Point Magazine | Spring 2023

SPRING 2023

BRIDGING

THE GAP between infancy and elementary school

p. 14

EMERGING LEADERS

Learning to preach — on the job

p. 18

WHAT’S IN YOUR SUITCASE?

A Point student sharing hope with children in foster care

p. 8

GIVE DAY | MARCH 29

“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!”

—PSALM 115:1 (ESV)

JOIN POINT UNIVERSITY ON MARCH 29 FOR OUR ANNUAL GIVE DAY!

This special day offers students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University the opportunity to come together and give back. Make a difference in the lives of our students and contribute to Point’s success.

Show your support for Point with a donation on March 29! Your gift allows us to make a lasting difference in the Point community.

CONTENTS

4 From the President

5 University News

ON THE COVER

Janie Marie Messer ’25 working with students at the Chattahoochee Early Learning Academy. Learn more about CELA on page 14. Cover photo by Stanley Leary.

ON THIS PAGE

Dylan Glenn ’23 behind the pulpit at Friendship Christian Church in Valley, Alabama. For more on Dylan’s story, turn to page 18.

8 A SUITCASE AND A DREAM

Brittney Hill ’26 turns her challenging childhood into hope for others.

14 BRIDGING THE GAP

Dr. Lacey Southerland and the preschool she helped launch in West Point.

18 EMERGING LEADERS

Preaching major Dylan Glenn ’23 is learning to juggle school and ministry.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

POINT MAGAZINE

Volume 61, Number 2

Spring 2023

EDITOR/ DESIGNER

Sarah G. Huxford

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Amber Bowman

CONTRIBUTORS

Ragan Barnes ’21

Desean Bullock

Here in West Point, spring has sprung, and with it, indicators of new life are all around us. As the flowers bloom, the trees sprout their leaves, and the grass turns green again, we are surrounded by reminders from God’s good creation of the promise of new life in Christ available to all who follow Him.

When I look around our campus and talk to our students, faculty and staff, I see evidence of God’s goodness, too. The spiritual growth of our community — from chapel services, to student baptisms, to classroom discussions in person and online — reminds me of how God is moving through Point University.

In this issue, you’ll see evidence of that growth. You’ll get to know Brittney Hill ’26, a student who struggled through a childhood in the foster care system, but has now launched a nonprofit organization to help others in that situation. Dr. Lacey Southerland, an education professor, saw the need for a preschool in our local community and got busy creating one, staffed partly by Point education students. And Dylan Glenn ’23, a Navy veteran and biblical studies and preaching ministry major, is finishing his degree while also serving as the preacher of a local Christian church.

Point’s Christian higher education environment makes it possible for these members of our community — and so many others — to do Kingdom work, both on and off our campus. I hope you’ll enjoy learning about them and consider supporting us in our mission through your gifts and your prayers.

In Christ,

Dean C. Collins ’79 President

Point Magazine exists to tell Point University’s stories. It is intended to serve as a vehicle for connecting the University’s alumni and friends. For the first 49 volumes of its existence, Point Magazine was known as The Gold & Blue. The magazine is published by the Communications Office, which retains the right to determine the editorial content and presentation of information contained herein. Articles or opinion pieces contributed by guest writers do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of Point University and its board of trustees. Point Magazine welcomes reader responses to its content.

CONTACT US: Point University

Attn: Point Magazine

507 West 10th Street West Point, GA 31833 706-385-1000

editor@point.edu

© 2023 Point University

Point University’s mission is to educate students for Christ-centered service and leadership throughout the world. Point University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, at http://www.sacscoc.org, or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Point University.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

SNAPSHOT

The University celebrated ten years in West Point during Homecoming in October. Kyra Hart ’23, an exercise science major from Stockbridge, Georgia, and Jeremiah Menzies ’23, a criminal justice major from Marietta, Georgia, were named Homecoming queen and king, respectively. To see more photos from Homecoming weekend, visit point. edu/photos.

MASON PERFORMS AS DECEMBER GRADUATES ARE HONORED

Point welcomed the newest members of the Class of 2022 as alumni during a commencement ceremony held in December at Unity Baptist Church in Newnan, Georgia. Fifty-six students earned associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

This winter’s commencement speaker was Christian recording artist and author Babbie Mason, who performed an original song, “Love Like That,” after delivering her address.

Mason inspired graduates with three points. First, she said, “I want to encourage you to give God your ‘yes.’ Everything you need to fulfill your God-given assignment is within you. You are fully qualified for the race that God has decided for you to run.” She spoke about being asked to serve as an adjunct vocal instructor at Point when the University was located on its original campus, adding that saying “yes” to that opportunity opened doors for her to engage in additional teaching and to eventually pursue a master’s degree in African-American worship.

Mason next encouraged graduates to “give God your mess.” She reminded the graduates that difficulties will come in life, but God can help us get through them. “Jesus has you right there in the palm of his hand,” she said. “You’re going to encounter setbacks; you may fail at times. But our greatest success is just a few steps beyond our greatest failure.”

In her final encouragement to the graduates, Mason said, “Give God your best. Anything less than your best is compromise – is settling for less than you’re capable of doing.”

“God did not design you for mediocrity,” she added as she closed her address. “He designed you for excellence.”

Each year, the University recognizes an outstanding graduate from both the residential and online bachelor’s degree programs with the Hathcock Award, the highest honor given to a graduating Point student. Named for the University’s founder, the award is given based on academic achievement, character, and servant leadership. This winter’s Hathcock Award recipients are Gavin Sain, a biblical studies major from Water Valley, Mississippi, and Jacob Jones, a Christian ministries major from Columbus, Indiana.

To watch the recording of December’s commencement ceremony, visit point.edu/commencement

Gavin Sain ’22, the recipient of the Hathcock Award for residential students, with President Dean Collins ’79.

HEADLINES

Skyhawks to Launch Women’s Flag Football

In December, the Point Athletic Department announced the addition of a new sport many may have not expected for the 2023-24 season: women’s flag football. The team will make its debut next year, bringing fresh energy to the Skyhawk athletic community.

The idea of an intercollegiate women’s football team may seem foreign at first, but flag football has gained popularity in recent years at both the high school and college levels. It is the fastest-growing high-school sport in the state of Georgia, with 200 high schools represented. Alabama currently has 57 high schools competing across the state. Point’s location provides an excellent opportunity for future players to make their way to West Point.

The University will be the 19th program in the NAIA to launch a women’s flag football team. The NAIA partnered with the NFL Flag Football program to launch the sport. Finals and championship games for NAIA women’s flag are cur-

rently held in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz stadium, where the NFL Atlanta Falcons and MLS Atlanta United play.

“Women’s flag football is growing so much throughout the high schools of Georgia and Alabama, so it was an obvious choice to add the sport here to see how it meshes with the department,” said Jaunelle White, vice president of intercollegiate athletics. The search for the inaugural head coach of the program is already underway, with the first games scheduled for spring 2024.

Alumnus Honored For Work in Child Welfare

Clint Brooks ’06 was recently awarded a Gold Stevie Award for his work with the Change and Innovation Agency (C!A) in the state of Indiana to help improve the child welfare system.

Students Earn Digital Badges and Certifications

Skyhawk Career Services has begun offering students the opportunity to earn digital badges to develop their skills and prepare them for life after graduation. In fall 2022, 27 Point students were awarded digital badges or certifications in either Microsoft Office, project management, digital marketing, medical assisting certification or medical billing and coding certification.

University News

To read more about these stories and the latest Point news, visit our website at point.edu/news

WHAT'S TRENDING

@cfanassaubay: MAKE YOUR POINT �� Free online college degrees for all CFA Nassau Bay Team Members are available through @ PointUniversity – We’ve partnered with Point to offer FREE associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees #FreeCollegeTuition #PointUniversity

@pointwsoccer: Did not expect Santa to look like a Skyhawk tho �� anyways... IT’S CHRISTMAS ���� #togetherwefly #santacharger ��

@hannah.lockridge: Been a long time coming, but we made it! ���� huge thank you to everyone by my side in this journey called life!

@nurseangi: Point University Skyhawks! �� #GoSkyhawks #PointUniversity

Share your tweets, Facebook posts and Instagram photos with the Point community! Tag your posts with #pointuniversity or #togetherwefly.

A Suitcase and a Dream

After a difficult childhood navigating the foster care system, Brittney Hill ’26 turned her healing into action, providing suitcases — and hope — for children.

BY AMBER BOWMAN

PLANES EXPERIENCE TURBULENCE every day. Any pilot will explain that turbulence is a completely normal phenomenon and usually not a threat to the safety of the passengers on board.

But passengers may disagree based on the feelings that arise as a plane flies through turbulent air. The shaking and bouncing of the plane stirs up a variety of reactions, from panicked laughter to screams to sweaty palms, all fueled by a deep sense of anxiety about the future.

Passengers are helpless to solve the problem of turbulence. All we can do is hold on and hope those pilots are telling the truth. Until we are safely back on the ground, there’s no way to know with certainty that we’re going to be okay.

Born in Flint, Michigan, and placed in the foster care system at the age of ten, Brittney Hill is familiar with turbulence. In fact, it’s the exact analogy she uses to describe her experience in foster care. Hill experienced a constant feeling of anxiety and uncertainty about the future, leaving her unsure if there even was a future for her at all.

Despite the heartache of her

childhood, Hill has managed to build something remarkable with her life.

Dreaming Big

“Before foster care, when I was in fifth grade, my teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up,” says Hill. “I told her I wanted to be an actress, a comedian and a five-time bestselling author.”

Hill was a child with big dreams, but she was not a child with a smooth path to accomplishing them. Hill spent ten years in the foster care system in Michigan, where she bounced from home to home, dreaming of being adopted and experiencing unimaginable trauma.

“I always use the example of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when I talk about adoption,” says Hill. “For foster kids, adoption is the golden ticket out of the system. Charlie got his golden ticket, but I never got mine.”

Despite the exhaustion and pain of being in the foster care system, Hill never forgot the dreams of that little girl she had once been.

“During my time in foster care, I had fallen in love with reading poetry. It just spoke to me, and I thought, ‘I can do that,’” she says.

One day, while living in a group home, Hill was in a therapy session where she repeated that same 10-yearold’s dream to her therapist.

“I told her I still wanted to write

a book. She could have laughed at me or told me it was impossible, but she didn’t do that,” Hill says. Instead, Hill’s therapist gave her a pamphlet on writing that would serve as a guide to help Hill structure her story and remember and document her experiences.

“I carried that with me everywhere I went, tucked into a composition notebook. Some places I went, I never even touched it, but it was always there,” she says.

Eventually, that little composition notebook would become a dream fulfilled. Thirteen years later, in 2019, Hill published her first book, titled A Suitcase and a Dream. The book tells her life story, documenting her experiences with abuse, loss, suicide, depression and much more through both poetry and prose.

Finding Hope

Before fulfilling her life’s dream, however, Hill still had to live her life, even when it felt hopeless.

“When you grow up in the foster care system, you’re not prepared for the future. It’s hard to plan for it, because you feel like this part of your life will never end,” explains Hill.

Feeling aimless, Hill eventually phased out of the foster care system at age 20, with no plan for her future. “I had nowhere else to go, so I just stayed where I was,” she says.

After phasing out, Hill decided she needed a major life change, so she boarded a plane with nothing but a suitcase and a ticket to Atlanta, Georgia. “I had no family there, no friends, just a dream of something different,” Hill explains.

In 2012, Hill officially became a resident of the state of Georgia. She had always hoped to further her education, so she enrolled at Point University as a residential student. She had originally wanted to be a social work major, but at that time, Point did not offer the degree. Though she eventually had to take a pause from her education, during her time at Point, Hill was deeply impacted by the Point community.

“I was a student worker in the Admission Office, and that’s where I met Tiffany Wood,” says Hill. “Tiffany is the reason I am where I am today.”

At this time, Hill was still working

to process through her trauma. “I felt so lost and alone and just like I didn’t know who I was,” she says. “Tiffany became my safe space.” Wood, who now serves as vice president of strategic initiatives and partnerships at Point, stepped in to help guide Hill through the admission process and student life on campus, but she was more than an academic mentor.

“She became my family,” explains Hill. “When you grow up in the foster care system, all you ever want is a family. Now, Tiffany’s family is my family. I’ve learned over the years that families don’t have to match.” The bond between Hill and Wood has remained strong for a decade now, and Hill and her husband even spent Christmas with the Woods.

In addition to their friendship, Wood has continued to advocate for Hill, her education and her dreams. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hill reenrolled as an online student at Point, this time pursuing a degree in the newly accredited social work program. “Tiffany encouraged me to apply for scholarships, and I was able to get one,” says Hill.

“My heart’s desire is to finish school,” says Hill. “Only three percent

Hill’s nonprofit organization, A Suitcase and a Dream, provides donated and signed suitcases to children in foster care.

Donated suitcases are signed with the phrase “Never stop dreaming.”

photos courtesy of brittney hill ’26

of foster kids ever get a bachelor’s degree, and I will do anything to be in that three percent.”

Facing Setbacks

But Hill’s journey to the commencement stage has not been easy. A few months after reenrolling at Point, Hill began experiencing an unexplainable illness that affected her ability to comprehend information.

“I was having vision loss and auditory processing issues, so I wasn’t able to hear something and immediately comprehend it,” says Hill. She has since undergone treatment, and continues to do so, sometimes completing her classwork from her hospital bed.

“My professors have been so accommodating, and they’ve really made it possible for me to keep going,” she says. “I just keep telling them, ‘Please don’t give up on me.’”

Like that 10-year-old girl, Hill is

still a woman with big dreams. While her primary focus is on getting healthy and finishing her degree at Point, she is also the founder and president of A Suitcase and a Dream, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

“After my book came out and did so well, I just knew I couldn’t stop. I felt like there was more to do,” says Hill. Thus, A Suitcase and a Dream was born. When foster children are sent to a new foster home, they are typically given a trash bag to transport all their belongings. The implications of that message to a child are obviously deeply problematic.

Hill wanted to provide a way to tell these children that they – and their belongings – matter, while also serving a physical need. Hill recalls when she first moved from Michigan to Georgia with nothing but a suitcase. “I didn’t know what would happen,” she says.

“It was just me and my suitcase, but at least I had that.”

Sharing Hope

Hill’s organization began accepting donated suitcases with the hope of giving them to foster children to take with them wherever they might move, but that goal began to evolve beyond what Hill ever could have imagined.

“Simone Biles ended up hearing about us, and she donated a suitcase that she signed with the words ‘Never stop dreaming,’” says Hill. Biles, the most decorated gymnast in American history, spent her childhood in and out of the foster care system with her siblings.

“Simone was the one who started the ‘Never stop dreaming’ slogan, and now we write it on all of our suitcases,” says Hill.

A Suitcase and a Dream also accepts donations for materials to go inside the suitcases. From blankets to clothes, from feminine hygiene products to nonperishable food items, Hill wants to guarantee that these children and young adults have what they need.

“When I first moved to Georgia, I was homeless for a little while. I had everything I needed in my suitcase except for food. I want to make sure that we’re thinking of everything,” says Hill. “When I was in foster care, I felt so alone. I just want these kids to know that we see them and they matter.”

A Suitcase and a Dream has become about more than helping children and young adults in foster care, however. In seeking therapy and processing her

Brittney Hill ’26 at her home with colorfully painted suitcases donated for children in foster care.

trauma, Hill has discovered a deep passion for helping other people do the same, and she uses the metaphor of the suitcase to do just that.

“When we do events, I bring my suitcase with me, and it’s full of my different traumas. I have depression, rape, abandonment and others, and I open the suitcase and start unpacking it in front of everyone,” says Hill.

Her hope is that through this visualization, people will recognize that working through trauma brings freedom. “It’s like when you go to the airport, but your bag is too heavy to fit on the plane,” she explains. “As you empty some things out of your bag, it gives you room to add new, better things to it later.”

Following God’s Call

Hill doesn’t just talk about healing, though. She is actively pursuing it for herself and those around her. “Since getting sick, my hair has fallen out,” says Hill. “I tell you, I’m healing from head to toe! I just don’t think A Suitcase and a Dream can be all it’s meant to be if I’m not healing, being vulnerable and being fully who God has called me to be.”

Hill is working for more than her own healing. She is confronting her pain so that others can have hope. “It’s not always easy,” says Hill. “I have moments where I’ll just sit there and cry, but I get back up because I know there

are other people rooting for me and foster kids coming up behind me who need hope, who need to dream.”

Though constant challenges seem to arise for Hill, she is not deterred by them. Instead, she has leveraged the story of her past – of pain, loneliness and confusion – into a story of redemption, healing and grace. Her life is a testimony of the faithfulness of God in the worst of circumstances, and he continues to use her for his glory.

Hill is certainly only getting started. Her suitcase is full of countless more dreams that have yet to be fulfilled.

A Suitcase and a Dream has received suitcases from a wide variety of donors, including Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

To learn more about Brittney Hill and A Suitcase and A Dream, scan this code or visit suitcasedreams.org

ragan barnes ’21

THE GAPBridging

Point University’s Dr. Lacey Southerland and education majors are helping local children get ready for kindergarten

BY AMBER BOWMAN

For decades, research has revealed that children with access to high-quality early childhood education enter kindergarten more prepared, with higher levels of proficiency in math and reading. Seventy percent of 4-year-olds who participate in pre-kindergarten programs are more likely to graduate high school than those who do not. Early childhood education does not only benefit students and families, however. Communities as a whole benefit from pre-K programs. According to a study conducted at Purdue University, funds invested in early childhood education can save eight to 16 times as much in public spending on things like criminal justice, special education and public assistance.

Unfortunately, the students who need this advantage the most are the ones who are often unable to participate. In 2019, only 53 percent of low-income children were enrolled in preschool, compared to 76 percent of children from families earning five times the poverty level. This lack of access to early childhood education can have long-term effects as these children eventually pursue secondary education and employment within their communities.

The solution to bridging this education gap is providing access to affordable, state-of-the-art pre-kindergarten education, something that Point University professor Lacey Southerland has been passionate about for decades.

When Steve Tramell, mayor of West Point, began researching community development strategies in 2017, he discovered the connection between early childhood education and workforce development. This discovery compelled him to reach out to Southerland, professor of education at Point. Southerland has been a faculty member at Point for more than two decades, but before her time at Point, she worked at the Early Childhood Laboratory at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.

The Early Childhood Laboratory is a cutting-edge lab school designed to teach children “to develop intellectual and personal competence rather than to train children in performing a limited set of academic skills.” This mission inspired Southerland and eventually evolved into a fullscale vision she longed to fulfill in West Point.

“I always wanted to open a lab school in West Point. It was my dream,” says Southerland.

Together with the City of West Point and many other local decision-makers, Southerland began leading and developing a plan to launch a preschool for lower-income children in West Point. Southerland had the full support of the city council, and she partnered with the West Point Housing Authority to find potential students.

The school, named the Chattahoochee Early Learning Academy and affectionately called CELA, opened

in fall 2019 with a total of six students, all attending on scholarship, and one teacher. Point University education majors helped facilitate classes and interact with students.

CELA’s first semester was successful, but challenges beyond anyone’s control were looming on the horizon.

“Our first year open was going great until, obviously, the world shut down, and so did we,” says Southerland, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic that compelled schools and businesses throughout the world to close temporarily in March 2020.

“We thought, you know, we’d close for two weeks and be back. But, of course, we were closed for the rest of the school year,” she says. Because of the unpredictability of the pandemic, most schools throughout the United States, including CELA, remained virtual for the academic year.

CELA reopened for the new academic year in fall 2020 — amidst global uncertainty, especially among educators — with a class of seven students. “We were growing!” Southerland says, laughing. CELA’s second year was a success, despite the ever-changing nature of the world at the time. Students still attended and were able to learn and develop regardless of the unknown future.

Now, in CELA’s third year since opening, they have welcomed a class of eleven students. Some students are children of Point University’s faculty and staff, while others are scholarship students, much like the lab school that inspired Southerland in the very beginning of her career. Research has shown that students of all backgrounds are most benefited by a classroom of students whose families have a range of incomes and ethnicities.

“It’s definitely looking more like we envisioned it,” says Southerland. “We now have students who are coming back for their second year, which is also what we wanted. We were hoping to have both ages, 3- and 4-year-olds, in the same classroom.”

Above, early childhood education major Samantha Pasley ’26 works with students at CELA, including the children of several Point employees.

Point education majors are still a vital part of the CELA classroom. “We definitely can’t do it without them,” says Southerland. The students play a critical role in classroom management and one-on-one interaction with students, preparing them for a career in education, and they speak highly of their time working at CELA.

“The experience at CELA was like none other,” says Kinley Osborn ’20. “It was my first job, and I got to do what I loved. I was one of the first student helpers, so I was able to see it flourish into what it is today. It made my heart happy to get to go every day and make an impact on a child’s education journey.”

Point senior BreAnna Yarbrough ’23 has been able to learn practical strategies from CELA that she plans to apply in her classroom next fall. “At CELA, we use a thinking chair, which is like a time-out. The thinking chair allows students to feel their emotions and to think about the choice they made,” she explains. “I plan to use the thinking chair method if it applies to the grade level I will teach in the future.”

Despite the turbulence of the last several years, CELA’s leadership remains focused on their original vision for their students.

“We’re facing a lot of change, but our goal is to follow these students all the way through high school,” says Southerland.

Since CELA began as a way to improve West Point’s workforce development, the team wants to ensure they are reaching that goal. Among several vision points, CELA strives to “serve the community by providing ‘best practices’ for the care and education of children, use a play-based approach that is child-centered and language-focused, maximize every individual child’s potential for school success, and follow the graduates’ achievements through identity-protected research.”

Osborn says, “CELA is a special place to the community and to me. One of the many reasons it is so special is because the community built it, and the staff and parents have a love and passion for kids and their education. They go out of their way to bring the community together. It’s valuable to the West Point community because it is a light. People want to invest. It is a local preschool to help mold future leaders.”

The leadership of CELA has faced more challenges since it opened its doors than most organizations would normally experience in decades. Despite the turbulence of the pandemic, CELA managed to remain open and continue serving its community to the best of its ability. Now, as the world stabilizes once again, more change is ahead for CELA.

“Things will be very different next year,” explains Southerland, with tears in her eyes. After the 2022-23 academic year, Southerland will step down from her position as director of the board of CELA so that she and her husband can relocate to Texas to be with family. Additionally, CELA’s lead teacher, Heather Hoats, will be leaving her position at the end of the school year,

along with CELA’s director, Anne O’Brien.

Transition is never easy, whether for an individual or an organization. But despite her sadness at leaving, Southerland remains confident that CELA will continue to grow and impact students, their families and the surrounding communities of West Point, Lanett and Valley.

While reflecting on the birth of CELA and her role there, Southerland attributes its success to God alone. “It’s all God,” she says. “He’s the one who brought it all together.”

In the same way that God brings things together, he also holds them together. Colossians 1:16-17 says, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions on rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” This fact has been true since the beginning of creation, and it remains true today.

No matter who the chair of the board or the lead teacher is, CELA’s leadership team is entirely devoted to creating opportunities for disadvantaged students in their community. CELA will continue to educate 3- and 4-year olds through research-supported curriculum with the goal of providing these students a stable foundation to continue their education through high school and college.

Southerland’s deep passion for the mission and vision of CELA is hard to ignore, and her love for the students is evident in her every word as she talks about them. She is not simply doing her job. She is living and working out of a deep well of purpose, committed to offering these students and their families everything she can give them. That kind of passion is a foundation that is not easily shaken, and though she may no longer be a physical presence at CELA, her passion and vision for the school and its students will remain for years to come.

EMERGING LEADERS

Dylan Glenn ’23 is one of many Point students learning on the job — or ministry

BY SARAH HUXFORD

WHAT DOES THE POST-PANDEMIC CHURCH LOOK LIKE?

It’s a question many churches and parachurch organizations have been asking themselves over the last three years. As COVID has peaked and receded, then peaked and receded again — and with it, in some cases, church attendance — many churches have struggled to find their footing in the “new normal.” Church leaders themselves have experienced unprecedented levels of burnout, as evidenced by Barna Group research. Decisions like when and how to stream services online, what style of worship to use, and how to reach the community will continue to create challenges.

God’s church is bigger than any of our human difficulties, to be sure. And at Point, the College of Biblical Studies and Ministry is preparing leaders who can face these challenges and continue to spread God’s word.

One of these emerging leaders is Dylan Glenn ’23. A senior biblical studies and preaching ministry major, Glenn is also the preacher at nearby Friendship Christian Church in Valley, Alabama. Friendship has been served by Point graduates in the past, but Glenn is serving while also a full-time student.

Glenn’s path into ministry was not unexpected. Growing up in Columbus, Georgia, Glenn was raised in the Baptist church. His grandfather was the pianist for one of the churches in which he grew up. He was also active in Young Life, whose local leaders were influential for him.

“Christianity has always been fascinating to me,” Glenn says. “For as long as I can remember, I enjoyed studying the Scriptures and looking into what it all meant.”

After a youth-group trip in high school, Glenn told his church that he wanted to be a preacher. “I had no idea at the time what all that would mean,” he recalls.

stanley leary photography

But before pursuing his ministry education, Glenn followed a different path: into the U.S. Navy.

“In my mind, the military was always a stepping stone toward pursuing college,” Glenn says. “Service in the military allowed me to earn a bachelor’s degree without debt.”

He enlisted as a high-school senior, and after boot camp and technical school, he was stationed in California. “I spent three years there and could have finished out my obligated service of four years,” he says. “I had every intention of ending my service so that I could pursue college full time.”

But right about the time Glenn’s contract would end, he was offered the opportunity to extend his contract and serve overseas, on a brand-new base in Poland.

“I had never been to Europe, so it was an exciting, new adventure,” he explains. He enjoyed getting to know the military officers with whom he worked, including the Chain of Command. If he had been allowed to change roles to be a chaplain assistant, he says, he might have stayed in the Navy longer.

“In the Navy, especially overseas in Poland, I relied heavily on online sermons, as well as resources such as BibleProject, to grow further,” he says. “Once my time in Poland was coming to a close, I knew it was time to get serious about my education.”

As Glenn’s time in the military came to an end with an honorable discharge, he needed to figure out his next steps. He wanted to pursue a biblical studies education and be closer to home, so he did a Google search for undergraduate programs in Georgia. He applied to both Luther Rice College and Point, choosing to enroll at Point.

“I had wanted to pursue biblical studies for the purpose of preaching, and so I was delighted to discover that Point offered a dual major,” he says.

From his first classes at Point, Glenn made an impression on his professors in biblical studies courses.

“The first time I remember meeting Dylan was his freshman year,” says Wye Huxford ’73, dean of the College of Biblical Studies and Ministry and professor of New Testament. “In the course The Drama of Scripture, he told the instructor, Ron Lewis ’82, that he wanted to learn more about N. T. Wright and had already read some of Wright’s work. Ron sent him my way, and that began my respect for Dylan as a student.”

“Immediately it was obvious that he was bright, more experienced than the average student and always eager to engage the professor or debate him,” adds Dr. Jim Donovan ’74, professor of education. “I am grateful for his academic and professional curiosity, which stimulated his peers and enhanced the classroom discussions.”

“I’ve taught Dylan in multiple classes, from the recent The Practice of Christian Ministry to Expository Preaching, first- and second-year Greek, Biblical Interpretation, et cetera, and in every context, he has proven himself to be the kind of student who genuinely wants to learn,” says Huxford.

As a student, Glenn eagerly sought out ministry internships with churches where he could gain experience. During his second internship with Spring Road Christian Church in Lanett, Alabama, where Lewis preaches Glenn asked Lewis about any opportunities in the area.

“On my first official day with Ron as his intern, he texted me to ask if I could preach that Sunday at Friendship Christian,” he recalls. “I preached on Exodus 17:8-14, on what a leader of God’s people ought to be like, as they were looking for a preacher.”

Glenn soon began preaching regularly at Friendship and had several formal interviews with the church’s elders. He also experienced an interview with the congregation, during which members could ask him anything they wanted. Last summer, he was hired as the church’s preacher and ordained.

“It was obvious to me, beginning in Introduction to Preaching, that Dylan had both a gift and passion for preaching God’s Word,” says Donovan. “Therefore, it also became evident that he could effectively fulfill the responsibilities of preaching at a small church.”

Buddy Harris ’79, the previous preacher at Friendship Christian, says he has enjoyed watching Dylan grow into this ministry.

“Dylan is a scholar with great people skills,” Harris says. “I have made a few suggestions from my experience, and he has implemented them masterfully. He has never been defensive about my suggestions. He loves to learn!”

Harris’s wife, Tonya Romans Harris (’75-’78), passed away in January, after a battle with dementia. Harris recalls how Glenn cared for his family during that time.

“Several months back, I was leading worship, and I got so caught up in preparations, I had forgotten about my wife,” he explains. “The lady who usually sat with her when I could not wasn’t there that day. I didn’t realize it

until the first song. There was Dylan, sitting with Tonya so she would not be alone.”

“My stock in Dylan Glenn went up like a rocket that day, and is still flying high,” Harris adds. “He was not only a great comfort to me after Tonya died, but he also helped me remove her hospital bed and put it in storage. I am proud to call him my preacher!”

Glenn says the most challenging aspect of juggling a preaching ministry and full-time studies is time management. “It’s not that difficult to prioritize and see goals accomplished,” he explains. “Rather, it’s dedicating myself to reading and writing well in both areas, and finding a joyful balance between ministry, academia and social outings.”

Looking back on his time at Point, Glenn is grateful for how he’s been prepared for this moment in his life and ministry. He says that his courses, especially those in preaching and counseling, have given him the knowledge to go beyond the theoretical to practical application.

Huxford and Donovan agree that the variety of instructors in the University’s biblical studies and ministry courses people with experience in both academia and church ministry have helped guide Glenn and students like him.

“Dylan is not alone in being a well-prepared student for ministry,” Huxford says. “He has more than a few friends just like him in terms of call, commitment to the call and preparation at Point to answer the call.”

“Dylan had a calling to preach and a keen intellect, but he needed to develop his emotional intelligence and his ability to go beyond superficial biblical interpretation and application,” says Donovan. “The curriculum and professors in Point’s College of Biblical Studies were just what he needed. As he progressed through his program of study, he was exposed to a diversity of

styles of instruction, as well as persons of deep Christian commitment.”

Glenn also expresses gratitude for the mentoring of those professors, hesitating to name anyone for fear of leaving someone out. “Everyone has been helpful to me when it comes to encouragement,” he says.

By the time this issue goes to press, Glenn will have married his fiancée, Autumn, whom he met at church in Columbus. After they met as adults, the couple realized they were in the same church nursery as babies, though they don’t remember each other from childhood! He plans to continue preaching at Friendship while pursuing a master of divinity degree.

“A small church like Friendship, with the loving and kind people who attend there, is a perfect place for Dylan to work on becoming a better preacher,” says Huxford. “I actually don’t believe you ‘learn to preach’ in a classroom. You learn how to write good, biblical sermons, and you practice what preaching is like. But it is in a church building on a Sunday morning –standing before the people of God, to speak on behalf of God, as a part of the people of God – that one learns to preach. Both Friendship and Dylan are blessed by this relationship.”

From population changes to technology to global pandemics, the church will always face challenges. But universities like Point are preparing the next generation of leaders to tackle those challenges head on and lead the church growing and strong into the next decades.

Does your church wrestle with these issues? Join us for the spring Ministry Seminar — details on page 23!

“IT IS IN A CHURCH BUILDING ON A SUNDAY MORNING – STANDING BEFORE THE PEOPLE OF GOD, TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF GOD, AS A PART OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD – THAT ONE LEARNS TO PREACH.”

—WYE HUXFORD ’73

QUESTIONS WITH ONE ALUM

Gerardo Mancilla ’13

1. What made you decide to attend Point?

I decided to attend Point because I wanted to grow in my faith

2. What’s one thing that really makes your day?

I love mornings when I get to hang out with my wife and kids. I typically wake up early and have a time of silence and solitude. Then both my kids wake up and we get Morgan’s coffee ready, then we sit and watch one of their shows.

3. What do you value in your friends?

I value that they encourage me through all seasons. They have always supported me and held me accountable.

4. What’s one item on your bucket list?

This is a good one, and I have a few: visit every Major League Baseball stadium, run a full marathon, visit Italy with Morgan and do Paul’s journey.

5. Cats, dogs or house plants?

Easy: dogs!

6. Who’s one person from Point who made a lasting impact on your life?

There are too many to choose from: Mr. Huxford, Dr. Carey, Dr. Mac, Dr. Strother, Mrs. Donna, Dr. Donovan, Dr. Blackburn, and the list could go on. Each of these people loved and encouraged me. I am forever grateful for their investment in me, in and out of the classroom. Some I still have breakfast with to this day!

7. What are you especially enjoying reading, watching or listening to right now?

I’m reading Gene Edwards’ The Prisoner in the Third Cell and A Tale of Three Kings, and I’m watching Jack Ryan

8. What’s a favorite Bible verse or passage?

Romans 12:12: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

9. What is your favorite Point memory?

Dorm Wars 2011 — too many stories! The 2010 National Championships [ed. note: Mancilla played on the baseball team], and the winter shutdown of 2011.

10. What does Point’s mission of service and leadership for Christ mean to you?

I’m grateful to have seen it through many faculty and staff’s lives, as well as allowing us to grow into it.

Mancilla is outreach and family life minister at MC3 Church (formerly Mt. Carmel Christian Church) in Lilburn, Georgia, where his emphasis is on evangelism and discipleship. He and his wife, Morgan Tyler Mancilla ’13, were married in 2014 and have two young children, Cruz and Camila.

Looking for news about your classmates? Visit us at point.edu/alumni to sign up for our e-newsletter.

From Surviving To Thriving

Join us for the spring Ministry Seminar!

Thursday, April 20 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Lunch provided during Q&A session

Tim Cole, executive director of Waypoint Church Partners, will join us to provide helpful information for those leading churches of all sizes. Serving the mid-Atlantic states, Waypoint has planted more than 20 churches in the last 15 years. Waypoint helps churches move to the next level through strategic planning and coaching.

This event is open to any interested ministry leaders. It is free of charge, but registration is required.

point.edu/ministryseminar

ConCert SerieS

March 17 at 7 p.m.

Guest Artist ReCital

Eric Just, clarinet

First Baptist Church, West Point, GA

March 31 at 7 p.m.

FaCulty Duo ReCital

Nathaniel Gworek, percussion; Andrew Harry, piano Band Building

April 21 at 7 p.m.

ConCert BAnd And Chamber enSemBleS ConCert Band Building

April 28 at 7 p.m.

ConCert Choir SprinG ConCert

First Baptist Church, West Point, GA

POINT UNIVERSITY FINE ARTS SPRING 2023