CRC Lectureship Program 2025 by Crowley's Ridge College

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is my pleasure, as the president of Crowley’s Ridge College to welcome you to this year’s 24th Annual Bible Lectureship. As we gather under the theme, “Like a Morning Cloud – An Exegetical Observation of the Prophet Hosea,” we are reminded of the profound wisdom and warning found in the words of this remarkable prophet. Hosea’s message speaks not only to the people of Israel but also to us today, challenging us to examine our faithfulness to God and calling us to a deeper, more enduring relationship with our loving, Heavenly Father.

Throughout this lectureship, we will engage in a thorough study of Hosea’s writings, exploring the imagery of fleeting devotion and the steadfast love of God. Like the morning cloud and early dew that vanishes, Israel’s devotion wavered, yet God’s compassion and call to repentance remained unwavering. In our time together, I pray we reflect on these truths, seek to strengthen our own commitment, and embrace the grace and mercy that God continually extends to His people.

May the Spirit guide us as we learn, worship, and grow together in faith through our attendance and fellowship. Welcome, and may God bless this lectureship richly as we grow closer to Him through the powerful messages we are privileged to hear.

In Christ,

Dr. Richard Johnson President

Lectureship Directors

We are so thankful you are here for our 24th Annual Lectureship!

Little is known about the prophet Hosea as the only details known of him are deduced from the book named after him. There is no information about his home, his age, or his occupation prior to becoming a prophet. His previous life is a mystery to the reader. His calling, however, is addressed. He is called to take up a wife who would cheat on him and is commanded to have children with her. This calling is strange and is seemingly out of character for God. Why would God command Hosea to enter a covenant with a woman who would betray him, resulting in his pain, anguish, and despair? Hosea’s marriage to Gomer is representative of God’s covenant with Israel. The people have constantly betrayed him by seeking idols, engaged in forbidden practices, and have forgotten the severity of breaking their covenant with God. God uses Hosea and Gomer’s marriage to illustrate the violated covenant between himself and Israel. However, this illustration reveals more than the flaws found in the Israelite people. Hosea and Gomer’s relationship symbolizes (1) a coming salvation that would fully liberate God’s people from sin, (2) God’s loyalty to the people despite their unfaithful and adulterous attitude toward him and his covenant, and (3) God’s desire to renew the covenant between him and his people. Our lectureship theme is designed to encourage and remind the church and our student body that God loves them and is willing to do anything to see them in his fellowship. We have named our lectureship series “Like a Morning Cloud” after Hosea, who warned against apostasy and idolatry and encouraged repentance and return to God.

Grace & Peace,

Jeremy M. Pierce, Lectureship Committee Co-Director

J. Dakota Crossno, Lectureship Committee Co-Director

Location

Gay Carter Activities Center Crowley’s Ridge College 100 College Drive, Paragould AR 870-236-6901 | lectureship@crc.edu Watch

YouTube.com/@CRCPioneers crc.edu/lectureship

Facebook: CrowleysRidgeCollege

Twitter/X: CRCPioneers

Instagram: @crowleysridgecollege

Jeremy Pierce Dakota Crossno

SUNDAY, APRIL 13

4:00 PM YOUTH NIGHT Dinner, Worship, Door Prizes, Games

6:00 PM Dr. Carl Williamson Fleeting and Finicky Faithfulness

MONDAY, APRIL 14

9:00 AM Josh Parnell Leave Them Alone: Influence Matters

10:00 AM Dr. Dave Phillips Navigating Sexuality in Today’s Culture

10:00 AM Anna Crossno Navigating Sexuality in Today’s Culture

11:00 AM Hiram Kemp Striving: For It Is Time To Seek The Lord

1:00 PM Dr. Spencer Furby So I Married a Prostitute

2:00 PM Michael Meredith The Danger of Spiritual Adultery

7:00 PM Dr. Justin Rogers Relentless Judgment & Redeeming Love of God

TUESDAY, APRIL 15

9:00 AM Panel Discussion Navigating Divorce in Our Churches More Effectively

10:00 AM Dr. Ryan Fraser Psychological Analysis of Hosea, Gomer, & Their Children

10:00 AM Sarah Dutton Psychological Analysis of Hosea, Gomer, & Their Children

11:00 AM Kent Jobe Sovereignty: What Can a King Do For Us?

1:00 PM Dakota Crossno Out of Egypt I Called My Son

2:00 PM Dr. Brooks Tiller Divorced Disciples

7:00 PM Dr. Carlus Gupton The Restoration of the Sinner

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16

9:00 AM David Deffenbaugh A Cake Not Turned: Consecration

10:00 AM Caleb Krimmel

10:00 AM Dr. Anessa Westbrook

The Lord Has Built A Case Against You

11:00 AM Jonathan Godsey Surrender: Return To Your God

KEYNOTE

WOMEN’S

CHAPEL

Worship Leaders

Sunday Monday Tuesday

Ron Harris Union Central Church of Christ Marmaduke, AR

Ken McAlpin Southwest Church of Christ Jonesboro, AR

Carson Copeland Robinson and Center Church of Christ Conway, AR

SPEAKER BIOS

Keynote Speaker Dr. Carl Williamson

is first and foremost a follower of Jesus. He has spent his life sharing the gospel with non-believers and training disciple makers in central New Jersey. He has been instrumental in establishing 2 new churches and working with 2 different church planting teams. Carl received a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Harding School of Theology in 2018. His dissertation focused on “Establishing Ethical Processes for Church Finances,” a subject that he used to help form stronger leaders in their NJ churches. He is the Distinguished Andy T. Ritchie Chair for discipleship and church planting at Harding University. This position is allowing Carl to train students in a specific disciple making model that has been multiplying at Harding and in churches across the United States. He is married to Alicia Williamson, also a professor at Harding University and they have two children, Zoe & Elle.

Keynote Speaker Dr. Justin Rogers

has served as a program coordinator, the Director of the Graduate School of Theology, and now Dean of the College of Biblical Studies at Freed-Hardeman University. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Justin has never stopped working in ministry. For more than 20 years he has served as both a youth minister and pulpit minister in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee and is currently the pulpit minister for the Broad Street Church of Christ in Lexington, TN. In addition, he is a member of the Advisory Board of Western Kentucky Youth Camp and a Board of Directors member for Lads2Leaders. Justin is the author of more than 250 articles, essays, books, and other publications, is heavily involved in academic research into Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianity, and has enjoyed prominent administrative posts in his field’s most recognized academic organizations. Justin and his wife Ashli have been married since 2006 and have three wonderful children: Caleb, Chelsea, and Camryn. Justin’s life is an example of providential grace.

Keynote Speaker Dr. Carlus Gupton

Professor of Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Lipscomb University, Dr. Gupton has held similar positions at Harding School of Theology and has also taught at Johnson University and the University of Tennessee School of Communication Studies. Prior to this, he spent twenty years as a preaching minister for congregations in Tennessee and Alabama. Carlus teaches courses in church leadership, spiritual formation, change, and conflict on both masters and doctoral levels, and has also taught New Testament, theology and communication. He also maintains an active schedule of consulting and coaching, and has worked with over 200 churches and organizations. Dr. Gupton is the founder and publisher of LifeandLeadership.com, a website with over 1,500 pages of resources for church leaders. The website also features the popular DISC Profile System.

Spiritual Life on Campus

CRC is dedicated to promoting a healthy spiritual life in every student. Aside from offering courses that focus on Bible related areas, CRC also hosts a chapel service for students Monday through Thursday. Chapel is an incorporation of faith into a student’s daily routine and serves as a spiritual rest amidst the demands of college life.

Students can also participate in The Ridge Connection, an on-site campus ministry house which aims to engage students to dig deeper in their faith and experience an authentic Christfilled community.

Numerous opportunities are provided throughout the school year to help students be more intentional in their faith, such as Project Reachout (an annual day of service), weekly Bible studies, student-led small groups, Thursday night devotionals, and Fall and Spring Retreats.

The Ridge Connection

SPEAKER BIOS (continued)

Women’s Class Speaker Anna Crossno graduated from CRC in 2018 with her B.A. in Biblical Studies. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Pastoral Care and Counseling with a concentration in Marriage and Family therapy. Anna met her husband, Dakota Crossno, while attending CRC. Together they have two children, Benjamin and Ava-Claire. They have been married for 7 years and believe each other to be one another’s best friend. Anna’s goal is to help couples in the church better understand the importance of marriage and aid in divorce prevention.

Daytime Lecturer Dakota Crossno received his B.A in Biblical studies at Crowley’s Ridge College in 2018, his Masters in ministry from Freed-Hardeman University in 2022, and is expected to graduate with his PhD in Biblical Exposition in 2026 from Liberty University. Dakota primarily studies biblical symbolism, biblical motifs and typology. Dakota has 11 years of preaching experience and is one of the preaching ministers at the Liberty Church of Christ in Paragould, Arkansas in addition to his role as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at CRC. He and his wife of 7 years, Anna, have two beautiful children: Benjamin and Ava-Claire.

Daytime Lecturer David Deffenbaugh has preached full-time for the past 40 years. He currently serves as an associate minister for the Center Hill congregation in Paragould, AR. He’s previously preached for congregations in Oklahoma City (Southwest), Tahlequah, OK (South College), Wewoka, OK, Harrison, AR (Northside), and Joplin, MO (26th & Conn.). He’s done extensive short-term mission work in Ukraine, has authored 3 daily Bible reading and devotional books, and served as an adjunct Bible professor at CRC. He and his wife Tanya have been married 42 years and have two children and four grandchildren.

Women’s Class Speaker Sarah Dutton went on her first mission trip to Peru at age 19 with Latin American Missions (LAM), an experience that would profoundly shape her future. A graduate of Freed-Hardeman University, she moved to Panama to serve at the former Children’s Home of the Americas, where she dedicated nearly 13 years as a missionary. Sarah has had the privilege of speaking at Bible lectureships across Panama, Honduras, and the United States, as well as teaching a class and seminar to women in Tanzania through online platforms.

Men’s Class Speaker Dr. Ryan Fraser attended Freed-Hardeman University where he met and married his wife of 36 years, Missy Housel. Fraser is an Associate Professor of Bible and Pastoral Counseling at FHU and has been teaching there since 2006. He coordinates the M.A. in Pastoral Care and Counseling program as well as the Youth & Family Ministry undergraduate program. The revision of his groundbreaking book, Overcoming the Blues: Finding Christ-Centered Hope and Joy through Serving Others, was released in 2020.

Daytime Lecturer Dr. Spencer Furby grew up in Fredericktown, MO and attended the Flat River Church of Christ when CRC’s Paul McFadden and Tim Wooldridge were recruiting in the 1980s. He attended CRC from 1990-1992 before moving on to Freed-Hardeman and Harding Graduate school to pursue Bible degrees. He married Melissa Reddick of Paragould after meeting her at Burger King while studying Greek flashcards for Mr. Hale’s class. They have two kids, Noah and Abby and are members of the Valley View Church of Christ, where Furby has preached since 2016.

Chapel Speaker Jonathan Godsey serves as the preaching minister for the Amory Church of Christ in Amory, MS. Before this role, he was the preaching minister at the Plaza Church of Christ in Sumter, SC. Additionally, he spent a year studying under Spencer Furby at the Valley View Church of Christ in Jonesboro, AR, where he held the position of Resident Minister. Jonathan holds a B.A. in Preaching from Harding University and a M.A. in Biblical Studies from Heritage Christian University. He is married to his beautiful wife, Madison, and together they have two children.

Chapel Speaker Kent Jobe received his master’s degree from Southern Christian (now Amridge) University in Montgomery, Alabama in 1999 and his doctorate degree from Harding School of Theology in 2021. Kent served alongside the College Avenue Church of Christ in El Dorado, Arkansas for 21 years and has served as the lead minister for the Downtown Church of Christ in Searcy since May 2022. Kent and his wife Cara have three children: Derek (Gracie) of Springdale, AR; Austin is a junior at Harding University; and Brylee is a junior at Harding Academy.

Chapel Speaker Hiram Kemp began working with the church at Lehman Avenue in September of 2021 after preaching in Lakeland, Florida for five years. He is a graduate of Bethune Cookman University, Nova Southeastern University, the Florida School of preaching, and Freed-Hardeman University. Hiram is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Old Testament at Midwestern Seminary. He and his wife Brittani have two children, Nadia and Andre.

Men’s

Class Speaker

Caleb Krimmel is originally from Southeast Michigan. Caleb received his B.A. in Biblical Studies from CRC and is currently in his first year at Harding University working towards a Master of Divinity. Caleb is the current Youth Minister at Fairview Heights Church of Christ in Fairview Heights, IL. His favorite Bible verse is 1 John 3:16. He enjoys working out, football (go Lions), reading, playing pickleball, and hiking. He has been incredibly supported by his parents, his brother and best friend Eli, his grandparents, and an incredibly long reaching list of friends and mentors from CRC.

Daytime Lecturer Michael Meredith is a native of Fort Worth, TX who attended Crowley’s Ridge College from 1999-2000 and began working as an admissions representative after completing his degree at Arkansas State University in 2002. Meredith currently serves as the preaching minister for the Center Hill Church of Christ in Paragould. In 2024, Meredith was named CRC’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in recognition of his service to the church, the community, and to Christian education. He and his wife, Misti, are the proud parents of Jacob (18) and Madilyn (16).

Daytime Lecturer Josh Parnell has worked as an Adjunct Professor of Bible and Greek for CRC since 2021. He preaches at the Monette Church of Christ in Monette, AR. Josh has been married for 13 years to Laura Parnell, who is a licensed occupational therapy assistant. Josh and Laura have two children, Titus and Joy. He holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies from CRC and a M.Div. from Harding University.

Men’s Class Speaker Dr. Dave Phillips has worked at Freed-Hardeman University, Central Arkansas Christian Schools, and with the Levy Church of Christ in North Little Rock, the Macon Road Church of Christ in Memphis, and the Germantown Church of Christ where he has preached since 1992. Dave’s undergraduate degree is from Freed-Hardeman University. He holds an MA, MDiv. and DMin. from Harding School of Theology. He is also the Germantown City Chaplain and an adjunct professor of communication at Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Daytime Lecturer Dr. Brooks Tiller holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (2008) and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from FreedHardeman University (2003). He has transitioned from a successful career in physical therapy to a financial adviser with Smart Pro Financial, while continuing to leverage his passion for health, fitness, and the outdoors in a variety of other roles. Dr. Tiller specializes in helping Christian men navigate the challenges of divorce, offering guidance that blends empathy, faith, and practical advice.

Women’s Class Speaker Dr. Anessa Westbrook is an Associate Professor of Bible and Ministry at Harding University. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Harding; a M.A. in Church Growth and a M.Div. from Harding School of Theology; and a D.Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Westbrook has spoken at women’s events across the country as well as internationally. She has written for Christian Woman magazine, is a regular contributor to Mosaic, and is the author of Reaching and Discipling Women: A Guide to Women’s Ministry in Your Church. Her husband, Dr. Tim Westbrook, was

the next President of York University in York, Nebraska.