Changing lives From its earliest days, the University of Findlay (then Findlay College) and the Churches of God recognized the need for a place where individuals could discover their calling in life through scholarship, faith, service, and sharing ideas. Exploring that “work-life balance” remains at the core of a UF education, according to Pastor Lance Finley, UF Board of Trustees member and executive director of the Churches of God General Conference. “God gave us the idea of work and productivity. The University of Findlay is right to prepare students for productive careers,” he said. “But there’s more to life than just work. What you do to earn a living is important, but your career is not, or should not be, the totality of who you are as a person. That’s why I love UF’s mission: we care about meaningful lives as well as productive careers.” Pastor Finley is proud of the “good and faithful work reaching around the globe” done by UF alumni for more than a century.
AROUND THE GLOBE BY BETH CHURCH
He shared these highlights: • In 1898, the Churches of God began their first mission work in India and later expanded into what is now Bangladesh. A large network of churches was established, as well as a medical hospital, eye clinic, and schools educating the poorest of the poor. This work was started by Iowa resident Clara Landes, who began her studies at Findlay College in 1889. • Viola Hershey Cover was another early missionary instrumental in Bangladesh. A student at Findlay College for two years, she received a letter from Landes requesting she come to India as a missionary. She served faithfully in India/Bangladesh for 45 years. • Betty Helwig Biswas, a 1951 graduate of Findlay College, served in India for 51 years and was vital to our educational work there. • The Churches of God have been involved in Haiti for 56 years with a medical clinic and hospital, more than 30 schools, 45 churches, and vocational training efforts, including a physical therapy school. This work began in 1967, thanks to the vision and faithful work of Pastor James Wallace, who attended Findlay College in the early 1950s. • In 1977, a medical clinic was established in Pierre Payen, Haiti, by Dr. Vic Binkley, a 1961 graduate of Findlay College. Today his medical clinic and hospital serve thousands of patients. Dr. Binkley gave more than 30 years of service in Haiti before his death in 2010. Pastor Finley believes the work of these missionaries indicates how “our histories are beautifully interwoven with one another.” “Countless lives have been impacted – the sick receiving vital medical care and compassion, the most vulnerable being equipped through life-changing education, and the hopeless finding a new identity and purpose in the reality of a God who loves them.”
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