation of community. Campus chapel, dorm life, student clubs and organizations, musical groups, athletics and traditions form the fabric of community life. From the first days on campus, NCU students are brought in under the banner of wisdom, faith and service through the long-standing orientation tradition of Twining of the Ivy. Students twine each of their small sections of ivy together into one large circle, symbolizing their commitment to love one another (John 13:34-35). New acquaintances become friends, friends become family. Community at NCU
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125 Years 1895-2020 is bound and knotted together by the love that each person has for their Savior, His people and the world. The residential life of campus provides the context for powerful memories and transformational growth, and sharing life together has always provided students with memorable stories to tell and re-tell. Many alumni share fond memories of “bread parties” where students gathered over freshly baked bread in Burke-Griffeth halls. Those parties now take the form of themed Late-Night Breakfasts on the last night of classes or barbeques on the patio of the Hilyard Apartments. Resident Assistants (RAs) build community and provide accountability to the mission of the University as a place for students to grow in their faith. While we’ve lost the “houses” through the years that once provided aspects of group identity, bonding over dorm identity remains a special part of campus life, particularly when dorm pride is on the line in Hall Music Videos competition. While some traditions, such as “tubbings”, initiations in the Millrace, candle passings and “stand-up concerts” have been long absent from campus, other long-standing traditions live on. The Bash-Whisler Bible Reading contest has been bringing the Word to life for many years and winners still experience the joy that comes from the memorizing and declaration of Scripture. Some new traditions have become campus favorites as well, including Beacon Madness and Mr. Beacon—two can’t-miss events that bring the whole student body together. Student passions and interests have always been a driving force in the evolution of campus life. Student journalism has taken many forms over the years, whether published in student newspapers, yearbooks, literary journals, or online publications. The Gleam, The Northwest Christian, The Crusader, The Mishpat and The Beacon Bolt reflect each generation’s passions and concerns as they tell the ongoing NCU student story. Student clubs have continued to serve as places of shared interest, sometimes bringing students with shared heritage or geography together. The “California Club” and “Idaho Club” helped out-of-state students feel more at home in years gone by, while the current Pacific Islander Club provides students the opportunity to celebrate their shared ethnic and cultural roots.
Campus Follies, early 20th Century
California Club, 1960’s
Another constant throughout NCU history has been the role of student government. Elected students share significant Continued on page 26
Mr. Beacon at Beacon Madness, 2000’s
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Our Legacy of Community responsibility for the campus community and serve as the voice of the student body to the administration, faculty and staff. Student leaders reflect the best of wisdom, faith and service as they strive to make the NCU experience the best it can be. Perhaps the most visible expression of this is the role that student leaders play in orientation, welcoming new students to the Beacon family during Fish Week every August. As the book closes for undergraduates at the end of four years, one last tradition still brings them together. The Cutting of the Ivy takes place at the final chapel service of their NCU journey, reminding them of the day they twined their hearts together at orientation. The ceremony forever reminds them of the knots that bind them to their fellow Beacons as they now go into the world to shine their light for the years to come. Twining of the Ivy, 2000’s
Student Leadership
Our Legacy of
“Christ said, ‘Take up thy cross and follow me.’ Through study, service, song and surrender, Northwest Christian College [now University] students prepare to respond to that call.”
LeRoy Lawson ‘60 Student Body President Quoted in The Crusader, 1960
Roy’s legacy of leadership continued for his whole career. He went on to earn his Ph.D., eventually serving as President of Hope International University (formerly Pacific Christian College), one of NCU's sister universities. Dr. Lawson and his wife Joy (Whitney) '63 recently returned to the Pacific Northwest to once again to serve the Body of Christ, this time at Northwest Christian Church (Newberg, Tigard and McMinnville campuses).
Dr. LeRoy Lawson '60, Student Body President
“But serve each other humbly in love.” I have been humbled by NCU students, staff, and faculty who have gone the extra mile to help me. These hearts in our community have inspired me to serve. Through strong faith and commitment to service, this community has truly taught me the meaning of serving one another “humbly in love.” It is this lesson that will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on my life. Katia Burke ‘20 ASNCU President
Katia Burke ’20, Student Body President
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Katia was raised in Sydney, Australia and has lived all around the world. She is a double major in interpersonal communication and business. After graduation she hopes to teach English overseas to grow in her understanding of who God is by seeing what He has done and is doing for people all over the world.
One Legacy of
Faithful Service
By Emily Johnston, M.A.
W
hen Oskar Bucher arrived on the campus of Northwest Christian College in 1984, he never dreamed that he would be here long enough to retire, but the same Lord that brought him to NCC has been faithful to renew that calling for thirty-five years. In fact, Oskar remembers walking by the Banquet Room in Burke-Griffeth a few years before being hired and wondering what it would be like to work for a Christian employer like NCC. Though he did not know at the time, Oskar now sees God’s hand clearly guiding him towards what would be his future career. Oskar will retire on March 6, 2020, just a few weeks after his 65th birthday. Not only has Oskar made a lasting impact from a facilities standpoint, he has also impacted the lives of students, faculty and staff through his work ethic and ministry perspective.
Alumni who have visited campus over the years have surely seen the results of Oskar’s hard work. Slowly over time, Oskar and his team have made significant differences in every building on campus, whether improving appearances with a fresh coat of paint, completing major
Oskar has been a beloved fixture during his tenure at NCU. Hundreds of students have worked on his crew over the years, including President Joe Womack '89 and NCU Library Director Steve Silver '87. When reflecting on his time at NCU, Oskar chuckled as he described the state of campus when he arrived. The bushes were overgrown out to the sidewalks and many of the houses were in disrepair. The interior of the Goodrich Building was painted green and brown and in desperate need of a refresh. Resources were sparse, but Oskar was committed to doing everything he could to better the experience of students, faculty and staff. While he had full support from the administration, there were so many projects to do, he didn’t know where to begin. One of his first major projects was to repaint the ceiling of the Ross Evans Chapel. Steve Silver remembers cutting his hands on a falling window and then fainting, waking up in Oskar’s arms. Steve said, "I’ve never seen him look so pale. He was more concerned for me than I was.” Steve recovered in time for his wedding just a few weeks later, but he remembers Oskar as a supervisor who took time to connect with his workers, and who made sure the work was done well.
renovations of the Ross Evans Chapel and Kellenberger Library, or facilitating new building projects such as the Morse Events Center. Oskar’s role is to maintain and strengthen the physical campus, but his focus is on the student. His goal has always been for the campus to reflect the quality education that NCU provides to students. Even now, Oskar admits to prioritizing work on student spaces whenever possible because he sees students as the most important
resource on campus. This student-focused perspective is shared by faculty and staff throughout campus, but Oskar embodies it in his work. While it is easy to see the changes in the physical campus, what most people don’t see is the work God has done in and through Oskar over the years. Recognizable by his navy blue jacket and signature fedora, Oskar’s no-nonsense style belies a heart that God has been softening over the years. He says that his time in the NCU community has cultivated a love for people that he didn’t expect. Coming from a steel fabricating plant, Oskar didn’t anticipate the relationships he would build with students on his crew. At first, he was surprised when they would ask him for advice or come to him with problems, but he soon saw it as a ministry opportunity. As he nears the end of his tenure, Oskar is a better Christian, husband, father and minister because of his time at NCU. In preparation for his retirement, Oskar spent much of the past year putting things in order to pass the torch to a new Plant Manager. Oskar approaches this as he does everything with humility and hope rather than a fear of change. He is truly excited to hand over the reins to the person who will move NCU forward into the future. While he doesn’t know exactly what is next for him in retirement, anyone who knows Oskar knows that his next season will be just as active as the last. He is simply not ready to slow down yet. He is anticipating more involvement in ministry through his local church as well as more time spent with family and friends and in God’s creation. God has used NCU in Oskar’s life and the Lord has certainly used Oskar in the lives of countless NCU and NCC students in the past thirty-five years. Oskar Bucher leaves a legacy of hard work, service and excellence at NCU.
*Editor’s note: For those of you who know Oskar, you wouldn’t be surprised to know that finding pictures of him was a challenge. He has successfully evaded nearly every photographer on campus for over 30 years!
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Our Legacy of
Cam I
n 1895, the land that now houses Northwest Christian University looked very different. If you compared aerial shots of campus at the start of each decade of the last 125 years, there would be additions and subtractions to the physical campus in nearly every shot. The first building to house the Eugene Divinity School was Rehm Hall, built on the north side of 12th Avenue in 1897. It was followed by the Goodrich Administration building which was dedicated with the newly named Eugene Bible University in October 1908. The Lottie Price Music Building was soon to follow in 1921.
For many decades, students lived in boarding houses and former fraternities along Alder Street and 11th Avenue. Starting in 1945 with Hoven House, many alumni fondly remember their years in places like Haskell, Crusader, Covenant, Hanby and Harmon houses. Some of these houses also were used for faculty offices and other university spaces thorough the early 2000s. For recent alumni and students, Burke-Griffeth has always housed students along with the cafeteria and banquet room, but for students in the late '50s and early '60s, it was a brand new state of the art women’s residence hall when Burke Hall opened in 1951 and Griffeth was added in 1963. For nearly 20 years, NCC men lived in Marion Hall, just down 11th Avenue. Each of our buildings, past and present has a story and each story points back to the faithfulness of God and strategic mission of Northwest Christian University. From 1921 to 1956 the Klinger Gymnasium sat where our Kellenberger library now stands. For many years NCC athletics teams practiced and competed in facilities throughout the Eugene community until the Morse Event Center was built in 2005 as an answer to decades of prayer. The footprint of
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mpus
125 Years 1895-2020
By Emily Johnston, M.A.
campus has gradually expanded over the last few decades as other buildings were purchased, including the Pomajevich Faculty Building, Mom Richart Apartments, the Hilyard Apartments, the School of Professional Studies, and the Education & Counseling Building. Each new space has provided the chance for the University to grow, expand, and change. Amidst the changes to the physical campus, the mission of the university remains. While NCU was a divinity school and Bible college for many years, it always embodied the call in 1 John 2 to be, “in the world, but not of the world.� From the original proposal Eugene Sanderson presented, his purpose was for a divinity school that would sit directly next to the University of Oregon. Rather than secluding the school away from the rest of society like many other Bible colleges, Northwest Christian University chose to provide that solid biblical education right next to the University of Oregon from the very start. This decision was purposeful then and it is purposeful now as we have grown to a diverse liberal arts university with over 30 academic programs. The NCU campus and location has always been a strategic part of our calling. Though space is at a premium in Eugene, Dr. Womack and the Board of Trustees believe that the Lord has called NCU to this place and time. As the University continues to grow, there is a clear and compelling vision for how the aerial view will change while continuing the strategic and prophetic call to integrate faith and learning in our uniquely urban setting. When the buildings we see now are no longer and the future we are praying for arrives, campus will once again look different, but the foundation of Christian wisdom, faith and service will remain. Left side: top- Burke-Griffeth Hall, opened 1951 middle- Lottie Price Music Building, opened 1921 bottom- Klinger Gymnasium, opened 1921 Right side: top- Pomajevich Faculty Building, purchased 2005 middle- School of Professional Studies, purchased 2006 bottom- Morse Event Center, opened 2005
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Graduates
Our Legacy of
“As a Beacon, you can choose to live as a source of light and inspiration. go forth from this place with words that bring hope and possibility. And
First graduating class from Eugene Divinity School, 1900
Nursing graduates from the early 1900’s
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December 2019 graduation
125 Years 1895-2020
C
ommencement speaker Jon Ruiz served as Eugene’s City Manager from April 2008 to October 2019. During his tenure he worked to ensure ongoing social, environmental and economic progress for the community. His emphasis on open communication and collaboration and his positive,solutionoriented style strengthened community trust and confidence and helped to promote a healthy, productive civic culture. Jon is a retired U.S. Army Colonel. He earned an M.B.A. from the
University of Colorado and trained at the John F. Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives Program at Harvard University. He also received a Master’s of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. In 2017, Ruiz was recognized by the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce with The First Citizen Award for his work with the community to address veteran homelessness, revitalize Eugene’s downtown, plan for Eugene’s long-term growth and promote economic prosperity.
. You can accept the risk of relationships that seek shalom. And you can in doing so, you can inspire each other. And you can inspire the world.” Jon Ruiz, Commencement, December 2019
Nursing graduates, December 2019
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Beacon News
Fall on Campus
pus y On Camst New Facurislttia arted the y sit er n Univ
Northwest Ch campus bers joining the new faculty mem al Studi ic bl Professor of Bi Couns Ph.D., Assistant of r so es sociate Prof As , FT LM ., .D Ph Christiani story and World Professor of Hi , J.D., MIL g; David Walsh School Counselin
Veteran's Day Luncheon
NCU hosted the annual Veteran’s Day Luncheon for students, staff, faculty and alumni who have an affiliation with any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, past or present. Rev. Fr. Jonathan K. Landon, chaplain and 28-year Army veteran, hosted the luncheon and spoke in chapel.
Largest Freshm
an Class Enrolls NCU’s largest fre shman class in hi story started class are from outside es this A of Oregon. The cla ss also includes stu including graduate dents and adult degree students.
he MEC t n i g in of nksgmivNCU, Univerasitl Aymerican a h T t den and guests fro or a tradition taff and al Stsu f n o i t dents eal. u d LCC s a thered Inter7n0 internationalmut nity College gnat Center. NCU aend prepare the m e lp Over 2 nd Lane Com he Morse Ev hes he t l churc a a n c in o r lo g e e d n r O din s an giving ember Thanks ommunity m ,c faculty
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oP sts Latein L an in NCU Ho rs d a siness le
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ith five ademic year w e 2019-2020 ac Swoboda, ft to right: A.J. community. Le yij-Wint, j ristianity; Ka Ka Ch ld or W d an ies Assistant tiz Berry, Ph.D., seling; Melisa Or ctor of en, M.A ., Instru ity; Ally Goertz of Business. LR, MBA , Dean
Continuing Our Legacy
Alu
Me mn m cele bers i Att o b and ratio f the end cla 5 n e a n of rly the sses 0th of 1 ir G 40 Cl alu o mn lden 968, 1 ass i en A nn 969 Re joy u ed iversa and 1 nio aw r eek y. The 970 re n en d tu C of f lass o rned to c f 19 ello am wsh 6 ip, 9 serv pus frie f nds ed as or a jo th e hip i an d ev nt wo ent h rsh os t ip.
August. The incom ing class boasts 11 3 students, 38% of from 8 foreign co whom untries. Total NCU enrollment is just over 800
nect rder als Conm n io s s e pus in o f o r ca P d on d ab o u t ty gathere culty share
NCU Part
ners with Dozens of Generosit NCU stude nts and st Feeds pack aff volunte y Feeds ing event ered at a at Bertha of food pre Generosity Holt paration fo r local com Elementary School, experienci n g h u n ge r a day munity m embers w and food ho may b insecurity e .
n e C o un staff and fa onnect (PLC ) ther. NCU C h o n e an o fessionals Latino Pro e h T . n io vis regon.
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Alumni Notes 1950s Longtime NCU professor George Knox '51 and his wife
Frances (Herrington) '51
celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in August 2019 at their home in Eugene, Oregon. George and Frances have three children (Gary, Kathi and Scott), eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Prior to joining the NCU faculty in 1978, George was in ministry at First Christian Church in MiltonFreewater, Washington and Kern Park Christian Church in Portland, Oregon. George & Frances Knox
Alva Good ('55-'58) serves as a consultant to Oregon Fire Equipment Distributors (ORFED), an educational association, in the areas of fire protection codes and maintenance. He also serves as a volunteer for the State Fire Marshall and is a member at Northwood Christian Church. He and his wife Shirley live in Pleasant Hill, Oregon. Gerald Sawyer '55 is a chaplain with On With Life. He and his wife Gladys live in Ankeny, Iowa.
1960s Gordon Read '62 retired from the U.S. Navy in May of 1991. He retired as Pastor from First Christian Church in Hamilton, Montana in April of 1998. Linda Dorsey '63 is currently filling in as an organist at First Christian Church in Eugene, Oregon. She loves playing the organ, and would like to thank Mr. Myrick for teaching her how to play. Thomas Newton '67 is a marriage and family therapist and is the Northwest Director for A Touch of Hope Ministries in Vancouver, Washington. He and his wife Diane (Kestie) live in Vancouver as well. Frank Musgrave '68 served as Interim Minister at Turner Christian Church from October 2017 to October 2018.
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Dee (Dolores Ford) Potter '68 has retired from teaching in the Oregon Artist in Education Program and from the Bend LaPine School System. She remains in the Bend, Oregon area where she is an active artist in the worlds of weaving and printmaking.
1970s
Sherry (Perkins) Nettles '70 is a registered nurse serving at the Riverside Cancer Clinic. She lives in Riverside, California with her husband Chris '72, who is a retired minister. John Mulkey '72, D. Div. '08 and Marilyn (Daniels) Mulkey ('68-'69) have returned to Tigard, Oregon. They just concluding forty years of working in Indonesia with CMFI Doug Harvey '74 is pastor of Harvest Church in Iowa. He and his wife Patricia have two adult children. Rev. Ron Naff '74 and his wife Kay (Crewse) '74 are living in Longview, Washington where Ron is retired and Kay is teaching middle school math part-time at St. Rose Catholic School. Pastor Ted Davis '75 and his wife Sheila recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary. They have spent the majority of their marriage in church ministry, currently serving as the Founding Pastor
of Faith Center La Grande (Oregon) where he continues to serve in teaching and discipleship ministries. They have four children, eleven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Douglas Goodwin '76 is serving as the pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Sheridan, Wyoming. He and his wife Marcy have two adult sons. Christine (Krueger) Wilkinson '77 is living an active retired life with her husband Larry in Port Orchard, Washington. She is an avid quilter, active in the Order of the Eastern Star and National Camping Travelers, as well as a bowling league. Gary Brower '78 was appointed Priest-inCharge of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Centennial, Colorado. He and his wife Susan live in Englewood, Colorado. Michael Jameson ’79 lives in Salem, Oregon where he works for Portland General Electric as a Specialist III.
1980s Thomas King '82 is a Professor of Old Testament at Nazarene Bible College. He is an avid contributor to scholarly journals and commentaries. He and his wife live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dr. Timothy Aho '86 and his wife Tammy celebrated 25 years of life in
Alumni Notes England earlier this year. They lead missional training to help churches and leaders think differently, creatively and passionately about their contexts with a focus on making and reproducing followers of Jesus. They have also started a missional community called Companions for Hope (www. companionsforhope.com). This year, Steve Silver '87 had an essay titled "Faith, Freedom, and Information: A Christian Perspective on Intellectual Freedom" published in The Faithful Librarian: Essays on Christianity in the Profession (2019) by Garrett Trott. This book is available in the NCU library and from Amazon. Rev. Kerry Kesey '89 is the head pastor of Englewood Christian Church in Yakima, Washington, and was recently featured in the Yakima Herald for her role in the community.
1990s Cherie (Moe) Kistner '91 is a communications manager with Oregon Community Credit Union. She and her husband David live in Springfield, Oregon with their two teenage sons.
Lee Wilhite '91 is serving at Biola University of the Vice President of University Communications and Marketing, which also includes Enrollment. He and his wife Leeta have three children.
John Wetherington, M.A. '93 has been promoted to Supervisor Special Agent/ Instructor at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Prior to this, he spent 17 years in the Dallas Division of the FBI. He and his family reside in Stafford, Virginia. Teresa (Williams) Jackson '95 is the new news editor for the Madras Pioneer publication in Madras, Oregon. Sandra (Saily) Bayless '98, M.A.'13 is a teacher and counselor in the Grants Pass School District. She and her husband live in Grants Pass with their teenage daughter.
Heather (Rosen) Ivey '99 has taken a position as the Bridge 56 teacher at Salem Academy in Salem, Oregon.
2000s Joel Peterson '00 recently stepped into the role of Chaplain for Oregon Volunteer Firefighters Association. He and his wife also recently adopted an adult named Josephine in October of 2019. Adam Rasmussen ’01 is the Director of Music at Northwood Christian Church in Springfield, Oregon.
Ryan Stevenson '02 has released a new single, "When We Fall Apart", and is touring with the Newsboys on their Greatness of Our God tour.
Andrew Kruse '02 retired from the United States Air Force in 2016. He and his wife, also a USAF retiree, live in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Brenda (Bramwell) Dufour M.A. '03 is the Assistant Principal at South Medford High School in Medford, Oregon. Scott Nedelisky '05 is co-owner of 4th Avenue Homes. He and his wife Angela live in Clackamas, Oregon. Allie Morth '05 is a Collaboration Specialist with CoreLink. She recently helped to design and implement an escape room for her company's team building event. She lives in West Fargo, North Dakota.
Jon Kubu M.B.A. '06 is vice president of Nulia Solutions, a software company in Eugene, Oregon. Nulia was recently honored by the Register-Guard as an Innovator for Job Creation.
Joshua Wark '08 and his wife Jessica (Rose) Wark '09 have moved back to Josh's hometown of Albany, Oregon He now serves as the Brand Manager of Mountain House at OFD Foods, Inc. His products can be found at REI and Walmart. Weston Edmunds '08 was named "40 under Forty" by BizWest in Northern Colorado for his work with the Weld Food Bank. He lives with his family in Greeley, Colorado. Dustin Hinkle '08 has returned to the US after ten years serving in China. He is an assistant teaching professor at Washington State University and lives with his wife Andrea and their three young children. Jordan Whittenburg '09 graduated with a Master's in Exercise Science from California University in 2018. He has been promoted to Associate Head Men's Basketball Coach at Las Positas College and teaches Physical Education as well. He and his wife Kathryn welcomed a daughter in July, 2019. Doug Duvall '09, M.B.A. '14 is the RTLS Client Relations Manager for Midmark. He and his wife Tamara live in Eugene, Oregon with their three children.
Ricky Almeida M.A.'09 was recently selected as Oregon School Counselor of the Year at the OSCA conference. Ricky is a school counselor at West Sylvan Middle School in Portland, Oregon.
2010s Amy (Creech) Crump '10, M.Ed. '13 married Paul Crump in 2018 and has been teaching elementary school since she graduated in 2010. Tracy Richardson '10 is a utility planner for the Springfield Utility Board. She lives in Springfield, Oregon with her teenage son. Mandy (Robertson) Burchfield '10, M.Ed. '12 and her husband Ben welcomed their first child in November 2019. Lori (Renner) Newton '11 and her husband Jase welcomed a baby girl into their family in November 2019. Continued on page 36
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Alumni Notes 2010's Cont'd. Rev. Robbie Tulloch '11 graduated with his M.Div. from Claremont School of Theology. He serves as an associate pastor at Hillside Christian Church in Wichita, Kansas. Kyndra Miles '12, M.B.A. '14 is a nursing systems business analyst with PeaceHealth in the Eugene/Springfield area. Skylar Bascom ’12, M.B.A. '14 was recently featured in The Albany Democratic Herald for the mentorship program he is leading at Ralston Academy. Carlos Sandoval '12, M.Ed. '14 and his wife Jaimie (Sells) Sandoval '12 welcomed a baby boy in November 2019. They currently reside in San Antonio, Texas. Christina (Salazar) Felix '13 and her husband Jose delivered their third child in August of 2018. Jose has started a music production company which features Christian and Latin artists. They feel very blessed to spread the word of God through music. Christina currently teaches the fourth grade in rural Idaho. Christina and Jose are active members in their home church in worship group, youth group and children's ministry. Chelsea (Hannon) Flores '14 married Eddie Flores IV in June 2019 and is currently working as a registered nurse at PeaceHealth in Eugene, Oregon. Allyssa (Mittleider) Goertzen '14, M.A. '16 recently joined the faculty of NCU in the school counseling program. Brittany (Hanania) Beick '13, M.B.A. '14 married Kevin Beick in August 2019. She works at Roseburg Forest Products in Eugene and was recently promoted to Business Analyst supporting financial applications and software. Kelsay (Gardiepy) Rychener '14 has returned to Eugene to teach public relations courses in the Communication department at NCU. She is also holds a management position at Oregon Medical Group. Nicole (Oekerman) Roth '14 and Brandon Roth '14 live with their two children in Hesston, Kansas where Brandon is the pastor of Grace Crossing Church. Mitch Karraker M.Ed. '14 joined the Baylor Baseball coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. He and his family now reside in the Waco, Texas area.
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Jovani Guzman '15 has moved to Huntington Beach, California and will be the Front Office Manager at the Pasea Hotel and Spa. Spencer Voigt '18 and Julia (Shoemaker) Voigt '15 were married in July 2019. Allison (Duvenez) Booth '15 married Ryan Booth in July 2019. Jared Keeth '15 and Katelyn (Battle) Keeth '16 welcomed a baby girl into their family in August 2019. Harley Turner '15, M.B.A. '16 and his wife Kara have a new baby boy. Harley has recently accepted a position at Moss Adams in Eugene, Oregon as a staff accountant. Sharaya (Moretti) Agoff '15 owns Agoff Insurance Solutions (Farmers Insurance) in Eugene, Oregon. She and her team have recently created new insurance options for clients through partnering with a local manufacturer. She and her husband Alex have made Eugene their home. Madison (Womack) Mack '16 married John Ryan Mack in July 2019. They are both Latin instructors and live in San Antonio, Texas. Curtis Fields '16 was ordained this fall at Elkton Christian Church and graduated from Lincoln Christian University with a Master of Divinity in December 2019. He is concurrently completing his Clinical Pastoral Education at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Hospital in Springfield, Oregon. Miles Adkisson '16, M.B.A. '18 married Kallie (Gardiepy) Adkisson '16 in August 2019. The couple resides in the Eugene area. Miles continues to serve NCU as the Associate Director of Admission and recently added Head Coach of NCU's intercollegiate ESports team to his responsibilities on campus. Sarah Lawhorn '16 has completed her master's degree and is the new athletic trainer at Century High School in addition to working for Tuality Healthcare. She resides in Beaverton, Oregon. Trevyn DuBois '16 is a buyer for Wilco. He and his wife live in Keizer, Oregon. Leadi Aminou '17, M.S.N. '19 was the first graduate of the new Master of Science in Nursing which he completed in December 2019. Crystal Falk '17 recently transitioned from the Employment Advancement to
the Director of Youth & Family Services at Direction Service in Harrisburg, Oregon. Delaney (McMahon) Wolfe '17 is the worship pastor at Twin Oaks Christian Church in Eugene, Oregon. She and her husband Joshua were recently married in March 2019. Emily (Morgan) Campos '18 married Yosvan Campos in August 2019. Garrett Kraal '18 and Madeleine (Nelson) Kraal '17 were married in October 2019. They are both in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Utah and reside in Salt Lake City, Utah. Brighton (Hebisen) Garcia '18 and Joey Garcia '18 were married in October 2019. Taryn Monique Thompson '18 is a graduate assistant for University of Cincinatti Women's Basketball. Nikole (Niki) Duncan '18 is a mortgage processor in Eugene, Oregon. She recently returned to campus to participate in the alumni game for women's basketball. Gail Turner M.A. '18 is a mental health specialist and MA LPC registered intern with Lane County. She is also volunteering with Veterans Legacy Camp in Alma, Oregon. She is an army veteran herself and she and her son live in Springfield, Oregon. Connor Covey '19 and Cassandra (Brownell) Covey '19 were married in September 2019. Sammy Johnson '19 is head coach of Siuslaw High School football and is teaching full-time there. Robbie McGowen '19 is currently looking into applying for graduate school in England, Scotland, Italy, or NCU sometime next year. He has applied to many programs, and his overall goal is to be working and serving abroad wherever the greatest need is in the next three years. Evangeline (Caldwell) Armstrong '19 is a teacher at Insight School of the Painted Hills and lives in Portland, Oregon. We want to hear from you! Drop us a line! Keep us in the loop! Share your successes! Let us celebrate with you! Send your news and updates to alumni@nwcu.edu or go to nwcu.edu/alumniupdate Go Beacons!
T r o e f e i n u g o Y O f k f n f or a h T
NCU
Northwest Christian University thanks the sponsors, golfers and volunteers who made the 25th Annual Golf Classic hosted by Shadow Hills Country Club a success. Their generous support helps make attending a Christian university more accessible for students seeking a rigorous education based in wisdom, faith and service.
in-
thanks to our sponsors and l a i c e p s A who made this event a great su s r o n o d cc e kind
ss!
Presenting Sponsors
Dinner Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
The Original Pancake House
A & M Autobody Axalta Columbia Bank D.A. Davidson (Medford, OR) MossAdams Pacific Office Automation PeaceHealth Portal Escape Rooms Reeve-Knight Construction Richards Remodeling Sheppard Motors TechnaPrint Umpqua Bank Valley River Inn
Platinum Sponsors Carl’s Jr.® Papa John’s Pizza The Taylor Group Architects Supporting Sponsors Apex Recycling & Disposal Chambers Construction FastSigns Eugene McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center Togo's
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In Memoriam
Douglas McKay Friend of the University, J. Douglas McKay, passed away on December 4, 2019. Doug was a long-time donor and friend of the University who cared deeply about education. Doug grew up in Eugene and learned about business early on from the family enterprise, McKay's Markets. He attended the University of Oregon on an ROTC scholarship and after graduation entered the Air Force as an officer and pilot. After completing his military service, Doug returned to the area and joined his family in the founding of McKay Investment Company. Doug later went on to found McKay Commercial Properties and was also the head of North Douglas Wood Products. In his professional work, Doug was committed to sustainable commercial development. Doug was a faithful servant to the Eugene higher education community, serving on both the University of Oregon Foundation Board the Lane Community College Board as well as giving generously to endowments and scholarships at the University of Oregon and Northwest Christian University. A recent gift of $500,000 for future campus development highlights Doug’s lifetime commitment to generosity. Doug is survived his sister Linda McKay Korth, his daughters, Amy Romero and Tracie Shojai, and four grandchildren.
Hazel (DeMarce) McLarrin ('37-'39) passed away on January 25, 2018. Hazel was born and raised in Corvallis, Oregon and attended NCC from 1937 - 1939. She married James W. "Jim" McLarrin in 1940 and lived most of their lives in Eugene and Lebanon, Oregon. She is survived by two daughters, five grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Delbert "Steve" Fenn '60 passed away in February 2019. He is survived by his wife Pat (Patty Myers) Fenn of 62 years, his son Roy Fenn and daughter Jeanette Buystedt.
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Dan N. Armstrong '70 passed away on February 11, 2019. He was born in Spokane, WA. He met Janice Cromwell at NCC and they were married in 1969. He graduated from NCC with a Bachelor of Theology in 1970, Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity in 1974, and a Doctor of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1977. In 1972 Dan joined the Air Force as a Chaplain Candidate and served 5 years in the AF reserves. In 1977 he entered active duty as a Protestant Chaplain for the United States Air Force. Over the next 22 years, Dan, Jan, and their children Lisa and Daniel served God, country, and the men and women of the US Air Force. In 1999 Dan retired from the Air Force with the rank of Colonel and moved to Hood River, Oregon where he was the paster of Hood River Valley Christian Church for 5 years and then 6 more years as interim for Silverton, Ione, Springfield, La Grande and Pendleton. Above all else, Dan loved Christ and His church. He is survived by his wife, children and 8 grandchildren. Ruth Watters ('43-'45) passed away on April 18, 2019 in Eugene, Oregon. She attended high school in Billings, Montana and came to NCC in the fall of 1943. She married her husband Arthur in 1944. They were married 65 years; Arthur passed in 2010. Together they owned and operated three beauty schools and ten salons for over 60 years. She was an active member of First Christian Church in Eugene and in the cosmetology industry. She is survived by three of her sons, her brother, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband and her son Larry. Carol Ann (Lyda) Wright '73 passed away on April 23, 2019 in Lawton, Oklahoma. Carol was a lifelong music lover and performer. She is survived by her husband of 41 years, David, her son David (Crystal), her daughter Corinne (Dustin), four younger sisters, their husbands and three grandchildren.
graduating in the 1960's. She then served as the audio-visual director in the NCU library until retiring in 1976. She was a member of First Christian Church, Eugene and was an avid birder. She is survived by her son Greg (Sandy) and three step-grandchildren. James C. Smith '51 passed away on October 23, 2019 in Yorba Linda, California at the age of 91. He grew up in Billings, Montana and attended NCC where he met his wife Joyce (Couch) '50. He served as Student Body President during his time on campus, and proceeded to complete two graduate degrees from both Butler University and Fuller Seminary. Together, Jim and Joyce served the Christian church all over the country, but his longest tenure was as General Director of the Christian Missionary Fellowship (now CMFI) from 1967 to 1987. He also served as a part-time professor at Hope International University. He is survived by his wife, Joyce as well as their four adult children, many grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Jim requested that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to NCU (www.nwcu.edu/give) or CMFI (www.cmfi.org/give). Harvey Ruegsegger '58 passed away on October 24, 2019. He met his wife Bonnie (Van Doren) '58 at NCU and they were married 63 years. He sang in the men's quartet while at NCU. After graduation, Harvey served in churches spanning Oregon, Washington, Iowa, Colorado and Wyoming. He was an active volunteer in Volunteers of America, Habitat for Humanity and the Lions Club. Notably, Harvey helped start the Loveland (Colorado) Police Chaplains in 1976 and served this organization for 40 years. He is survived by his wife Bonnie, his three children (Debra, David and Daniel), three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Rogene A. Stock '69 passed away on July 3, 2019 in Sweet Home, Oregon. Rogene attended NCC where she met and married husband Ted Stock '69. Ted and Rogene had five children and raised them in Sweet Home. Rogene was an educator at heart, whether in the local classroom, teaching educators at NCC or serving the Riverside Christian Church. She is survived by her husband Ted, five siblings, her five children, their spouses and eleven grandchildren.
Friend of the University, Artha "Artie" King passed away on October 29, 2019. Artie and her late husband Ed were longtime supporters of Northwest Christian University, both giving generously of their time and financial resources over the years. Artie was involved in many philanthropic efforts in the Eugene area and had a particular interest in supporting the education of women. She and Ed were married for 59 years and raised three children. Together they were the founders of King Design, Inc. which grew into one of Eugene's most successful locally-owned companies. Artie was an avid Rotarian, devoted Oregon Duck fan, and active member of Eugene Country Club. She is survived by her three children, their spouses and eight grandchildren.
Eva Schultz passed away on October 6, 2019. She attended both NCC and UO,
Gayle Y. Ross ('74-'75) passed away on November 1, 2019 in Sandy, Utah. Gayle
Katherine Alsing '43 passed away on June 15, 2019 at the age of 95 in Ashland, Oregon.
attended NCC and settled in Salt Lake City. She spent most of her career in office administration, was active in her church, and a supporter of International Fellowship of Christian Businessmen (IFCB). She is preceded in death by her husband Calvin. She is survived by her daughter, grandson, niece and nephew. Ruth Hazel (McCandless) Kistler ’58 passed away on November 15, 2019 at the age of 96. Originally from central California, Ruth moved to Eugene when she married longtime NCC music professor Gilbert Kistler. She graduated in 1948 and spent much of her career teaching elementary school. In retirement Ruth enjoyed quilting and sewing. Ruth was an active member of First Christian Church in Eugene where she sang in the choir. She is survived by her daughter Roberta ‘71 (and Gary ‘73) Smith, her son Ron (and Krystal) Kistler, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Memorial contributions can be made to NCU for the Kistler Scholarship Fund at www.nwcu.edu/give. Rev. Paul I. Nelson ‘65 passed away on December 8, 2019 in Johnston, Iowa at the age of 77. Paul came to NCC from Deer Lodge, Montana after having grown up in Christian Churches all around the Pacific Northwest. He met Donna Jean (Foote) ’65 at NCC where they both participated in the chapel choir. After graduation, Paul attended both Drake Divinity School and Lexington Theological Seminary. Their life of ministry in the church took them all over the country. Paul also had a second career as the Director of Transportation and Technology for Des Moines Christian School until his retirement in 2010. Paul is survived by his wife Donna, his three adult children, two grandchildren, one great-grandson, nieces and nephews. Lynn M. Griffith ’67 passed away on December 14, 2019 after losing a two-year race with lung cancer. Lynn came to NCC from his hometown of Livingston, Montana and played basketball as a Crusader. After obtaining his Master of Education degree at the University of Oregon, Lynn taught fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades for many years in Portland. He also coached basketball, track and cross-country. Lynn and his wife GK Bash Griffith ’71 celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in 2019. Personally, Lynn was a ninetime veteran of the Ironman Triathlons, he cycled across the United States twice, from Canada to Mexico once and rode at least 100 miles in every one of the 50 states. He was a committed Christian who taught adult Sunday school and sang in the choir with GK. He is survived by his wife, GK, his daughter Beau (Randy) Koshiol, his three siblings, his grandson and his granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Kit Griffith.
Ways to Give & Opportunities to Support NCU Cash
Cash gifts immediately benefit NCU. Gifts by check, credit card, debit card, or cash can be accepted in person, by mail or online.
Securities
Gifts of securities can be arranged by contacting NCU’s brokerage account. To make a securities gift, contact Amanda Bailey at D. A. Davison at 541-608-7225 or abailey@dadco.com.
Corporate Matching
Many businesses have corporate matching gift programs that can double or even triple a gift to NCU. Contact your employer’s human resources department to learn if this is available to you.
Planned Gifts
Bequest & Estate Gifts
Planned gifts are a creative opportunity to support NCU. They can offer a significant financial benefit to both the university and the donor during the donor’s lifetime. Bequest donors can include NCU in their will by designating a specific dollar amount or percentage of their estate to the University, leaving a significant legacy upon their passing.
ira Charitable Taxpayers over age 70 ½ can make tax-free charitable gifts up to Rollover $100,000 per year directly from their IRAs to eligible charities. Contact your IRA plan administrator for details.
Gifts in Memorium
Any gift can be made in honor or in memory of someone special. Simply note your intentions when you make your gift.
Generous donors contribute each year to keep Northwest Christian University strong. This commitment allows NCU to provide Christian higher education to those seeking wisdom, faith and service.
Would you consider how you might help keep the Beacon flame shining bright? The Beacon Fund: Gifts to the Beacon Fund provide an unrestricted contribution to NCU in support of undergraduate student scholarships. Those who give monthly through automated giving are part of NCU’s Torchbearer Society and are recognized for their faithful partnership. Endowed Scholarships provide talented and deserving students the opportunity to attend NCU. These funds can be established in the donor’s name or to honor one you love in support of future students. Capital Gifts are designated to fund construction and renovation projects, often with naming opportunities. Give online at www.nwcu.edu/give For more information, call 541-684-7318
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NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID EUGENE OR PERMIT NO. 921
Save the Date! Evening of Tribute Wednesday, May 6, 2020 Valley River Inn Celebrating Exemplary Ethical Leaders & Outstanding Alumni Presented by
nwcu.edu/eveningoftribute