Brown Bulletin - Summer 2008

Brown Bulletin

Alumni Serious about Offering Freedom from Sexual Addiction Vowing To Save Marriages in Northwest Arkansas

Summer 2008

a publication for alumni & friends of JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY

letter

from the

president And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:2b-5

Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

Editor

Andrea Phillips

Assistant Editor

Linda Wyman

JBU Staff Writers Rachel Fiet

Lauren Pemberton

Lead Designer Andrea Phillips

Design Assistance Allen Dempsey

Laura Ravenscroft Linda Wyman Production Assistance

Christine Mescher

Dear Friends of JBU, We have reinstituted a baccalaureate worship service for the May graduating class, and I enjoy the chance to worship with students and their families one final time before they leave JBU. This year, I spoke to them about the “hope that does not disappoint us” and suggested how that series of linked terms – suffering, perseverance, character, and hope – should describe the life of the follower of Christ and an alumnus of JBU. JBU students know of suffering, in their own lives and in the lives of those whom they served both locally and abroad. They have seen broken relationships in Northern Ireland and in the residence hall; the hunger of a child in Ethiopia and in Watts, Oklahoma; the hatred between people of different races in Chicago and in Siloam Springs. Many of them have experienced firsthand the death of loved ones, the hurt of depression, and the uncertainty of finances. We all live in a fallen world hurt by suffering.

I encouraged the students to continue to persevere in that suffering, to continue to develop resilience, steadfastness, and resolve to confront the difficulties of life. When conflict emerges in your marriage, you hang in there and seek help.

When you see poverty in your home town, you seek to fix it, not just ignore it.

Such choices of perseverance develop habits of character.

Character in this passage means tested authenticity. Many students today long for authenticity, but they look for it in the wrong place. Biblical authenticity comes more through suffering than through skepticism of marketing; more through perseverance than through informality; more through choosing habits of character than through what coffee you drink or what clothes you wear.

In becoming a person of character, you become a person of hope. Not hope in our own perseverance, but in the God who has “poured out his love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” And, as the passage suggests, “hope does not disappoint us” because God does not disappoint us.

As you read through the Brown Bulletin, I trust that you will see how JBU students and alumni are living out the promise of a hope that does not disappoint us. Thank you for the many ways in which you too carry out that promise. May it always be true of us at JBU.

Dr. Charles W. Pollard

Saving Marriages 16

“I do” at JBU 35

features 10

Freedom (From Sexual Addiction) Begins Here

Alumni play a crucial role in the development of a new program aimed at helping men, women, and churches find freedom from sexual addictions and Internet pornography.

by Linda Wyman

16

The Brown Bulletin is the official publication of John

Fulfilling a $2.5 million grant, JBU’s Center for Relationship Enrichment is reaching out to help curb one of the worst divorce rates in the nation by helping couples stick together.

by Rachel Castlen

Brown University. It is published at 2000 West University Street, Siloam Springs, Arkansas 72761.

Andrea Phillips Director of University Communications aphillips@jbu.edu Alumni information: Jerry Rollene

Vowing to Save Marriages

departments

To submit story ideas, photos, feedback:

5

JBU in Focus

9

Chaplain’s Corner by Tracy Balzer

Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

15

jrollene@jbu.edu

“Becoming Teammates with Your Spouse”

by Greg Smalley, Psy.D.

Admissions information:

20 JBU Athletics “Fore! Golf Returns to JBU”

by Simeon Hinsey

(877) 528-4636 jbuinfo@jbu.edu www.jbu.edu/admissions To submit alumni news and photos: alumni@jbu.edu www.jbualumni.com

Perspectives On ...

21 World View “Justice for All: Alumna Defends the Least of These”

by Linda Wyman

22 Relationships Bring an Occupational Hazard

by Paul Eldridge

For information about giving to JBU:

Godspeed,

The Latest Campus News 5

www.jbu.edu/giving (800) 446-2450

John Brown University provides Christ-centered education that prepares people to honor God and serve others by developing their intellectual, spiritual, and professional lives.

25 Alumni Updates on AlumNET 31

Alumni News

35

Flashback: 50 Years of Cathedral Weddings

O n t h e C ov e r : The Freedom Begins Here team from Gray Communications: (l. to r.) Bob Schermacher ’88, Bryson Moore ’03, Steve Snediker ’86, Jamie Gray, Gary Gray ’86, Tyler Kidd ’06, Jonathan Griesse ’93, Todd Robertson, and Kelly Craghead.

Photo by Melissa McKenney ’08; (in front) Michael Denison ’04

jbu in focus

Letters The Winter Issue Was a Hit! [The last Brown Bulletin was] a powerful issue, and beautifully put together. My responses are: 1) The “Letter from the President” is so solid about the continued emphasis on “Christ Over All.” Perhaps I hear it now more than ever. He says it all so well.

2) The “Making of a Tradition” was deeply stirring. My wife and I sang four years in the choir and in four Candlelight services. Later we pastored three congregations.

In each [church] we began a Candlelight Christmas Eve service. In Salem Alliance, where we served for 23 years, they just celebrated their 44th Candlelight Christmas Eve celebration.

“The Making of a Tradition” lives on! Dr. Mabel Oiesen had a huge impact on us.

3) The “Flashback: Remembering the Founder” was excellent. I was Dr. Brown’s assistant at the Brown Military Academy in San Diego when he died. He has influenced the way I speak publicly for more than 50 years.

4) The “Perspectives On...Lifestyle Worship” is a much needed emphasis on today’s very narrow view of “worship.”

[Worship] is so much more than singing a few choruses, no matter how moving they may be.

My wife Deloris and I hope to visit JBU in May and celebrate our 56th anniversary where it all took place. We are grateful for so much that God gave us through JBU. Don & Deloris Bubna Salem, OR

“The Making of a Tradition” Made a Few Errors I really enjoyed the article “The Making of a Tradition” in the 20072008 Winter edition of the Brown Bulletin about the Candlelight

Service at JBU. As one who literally grew up on campus and who was a student and/or teacher in the music department from 1947 through May of 1961, I was involved in the beginning of this important tradition. So I would like to offer a couple of corrections to set the record straight.

Mabel Oiesen came to JBU in 1942, but it was wartime, and the choir she could put together was small with very few men. Also, chapel was held in the Memorial building, which was a wooden structure; using lots of candles would have been hazardous. So while there were many musical programs, a candlelight Christmas program was not one of them.

I agree that the first Candlelight service was held in the basement of the Cathedral. (I was a freshman that year; it was 1947.) The service continued to be held there until the sanctuary

4 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

KLRC Wins Top National Radio Award Again

was completed. It was never held in the old gym in the valley.

Graduations were held in the gym (including my class – the first to have 100 graduates), but not the Candlelight service.

I get back to Siloam Springs once or twice a year but my schedule has not allowed me to be there for the Candlelight service. Maybe one of these years I can make it.

Ruth Smith Bircher Ronan ’52 Albuquerque, NM

“Thanks!” from the Editor Thanks to Ruth Ronan for her firsthand accounts of our earliest choir services. I shared Ruth’s notes with Jen Heller ’06, our archivist at the time, and she said, “Sometimes I feel like it’s worth making mistakes to get firsthand corrections like these.

Ruth’s information will prove really helpful as we prep for the Cathedral Choir reunion and displays this Homecoming!”

Following up on Ruth’s insights, Jen was able to find additional information about JBU in the early years of the Christmas program: • In 1942 JBU had about 11 men on campus (students and faculty). A full-scale choir would have been virtually impossible to assemble.

• JBU has almost no yearbooks, no programs, and no extracurricular information dating from the WWII era, thanks to campus shutting down all “frills” in an attempt to aid the war effort.

• For the first few years, the choir’s Christmas programs were known as “carol services,” not “candlelight services.” It was more of an aural program, without the decor and the visual effects.

• JBU did lose two or three buildings to fire in the 1940s, so it’s not surprising that the administration would have been extra cautious against fire hazards during that time.

As you can see, the stories and information that alumni provide us are invaluable to our being able to fully understand JBU’s history. Please continue to share your insights with us.

And for those of you involved in the Cathedral Choir during your JBU years, you won’t want to miss this year’s Homecoming celebration, which will feature a Cathedral Choir reunion and Choir alumni performance during Showcase. It should be the largest Cathedral Choir ever assembled! Be sure to join us in October! Visit www.jbualumni.com for more info.

Andrea Phillips Brown Bulletin Editor LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY: Letters are published with the permission of the author. Some letters are edited for length. Not all letters can be published. Published letters will be selected based on the value of their content, tone, clarity, and other such characteristics. Send your letters by e-mail to Andrea Phillips at aphillips@jbu.edu or by U.S. mail to: Andrea Phillips, Brown Bulletin Editor, John Brown University, 2000 West University Street, Siloam Springs, AR 72761.

JBU radio station 101.1 KLRC was named Radio Station of the Year by the Gospel Music Association. KLRC was selected for the most prestigious honor in Christian radio from a pool of smallmarket radio stations, including many for-profit stations.

This is the fourth time KLRC has won the award in the past seven years. It was also named Station of the Year in 2001, 2002, and 2006. KLRC is the only university radio station ever to have won this award.

“Being recognized by your peers in the industry is a very humbling experience, and while none of us go to work each day to earn an award, it’s a wonderful affirmation of a lot of hard work,” said Sean Sawatzky, KLRC general manager.

KLRC was presented the GMA award on April 23 during the broadcast of the 39th annual GMA Awards, known as the Dove Awards.

Tuition Freedom Day posters, flyers, balloons, web pages, a banner on campus, flying discs, and a video shown in the student center revealed the meaning of the publicized “Freedom” and educated students about the subsidy, about which few were aware.

“Celebrating TFD in this manner was a fun way for us to communicate the message that the benefits of being part of the JBU community go far beyond what they realize,” said Jerry Rollene, director of alumni and parent relations.

Franklin Graham Speaks to Packed Cathedral Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, spoke in chapel on February 12 to a capacity crowd in the Cathedral of the Ozarks.

Graham spoke about the importance of students answering God’s call for their lives. He urged listeners to pursue their calling because of a great need for ministry all over the world.

“Are you called? Are you willing to go and take steps and go to places you’ve never been, that you don’t understand,

JBU Students Celebrate Tuition Freedom Day Students on campus were all a-buzz this spring, wondering about the meaning of the posters, buttons, flyers, and banners all over campus that proclaimed “Freedom Is Coming.” Anticipation climbed steadily for a week before the answer came in an announcement on March 27 that “Freedom Is Here” and that every class students attended in the last five weeks of the semester was essentially free to them.

The actual cost to educate each student at JBU for the 2007-2008 school year was $21,076. The amount that each student was charged for tuition was only $17,076.

The $4,000 difference was paid for by the university in the form of an unpublicized subsidy to each student, regardless of financial status or scholarships received. Funds for the subsidy are raised by JBU in the form of financial gifts from alumni and friends of the university.

The day that marked the end of the students’ responsibility to pay and the date when the university subsidy kicked in was celebrated on campus as Tuition Freedom Day. This is the first year JBU publicly celebrated the annual gifts that fill the tuition gap, even though similar unpublicized subsidies have been consistently applied to student accounts throughout JBU’s history.

On the morning of

Fifty years after Billy Graham visited JBU and posed for pictures with John Brown Sr., Franklin Graham visited campus and posed with John Brown Jr., his wife Louise, and President Charles Pollard.

that you haven’t seen?” Graham challenged the crowd.

Graham’s message at JBU can be heard and downloaded from JBU’s web site: http://www.jbu.edu/life/christform/ chapel/media.asp “Take your life and do something for the Lord Jesus Christ,” Graham said. “Give your life for His service. Let Him spend you however He wants to spend you. Let Him take you wherever He wants to take you. You know what? It will be the greatest decision of your life. You’ll never, ever regret it.”

In his introduction of Graham, JBU President Charles Pollard announced that an anonymous donor had donated $500,000 to start the “Billy Graham & Ruth Bell Graham Evangelism Endowed Scholarship” at JBU. Recipients of the scholarship must have expressed interest in pursuing a career as an ambassador for Christ with an emphasis in evangelism. The scholarship will begin providing funds for Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 5

jbu in focus

jbu in focus

students in Fall 2008.

JBU is one of 10 teams selected from the region to compete in the national competition. In addition to the general competition, JBU was selected to compete as a national finalist in three of six areas of criteria: Market Economics, Ethics, and Program Sustainability.

“Our students displayed nothing but excellence during their presentation to a standing-room only crowd,” said Joe Walenciak, business professor and SIFE advisor.

“Several people commented that they were overwhelmed

JBU Initiates New Crisis Alert System In February, more than 2,500 students, faculty, and staff of John Brown University received an e-mail from JBU’s new Crisis Alert System. Of those, 359 also received automated text messages and 480 received automated phone calls. Fortunately, there was no crisis at any JBU campus.

The messages were a test of JBU’s new communications system, which JBU will employ in the event of an actual emergency.

In a day when our societal security is continually challenged and when technology has raised the bar of expectations for the speed of communication within organizations, JBU has taken proactive steps to help ensure the safety of its campus communities by setting up the new campus-wide Crisis Alert System (CAS).

In the event of an emergency on campus—a tornado warning, a bomb threat, or some other event in which people may be in immediate danger—JBU administrators can send information and instructions to everyone on campus through the CAS, allowing them to respond appropriately.

“While we hope that we never have to use the system, the reality is that significant situations do happen, and we need to be prepared to alert our JBU community in the event of a crisis,” said Steve Beers, vice president for student development and chairman of JBU’s crisis team.

The JBU CAS allows administrators to target alert messages to students, faculty, and staff on any of JBU’s eight Arkansas locations. In the event of a crisis, only the people on the affected campuses will receive instructions from the CAS. Since JBU’s system was installed in January, the university has already employed the system to send a number of messages about campus closings and potential weather dangers.

Speech and Debate Reaches New Height in National Competition The JBU speech and debate team secured its highest finish ever at a national tournament, placing third overall at the National Christian College Forensic Invitational. The tournament was held at Belmont University in Nashville March 7-9.

The tournament included 20 schools invited from around the nation, including teams from Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Leading the team in individual event points were junior Rissa Murphy and freshman Amber Wilson. Murphy placed first in Varsity Dramatic Duo with her partner, junior J. D. Hengenmuhle, second in Varsity Communication Analysis, third in Varsity Prose Interpretation, and fifth in Varsity Program of Oral Interpretation. Wilson secured a first place finish in Novice Program of Oral Interpretation, first place 6 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

friendly fashions. For their achievement, the Enterrra members received a $10,000 prize to be split among them.

The Enterra team, which included seniors Micah Williams, Marcus Naramore, John Williams, Maria Jose Valencia, and Yaribeth Pacheco, will travel to Las Vegas to compete against the top teams from Governor’s Cup competitions in Oklahoma and Nevada and the first place team from Arkansas May 13-15.

“I wish that all of our seniors completing their capstone business plan could get recognized publicly,” said Mandy Moore, JBU instructor of business. “This business plan represents hundreds of hours worked by each student.

The speech and debate team shows off their numerous awards.

in Novice Prose Interpretation, and second place in Novice Poetry Interpretation.

Leading the team in debate points were Novice Parliamentary debate partners Cecelia Wells and Kyle Macfarlan, and partners Anna Carol Brymer and James Cook. Both these teams advanced to the semi-finals.

Women’s Swim Program Takes Final Lap JBU Athletic Director Robyn Gordon announced in January that the university would discontinue its women’s swimming program at the end of the school year. The women’s swim program, which began in 1984, follows the conclusion of the men’s swim program at the end of the 2005 school year.

“Over the last three years, we’ve been evaluating our program and watching what is happening to swimming at the national level,” Gordon said. “With only 28 women’s teams in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and none in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC), we really feel this is the right decision.”

With several student-athletes affected by the change, JBU plans to honor all scholarships of those who remain at the university through their senior year. JBU will also grant releases to any athlete who chooses to transfer to another university to continue swimming.

The women finished their season in March, sending all six swimmers to the NAIA National Competition in San Antonio. The women placed 16th overall.

SIFE Team Heads to National Championships JBU’s Students In Free Enterprise team was once again named Regional Champions at the SIFE regional competition held March 27 in Bentonville, and will compete in the SIFE national competition in Chicago May 15.

JBU competed along with many other schools including the University of Arkansas and the 2006 National Champions, Graceland University.

The JBU SIFE team is all smiles after their regional win.

by JBU’s presentation, and that JBU was the only team that they targeted to watch during competitions. It is exciting to see others acknowledge what our students have accomplished.”

Note: The Brown Bulletin was published before the May 15 competition. To learn how the JBU team fared at nationals, check the JBU web site (www.jbu.edu/news).

Governor’s Cup Rank Leads JBU Team to National Competition Since 2001, JBU undergraduate business students have traveled to Little Rock each spring to participate in the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup, a statewide undergraduate and graduate business plan competition for students in Arkansas. The competition requires students to create a business plan that could be used to solicit start-up funds from potential investors, and it is aimed at simulating a real-world entrepreneurial spirit in students.

In April, eight teams from JBU submitted plans for competition, and five of those were among the 12 teams that advanced to the semifinal round of competition. For the second year in a row, JBU had more teams in the semifinal round than any other university.

Two of JBU’s five semifinals teams advanced to the top six in the final round of competition.

When the winners were announced at the awards luncheon on April 17, JBU team Enterra was given a second place award in the undergraduate competition for their plan to develop a retail store specializing in environmentally

JBU’s award winning team Enterra poses with instructor Mandy Moore and shows off their second place awards.

The best thing about working with the students this year was seeing [five JBU teams] at the semifinal round of the competition . . . I was glowing with pride.”

Note: The Brown Bulletin was published before the May competition. To learn how the JBU team fared in the competition, check the JBU web site (www.jbu.edu/news).

Student Newspaper Takes Top Prize in State Competition The staff of JBU’s student newspaper, The Threefold Advocate, traveled to Jonesboro, Arkansas, April 17 to participate in the Arkansas College Media Association workshop and awards contest.

The Threefold Advocate staff won first place for General Excellence—the first time the paper has reached the top spot in the state. Arkansas State placed second and the University of Arkansas placed third.

“All semester we’ve worked hard to create the best paper that we possibly could,” said senior Emily Moberly, 20072008 editor for The Threefold Advocate. “To be recognized for all our hard work this year is one of the best feelings ever.

The moment that The Threefold Advocate was announced as the best college newspaper in Arkansas is one of the best Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 7

jbu in focus moments of my time in college.”

Sophomore Seth Putnam was named Photographer of the Year, and freshman Hannah Dexter was named Designer of the Year. The group came home with 27 awards in all.

JBU Earns Four Stars for Fiscal Responsibility

 $

JBU was recently awarded a fourstar rating for sound fiscal management $ $ $ from Charity Navigator. The organization focuses on directing philanthropists toward worthy investments. Through a thorough analysis of the university’s finances and expenditures, the organization calculated JBU’s new status. Because of JBU’s continued efficient management of finances, the university has received the highest rating possible from Charity Navigator. This coveted status has been awarded to only one-fourth of Charity Navigator’s charitable recipients.

chaplain’s corner organization for the glory of the Kingdom, while studying and learning within their chosen trade,” Goehner said.

The Director Club competition also recognized Goehner, with first place for his design of the Presbyterians for Renewal bi-annual newsletter. Senior Leslye Bourquin won first place and Best-in-Show in the student category; senior Boone Sommerfeld took second place.

At the Northwest Arkansas Advertising Federation Awards banquet, JBU senior Natalie Slater won Best-inShow in the student category.

Reminders to Praise

by Tracy Balzer Director of Christian Formation

Art Department Welcomes Great Reviews for Faculty and Student Work Students and faculty from the art department ranked highly in regional competitions in March, bringing additional attention to the already successful department.

The Northwest Arkansas Director Club design competition recognized the work done by students and faculty on a 40-page Spanish evangelism booklet “¿Ahora Que?” (pictured below) produced during a study trip to Spain in 2007.

Todd Goehner, professor of art and design, Neal Holland, professor of digital media arts, and the 13 students who attended the study trip won first place in the professional category of Public Service and Pro Bono Design for their work on “¿Ahora Que?,” which is translated “What Now?” The group partnered with Avant Ministries and the Malaga Media center in Malaga, Spain, to design and produce a booklet for new Christians between the ages of 13 and 17. The booklet is written in Spanish, and more than 50,000 copies have been requested by multiple mission organizations in Spain, Central America, and South America.

The students did all the design, photography, and illustration for the project, as well as some of the copy editing.

Goehner said that the art department chooses an international trip every year, each typically focused on different aspects of art, including art history, cinema, photography, and illustration.

The 2007 trip focused on photography and graphic design.

“Our goal was to provide our students an opportunity to work on a project that would serve the needs of a mission 8 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

Todd and Heather Goehner (right) and assistant professor Neil Ward (left) congratulate Natalie Slater on her award at the NWA Advertising Federation banquet.

Have You Been Connected to JBU for 25 Years or More?

JBU would like to recognize those individuals who have been connected to JBU—as a student, as faculty, as staff, and/or as a board member—for a total of 25 years or more.

If you or someone you know should be included in that tribute, please contact the Alumni Relations office at 800446-2450 or e-mail us at alumni@jbu.edu.

For more information about these and other news stories, visit www.jbu.edu/news

Simply go to the JBU web site and complete the referral form: www.jbu.edu/admissions/forms/referral.asp

The refurbishment of the Cathedral Group’s three buildings has been an exciting process to witness. Every day a bit more of the faithful, old gray surface is covered with bright, new limestone; some of the smaller stones are inscribed on the back with words of thanks from JBU students, faculty, and staff.

In addition to the external facelift, deep inside, the Cathedral chimes have been restored. They now announce the time at the top of each hour; and they also play hymns—“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” or the classic “A Mighty Fortress,” just to name a few. Such grand proclamations are heard before and after chapel on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, as well as at 6:00 each evening. When the air is crisp and clear I can hear them at dinnertime from my front porch at home.

We missed the chimes for a while, silenced as they were a few years ago by a breakdown of the system. Now that the chime system has been replaced, there’s a kind of rightness that has been restored to the atmosphere on campus, an audible proclamation of what we all carry around in our heads and hearts as we work and study: “Glory be to God.” In ancient European monasteries, community members depended on their tower chimes to remind them to pray. Our campus is not too different: It is made up of folks, young and old, who benefit from the ringing nudge to turn our hearts to God. While our new chimes will help us know if we are late to our next meeting or class, their higher purpose is to call us to praise.

Few communities in America have such an audible call to prayer and thanksgiving. For most of us, the noises that get our attention are things like the siren of an ambulance, the ringing of a telephone, the random peal of a car alarm. These noises can strike us, at times, as disturbing intrusions into our lives. Yet perhaps they can serve the same purpose as the Cathedral chimes. An ambulance siren can direct our prayers for the unknown victims in transit. The moments before a phone is answered can contain a prayer for wisdom and grace. Even a car alarm can remind us to pray for peace in the midst of a troubled world.

Suddenly we can see how our world is full of reminders that can help us pay attention to God; reminders that are created by humans (like chimes and sirens and alarms) and reminders that are created by God himself. “The heavens declare the glory of God,” the psalmist reminds us in Psalm 19.

Now all we need is the desire and determination to notice. ■

Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 9

FREEDOM {FROM SEXUAL ADDICTION} BEGINS HERE

by Linda Wyman ’07

Gary B. Gray ’86 sits behind his massive desk in a front office of a building in downtown Siloam Springs.

His hands are folded as he leans back in his chair and looks out the window to see cars drive past on Broadway Street.

Gray, founder of Gray Communications, is a man of average height and build, with thick blond hair that is in the beginning stages of gray. His voice is authoritative and his words are articulate.

He is a hard-working man who’s made a life for his family in the video production business.

I met with Gray to learn about his latest project, for which he has committed much more than the video talents of himself and his staff. Gray leaned forward in a serious manner, holding up a DVD and a brochure and pausing with a deep stare.

“The addict can never hate the sin or himself enough to stop.”

The product that he holds is titled “Freedom Begins Here” (FBH), a DVD and devotional book targeted at men and women who are struggling with Internet pornography. The toolkit is currently packaged in two forms: devotional study material for individuals and material for church leaders to use with members of their congregations. The toolkits are part of a larger FBH campaign, which, according to the FBH web site, aims to “shine the light of truth on the darkness by honestly talking about the problem, admitting our weaknesses and failings, and walking together in ruthless accountability.”

Gray and the team at Gray Communications have been responsible for shooting the FBH video footage, producing the DVDs, creating the brand identity for the material, designing the packaging, developing a web site, and helping to raise awareness

“My hope is that this material, right here in my hands, will start a movement that speaks that [pornography] is not okay,” Gray said.

about the campaign, which is gearing up for a nationwide launch in bookstores this fall.

It all started four years ago when Gray was in Orlando, Florida for a conference.

There he met Dr. Mark Laaser, a leading Christian authority on sexual addiction.

Gray and Laaser happened to be riding in a car together to an event when Gray heard, firsthand, Laaser’s inspirational and powerful story of his 25-year struggle with pornography and other sexual addictions.

That conversation sparked a vision in the two men to create a video-based counseling course that would specifically address the issue of pornography addiction in a visually effective manner.

Gray had produced a number of communication pieces in the Christian counseling realm over the years, and he was eager to work with Laaser.

In the months that followed, as Laaser and Gray began to work out their vision, news of the project spread. Requests began to pour in for material designed for churches and pastors to use with members in their congregations. The men took the requests to heart, and over the course of four years, the project bloomed into what is about to be the largest ever nationwide launch of Christian educational material that focuses on overcoming Internet pornography addiction.

The FBH web site offers statistics showing

that 50 percent of Christian men Moore, Gray, and Snediker (left to right)

10 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 11

“This is our finest hour; this is our best material.”

and 20 percent of Christian women are addicted to Internet pornography. “Not casually looking—addicted,” it says. “Every family, every church, every person is affected in some way.”

In the March 2008 issue of Christianity Today, contributor John W. Kennedy wrote extensively about the gravity of full-fledged sexual addictions in the church. “An addiction to sex, experts say, is defined by obsessive sexual behavior regardless of the growing negative consequences for the person or their relationships,” Kennedy wrote. “The sex addict has tried to stop but hasn’t been able to do so, despite destructive results and deep feelings of shame.

The addict can never hate the sin or himself enough to stop.”

The article also points out that the Internet has opened pornography to many who would never have become involved with it otherwise.

Kennedy goes on to say that while some men and women may never move further than pornography and masturbation, some look elsewhere for a sexual release, and many “progress rapidly to increasingly exotic, perverse, and even illegal sexual behavior: exhibitionism, voyeurism, strip clubs, lap dances, massage parlors, adultery, prostitution, homosexual liaisons, rape, incest, bestiality, or child molestation—anything to feed the craving.”

moves and talks with the punch of three shots of early-morning espresso.

He greets me and his Gray Communications colleague Bryson Moore ’03, a young professional whose optimism is contagious.

Dressed in jeans and a fitted blazer, Moore stands confidently, and speaks deliberately through his broad smile.

The two men talk over early-morning events and upcoming decisions. They demonstrate two very different minds and talents working perfectly together to form a cohesive vision: to become a roadblock in a thriving pornography business.

“Where does the personal motivation for this project come from?” I ask.

“From a personal experience,” Snediker promptly replies.

“I’m a person who has walked out the other side of this, and I’ve

Steve Snediker ’86 walks into the Gray Communications conference room for our early morning meeting holding a cup of coffee. He’s tall and lean and seems most comfortable in a T-shirt and pair of jeans. He smiles constantly, but his most striking features are his large, bright eyes. He

Moore meets with a group of church leaders to tell them about the FBH program and share video clips from the toolkit DVDs.

12 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

seen how destructive and dangerous [pornography] is.”

Snediker says that he has interacted with people who confessed to him a struggle with pornography, and it has never ceased to affect him. “It’s become more than a job,” he says, his head nodding and his eyes fixed on the wall.

The FBH team at Gray Communications includes Gray, his wife Jamie, Snediker, Moore, Bob Schermacher ’88, Tyler Kidd ’06, Michael Denison ’04, Jonathan Griesse ’93, Todd Robertson and Kelly Craghead. Seven of those ten people who have worked on the FBH project graduated from JBU. “JBU not only trained these people in their education,” Moore said of his teammates, “but it also gave them all a heart for ministry.”

Gray expressed the same thought in my meeting with him: “The people involved in this [FBH] project are involved in it for more than just production and vocational reasons,” he said.

“This is our finest hour; this is our best material. Everyone in this office is stepping up and wanting to be involved with this project.”

Featured on the FBH DVD

are Dr. Gary Smalley, president and founder of the Smalley Relationship Center, and Ted Cunningham, founding pastor of Woodland Hills Community Church in Branson, Missouri. The two men lead viewers through the FBH curriculum, which includes testimonials from contemporary Christian singer Clay Crosse and his wife Renee, in-depth teaching by Laaser, and personal accounts of men and women who have found freedom from sexual addictions.

The individual toolkit includes a devotional book, which viewers use to chronicle their journey through Laaser’s video teaching. The lessons define sexual addiction, describe how to recognize it, and help viewers learn how to move away from sexual addictions.

The toolkit for church leaders holds three DVDs: The first speaks to church leaders, admonishing pastors and leaders to have accountability set up in their own lives. The second is an

assessment DVD that helps viewers recognize problems within a church and in individual lives. The third DVD walks church members through the process of responding to sexual addictions within their church bodies. The church toolkit also contains a CD-ROM with PowerPoint presentations, sermon transcripts, icebreakers, and other materials that leaders can use with their church members.

“Most of the pastors we talk to know that this is a problem, but they aren’t sure how they are supposed to fix it,” Moore said.

The FBH material is designed to fill that gap.

The FBH team finished conducting receptions with pastors and church leaders across the

country in April. They traveled to 15 cities in two months to meet with as many pastors and church leaders as possible, attempting to spread the word about FBH and engage in helpful dialogue with church leaders. These meetings will help hone the FBH marketing strategy for the upcoming launch.

Although the material is available now through the FBH web site (www.freedombeginshere.org) and is being promoted through word of mouth, YouTube videos, blogs, and other web sites, a full-page advertisement in the May/June issue of Ministry Today is the first national push in marketing FBH. The material will be displayed in most Christian bookstores around the country in October.

“This project has been a perfect example of what JBU tries to do with its head, heart, and hand philosophy,” Moore said. “[JBU] infused us with a desire for our trade, but also developed a desire to use our faith in the marketplace.”

Sean Mercadante, a Virginia man en route to serve as associate pastor at a church in Hawaii, attended an FBH reception in Lynchburg, Virginia in February. He learned of the FBH materials through an e-mail he received from the Smalley Relationship Center.

“What initially attracted my attention is when I got an e-mail from the center,” he recalled. “When I see [Smalley] attaching Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 13

his name to a project, it carries a lot of weight with me. The more I’ve learned about [FBH], the more I can see it stands the potential to impact and help not only me personally, but also so many people on so many different levels.”

Mercadante plans to promote the material and implement it in his congregation in Hawaii.

At the reception he attended, Mercadante discovered that contemporary Christian artists Rush of Fools is teaming up with FBH. In the spirit of ministry and philanthropy that many bands are exercising today, Rush of Fools decided last year that FBH would be their ministry of choice to promote and support.

“The young men in the band are so passionate,” Mercadante said. “I was touched by the commitment and dedication shown by the band and by Bryson [Moore]. It’ll be a great blessing to God’s people.”

Kevin Huguley, Rush of Fools guitarist and songwriter, said that the band is committed to what FBH is trying to do. In an interview with Christian music web site CM Central, Huguley discussed the band’s involvement with FBH, saying that none of the band members have struggled with sexual addictions.

“But we’ve all been affected by it, in our churches, and in friends and leaders we’ve seen fall,” he said. “Nobody is talking about these issues. Marriage and sexuality are not being portrayed as God intended through this crisis, and a whole generation is observing this distortion.”

During the spring, Rush of Fools traveled with the Christian band The Newsboys as part of the “Go” tour, and they spent time promoting FBH at the FBH receptions.

“We’re looking forward to bringing this issue forward from the stage on our next tour,” Huguley said. “Right now we’re

meeting with pastors and others in the coffee shops to share the heart of the ministry. But the next tour will involve a Freedom Begins Here presentation during the show.”

As developers and promoters of the FBH materials, the group at Gray Communications has heard horror stories of pornography use. They’ve received e-mails ranging from a description of an 8-year-old’s use of pornography to a confession from a man who was on the brink of suicide because of his addiction.

“It transcends the thought that this [project] is a business process,” Snediker said. “It’s a war and we’ve been given the privilege to create a new weapon. We’re facing an enormous crisis and we don’t understand the ramifications and results of what we are into.”

Day-in, day-out, the workers at Gray Communications are constantly refining the FBH material, hoping to improve, broaden, and sharpen their work. They are looking into possible future endeavors, such as a prevention toolkit for youth, a toolkit for group studies, and a toolkit for spouses of people who struggle with pornography addictions. Gray said that all those involved with the project have worked longer hours, put in more effort, and felt more connected to this project than any other.

“We’ve been exposed to a hurting world and have played a part in taking steps toward healing it,” Gray said.

The men and women at Gray Communications have a unified vision for FBH: to tear down the walls in the church that muffle the cries of too many people struggling with sexual addiction and to proclaim the truth that there is a way to break free. 

Perspectives On ...

Becoming Teammates with Your Spouse Can you name the devil’s greatest ploy to cause trouble in relationships? I’d like to suggest two words: power struggle. In every power struggle, spouses become adversaries; they take up opposing positions. And as soon as a husband and a wife set themselves up as antagonists, Satan knows they will destroy each other.

So if that’s true—if a struggle for power gives the devil a ridiculously easy way to bring strife and disharmony to a marriage—then what kind of strategy can we use to effectively counter such a ploy? “How about a ‘win/win’ solution?” someone suggests. When everybody wins, power struggles tend to evaporate. Ideally, we all want win/win solutions.

But when a win/win solution looks impossible to achieve, too many of us settle for what we see as a win/lose option.

Not the best, we think, but at least it’s not the worst, either. In other words, we compromise.

When we opt for the win/lose approach, however, we don’t really get one winner and one loser. In fact, we wind up with two losers. There is no such thing as a win/lose in a marriage. Everybody

6

stepsto a No

The FBH team at Gray Communications includes (left to rigth) Kelly Craghead, Michael Denison ’04, Todd Robertson, Bryson Moore ’03, Bob Schermacher ’88, Steve Snediker ’88, Jamie Gray, Gary Gray ’86, Tyler Kidd ’06, and Jonathan Griesse ’93.

14 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

wins or everybody loses, period. There is no other option, because people in a marriage are on the same team. If Jimmy and Susie both play for the same baseball team, it is impossible for Jimmy to win and Susie to lose. Either both win or both lose. If one person in the marriage loses, then both people in the marriage lose.

This is how marriage works. The problem is, we just don’t know it!

I encourage you to begin doing things in a new way by establishing what a good friend of mine, Dr. Robert Paul, calls a “No Losers Policy.” In a No Losers Policy, couples agree that it will never be acceptable for either of them to walk away from any interaction feeling as if they had lost. Each spouse has to feel good about the solution.

To make this work for you, you may have to come up with a different definition of winning. If you make winning about getting your own way—in any way, shape or form—you’re still locked into the old pattern and are still headed for the relationship rocks.

Remember, you’re part of a team.

Therefore you have to redefine winning

Losers Policy

1. Establish a “No Losers Policy.” Remember you’re on the same team.

Just keeping this in mind can change the way you treat one another as you communicate and negotiate.

2. Take time to understand what the win is for each person. Ask, “I know you want to do “X” but I’m not sure I understand why that is so important. Help me understand why that is a win for you.”

3. Pause, pray, and seek God’s will. God may have an opinion.

Wouldn’t His answer be the best? Some conflicts resolve at this point, when you discern God’s leading on the issue.

4. From a place of unity, brainstorm possible win/win solutions.

Once you each understand where the other person is coming from, you can begin to generate ideas that have the potential of being win/win solutions.

5. Pick one and implement a course of action that both of you feel good about.

6. Evaluate and rework if necessary. Sometimes you find a solution that you both like until you actually try it out. If at any point, the solution feels like a loss for someone, then your team will lose. Simply rework the steps and find another solution that you both feel great about.

by Greg Smalley, Psy.D.

as finding and implementing a solution that both people can feel good about. A winning solution goes beyond a plan of attack that seems merely acceptable or tolerable to you both. That’s compromise, and compromises rarely make anyone feel good.

A win/win solution makes both people feel good, gives positive movement to the marriage, and leaves it in a different (and better) place than it was before. You also tend to relax when winning becomes finding and implementing a solution that both people can feel good about. Why? Because you don’t have to worry about the other person being willing to accept a solution that makes him or her feel bad.

The apostle Paul labored to get his young churches to understand this basic principle. In passage after passage he pled with them to cooperate, to work together, to find solutions that benefited everyone.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,” he told one church, “but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) Creating a No Losers Policy goes a long way toward creating the kind of marriage that yields joy and satisfaction rather than grief and frustration. It’s worked for my wife and me, and it can work equally well for you. ■

Greg Smalley, Psy.D., is the Director of Marriage Ministries for the Center for Relationship Enrichment at JBU and is an assistant professor.

He serves on the teaching team at Fellowship Bible Church (Lowell) and helps lead marriage seminars around the world. He has appeared on TV and radio programs and is the author or co-author of nine books.

Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 15

Vowing to Save Marriages

by Rachel Castlen ’08

As with many engaged couples, Chris Merrick and Jill Neufeld were apprehensive about taking the proverbial plunge as graduating seniors at JBU. Through the Center for Relationship Enrichment (CRE), however, couples like Chris and Jill can receive information and training that will aid them in their upcoming marriage.

16 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

And thanks to a five-year, $2.7 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CRE can provide marriage workshops, seminars, and materials to couples throughout Northwest Arkansas absolutely free.

The grant is funded through President George W. Bush’s Healthy Marriages Initiative. According to the Department of Health and Human Services web site, 32 organizations received the Healthy Marriage Demonstration Grant in 2006. CRE is the only organization in Arkansas to receive the grant. The individual grants, which require a 10 percent match from the participating organization, ranged from $300,000 to $550,000 a year with funding expected to be renewed each year for five years. CRE is now in the second year of the grant’s award.

Through funding from the grant, CRE has implemented the NWA Healthy Marriages Program, through which they host free events that focus on enriching the relationships of both engaged and married couples. CRE is tasked with serving a six- CRE’s executive director, Dr. Gary Oliver, presents marriage county region in Northwest Arkansas, which includes Benton, fundamentals at a community meeting.

Washington, Sebastian, Crawford, Madison, and Carroll counties.

Within these six counties, divorce is prevalent. In fact, Northwest Arkansas, which has a 54 percent divorce rate, has one of the highest divorce rates in the nation. The average national divorce rate is 48 percent.

On the NWA Healthy Marriages web site (www.nwahealthymarriages.org), CRE states that its “passion is to see a reduction in the divorce rate and an increase in marital satisfaction. We want our community to become known as a place where healthy marriages thrive.”

“I’m very excited with the opportunities [from the grant] to make an impact within our community,” said Ken Eichler, NWA Healthy Marriages Project coordinator.

Eichler, whose position was created because of the grant, said CRE has had no trouble finding ways to use the resources that are allotted by the grant and JBU’s 10 percent matching funds.

Among other operational costs, the grant pays for program publicity, the use of conference facilities, program materials, and refreshments at each event, allowing couples to attend the conferences free of charge.

Because the grant is federally funded, CRE does not include religious content in its programming. (The grant’s purpose is to assist in the marriages of any interested couple, regardless of religious beliefs.) But while the grant prevents teaching from the Bible, the teachings at CRE workshops strongly align with biblical beliefs.

“What we know to be God’s truth is still true even if we don’t read it from the Bible at our events,” Eichler said. “Because these aren’t Christian events, we have a chance to reach couples who need help who would never turn to a religious group.

We’re called not just to help Christians, but to help those in need. If we can help couples of any back-ground strengthen their marriages, we are helping our entire community.”

CRE’s goal is to reach at least 13,000 couples in Northwest Arkansas throughout the five years of the grant through the following three objectives: (1) provide training for premarital couples; (2) provide enrichment activities for married couples; (3) train Marriage Champions, who are couples serving as volunteer premarital and marriage enrichment educators in community-based small groups.

Training for Engaged Couples Chris and Jill attended CRE’s Engaged Couple’s Workshop, eight hours of hands-on activities that help couples work through issues they will face during their engagement and into their marriage.

For Jill, the workshop helped her consider relationship topics that she hadn’t thought about before, such as expectations that she and Chris had about finances, Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 17

Couples spend time talking through emotional security, expectations, and other marriage issues at a CRE event.

gender roles, and how they expected to relate to each other’s families.

Through the workshop she began to see that the relationship is more about teamwork than she realized.

“Marriage seems like such an unknown, new phase of life,” she said. “Preparing intentionally [for marriage] has been good for us, to keep a little bit more healthy expectations.”

Jackson Dunn, premarital and enrichment preparation coordinator for CRE, said that couples are 31 percent less likely to get a divorce if they do some sort of premarital work. Dunn, who leads the Engaged Couple’s Workshop along with his wife Krista, said that there has been an incredible response at the seminars, which sometimes include couples embarking on their second or third marriage.

“It’s amazing to share, teach, and explain things that you are passionate about,” Dunn said. “We aren’t just reading things out of a book, we are telling people things that have truly impacted us [my wife and me]. We’re just blessed to get to share our hearts with

people.”

In sharing their hearts, the Dunns are also providing couples with practical tools to make marriage (or even remarriage) a success. Along with the lessons taught at the seminar, the event promotes discussion between couples about vital topics in a constructive way. Couples talk about emotional security, conflict management, decision making tendencies and finances. For example, each person evaluates whether they are a spender or a saver when it comes to finances, and then couples engage in lengthy discussions about their short- and long-term financial goals.

At the workshop, couples receive a guide to help them talk about things in a deep and safe way. As couples talk about expectations in ways that provide a good starting point for marriage, watching and listening to couple’s interactions is “music to my ears,” Dunn describes.

Training for Married Couples The CRE provides information about healthy marriages through online resources, small group mentorship and seminars, and tools that help equip those who wish to enrich their marriage.

Marriage seminars hosted by the CRE focus on the needs of married couples and cover topics including healthy communication, conflict management, household responsibilities, financial responsibilities, and sexual relationships.

Online resources include assessment questionnaires, book recommendations, articles, and online videos on marriage-related topics, ranging from infidelity to communication to conflict management.

Greg Smalley, Northwest Arkansas Healthy Marriages program director, said that the goal of learning to understand emotional intelligence is unique to CRE conferences. Although there has been incredible research about the benefits of individuals understanding emotional intelligence, it had not been applied in the marriage context. CRE wrote their curriculum to include that valuable component.

“Emotional and relational intelligence is the ability to be aware of, recognize, and understand our own feelings and those of others, and to constructively manage those emotions in ourselves and in our relationships,” Smalley said.

While CRE wishes to instill foundational truths that can aid couples on the path toward a healthy marriage, CRE does not cast a blind eye to more serious relational troubles. Information about spousal abuse is available at all CRE seminars, and teachers strongly encourage couples to seek help if they are in abusive relationships.

The issue is even addressed on the Healthy Marriages web site, which reads: “To end the cycle of domestic violence, services must be provided to victims and perpetrators with victim safety the key priority.”

18 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

To Smalley, strengthening marriage goes beyond simply helping couples to get along. He describes it as a legacy issue, saying that as much as a healthy marriage impacts a couple, it also impacts the couple’s children, and it ultimately benefits the community.

Marriage Champion Training In addition to offering workshops for couples, CRE encourages couples to take an extra step in strengthening their marriages by entering into marriage mentorships led by volunteer Marriage Champions.

To become Marriage Champions, couples must have been married for a minimum of five years and must Healthy Marriages events often host 200 – 300 couples from the take an assessment to determine that they have a healthy Northwest Arkansas community. marriage. Marriage Champions are recruited typically through CRE’s live events, but they can also be recommended by their pastors.

They then are trained by CRE to facilitate small groups of engaged and married couples who go through two to four weeks of CRE’s marriage enrichment curriculum.

Smalley estimates that CRE has trained more than 190 individuals to work as marriage champions.

Tim and Brenda Love, who have been married for 45 years, couldn’t wait to become marriage champions after attending their first CRE conference in June 2007. Brenda describes herself as a CRE “groupie” with devotion, gusto, and support for the CRE “band.” Her husband, Tim, simply prefers the term “volunteer.”

The Loves have taught marriage conferences for a number of years, and they have been impressed with CRE’s curriculum, which they say is both applicable and realistic. The Loves’s small groups have comprised a wide variety of participants, from newlyweds to couples in 15-year marriages, even parents attending with their married children. Most couples are introduced to a small group after getting information through Healthy Marriages workshops or seminars.

The Loves believe that the CRE programs will enrich any couples’ relationship, no matter what stage it is in or how many years the couple has been together.

“It makes a good marriage better and a dead marriage alive,” Tim said.

The Big Dream In connection with its Healthy Marriages Initiative, CRE commissioned the Barna Group to conduct a survey of relationships in Northwest Arkansas. The results of the study indicated that although a high number of couples believed they had good relationships, they also had low expectations for marriage and a high divorce rate.

“Marriage has taken a beating; it has lost its rightful place of honor,” Smalley said.

Smalley’s perspective is that saving marriage is about more than just helping couples stay together; it’s about a husband and wife who are thrilled to be married to one other. That thrill, he says, will accordingly shape the entire family and the generations to come.

When the five-year grant comes to a close, CRE will again survey couples in Northwest Arkansas, expecting to see that the conferences, workshops, and training have made a measurable impact on the longevity and health of marriages.

It’s the impact, after all, that matters to the CRE staff.

“Let’s dream big,” Smalley said. “Let’s eliminate divorce.” 

Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 19

Justice for All

Alum Defends the Least of These

World View

by Linda Wyman ’07

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9

FORE!

Golf Returns to JBU

by Simeon Hinsey ‘01 JBU Sports Information Director

About five years ago I considered myself a fairly decent athlete. However, as my ability to jump and run slowly began to fade into obscurity, I realized I needed something to pacify my need to compete while also avoiding injury. So I thought to myself, golf is the way to go. It looks easy enough.

Two summers ago, I took a swing at it and quickly came to the realization that golf was definitely not as easy as they made it look on television. How is it possible to hit a little, white ball with a tiny pole and get it into a four-inch hole that is 400 yards away?

I never realized how difficult it was to hit that little ball, much less hit it straight. I tried to visualize myself as Tiger Woods, but that didn’t work. I tried to become one with the course, and that definitely didn’t work. Finally, I picked up that ball and just threw it.

That made it much easier, and I could control which direction it went.

Since that experience, I have cultivated a new and deep respect for Tiger, Phil Mickelson, and even John Daly (if he can make it to an event on time).

So when JBU decided recently to revive the men’s golf program for Fall 2008—a program that lay dormant for nearly 35 years—I went in search of a few prospective student golfers and a few alumni golfers from the previous JBU program to find out how popular this returning program would be. I found overwhelmingly positive feelings.

I asked a very simple question: “Golf at JBU; what do you think?” Here are some responses.

Kyler Smith, freshman and prospective JBU golfer: I haven’t been able to play mainly because of the expense, but when I found out we were going to have a golf team I was

20 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

so excited. Physically, I know the sport isn’t as demanding as other sports, but it’s tough and challenging, and you have to keep up with it if you want to be good.

Mackenzie Urban, freshman and prospective JBU golfer: I played in high school and played all my life. When I made the decision to come to John Brown, I was a little disappointed because JBU didn’t have a team.

But now that it’s here, I’m glad I chose JBU, and I’m looking forward to making the team.

Duane Brandsgaard, former JBU golfer and coach from 1967-1973: It was almost like the Lord put golf at John Brown for me to participate in. It’s not nearly as easy as it looks, but I’m excited that it’s coming back because it’s a very good lifetime sport. If you can get exposed to it, you’ll get hooked.

Jim Stockton, former number one golfer at JBU 1969-1972: I’m glad JBU is bringing back golf. It sure was a great experience in my life. My golf game isn’t worth much any more, but I still love to play occasionally. I live behind the 10th green at the Harrison (Ark.) Country Club, and my favorite Saturday morning activity is sitting on our deck, eating breakfast, and watching the golfers come by.

The game of golf has had an amazing rise in popularity among people of all ages.

Maybe people are beginning to realize that a sport doesn’t have to include running and jumping in order for it to be fun, entertaining, and competitive.

Jim Stockton recalled one of his most satisfying moments of JBU golf competition, telling me: “[I was] on the 15th green at Dawn Hill. I was on the green in one, putting for a birdie. [With a penny], I had marked my [ball’s position], which was about 20 feet

from the hole. When it was my turn to putt, I made the putt for a birdie, but [I had putt from the wrong mark]. In watching the other players, I had lost track of my mark. An Evangel player [our rival team] said, ‘You’ll have to putt that over.’ I did—and I made that one, too. Not exactly like a dunk over a trash-talking opponent on the basketball court, but that’s as close as golfers got in those days!”

It’s not another person that you have to face in the game of golf. Your opponent is the course. In 2008, we have the technology that allows us to have more advanced training and clubs, but the fundamentals remain the same. Players still have to go out there and battle the course. That’s something that’ll never change. ■

New Coach Ready for New Season With any new, or renewed in this case, venture there will be challenges and obstacles to overcome. New men’s golf coach Brian Thomas is ready for the challenge.

A former assistant golf professional at Dawn Hill Golf and Racquet Club, Thomas said that his expectations for the first year are to get a good base established for the program, and to field a team that can compete within the Sooner Athletic Conference.

The team, which will call the Dawn Hill course home, should start the Fall 2008 season with a squad of seven to ten JBU golfers.

Before moving to Guatemala, before earning a law degree, before her first day of classes at John Brown University, Andrea Comfort ’04 was a little girl living in Kansas City who cared a great deal for the people around her.

“I remember hating seeing the dorky kids get picked on at school by the cool kids, or the little kids getting picked on by the big kids,” she said.

After graduating from JBU, Comfort moved to Virginia Beach and then to Washington, D.C., to graduate from American University Washington College of Law in 2007. Then in 2007 she moved to Guatemala to work with International Justice Mission(IJM), a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression.

According to its web site, “IJM lawyers, investigators, and aftercare professionals work with local governments to ensure victim rescue, to prosecute perpetrators, and to strengthen the community and civic factors that promote functioning public justice systems.”

IJM currently has operations in Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Peru.

“In the practice of law, you can choose to be a defender of the big kid or the little kid,” Comfort explained. “Both have value in the legal system, but my Christian faith draws me toward protecting the little kid. I believe God calls us to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves as an expression of His love and justice on this earth.”

In Guatemala, Comfort has worked as a co-counsel to the Guatemalan public prosecutor on cases of child sexual abuse.

Her diplomatic responsibilities lead her to meetings with the Guatemalan Ambassador to the United States, the Guatemalan Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the First Vice-President of

the Guatemalan Congress, promoting legislation and discussion regarding the protection of child victims of sexual abuse and trafficking.

As part of her work with victim relief assistance, she visits client homes, determining levels of safety in homes, providing baby clothes to pregnant clients, removing children who remain in dangerous home situations, obtaining judicial orders to remove parent custody when necessary, and assisting victims’ parents in finding adequate employment to support their children. She spends her days building relationships with the people around her, evaluating what their needs are, and determining how she can best serve them.

Comfort first heard about IJM during a chapel service in her junior year at JBU, and she says, “My life was forever changed.”

“It was during my studies at JBU that I first came to understand that a human rights violation is a violation against the God who created that person,” she said.

“My motivation to fight human rights abuses is first and foremost to defend the inherent dignity that God himself has placed in every human being.”

Living in Guatemala, Comfort has seen firsthand human rights abuses and the people who endure them. As a result, she has developed a more compassionate view of those in need.

“I don’t see the poor [as being] nearly as pathetic as I use to,” she said. “On mission trips, I’d go and feel sorry for the poor, for their small houses and lack of running water. What I have realized through the people in Guatemala and my work here is that it is not poverty that bothers me anymore…it is injustice and lack of educational opportunities.”

Comfort’s decision to move to Guatemala and work with IJM came with a cost, which was, the prolonging of her student loans, which altogether give her six-figure debt. But for Comfort, who

Comfort poses for a photo with a child she met on a trip to Honduras. Because much of her work is of a sensitive nature, Comfort does not publish photos of her Guatemalan clients.

raises missionary support to work for IJM, the injustices suffered by the helpless were more a pressing need than her own financial security.

“The law school system in America is created by big law firms, for big law firms,” she said. “I would like to do something to change this, to make it easier for people who truly desire to spend their legal careers serving the poor to do that without the restriction of loans.”

Comfort’s commitment with IJM ends this summer. She will move to Washington, D.C. to work as a federal judicial clerk with the Honorable Judge Eric Bruggink at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. But even up to the end of her time in Guatemala, she has been fully committed to love and serve her neighbors.

“God has given me a gift of arguing with perseverance and a desire to defend the defenseless, which I believe reflects His heart to protect and defend His children,” Comfort concluded. “Every believer has different gifts given to them

by God, which they can offer to the work of the Kingdom.”  Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 21

   O

ne of my greatest privileges and pleasures as a development officer at JBU is developing relationships with JBU alumni and friends. One such friend is Dorothy Jelley, from Long Beach, California. Dorothy grew up in poverty in England in the early 1900s. As a girl, she was a domestic servant in England. During World War II, she joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRENS). After the war, she immigrated to Canada, then moved to the Washington, D.C., area before ending up in Long Beach in the 1960s. She worked as a bookkeeper, as a real estate agent, and in several other fields.

Dorothy did not attend JBU, but she loved JBU. She learned about the university through radio broadcasts on once-JBU-owned station KGER in Long Beach. She became a supporter of JBU more than 25 years ago, and because she included JBU in her will, it was my job to get to know her. But it never felt like a job.

Dorothy was witty and articulate. She had a great sense of humor. Her eyes twinkled when she would give me a hard time about something or make a joke.

About two years ago, Dorothy contracted an aggressive form of skin cancer. When the cancer spread, she decided not to fight it.

Last October, I was there to celebrate Dorothy’s 93rd birthday with her. She had been on hospice for a number of months, and the hospice staff was there with gifts and cards. She was upbeat and said it was one of the best birthdays she’d ever had. Later that day, we talked about her funeral arrangements, and she indicated that she really didn’t care if she had a memorial service. She had lived a good life and was happy to be going home to be with the Lord.

Just two weeks later, I was able to visit Dorothy again.

We had a wonderful time. I asked her if she was sore, Paul took his daughters, Isabelle (front) and Clarisse, to visit and she looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and said, Dorothy during one of her hospital stays.

“Do I snore?” She thought that was quite funny. She was weaker this time, was not getting out of bed at all, and slept most of the day.

On Tuesday evening, October 30, 2007, I received a call at home. Dorothy’s caregiver told me she had passed away that afternoon. I was sad, but thankful to know that Dorothy was home in the arms of Jesus.

A memorial service for Dorothy was held December 9, and I planned to be there. My first flight was delayed, so when I arrived in Dallas/Fort Worth to change planes, I ran to the connecting gate but found the door closed. The plane was still there at the gate, but they would not let me on. I ran through the terminal to catch a different flight, but again, I ran up to a closed door at the gate. The plane hadn’t left yet, but I was not allowed to board.

As I was running from gate to gate, I was frustrated and angry. And then it occurred to me that Dorothy was in heaven. I imagined her looking down and smiling at me, saying, “Paul, it is okay. You

22 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

do not need to be all stressed out about this. I told you I didn’t care if I had a service anyway.” And yet, I desperately wanted to honor Dorothy and publicly recognize not only the impact that she has had on JBU, but also the impact she had on me personally. So I sat in a terminal in Dallas/Fort Worth airport, and I cried. I cried for the loss of my friend, Dorothy, and I cried for the loss of the opportunity to honor her at her memorial service.

It has occurred to me that one of the career hazards I face as a development officer is forming special relationships with alumni and friends of the university, only to watch many of them pass away. It hurts every time it happens, even when I am expecting it to happen. One of the things about this job that brings me the greatest joy also brings me the greatest sadness and pain.

It happened again recently when we lost our friend Faye Phillips. Faye was born in 1911 in Quay County, New Mexico when it was a territory, before it became a state. She was the oldest of eight children growing up on their family’s 500-acre homestead. Life was hard in New Mexico at that time, and only six of the children lived past their younger years. After moving to Oklahoma and Georgia, Faye eventually settled in Arkansas, where she was a homemaker and businesswoman.

She was a modern woman who, whenever you saw her, was always elegant in both her dress and her demeanor.

In 1997, Faye visited JBU and attended a chapel service.

The theme was World Awareness. She was amazed to see that JBU had such an international student population. Faye wanted to leave a large portion of her estate to JBU to fund a scholarship in honor of her first husband, Frank. Vice President for Advancement Jim Krall had the opportunity to get to know Faye as she was setting up her estate gift, and in the process, he developed a close friendship with her. Faye grew so fond of Jim and thought so highly of him that she asked him to lead her memorial service when the time came.

She passed away in February, and Jim felt honored to fulfill her request, paying tribute to this dear lady by leading her service.

Faye will be remembered at JBU each year as funds are distributed from her endowed scholarship to students whose lives will be changed. Dorothy also will be remembered; she left the majority of her estate to JBU, and a new endowed scholarship has been established in her name. The gifts from each of these ladies were matched with funds from the $20 Million Challenge, multiplying their impact.

Because of Dorothy and Faye, hundreds of thousands of dollars will provide scholarships to students for generations to come. We are grateful for these tremendous gifts, but I realize that the students who receive the scholarships will miss the opportunity to know these ladies as we have known them.

They will never see Dorothy’s sparkling eyes or experience her sharp wit. They will never see Faye’s elegance. Still they will experience the generosity of these women in a very tangible way. ■



 

by Paul Eldridge, J.D. ’88



Blessed Relationships Bring an Occupational Hazard





    

Join the

Prayer Network JBU

E

nlarge your territory for God by participating in a unique new ministry that can have a significant impact on JBU and the Kingdom of God. Sign up for the JBU Prayer Network and join the many other alumni and friends who are supporting the mission and the people of JBU with prayer.

Our Purpose:

To create a team of JBU alumni and friends who will uphold JBU on a regular basis in serious prayer.

Your Commitment:

To pray for the JBU family to become a strong witness for Christ. Each month you will be e-mailed seven to ten prayer requests related to the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual pursuits of the students, faculty, and staff.

How to Join:

Go online to www.jbualumni.com and click on “e-Newsletter” in the left column.

Then click the JBU Prayer Network box, complete the form and click “Submit.”

You will then begin receiving the prayer requests each month during the school year.

Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 23

from the

director’s desk

JBU Embarks on Matchmaking— Career Style Recently, I was at an alumni gathering, talking with three alumni and the parents of a current JBU student. One of the alumni asked the parents what their son was planning to do for the coming summer. “He’s an engineering major, and he’s looking for a summer internship,” the parent replied. “Well, I’m an engineer,” the alumnus said, “and our company hires summer interns. Why don’t you have your son contact me, and I’ll see what I can do.”

Conversations like that are pretty common and often help students find summer jobs and internships. But there will soon be another opportunity for networking that will not only help students but also alumni.

This summer, JBU’s information technology programmers are working with the Career Development and Alumni Relations offices to create an expanded and more robust career networking site that will enable graduating seniors and alumni to post their resumes online and allow employers to post jobs.

Think Monster.com. Think CareerBuilder. Only this tool is for JBU students and alumni to connect with employers who appreciate JBU people and the qualities they bring to the job.

Many of you are superintendents or principals of schools. You own or manage businesses, and you are involved in ministries around the globe and around the corner. You look for quality employees of all ages and skill sets. Soon there will be a JBU web site that will help you fill those positions with JBU family members who share your experiences and values. Both the Career Development and the Alumni web pages will have a link to it.

So whether you are looking for your first job, a new job, or the right person to help take your organization to the next level, watch for the launch of the new online JBU Career Network this July.

Jerry Rollene ’75

Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

24 24 Brown Brown Bulletin Bulletin Summer Summer 20082008

CONNECT ALUMNI! Share your phot alumni friends o and memories with .

UPDATES ON AlumNET These alumni have updated their information in the online alumni directory on JBU AlumNET. Visit www.jbualumni.com to register, log on, and get the latest information!

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Get the latest information . and sign up for JBU Events office by ck? Contact the JBU alumni Problems? Questions? Feedba M. LU U-A by phone at 888-JB e-mail at alumni@jbu.edu or

:: AlumNET

www.jbualumni.com

how to reg iste r Your privacy and the security of your information is very important to us. That’s why we ask you to provide a few pieces of personal information in the registration process, including either your JBU student ID number or your unique ID code.

Use your JBU student ID number or the uniq ue ID code o n the mailing la bel of this magazine to register on AlumN ET.

top of Your unique ID code is located at the k for a Loo e. the mailing label on this magazin by four wed follo rs lette six-character code (two g in the livin ple cou ni alum numbers). A married ve the abo es cod ID two see will ld same househo the e; cod ’s and name. The first code is the husb second is the wife’s.

This list includes updates received through April 15, 2008.

1930s

Marion Brown ’31 Lola (Maddux) Woodard ’38

1940s

Lucille (Lowe) Arrington ’41 John Brown ’43 Stephen Hunter ’47

1950s

Gerald “Gus” Arnold ’51 Gordon Austin ’55 Rusty Baker ’55 Bob Barclay ’54 Wayne & Betty (Swancott)

Berggren ’58 ’58 Paul Bond ’52 Donna (Weathers) Bowling ’56 C. Marvin Burris ’58 Luther Butler ’52 Helen (Peterson) Eash ’56 Daniel Esquivel ’59 Ruth (Neuenswander) Farrell ’58 Flo (Baker) Fluty ’59 Paul Goring ’51 Doris (Wallenberg) Greenwood ’52 John Hamm ’54 Melvin Holmgren ’53 Kent Janssen ’57 Richard Kennedy ’53 Janet (Coates) Lancaster-Goring ’52 Patricia (Spry) Magnuson ’58 Patricia (Guthary) Marts ’54 Bill & Ila (Anderson) McIlvain ’56 ’55 Edward McIntyre ’59 Alice (Moore) McQuay ’58 Don Mead ’51 Kenneth Miller ’59 Elizabeth (Berry) Nelson ’59 Kent Pelot ’59 Rosetta (Hobgood) Portukalian ’52 Frank Shannon ’58 Jim Sheets ’53 Bob Sheridan ’54

Charles Stoll ’56 Henry Waterhouse ’52 Norma Jean (Feemster) Waterhouse ’54

1960s

Gail (Horn) Austin ’67 Lynn Aylesworth ’69 Jevene (Trayler) Baer ’65 Jane (Peachee) Banks ’69 Eva Barnett ’64 Claire (Waldvogel) Baughman ’66 Donna (Stanley) Bechtel ’66 Linda (Hanson) Bedgood ’67 David Beilfuss ’64 Bob Bodie ’68 Louis Bowers ’60 Andrew Bowling ’69 Janet Calhoon ’68 Donald Campbell ’65 David Carnahan ’66 Steven Carpenter ’66 Douglas Chamberlain ’64 David Christiansen ’65 Howard Clark ’67 Larry Condley ’69 David Cox ’60 Larry Culberson ’63 Raymond Davis ’68 David DeVries ’67 David Dye ’60 Ronald Ezell ’61 Maureen (Medley) Farney ’68 Robert Fenlason ’65 Ernest & Carla (Stockdale)

Ferguson ’69 ’69 Joan (McCrery) Ferguson ’62 Ed Fowler ’65 Carlene (Gabelmann) Friesen ’67 Richard Galli ’63 Marvin & Beverly (Kaiser)

Gassman ’66 ’68 Philip George ’68 Nancy (Heberling) Gerecz ’67 Janet (Dobbs) Given ’68 Charles “Chuck” Golladay ’68 Joe Gratzl ’65 Robert Grunert ’69

Jerry “J.D.” Hawkins ’66 Arthur Hornsby ’62 Bill Kelley ’65 Bob Kershaw ’67 Judith King ’69 Timothy Kooi ’69 Susan (Ward) Kreider ’66 David Krueger ’68 Douglas Krueger ’68 John Kulp ’67 Robert Kulvicki ’63 Paul Leisure ’68 Kay (Oliver) Lewis ’68 Gary Logan ’67 Bruce Long ’60 Cheryl (Perkins) Lopez ’69 James Lundquist ’69 George Mackay ’66 Kathy (Nelson) Mathews ’66 Paul McQueen ’64 Paul Meyers ’68 Dennis Milgate ’63 Beverly [Rowland (O’Laughlin)]

Miller ’62 Donna (Ratcliff) Milligan ’69 Frank Mills ’65 Robert Mitchell ’62 David & Marylu (McCrery) Moore ’64 ’68 Raymond Neathery ’61 Lee & Nancy (Culberson)

Netherton ’63 ’63 Mary (Wood) Nordquist ’64 Harry Ohlson ’69 Betty (Schaefer) Oka ’66 Fred Otis ’67 Dick Papworth ’69 Bob & Doris (Paden) Pennington ’61 ’60 Roger Pfanstiel ’67 Larry & Darali (Gibson) Phillips ’64 ’65 Jan (Brooks) Phillips ’69 Karen (Pash) Phillips ’67 David & Sue (Smith) Porritt ’65 ’62 Jerry Powell ’62 Randy & Susan (Lee) Powell ’66 ’68 Maurice Rankin ’62 Glenda (Tackett) Ratzlaff ’67 Grace (Johnson) Richards ’68 Sharon (Milner) Ridenour ’66 Jack Roberts ’68

Anne Ruble ’69 Lee (Rodgers) Sale ’68 Sue (Walter) Senzig ’68 Bill Servis ’69 LaVay Sheldon ’69 Donald Silvis ’64 Ronald Snyder ’61 Betty Jo (Glass) Southerland ’66 Judi (Erckman) Stewart ’62 Dale Swiatek ’63 Bernadine (Williams) Teague ’67 Robert Trembly ’63 Lynda (Springfield) Walters ’62 Robert Weathers ’67 Theodore & Jane (Becker)

Weathers ’64 ’64 Jim Weaver ’63 Yvonna (Cornell) Whiteley ’60 Virgil Wiebe ’63 Fred Wilson ’67 Dick Wilson ’63 Gary Wilt ’69 Philip & Diane (Sauter) Windsor ’67 ’67 Don Wood ’64

1970s

Glenn Adams ’73 Patricia (Hayes) Adams ’78 Gwen (Avery) Alley ’73 Lois (Whitby) Allison ’74 Steve Anderson ’77 Loren Bacon ’78 Cheryl (Brown) Beauford ’72 Richard Bedgood ’70 Barbara (Battenberg) Bingham ’74 Larry Bland ’71 Barbara (Dodds) Bolerjack ’72 Deborah Bradley ’77 Charles Brents ’70 Dianne [Vorthman (Stricker)] Brooks ’72 Janet Brown ’75 John Brown ’75 Nell (Norberg) Bryant ’72 Donald Bunker ’77 Daniel Capehart ’75 Lloyd Carlson ’70 Rick Carpenter ’76

Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 25

UPDATES ON AlumNET This list includes updates received through April 15, 2008.

Jonathan Cates ’70 Mark Cavender ’74 Bruce Clark ’77 Jan (Bridgen) Clark ’72 David “Skip” Collins ’76 John & Jill (Skillen) Collinson ’73 ’76 David & Sharon (Stewart) Cox ’77 ’78 Cynthia [Dewar (Preece)] Cutts ’77 David Dams ’74 Carol (Kiger) Davies ’73 Kenneth Demarest ’74 Patricia (Carter) Dixon ’75 Charles Charles Eckhardt ’73 Linda (Amerson) Eddy ’78 Bonnie (Berggren) Eifert ’73 Gary Elliott ’73 Frank Elmen ’76 Sue (Reed) Evans ’75 Darrell Farney ’70 Larry Fast ’70 Roger & Mary (Willard) Freeman ’72 ’72 Donald Frey ’79 John Gage ’72 Stephen Genheimer ’76 Carol (Gwartney) Gentry ’75 Marsha George ’79 Tad Gordon ’76 Nancy (Woods) Gray ’75 Patrick Grona ’75 Richard Hannah ’74 Philip Hanson ’79 Randall Harper ’74 Donald & Wanda (Gutknecht)

Harris ’72 ’70 Cherie Hein ’79 Dan Hentschel ’73 Judy (Carter) Herold ’73 Robert Hewey ’73 Curtis Hiebert ’74 Judy (Allred) Howerton ’72 Tom Huson ’76 Vicki (Haynes) Hutchings ’78 Larry Johnson ’70 Trudi (Emanuelson) Johnson ’76 Dennis Jones ’79 Diane (Martyn) Jones ’77 Nan (Clouse) Jones ’74 David Jordan ’71 Patti (Collins) Kacar ’76 James Kelley ’79 Ronald & Connie (Young) Kelly ’70 ’70 Charles & Malia (Davis) Kennedy ’78 ’79 Debbie (Widbin) Kennedy ’79 Donn Kenyon ’76 Kathy (Russell) Kieler ’77 Allen Kimbrough ’75 Lavonda (McIlvain) Kopsa ’79 Steve Kreis ’78 Al Lackey ’74 Ellis & Becky (Haynes) Landreth ’74 ’76 Glenda (Batchelder) Lawson ’77 Sarah (Flanders) Layne ’72 Rick LeBrun ’71 Paul Lee ’73

Joan (Sample) Lightner ’78 Steven Steve Low ’70 Dean (Carnahan) Lynch ’76 Ted Maines ’77 Karen [Thomas (Schifelbein)]

Markham ’72 Charles “Chuck” Martinez ’71 Jerome Maxie ’78 Douglas McKenzie ’71 Keith Megilligan ’70 Michael Meisinger ’74 James Menks ’78 Elizabeth (Shook) Methvin ’70 Scott & Lucy (Wheeler) Metsger ’71 ’72 Juanita Juanita Engelhardt Miles ’75 David Miller ’73 Jonathan Miller ’70 Mary (Harlan) Miller ’77 Marilyn (Yocky) Moll ’70 Mark Mouttet ’74 Lonnie Myers ’74 Jim Naramore ’72 Janet (Ezell) Naramore ’72 Gregory Neeley ’75 Gloria (Sprunger) Newman ’76 Linda (Chappell) Nickerson ’72 Linda (Carlson) Ohlson ’72 Elizabeth (Patterson) Osborn ’78 Janice (Schimpf) Peck ’70 Jeffrey Perkins ’76 Marvin & Donna (Anderson) Peters ’70 ’74 Leon Phillips ’70 Bill Phillips ’73 Max Plunkett ’72 Ronald Powell ’72 Daniel Qualman ’74 Melody Record ’78 Monte Reid ’76 Jerry Rollene ’75 Douglas & Kathy (Winebrenner)

Russell ’72 ’72 Joseph & Andrea (Ritz) Salomon ’78 ’77 Joseph Sanders ’79 Evelyn (Landreth) Scheiman ’77 Terrie (Hardy) Schmidt ’77 Daniel Seidler ’78 Helen (McAlister) Semones ’74 David Shibley ’73 Joy (Wheat) Shoemaker ’76 Randy & Caryn (Cauwels) Shuler ’79 ’78 Caren (Lewis) Shute ’77 Dan Siemens ’76 Don Siemens ’71 Linda (Brockles) Sissel ’73 Brian & Lori (Smith) Smith ’77 ’78 Janet (Baker) Smith ’78 Marsha (Wilson) Smith ’76 Renee (Ferrell) Smith ’71 William Staeck ’71 Karen (Trana) Starr ’75 Brent Stewart ’79 Kevin Stricker ’72 Michael Sullivan ’73 Barbara (Whittle) Terry ’72

26 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

Michael Terry ’79 Bruce Tripke ’70 Elizabeth (Lawhon) Tworek ’79 Linda (Lauck) Vissering ’70 Evan Vohs ’71 Gayle (Sweet) Von Eissler ’70 Barbara [Howard (Shallenberg)]

Wagner ’71 Jeffrey Walker ’77 Ken Wallis ’72 Paul Ware ’70 Valerie Waterman ’70 Alva West ’71 Gordon Whitbeck ’73 J.R. & Melody (Hope) Whitby ’71 ’70 Alice (Letellier) White ’71 Cindy (Watson) Willard ’79 Charity (Cooper) Williams ’74 David & Ann (Skinner) Williamson ’76 ’75 Mark & Diane (Nicholls) Willits ’79 ’78 Cindy (Calhoun) Wilson ’79 Dave Wilson ’78 David Wilson ’79 Jim Young ’70 Burnie Zercher ’75

1980s

Ruth (Eldridge) Abbey ’86 Jeannie Alexander ’84 Evelyn (Claucherty) Allen ’81 Elizabeth “Liz” (Jones) Alons ’83 Kimberly (Meredith) Anderson ’82 Roger Anderson ’85 David Anthes ’82 Steven Anthes ’84 James Barnett ’80 Brent Bartsch ’88 Dirk Baumann ’82 Karen (Nickel) Beaudet ’89 Tony Berg ’82 Rebecca Bizzell ’88 Beckie (Dunning) Black ’82 Tony Blalock ’82 Stacy (Parker) Boan ’83 Coleen (Ewy) Bosch ’82 Jerome Brackeen ’86 Lee Bramlett ’85 Stacey (Meredith) Briggs ’84 Dale Brown ’80 Donna (Weddle) Burris ’82 Mary (Cordier) Busch ’86 Shannan Butler ’89 Randy Cady ’85 Jim Caldwell ’80 David Capp ’88 Dan & Nan (Cowan) Cauble ’85 ’86 Joanne (Bealer) Christoff ’83 Laurie (Swanson) Cole ’86 Stacey (Eberspacher) Cole ’87 Carene Cooper ’89 Cheryl (Spear) Crawford ’83

Deann (Hicks) Dawson ’88 Lou Ann (Cunningham) Dean ’80 Daniel Devries ’85 Beverly (Hilton) Donehoo ’80 Byron Drury ’85 Darrell Eash ’85 James Ebel ’85 Connie Ekberg ’84 Kay Ekey ’80 Kate Elrod ’85 Mary (Stoehr) Emerson ’84 Davin Emerson ’84 Steve Eubanks ’89 Steve Fairweather ’85 Annette [Carlson (Walker)] Fischer ’82 April (Sherrill) Foster ’86 Keith Foster ’85 Mary “Missy” (Reed) Freeman ’87 Gary Gaertner ’89 Rodney George ’85 David Graham ’88 Alison (Barber) Gratton ’87 Becky (Luff) Green ’80 Gretchen (Porder) Groth ’89 Norman Haas ’84 Mary (Getty) Haider ’83 Andrew Halbach ’87 Michelle [Suglio (Berthold)] Hale ’85 Kenneth Haron ’80 Brenda (Bielby) Harp ’87 Lance & Patricia (Grass) Harris ’88 ’85 Joe Harvey ’88 Jill Haseltine ’89 Scott Hawes ’88 Karen Heath ’87 Scott Helgesen ’83 Paul Henning ’86 Olin Holmes ’82 Christopher Howard ’84 Robin Howard ’84 Jenni [Brock (Weaver)] Hubby ’83 Lynnette (Parlin) Huffines ’85 Brian Isaac ’85 Stephen Isbell ’80 Ardy (Vos) Iwema ’85 Peder & Nancy (Otto) Jessen ’83 ’83 Eric Johnson ’88 Amanda (Griffis) Jones ’83 Robert Jones ’83 Gail (Tooley) Kairis ’86 Laurie (Stephens) Kauffman ’84 Douglas Keating ’85 Mark Kelley ’83 Jonathan Kemery ’81 Philip Kennedy ’87 Helen (Bassett) Ketcher ’87 Laura (Lane) Kiser ’84 Timothy Kliewer ’86 Jeanette (Ens) Knittel ’82 Gloria (Frey) Knudsen ’80 Curtis Kraetsch ’86 Teri (Ruble) Krantz ’81 Mary (Gusaas) Kreis ’80 Douglas LaCoste ’85

Darrel Land ’88 Tanya (Russell) Land ’87 Lois (Lionberger) Langehaug ’84 Scott & Cherise (Morgan)

Langenberg ’89 ’89 Kathy (Fultz) LeBow ’80 Bobbi (Prescher) Leitsch ’83 Leslie (Lovett) LeVan ’87 Sally (Owen) Lightfoot ’87 Leslie “Les” Linebarger ’89 Andrew & Becky (Cook) Lloret ’83 ’81 Theodore “Ted” Lloyd ’84 Laura (Smith) Losch ’86 Bob & Pamela (Childs) Luff ’83 ’82 Andrew Luther ’80 Bill MacDonald ’88 John Malinowski ’88 Ellen (Loder) Marchi ’80 Loren Markle ’82 John Marshall ’82 Robert Marshall ’89 Jim Martin ’86 Dederia (Watkins) Masters ’85 Sharon (Stanbrough) Maxwell ’88 Mark Joanna (Willits) Mayer ’82 ’81 Esther (Mc Corkle) McCorkle-Hollas ’80 Bill McGuire ’85 Dan & Sue (Cook) Mellema ’83 ’83 Brian Miller ’89 Mark Miller ’88 Mark Miller ’89 Brian Moody ’88 Dawn (Bailey) Morales ’85 Drew Morris ’86 Cynda (Armstrong) Mullikin ’89 Robert Nilsen ’86 Dale Northup ’83 Daniel Nunley ’83 Steve Onnen ’82 Denise (Millet) Owen ’84 Mark Palella ’87 Steven Parker ’87 Daniel Paul ’86 Brian Pemberton ’82 Jill (Habegger) Pepple ’83 Lynn Alexander Perry ’88 Christie (Davis) Pettibon ’89 Robert Phillips ’85 Aaron Phillips ’80 Thomas Pitts ’83 Bryan Plowman ’86 Mark Pollitt ’86 Tim Ray ’86 Jonathan Reddekopp ’82 Jeffrey & Becky (Pearson) Reed ’87 ’81 Timothy & Deann (Coats) Reger ’81 ’82 Terry Richards ’86 Joe & Donna (Sanders) Rider ’87 ’85 Sheri (Schwepker) Ruben ’85 Richard Ruiz ’84 Peter Salveson ’89 Faith (Gibson) Salyer ’85 Douglas Samsel ’87 Martha (Jackson) Schimpf ’80

Kurt Schmidt ’85 Kristina “Kris” (Hersha) Schoeppey ’87 Julie (Toering) Schrey ’80 Lois (Rainer) Schumacher ’83 Carol (Wallen) Seabolt ’80 Jay Seegert ’86 Jill Senator ’86 Mark Sharp ’83 Jill (Pearson) Sharpe ’87 Staci (Smith) Sheldon ’89 Monty Shipp ’87 Sandy (Phillips) Shrum ’85 Dwight Siemens ’88 Gregory Simon ’82 Kevin Simpson ’89 Lori (Mallette) Slutz ’82 Debbie (Seal) Smith ’85 Donna (Reynolds) Smith ’80 Damon Steele ’85 Lorne Strom ’82 Tracy Sullivan ’83 John Swart ’88 Greta (Palm) Tabor ’80 Tamela Tabor ’86 Patrick “Pat” Temaat ’86 Roberta (Laman) Tepper ’83 Bill Thompson ’84 Gary Trott ’82 Rhonda (Verkler) Turbyeville ’84 John & Katie (Radue) Tuttle ’86 ’86 Rick VerHoeven ’82 Karen (Ragle) Wagoner ’83 Jennifer (Cress) Waldroop ’87 Daniel Wallin ’87 Penny (Bohlender) Wanzer ’85 Mark Warner ’87 Lisa (Marshall) Watson ’87 Marlene (Mast) Webb ’85 Eileen (Yoder) Weidemann ’87 Marilyn (Timm) Weissing ’86 Samuel Wenger ’88 Robin Wentworth ’84 Heather (Dyet) Whiting ’83 Ernest Whitmore ’80 Janet (Tovey) Williams ’83 Vicki Willson ’87 Steve & Jo-Ann (Taylor) Wilson ’83 ’84 Brandon Wolf ’89 Kathy (Determann) Wommer ’83 Lucy (Vargas) Wood ’87 Ann (Bell) Yakle ’89 David Young ’85 Ann (Page) Zupke ’86 Samuel Zupke ’88

1990s

Jennifer (Rushing) Aaron ’96 Rachel (Huzy) Adkins ’96 Sarah Alden ’99 Jennifer (McKim) Anderson ’93 Kara (Moffat) Angelbeck ’98 Saul Arellano ’95

Ronald Argueta ’95 Mauricio Arias ’96 Giles & Angel (Walker) Armstrong ’94 ’93 Heather (Menks) Armstrong ’99 Tanya (Epp) Avilez ’97 Wayne Bateman ’92 Sheldon & Kathy (Klein) Beachy ’93 ’95 Derek & Candice (Bland) Beck ’93 ’95 Karyn (Ely) Beckner ’97 Lorie (Halbert) Beckner ’94 Jennifer Benson ’99 Robin (Willoughby) Benson ’99 Robert Bethke ’99 Erin Bird ’95 LeAnn (Wojakowski) Bird ’95 Cherie Blair ’97 Rebecca (Barber) Blair ’95 Mark Blan ’91 Philip Bland ’97 Rhea Borja ’90 Stephen Holly (Steensland) Bos ’93 ’95 Amy (DeMaranville) Bottomly ’98 David Bouslough ’94 Kristen (Schley) Bowling ’90 Carmen Box ’95 Kim Boyce ’95 Ethan Brown ’95 Barry Bryant ’99 Kathy (Malas) Buller ’92 Richard Buller ’95 Raina (Clardy) Burney ’97 Rechelle (Siemens) Burton ’90 Michael Lisa (Ehrlich) Butler ’93 ’93 Stephanie (Roth) Butler ’95 Craig Cady ’90 Jennifer (Turnbow) Call ’99 Aaron Campbell ’95 Michael Jill (Beckner) Campbell ’95 ’97 Yamila (Perez-Karim) Chang ’93 Kevin Chenoweth ’92 Kenneth Chouinard ’94 Stacey Chupp ’97 Amy (Rein) Coker ’96 Sara (Miles) Collins ’98 Julie (Rabe) Cones ’94 Amee (Hill) Cooper ’95 Byron Cordon ’95 Jessica Costaldi ’94 Laura (Peterson) Cousins ’93 Melissa (Dressler) Cowser ’92 Tom Cox ’92 Leslie (McGhee) Cravens ’99 Jon Crenshaw ’99 Pamela (Hale) Cubas ’99 Stephanie (Fast) Cunningham ’97 Sarah (Hurst) Dahl ’97 Viviane [Dewerse (Hernandez)] Dark ’95 Cindy (Kunsman) Dawson ’97 Gregory DeBord ’94 Renee Decker ’97 Heidi (Johnstone) Demarais ’98 Natasha (Wozniuk) Devine ’99 David & Wendy (Drummond)

Dewerse ’90 ’91

Sarah (Gesell) DeYoung ’98 Omar Diaz ’93 Matt Dickson ’92 Tim & Erin (DeMoss) Dolgner ’99 ’99 Chris Donato ’97 Liz (Hinman) Donato ’97 Mark Durham ’95 Anna (Greco) Dwyer ’99 Max Edwards ’95 Lori (Anderson) Eldredge ’91 Laurie Eldridge ’92 Patrick Elrod ’96 Steffani (Trammell) English ’96 Troy English ’96 Rick & Marci (Smith) Epp ’92 ’91 Mike Feaster ’92 Betsy (Russell) Feldmann ’97 Ross Ferkett ’98 Lisa (Brice) Finger ’98 Bobby Fleming ’90 Claudia (Benware) Ford ’98 Traci (Vanderveer) Forero ’98 Scott Foster ’98 Heidi (Ploeger) Franz ’99 Rachael (Scarbrough) Freeman ’99 Chad Friesen ’95 Debbie (Lind) Friesen ’99 Andy Gamble ’95 Nadja (Stricker) Gardner ’95 Cindy Garman ’98 Staci (Holzaepfel) Garner ’96 Shelley (Powell) Garst ’93 Jennifer (Barber) Gibson ’91 Stephanie (Schiltz) Gilbert ’98 Nicolle (Allaire) Goehring ’95 Bobette Goetz ’96 Natalie Good ’99 Maria (Roeder) Gordon ’92 Jeremy Gove ’97 Laura (Devries) Gowan ’99 Paul Graham ’93 Ruth (Bonge) Graham ’99 Elizabeth (Haguewood) Granderson ’98 Rebekah (Hoke) Granstrom ’98 Janis (Swiderski) Gregory ’96 Glenn Grempler ’98 Sussy (Bracamonte) Gudiel ’96 Kevin Hammer ’91 Tom Hansen ’96 Warren Harper ’97 Wendell Harper ’90 Misty (Martin) Harris ’97 David Harrison ’90 Melissa Haynal ’96 Erik Henrickson ’99 Eric Hernandez ’95 Andrea (Smith) Higdon ’98 Steve Hilton ’93 Beth (Raby) Himschoot ’98 Todd Hinshaw ’98 Kenny Holloway ’90 Trevor Hornbacher ’92 Ronda (Martin) Houts ’91 Jenna (Thieszen) Hubbard ’94

Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 27

hy WWe Give Back to JBU

It’s worth every penny!

We give to JBU because we know our money is being used wisely. Advancement’s followup is exceptional. JBU lets us know how our contribution is making an impact. God has blessed us financially because of the excellent education we received at JBU. Not a day goes by that we are not using what we learned there.

We believe that the faculty is the best, and they deserve to be compensated well! We desire other students to have the same opportunities we had because of the assistance we received from the generous giving of others. JBU was a place of significant spiritual renewal for Chad, and if our giving makes a similar experience possible for someone else, it is worth every penny!

Chad & Stephanie Cunningham

UPDATES ON AlumNET Josh Hudson ’99 C.J. Hughley ’98 Laura (Flaming) Jackson ’90 Samuel & Rebecca (Magness) Jackson ’95 ’94 Sasha (Eudy) Jackson ’95 Vincent Janzen ’95 Amy (Jolliff) Jarchow ’96 Delrina Johnson ’95 Holly [Wilson (Shillcutt)] Johnson ’99 Heather Johnstone ’98 Wendy Jolliff ’98 Myriah Jordan ’98 Jackie Jackie Kaltschmitt ’94 Mike Kankelfritz ’94 Andrea (Underhill) Kehler ’95 Craig Kelly ’92 Richard Kidd ’93 Stan Kim ’97 Chris King ’99 Kathy (Cotton) Klafta ’99 Jake Klein ’98 Tony & Jennifer (Jordan) Lake ’92 ’92 Jeff Laviolette ’93 Tami Leadabrand ’98 Beth (Fox) Lee ’90 Christy (Ratzlaff) Lehew ’93 Ken & Christy (Lind) Leonhard ’97 ’97 Tim Lewis ’90 Tina (Easom) Lipscomb ’97 Scott Lloyd ’90 Annie (Bergstrom) Locke ’96 Michele (Hubbell) Lofgren ’97 Junior Lopez ’90 Becky (Smith) Lowe ’96 Trisha (Haglund) Lynn ’94 Joy (Sale) Macdonald ’96 Jenny (Gumm) MacKenna ’98 Misti Mager ’98 Kelli (Cantrell) Magness ’93 Kris Magnuson ’99 Melissa (Austin) Maitland ’99 John Malala ’94 Mindy (Klotz) Manuel ’96 Jennifer (Hampton) Marcum ’93 Hector Martinez ’97 Joel Martinez ’97 Rachel (Gustafson) Masters ’93 Tim Matlick ’92 Julie McCratic ’93 Leslie (Stout) McCroddan ’94 Chad McCutchen ’97 Nikki (Mizner) McCutchen ’96 Brenden & Julie (Ohsberg)

McGlinchey ’98 ’97 Jill (Boyer) Mekelburg ’99 Irma (Juarez Cruz) Menchaca ’98 Kristina Mickna ’93 Brian Mikul ’94 Jacob Millikin ’97 James Milner ’99 Andrew Mincks ’98 Aaron Miner ’98 Jon & Melissa (Metting) Montgomery ’98 ’99

Luis Moreno ’98 Rob Morwood ’94 Tracy (Pells) Mott ’95 Yolonda (Fencer) Mudd ’90 Heather (Gibson) Muder ’97 Rebecca Mullikin ’99 Barbara (Phipps) Murphy ’73 Robyn (Anderson) Murray ’98 Kimberly Naleid ’97 Mary Jane Neville ’97 Cecil Nichols ’93 Tina (Simoni) Nobriga ’99 Colin Oetken ’96 Erin (Brandt) Officer ’99 Amy (Lowe) O’Shields ’97 Chris & Sara (Harris) Pegg ’97 ’95 Rachel (Justice) Perozzi ’98 Carrie (Simpson) Perrien Smith ’96 Heidi (Nelson) Petak ’94 Tim Peter ’93 Heather (Orr) Peterson ’95 Susan (Agan) Phillips ’94 Laura (Ott) Pittman ’98 Patrick & Julie (Hollingsworth) Plant ’97 ’97 Debra (Kerns) Plumlee ’99 Jennifer (Tarrant) Potter ’97 Shelby (Watts) Presley ’97 Collin Quiring ’92 Keith Quiring ’95 David & Sabrina (Hidalgo) Rancudo ’90 ’90 Kristen Raube ’97 Christy (Steensland) Reece ’99 Wes Rice ’99 Gene Rickman ’95 Megan (Hunnicutt) Rikli ’99 Holli (Hargett) Riley ’95 Erick & Jennifer (Brackbill) Rivera ’94 ’95 Herbie Rodriguez ’99 Jacob Roebuck ’97 Lucas Roebuck ’97 Jennifer [Roeder (Griesse)] Roeder ’95 Amy Roever ’96 Eddie Rogers ’99 Raphael Romero ’98 Yolanda (Romero) Romero-Gutierrez ’90 Heather (Winters) Romig ’99 Joel Rorabaugh ’98 Ruthann (Hudson) Ross ’94 Carrie (Morrison) Ryan ’99 Cathrin (Ellison) Rybicki ’96 Brian Sage ’98 Gerson Salazar ’98 Jose & Patty (Barrientos) Salmeron ’96 ’96 Kip Salser ’94 Amy (Swanson) Salve ’98 Hector Sanabria ’99 Kris (Driskill) Saunders ’98 Sean & Kim (Dunn) Sawatzky ’96 ’97 John & Rachel (Rode) Schaefer ’97 ’99 Julie (Britton) Schieber ’93 Daniel Schmekel ’96 Susan (Crozier) Schmersahl ’97 Kyle Schmidt ’93

Kimberly (Neilson) Schoepke ’94 Nichole (Cook) Scholtens ’97 Eric Seyller ’97 Michelle (Wright) Shafer ’93 Doug Sharp ’97 Tammy (Winter) Sheetz ’93 Tamara (Morris) Sheffield ’97 Stephanie (Smith) Shepherd ’93 Michael & Jamie (Babcock) Shirley ’95 ’97 Samuel Short ’98 Russ Shust ’93 Carlos Siercke ’92 Holly (Sisney) Simon ’95 Laura (Whiteman) Simonsen ’93 Stefanie (Simon) Simpson ’90 Michael Slemons ’90 Elizabeth Smith ’99 Kristen (Clyde) Smith ’98 Carrie (Penner) Snell ’98 Steve & Debbie (Steitz) Snell ’90 ’91 Matthew Snyder ’96 Melanie Sorensen ’98 Mary-Lois (Jones) Stedman ’95 Beth (Roark) Stewart ’98 Elizabeth (Warman) Stewart ’96 Matthew & Missy (Appleby) Stoner ’96 ’96 Michele (Phillips) Straubel ’97 John Stuart ’90 Doug & Robyn (Culberson) Stucky ’90 ’92 Carolyn (Sawyer) Sullivan ’97 Pavel Tabares Salcido ’99 Greg Tarrant ’99 Joseph Thomas ’95 Steven Thomas ’99 Susan (Brown) Thomas ’98 Andrea (Wozniuk) Toenyes ’92 Christa (Ferguson) Tompkins ’95 Jeffrey Tompkins ’97 Penny [Schulz (Jones)] Trachy ’90 Aaron Tucker ’97 Shelly Turberville ’97 Kristen (Caneday) Turley ’96 Sarah (Weiford) Turnbull ’98 Daniel “Baba” Ugbah ’97 Eric Unruh ’97 Matthew Van Dyke ’99 Mara (Thompson) Vander Meulen ’98 Jennifer (Lloyd-Jones) Vivas ’92 Mary Jo (Ferris) Vogel ’93 Jennifer (Davis) Voth ’99 Jennifer (Bobita) Waddell ’95 Roy Walker ’99 Carissa Ward ’94 Kent Warden ’92 Kurt Warden ’96 Erica Ware ’99 Joshua Watts ’99 Tom Wawersich ’99 Cindy (Grotto) Weinheimer ’95 Jennifer (Wilson) Wenzel ’97 Andy White ’95 Elizabeth “Lisi” (Clark) Wickham ’97 Jayna (Schelhaas) Wiens ’98 Shanna (Eudy) Wilcox ’95

Chad Wilshire ’95 Chris Wilson ’97 Danny Wilson ’93 John Wilson ’90 John Winkler ’90 Cathy Winn ’90 Beth (Sifert) Wolf ’91 Katie Woodruff ’96 Mary (Nute) Zieten ’98

2000s

Alissa (Hopkins) Adams ’07 Kari (Hatfield) Ahnfeldt ’00 Mark Allen ’00 Howard Alsdorf ’05 Starr Amey ’04 Andy Andrus ’06 Ali Arant ’05 Jen Ardill ’06 Karen Armstrong ’06 Peter Armstrong ’00 Alycia Arnold ’07 Mari Asper ’02 Janna (Wright) Aughenbaugh ’05 Sarah Baack ’05 Kameron (Goodin) Bader ’07 Donnie Baker ’01 Christi Baldwin ’05 Chris Baran ’06 Kasey (Denny) Bare ’07 James Barnes ’05 Cassia Barney ’05 Adam Barron ’07 Kristi Bass ’03 Dan Batson ’07 Karla Beach ’03 Steven Beatty ’07 Ricky Beers ’03 Jeffrey Berg ’07 Callie Bertsch ’04 Shannon Bethel ’05 Charlene (Handiboe) Birky ’00 Jared Black ’04 Sarah Blew ’04 James Bobo ’02 Jesse Boggess ’05 Brian Bollinger ’07 Veronica (Smith) Bond ’02 Stefan Booy ’03 Kim (McDonald) Borkert ’02 Catherine Borter ’03 Gwen Bostic ’04 Dwyette “Dab” Bottoms ’06 Lydia Hershberger Brady ’04 Hannah (Melby) Breshears ’02 Michelle Brewster-Townzen ’03 Lance Bridges ’00 Rick Brogdon ’04 James Brown ’07 Jeremy Brown ’07 Shawn Brown ’00

Mark Bucholtz ’00 Alicia Bunch ’05 Paul Burrow ’02 Jason Bush ’06 Steven Bybee ’00 Regina (Silman) Camina ’00 Scot Campbell ’03 Laurie (Dodds) Cangelosi ’05 Andrea Carlson ’07 David Carruth ’06 Tracy Carson ’04 Jaime Castaneda ’00 Jennifer (Tjader) Castaneda ’00 David Castillo ’04 Cynthia (Knepp) Caudle ’02 Teresa Caves ’03 Ricardo Chacon ’00 Lisa Chambers ’05 Sarah Chess ’05 Kenneth Childres ’02 Lindsay (Easu) Chism ’02 Patty Choquette ’02 Allison Clark ’05 Emily Clark ’00 Matt & Alicia (Masters) Cleaver ’06 ’06 Ronnie Colclasure ’07 Marie Cole ’05 Scott Cole ’01 Kevin Coleman ’07 Randy Colip ’05 Rachael (Howard) Collins ’03 Matthew Cooper ’05 Christopher Couchell ’01 Martha (Hancock) Cowgur ’01 Jean Cox ’07 David & Martha (Mason) Cox ’07 ’07 Lauren Craft ’07 Meredith (McLain) Craig ’00 Scott Crain ’01 Kelly Cremeans ’02 Lee Crow ’07 Rachel Cureton ’04 Hannah Curlin ’04 Kent Dahl ’02 Jamie Dahlberg ’01 Mark Dawson ’07 Patrick DeFoe ’07 Jennifer (Cato) DeGroff ’00 Dorothy Denny ’05 Nate DePoint ’02 Julie Desmond ’04 Hilary Dooley ’05 Abby Dorman ’05 Lesli (Gosney) Downs ’00 Kari Drinkwater ’05 Josh Duell ’02 Bill Dye ’07 Liesel (Klinetob) Dykes ’00 Leah (Bonham) Eads ’04 Elisa Earnest ’07 Brad Ediger ’06 Theresa (Ojezua) Egbon ’01 Julian Elizalde ’03 Kristal Eller ’06

Beatrix Elliott ’02 Troy Ellison ’04 Aaron Elmore ’06 Mark England ’00 Javier Escalante ’04 Francisco Escobedo ’00 Claudia Escorcia ’05 Mark Etter ’01 Todd Eubanks ’06 Esther Ewert ’07 Jake Fast ’02 Tracie Faust ’07 Shannon (Carman) Finer ’05 Carrie (Burns) Fisher ’04 Matt Fisher ’03 Steve Flynn ’00 Kimmie Fraley ’03 Olivia (Benware) Fralic ’00 Michael Francis ’06 Edna Franklin ’07 Luke Friesen ’04 Summer (Cox) Friesen ’07 Jake Funk ’07 Angela (Burger) Funke ’05 Rachel Gage ’00 Josue Galan ’05 Jorge Garcia ’05 Jerry & Candace Geisler ’04 ’04 Caitlin Getchell ’07 Kyia Gieck ’01 Steven Gilbreath ’05 Michelle (Gabbert) Gill ’05 Mark Goebel ’07 Jolynn (Amrine) Goertz ’06 Will Goertzen ’03 Nicole (Johnson) Goudelock ’01 Neil Gowan ’07 Jason Granstrom ’01 Jeremy Grant ’07 Crystal (Parker) Gray ’07 Mark Gray ’06 Dan Greene ’03 Allan Griffin ’06 Brent Grusing ’00 Katy (Noffsinger) Gunneman ’05 David Gutierrez ’06 Danielle Gutshall ’07 Carrie Guyll ’04 Luke Haak ’00 Aaron Hager ’03 Allison Hamm ’06 Shannon Hampton ’07 Brown Hanna ’01 Carl Hansen ’01 Chris Hansen ’01 Tom Hargett ’00 Laura Harman ’05 Uriel (Jeffries) Harp ’03 Matt Hartgrove ’01 Karen Hartman ’06 Rob Hasselmann ’00 Nate Head ’03 April (Kinnard) Heath ’02 Jen Heller ’07

1997 JBU Graduates

28 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 29

UPDATES ON AlumNET

alumni NEWS 1960s

This list includes updates received through April 15, 2008.

Amy (Waller) Henderson ’03 Aron Henderson ’06 Leisa Hice ’07 Angela (Parkin) Highfield ’02 Andrea Hixon ’06 Ali Holcomb ’06 Bob Holden ’02 Mariah (Rose) Hornok ’07 Tara Hornor ’05 Robert Hubbard ’02 Amy Hudson ’06 Brad Hudson ’02 Jeremy Hudson ’02 Frank Huebert ’00 Shawn (LaBelle) Hunter ’00 Alyssa Imhoff ’02 Julie Jackson ’05 Rachel Jardot ’07 Linda (Salazar) Jobman ’00 Bryan Johns ’07 Richard Johnson ’04 Zak Johnson ’07 Jennifer (Hartman) Jones ’00 Kevin Jordan ’07 Larissa Jordan ’07 Andrea Kahnk ’07 Cambria (Thimell) Kaltwasser ’06 Kevin Kejr ’06 Susan Kemp ’03 Bonita Kenney ’05 Immanuel Kester ’01 Esther Kim ’05 Hannah Kirkbride ’03 Brian Klotz ’00 Ben Koch ’07 Greg Kokemueller ’01 Jeff Kordsmeier ’04 Drew Kostus ’01 Mertice Kray ’04 Sarah Kropp ’06 Seth Kunnemann ’00 Kevin Lacewell ’01 Joe LaMonica ’00 Dan Lamphear ’07 Christina Larsen ’07 Mary (Phillips) Leadabrand ’04 Amy Leal ’00 David & Sara (Steinmuller) Leiffer ’00 ’00 John & Miriam (Miller) Lein ’02 ’02 Kelli (Johnson) Lenz ’01 Chris LeRoux ’06 Ryan Lewis ’00 Daniel Lind ’01 Dawn (Hollabaugh) Lingelbach ’04 Luke Lofgren ’06 Ashley (Jackson) Long ’03 Nick Long ’00 Lacy (Ogden) Loosbrock ’05 Megan Low ’05 Megan Lunberry ’02 Dave & Danaya MacDonald ’04 ’06 Scott Mager ’01 Bryan Main ’00

Amanda Malloy ’07 Annie (Schulte) Manis ’02 Valerie (Parsons) Manthe ’02 Aja Martin ’04 Elizabeth (Velez) Martinez ’00 Daniel Mason ’02 Corrie Matchell ’04 Mari Matsuo ’00 Jonathan McCallie ’02 Luke McFadden ’07 Qiana McGhee ’06 Melanie (Hollabaugh) McGlinchey ’00 Spencer McKeehan ’04 Megan McKenney ’06 John McKinney ’01 Raelene (Haggard) McKinnis ’03 Ruth Lee (Baker) McLain ’00 Mark McLelland ’04 Brett McLemore ’05 Margie McNelly ’06 Rachel (Sittema) Meisel ’02 Rachel Melby ’07 Josh Menks ’02 Pam Merwin ’07 Anna Messerly ’04 Kerry Meythaler ’00 Holly (Plinsky) Miguel ’03 Jordan Milano ’07 Michelle Millard ’04 Aaron Miller ’06 Daniel & Gretchen (Merwin) Miller ’04 ’05 Maria Miller ’07 Philip Miller ’05 Tim Miller ’05 Vicki (Keith) Miller ’02 Nathan Mindeman ’06 Matt Minnich ’06 Josh Molnar ’01 Chris Monk ’03 Bryson Moore ’03 Jessica Morgan ’06 Kristi (Russell) Mouttet ’01 Rheagan (Ford) Mullins ’02 Aaron Murphy ’05 Brian Murphy ’02 Kyu-Jun “Sam” Nam ’03 Dana Nance ’06 Elizabeth Nance ’04 Jake Naramore ’03 Elizabeth (Vander Drift) Newton ’03 Jonna (Henderson) Nixon ’01 Brandon Norrell ’06 Anna (Brown) Olander ’04 Kristen Olson ’07 Trish (Potter) O’Neil ’03 Julia (Arnett) Orme ’01 Leandro Osgalla ’06 Daniel Ostendorff ’07 Heather Owen ’05 Lauren (Parker) Palmer ’03 Monica (Hattu) Pangaribuan ’02 Kathrine Patterson ’04 Laura (Herr) Patton ’00

30 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

Tanya (Maurancy) Paul ’05 Phil Paxton ’00 Mariali Paz De Leon ’01 Summer Pecaut ’00 Trent Pepper ’05 Tom Perry ’05 Allison (Dirks) Petersen ’04 Maggie Peterson ’04 Heather (Williams) Pitner ’00 Sarah (Cheyne) Pond ’04 Sarah Beth (Johnson) Poovey ’05 Heather (Todd) Prien ’00 Seth & Joy (Elliott) Primm ’02 ’03 Deb Raiees-Dana ’07 Clint Razor ’05 Bryan Read ’01 Matthew Reddin ’03 Katie Redmond ’07 Jeff Reeves ’03 Jennifer Reeves ’06 Jeff & Jessica (Peck) Reimer ’03 ’05 Julie Remington ’03 Carol Rengstorf ’07 Matthew Reppond ’07 Tabbatha Revas ’06 Hernan Reyes ’05 Marco Reyes ’03 Roberto Reyes ’06 Meg Rhame ’03 Virginia Rhame ’00 Douglas Riddle ’07 Mandy Riester ’06 Grasha Rigsbee ’02 Nathan Rittenhouse ’00 Britni (Nation) Roa ’04 Daniel Rodriguez ’05 Bekah (Miller) Rodriguez ’00 Cherissa (Dees) Roebuck ’02 Jon Rogers ’07 Samantha Rogoff ’07 Sherrie Rohde ’07 Bobby Rojas ’06 Louisa Rosendahl ’04 Stan Ross ’07 Chris Roth ’01 Amy (Zilen) Rudy ’00 Dan Ruiz ’03 Kevin Ruiz ’07 Jon Sauceda ’04 Shawn Sawatzky ’02 Susan (Carothers) Scantlin ’02 Jill Atkinson Schilb ’05 Matt Schulte ’02 Sara Schumacher ’01 Mari Schwartz ’05 Sarah Scott ’00 Virginia Scott ’05 Laura (Ford) Sedgwick ’02 Diane Shaffer ’06 Drew & Carrie (Gimple) Shaffer ’00 ’00 Cindy Shannon ’07 David Shaver ’05 Terry Shott ’06

Daniel & Nickole (Crow) Silver ’05 ’06 Seth Simmons ’06 Jeff Slaten ’01 Johanna [Thompson (Moore)] Slaysman ’00 Dan Smith ’00 Joshua Smith ’05 Becky (Chess/Fitchie) Smith ’00 Shelley Smith ’00 Tim & Gaye (McDonald) Smith ’01 ’07 Dawna (Maples) Snell ’00 Beth Steinbrenner ’03 Joy (Potter) Stoner ’02 Mark Stoner ’03 Stuart Stough ’03 Karla (Hanson) Sullivan ’00 Diana (Maines) Summers ’06 Tom Swogger ’06 Lea (Camara) Szabo ’05 Anna Tarp ’00 Carl Tarver ’05 Nicole (Lee) Tatum ’05 Jennifer Thomas ’06 Michael Thomas ’02 Beth (Scoggins) Tidwell ’05 Hannah Tranberg ’07 James True ’04 April Turner ’06 John Twyford ’05 Michael Umelo ’03 Gareth Unruh ’00 Tammy (Gripentrog) Upton ’03 Javier Valle Mayorga ’03 Andrea (Tjader) VanAuken ’07 Allison (McKenzie) Vasquez ’04 Ruby Vazquez ’06 Daniela Vega ’07 John Venable ’07 Jonathan VerHoeven ’06 Christi Vondrak ’07 Jesse Wadkins ’07 Luke Wahlgren ’01 Cam Ward ’04 Crystal Ward ’07 Crystal (Davison) Watson ’01 Stacey (Hilyard) Watts ’00 Kyle Weaver ’02 Colby Webb ’05 Ben Weitemeyer ’03 Sean Wenzel ’07 Ray West ’04 Kevin Whaley ’04 Joshua White ’06 Angela (Breard) Whitson ’00 Kevin Williams ’01 Alicia (Miller) Williamson ’01 Kelly Wilson ’02 Brandon Wimberly ’04 Brandon Wise ’02 Jeffrey Wittig ’07 Andrea Woodworth ’05 Linda Wyman ’07

Visit www.jbualumni.com to find your alumni friends in the online directory.

Roy Englebrecht ’67 – Roy recently attended a luncheon at Newport Beach, California, where former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and his wife Janet ’03 were in attendance.

Roy’s JBU sweatshirt caught the Huckabees’ attention and earned Roy a hug from Janet and a handshake from Mike.

1970s

Luther (Lee) Kennicutt ’77 – Lee is writing biographies for his parents, Walter and Hazelle Kennicutt ’41. Lee asks anyone who attended school or worked in the JBU kitchen with Walter to contact him. He also requests to hear from those who attended the JBU high school, JBU military academy, Ouachita Baptist University, or Central Baptist Seminary with his father.

Write to Lee at 113 W. Odle, Salina, OK 74364; or call him at (918) 434-6844. Lee has been helping his brother, Wally, with missions work for Wycliffe Bible Translators and Child Evangelism Fellowship. He is currently studying linguistics and doing missionary work in the Cherokee community.

1980s

Paul Eldridge ’88 – Paul and his daughter Clarisse ( ) attended a campaign rally for Mike Huckabee. At the rally, they met the thenpresidential hopeful and shook his hand. Also in attendance was alumnus Eric Greenhaw ’08.



Nancy Guthrie ’84 – Nancy and her husband, David, published a book ( ) about grieving families. Commissioned by Focus on the Family, the two incorporate their separate experiences as husband and wife and analyze dealing with grief.

Entitled “When Your Family’s Lost a Loved One:



Finding Hope Together,” the book addresses the difficulties of processing grief from the loss of a loved one.

Bobbi (Prescher) Leitch ’83 – Bobbi lives in Wisconsin with her husband of 21 years and three children. Her two oldest, James and Jordan are in the armed forces, and the youngest, Jaclyn, is a senior in high school.



was honored. ( ). She covered this event as a journalist and was allowed to interact with participants in a press conference.



Dan & Sue (Cook) Mellema ’83 ’83 – Dan is the executive director of finance at Focus on the Family, and Sue teaches fourth grade. They have three sons: Matthew, Jeremy, and Brian.

1990s

Chad and Stephanie (Fast) Cunningham ’97 ’97 – Chad and Stephanie are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter Alayna ( ). She was born January 26, 2008, joining their other two children, Brianne and Will, in the family.



Ruth (Bonge) Graham ’99 – Ruth and her husband have been married for seven years and have a 1½ year old son. She says, “We are happy and healthy, and hope you are too!”



Jennifer (Butts) & Ryan Walker ’96 – Jennifer and Ryan welcomed the birth of their daughter Meghan ( ) on June 22, 2007. She was 6 lbs.

7 oz. and 19 in. long. The Walkers have two other children: Ashlyn, 7, and Sean, 2. Doyle Butts, a JBU economics professor, is the proud grandfather of Meghan.



2000s



Joshua & Kathryn (Brown) Cottrell ’00 ’99 – Josh and Kathryn welcomed a new member into their family. Katelyn Elise, born November 2007, joined Landon, 7, Hannah, 4, and Tyler, 2, in the Cottrell family ( ).





Erin Poovey ’06 – While working on her master’s in Music Composition for the Screen, Erin was awarded the Henry Mancini scholarship to pay for a 5-week training session in Los Angeles. She was the only one in her class of nine to be awarded this ASCAP/Mancini scholarship.



Julia Siemens ’05 – While completing her MBA, Julia created a business plan for a Northwest Arkansas autism center. Because of this plan, the Arkansas Autism Resource Center has been formed, and Julia is on its board of directors.

Four generations of John E. Browns were captured in this photo: John E. Brown Jr ’43; John E. Brown III ’71; John Ethan Brown ’95; and John Evan Brown (class of 2025).

Adriana Valle ’02 – Adriana recently had the opportunity to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway, at which Al Gore

 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 31

In Loving Memory

Wendi (Perkins) Bland ’98 passed away tragically on April 16, 2008 after suffering a seizure. She is survived by her husband, Phillip ’97; two children; her parents; her brother Rusty Perkins ’06; and in-laws including Candice (Bland) Beck ’95, Kyle & Laura (Bland) Rodgers ’98 ’94, and Larry & Diana Bland ’71 ’02. A memorial service was held on April 19 at Fellowship Bible Church in Lowell Bernice “Bea” (Lennier) Book ’49 went home to be with the Lord on October 16, 2007.

Bernice was an active leader in the Evangelical Free Church, Valley Community, and Matthew’s Café. She is survived by her husband Jim ’50, three children, 11 grandchildren, and one greatgranddaughter.

Kristin (Lindquist) Branan ’84 went to be with the Lord on February 23, 2008 after a nine year battle with cancer. Preceded in death by her mother, she is survived by her husband Robert, two children, her father and stepmother, and a brother and his family.

James “Jim” Crawford ’49 went to be with the Lord on November 15, 2007, with his familly around him. He was buried in the National Cemetary in Riverside, California.

Barbara “Bobbie” Laughlin ’55 passed away at the age of 75 on March 21, 2008. She was a longtime member of the Order of Eastern Star. The Barbara J. Laughlin Endowment Fund at JBU has been established in her honor.

Corinne (Lapointe) Marshal, former faculty member in the JBU music department, passed away in New York on February 8, 2008. She served as choir director at First Presbyterian Church. A memorial service was held for her in Siloam Springs on February 25, 2008.

Now Available — The 2007

Sound Generation Homecoming Showcase DVD! Get your copy today! Each DVD costs $30 (postage and handling included).

Contact Gary Gray at Gray Communications for your copy –

(800) 364-6863.

32 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

Bonus Feature Included: Sound Generation Showcase 2005!

Mardoqueo “Mardy” Picazo ’47 died on April 24, 2008. A humanitarian at heart, Reverend Picazo spent many of his 83 years on the mission field and was well known in the Caribbean for his voice on the radio. In 2003, Mardy was recognized by the state of Kentucky for many years of humanitarian service. He is survived by two siblings, ten nieces, and three nephews.

Clyde and Mary (Porter) Pinkerton ’50 ’42, both went to be with the Lord last year. Clyde passed away January 29, 2007 and Mary followed on August 9, 2007. Clyde was one of John Brown Sr.’s pilots. They are survived by Mary’s brother, Bob Porter ’42, a son, a daughter, and several grandchildren.

Audrey Shawver, retired JBU food service director, passed away on February 24, 2008.

She served at JBU from 1951 – 1986.

Clifford Ryan ’48 passed away on December 31, 2007. Clifford served as a minister for 61 years before retiring. He is survived by a sister and several nieces and nephews.

Norma Townsend ’61 went to be with the Lord on March 26, 2008. Along with working as a bookkeeper for Lustre Craft, Norma also served on the local and national board for the Evangelical Free Church Women’s Ministry. She was involved in local activities and enjoyed spending time with her family.

Norma’s survivors include husband, George Townsend ’58; four daughters and their husbands, including David & Cheryl Endres ’84 ’84; 14 grandchildren; and her siblings and their spouses.

Alan “Ken” Schoenwald ’84 went to be with the Lord on February 16, 2008.

He and two of his children – Jace, 13, and Jennalea, 18 – were killed in a car accident while on vacation. His wife, Janelle (Ewy) Schoenwald ’84, and their twin daughters Alyssa and Avery, 15, were injured in the accident but survived. Ken was a deacon at First Bible Baptist Church in Wichita, Kansas, and was active in children’s ministry.

Tarver (Robertson) Smith, 1928 graduate of John Brown College in Sulfur Springs, Arkansas, passed away on December 14, 2007. With the exclusion of one year in elementary school, every year of her education was conducted at a John Brown University institution. At the completion of her education, Mrs. Smith graduated from John Brown College in Sulfur Springs, the twoyear junior college for women. Tarver was one of 34 family members to attend JBU. She worked for a time on the JBU campus as a secretary in alumni services. Tarver was a recognized member of her community, having taught school for a number of years. She also served as a grade school principal, as the “story lady” on KUOA radio, and as a Sunday school teacher for many years. Her husband, Joe Smith ’27, worked as an overseer in the JBU vocational work program. He preceded her in death.

Tarver is survived by her daughter Ruth Ronan ’52; daughter Thera Barber ’61 and her husband; daughter Tarver Jo Lam Nang ’64 and her husband; sister Mildred “Billie” Walker ’44; grandson Gine Lam Nang ’06 and wife Jessica (Henriques) ’04; grandson Gianni Lam Nang ’05 and wife Nancy (Canche) ’05; and grandson Gregory Lam Nang, a JBU senior.

Carrie Sliger ’35 went home to be with the Lord on August 21, 2007. Carrie is survived by several nieces and nephews.

Nola (Murray) Turner, a 1933 graduate of John Brown Academy, passed away on December 19, 2007. Nola was the wife of Donnis Turner ’37, a former woodworking and construction professor at JBU who passed away in 1991. Nola served in JBU’s education department briefly in the 1930s. To honor the Turners, their family set up the Donnis & Nola Turner Vocal Music Scholarship.

Marjorie (Roberts) Welch ’52 passed away April 9, 2008 at her home in Colorado.

She was considered a pioneer as the first female stockbroker in Mobile, Alabama in 1974. She also served women by teaching them how to invest. In the 1990s, she helped found the environmental protection group Mobile Baywatch and served as state chairperson of the Alabama Sierra Club.

She is survived by her husband, two sons, one daughter, six grandchildren, and two greatgrandchildren.

Linda (Elliot) Williams ’68 passed away on September 3, 2007 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. While living most of her adult life in Nashville, Linda coordinated food services for several churches. She is survived by her husband, Alan; three children; one grandson; her brother, Gary Elliott ’73, and her mother.

Campus Notes The Zondervan Greek Award for outstanding achievement in the study of biblical Greek was awarded to senior Jason Korner for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 33

A Little Quiz About Wills The following true or false quiz will help you measure how much you know—or don’t know—about having a will.

“I Do” at JBU

True False 1. Most states will honor a handwritten will as long as it is

signed by an attorney.

True

False

The fashions have changed, but countless couples who have been married on campus over the past 50 years share a common memory of being wed in JBU’s most iconic building: the Cathedral of the Ozarks.

2. A married couple only needs to have one will.

the Cathedral building when it was just the basement in 1948.

▲

True False 3. If a person dies without a will, the state automatically

takes one-half of the estate for probate fees.

▲ Barney & Verma (Abbott) Smiley ’51 ’46 were the first to wed in

True False 4. It is illegal to open and read a deceased person’s will

until after the funeral.

To learn more about wills and other estate planning matters, request a free Will Information Kit from JBU’s Office of Planned Giving. Call us at (800) 446-2450. You can read about wills at www.jbu.edu/giving/waystogive/creative/will.asp.

_____ out of 5

Your Scor e ▲ Bobby & Wanda (Chesser) Jackson ’58 ’57 were the first couple to be married in the Cathedral sanctuary after it was completed in 1957.

▲

To see how you did, check out the answers below.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

True False 5. A “codicil” is the stamped impression that makes a will

valid.

False. While some states may recognize a handwritten will, no state requires that a will must be signed by an attorney.

False. Each partner in the marriage should have his or her own will.

False. While it is true that the state, in the absence of a valid will, dictates the disposition of the estate, it certainly does not automatically receive half the amount. However, if you die with no will, there may be a large increase in probate costs.

False. A will can be opened and read anytime after death, or earlier with appropriate permission.

False. A “codicil” is an addendum added later to a previously prepared will.

Answers:

www.jbu.edu (800) 446-2450

Stephanie Reding ’07 married Tyler Daugherty in 2007.

Both are children of JBU staffers.

▲

Erik & Genevieve (Benware) Jaeger ’96 ’97 took their vows in 1997.

▲

34 Brown Bulletin Summer 2008

John Manuel ’95 and Mindy Klotz ’96 had a military wedding in May 2000.

Mick and Patty (Bunnel) Leibold ’80 ’81 were wed in 1981. The entire wedding party was made up of JBU alumni except for the best man, flower girl, ring bearer, and pastor.

Brown Bulletin Summer 2008 35

Alumni Career Fair • Re-dedication of the Cathedral Group and North Hall Expansion • Soccer Games, Volleyball Games, and Rugby Match • Choir Reunion • English Department Reunion.

presents

Homecoming 2008

O CT O B E R

Brown Bulletin John Brown University 2000 West University Street Siloam Springs, AR 72761

10 T H & 11 T H

Celebrating 50 Years of Basketball • Showcase Dinner and Cathedral Choir Performance • Class of '58 Fifty-Year

Reunion, as well as reunions for '63, '68, '73, '78, '83, '88, '93, '98, & '03.