Alumni Grateful for Experiences at Wesley College

Unique, anointed by God and passionate are some of the characteristics of the men and women I spoke with about their experiences at Wesley College. Eager to share their thoughts and experiences with me over the phone, these Alumni all have two things in common: a desire to build God’s Kingdom and a deep appreciation for Wesley College. When asked to share their experiences at Wesley College and what they consider unique about the college, these young professionals joyfully and eagerly obliged.

First on my agenda was a phone interview with former Wesley College Student Government Association President, Emily Smith. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Smith graduated from Wesley in 2008. When asked to share about her experiences on campus and what she considered unique about her time at Wesley, Emily responded openly, genuinely and articulately. During her freshman year on campus, Emily witnessed both professors and students living passionately and boldly for Christ. Taking notice of the differences between others and herself, she realized that she was not a true believer. “Dorm life moved me to want to follow Christ,” she stated while describing the impact of her peers. Emily also saw God in her professors. “By January of my freshman year, I was a baby Christian.” With a changed heart, every year on campus was unique for Emily. “It’s because of Wesley College I am where I am right now.” Involved in several ministries, Emily has plans to travel to Tokyo, leads a Young Adult group and ministers daily while working at Starbuck’s. Passionate and dedicated, Emily is an effective minister of the Gospel and a faithful supporter of Wesley College.

Benton Ingram currently serves as Youth Pastor at Lakeshore Church in Byram, Mississippi. A 2000 graduate of Wesley College, Benton originally came to Wesley to play basketball. Planning to stay only one year and then transfer to another school, Benton soon became drawn to more than just the basketball court and decided to stay at Wesley. Benton became interested in spiritual matters during his second semester at Wesley College through the influence of his professors and peers. Like Emily, Benton realized he had not fully dedicated his life to Christ. After becoming a Christian, Benton left Wesley and attended Mississippi College. Seeking God’s will and heeding His instruction, Benton returned to Wesley College. A Pastoral Ministries major, Benton submitted his life to God and enjoyed the unique atmosphere and influences found on the campus of Wesley College. Towards the end of our phone conversation, Benton humbly credited Wesley College for his current position: “Had I not attended Wesley College, I would not be a Youth Pastor.”

2008 Graduate Hannah Windham enjoyed her time at Wesley College and shared a heartwarming story about her experience with a generous and caring professor. While engaged to be married, Hannah was looking for a temporary place to stay. In the midst of her search, one of her professors offered to let Hannah stay at their home until she married her fiancé. Thankful and touched, Hannah obliged and agreed to stay. While speaking with Hannah, I learned that she cherishes the memories she holds of her time spent at Wesley College and considers them unique and beautiful. Now married, Hannah and her husband serve as Youth Pastor and Associate Pastor in Mississippi. Hannah also spends time serving at the Volunteer Center for Pregnancy Choices.

Seminarian Blair Chandler graduated from Wesley College in May of 2007 and has been serving the Lord faithfully and diligently ever since. Blair came to Wesley at the young age of 17 to major in Biblical Literature. While living on campus, Blair immediately noticed the family atmosphere of Wesley College and felt her professors cared deeply about her walk with the Lord. During our conversation, Blair shared with me that she felt very comfortable living on campus and believed God could move freely in the environment. The encouragement Blair received from the professors and administrators at Wesley is priceless to her as she feels they clearly saw God’s vision for her life and enabled her to mature spiritually as she discerned God’s will. Blair feels that she would not be a student at Wesley Biblical Seminary or involved in ministry today if her professors had not been so involved in motivating her to pursue God’s will. Not only is Blair a passionate seminarian, she is also teaching English to Japanese women and sharing the Gospel with them after each class. Thankful for the opportunity to minister the Gospel and serve God boldly, Blair is effectively and wholeheartedly building God’s kingdom.

After hearing the testimonies of each of these alumni, I am encouraged to pursue God’s will and thankful to be serving at Wesley College. I truly believe that God has given the members of this growing institution favor and an anointing that is unique and specially crafted.

-Article by WC Student:

Walker Crow

Failure

Key Verse:

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. Luke 22:32

Anyone who has ever watched a child closely knows that failure is inevitable. Yet, we never say to those children, “Shame on you. You failed to stand the first, second, or fifteenth time you tried.”  No, we expect that they will fail at some things until they have grown enough to succeed. When does that change? At some point we begin looking at ourselves and say, “Shame on you. You failed to _______ the first, second, or fifteenth time you tried.”  Fortunately, our Heavenly Father loves us in the midst of those inevitable failures and He encourages us toward growth.

Failure can be an indicator of our natural or learned limitations. It can demonstrate areas in which we need to grow and can even give us hints at the tools we may need in order to grow. Will we choose to sit on the ground, stuck in our failure and refuse to stand? Or will we listen to the voice of the Father and risk failure in order to grow to where we could be?

Read Luke 22:14-62. It is obvious here that Jesus expects Peter to fail. He does not say, “Peter, don’t fail.” He even uses the term ‘when’ in reference to what Peter’s response should be after his failure. Jesus prays that Peter’s FAITH may not fail. Our faith should not fluctuate based on our circumstances, successes, or failures. Our faith is based on a constant. It is based on Christ, not our finite actions or abilities.

Not only is Christ’s emphasis on Peter’s faith, but He also speaks to what He wants Peter’s response to be. Although it serves as a warning for Peter, there is also hope in this prayer. Jesus may expect that Peter will fail, but He also expects that Peter will return. Rather than turn inward, get discouraged or depressed, Jesus instructs Peter to turn outward toward others. This failure can be a part of the process of growth in Peter’s life if he would choose to respond the way Christ instructed.

Failure is inevitable. From the scripture, we can determine that Christ does not even want us to avoid failure. What is important is understanding why we failed and what our response will be.

-Devotion by WC Staff:

Charity Nielsen

Colors of Death

“let’s waste away in beauty,” she yells as the meadow begins to consume her shadow
we lie in the leaves praying
and the death of fall that now surrounds us speaks
“nature’s decree for thee to leave is nigh, and the want to see us speak and dream, that too must die.”
eye to eye, we see
red and yellow the leaves burn a lovely hue
as they’re blown away by that holy breeze
and life is found in the colors of the dying leaves
the willows bend and the thorns break
leaving for the land once too scared to trod
brave souls are we
and the world forgets us as we walk to the land forgotten
but death is a beauty and it’s in wasting away we found our colors

-Poem by WC Student:

Colin Stacy

Character Corner – Perseverance

Perseverance can be defined as “Steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.” Usually when I think of persistence, I tend toward the “how”, the persistence, the dogged determination, the steely eyed resolve. Yesterday in chapel, Dr. Lohrstorfer shared a reading from William Tyndale’s book, The Obedience of a Christian Man. It refers to how God uses tribulation in our lives to accomplish his will in us. It speaks to the “why” of perseverance.

If God sends you to the sea, and promises to go with you, and to bring you safe to land, he will raise up a tempest, to prove whether you will abide by his word, and that you may feel your faith and perceive his goodness: for if it were always fair weather and you never brought into such jeopardy where his mercy only delivered you, your faith should be but a presumption, and thou should be ever unthankful to God and merciless unto your neighbor.

Joseph saw the sun and the moon, and the twelve stars worshipping him. Nevertheless, before that came to pass, God put him where he could neither see sun nor moon, neither any star of the sky, and that for many years; and also undeserved; to nurture him, to humble, to meek, and to teach him God’s ways, and to make him apt and meet for the room and honor that he came to, that he might perceive and feel that it came of God, and that he might be strong in the Spirit to minister it in a godly way.

He promised the children of Israel a land with rivers of milk and honey; but brought them for the space of forty years into a land, where not only rivers of milk and honey Were not, but where so much as a drop of water was not; to nurture them, and to teach them, as a father doth his son, and to do them good at the latter end; and that they might be strong in their spirit and souls, to use his gifts and benefits in a godly way, and after his will.

He promised David a kingdom, and immediately stirred up king Saul against him to persecute him; to hunt him as men do hares with greyhounds, and to ferret him out of every hole, and that for the space of many years; to tame him, to meek him, to kill his lusts; to make him feel other men’s diseases ; to make him merciful; to make him understand that he was made king to minister and to serve his brethren, and that he should not think that his subjects were made to minister unto him.

Tribulation is our baptism, it is a blessing. Tribulation is the gift of God.

The Lord said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect through weakness.” Christ is never strong in us until we are weak. As our strength lessens, so the strength of Christ in us grows.

-Character Corner by WC Administrator:

Tom Tasker

The Power of the Tongue

As I think about the tongue or speech, I realize how powerful it truly can be.  James states in his epistle that the tongue is like a fire (3:6).  Many of us know this to be true because of how we have used it or how someone has spoken to us.  At this point I would like to share a story with you.

As the large Naval Aircraft Carrier sailed the high seas, an emergency occurred.  The pilot saw a small cruiser coming into view and new that if he did not turn the ship immediately that the cruiser would be destroyed.  As the pilot of the aircraft carrier tried to turn the huge ship, giving right-of-way to the cruiser, he realized that he could not turn the ship.  Something was interfering with the rudder!  The pilot pushed, pulled, screamed and even asked for assistance but to no avail.  Suddenly the large aircraft carrier ploughed into the cruiser killing everyone on the small vessel.  The captain of the aircraft carrier ran up to the pilothouse and asked the pilot why he hadn’t turned the ship to avoid the cruiser.  The pilot answered that the rudder was stuck and that he had tried everything he could to steer the ship out of the way but he couldn’t steer it.  The captain asked the pilot several questions to see what the problem may have been but couldn’t come to any conclusions.  As the captain began looking around the wheel of the ship he noticed that the autopilot was on instead of manual control.

This describes the tongue in such a vivid way.  Sometimes we say things to people that just destroy them and leave them without hope.  We take control of our lives and our tongues, and use them for what we want.  The solution to this dilemma is to let the Captain have control of our lives so he can protect others and also deliver us from such an evil and corrupt thing.

God has a lot to say about our speech and how we affect others with it.  Jesus said that what is in the heart of a person will come out in what he or she says.  This really is true, so the answer to the problem is to let Jesus transform our hearts and renew our minds so we will encourage and uplift each other.  I know that I need this because I have said things without thinking and it truly hurt the person who heard it.  James’ purpose in his epistle is to show how faith and works go together, especially in how we, as believers, speak to each other.  My prayer is that God will be Lord of my life and my tongue so I can honor him in all I say to others and strive to build them up in the Lord.  Let Jesus be the Captain that controls all parts of our body, especially our speech!

-Devotion by WC Faculty:

Mr. Karl Luman

Sleep

Empty watering cans

Tin and dented

Enclosed by a wet roof and filled

With liquid dreams of hazel

With fluid hopes of blue

And every shade of aspirations between

Always unknown

Yet always familiar

The things of magic fall inside

Filtering hurts and compassions

Melting away the impurities

Creating and molding a world

Deciding and changing life from what it is

As these things fly

So do I

-Michael Lamb (b. 1989)

Prospective Students Inspired by ‘Celebration’ Weekend

Because of the desire to grow in number of full time students and expand God’s Kingdom through ministry and education, current Wesley College students and faculty members welcomed and embraced potential students to experience campus life during this semesters Celebration weekend. A weekend of fellowship, activities, worship and laughter, Celebration is a time for prospective students to interact with current students and professors, grow in their faith and build relationships with others. During this year’s ‘Celebration’, several students attended who have shown great interest in attending Wesley College.

Seventeen year old Stephen Matheny travelled all the way from Texas for Celebration weekend. Because of his older sister, current student Hannah Matheny, and growing up in Texas with other current students, Stephen felt very comfortable on campus. When asked what attracts him to Wesley College, Stephen shared that the environment, people and the classes were some of the main reasons he is interested in attending. A personal friend of mine, I know that Stephen longs to please God and serve Him in ministry. A young man with strong ambition, Stephen will succeed in whatever he chooses to do.

Already a familiar face on the campus of Wesley College, Alexa Thomas attended Celebration weekend and enjoyed every minute of it. Like Stephen, Alexa lives in Texas and is a long time friend of Nicole and Andrew Callaway and the Matheny family. Alexa interacts well with current students and has shown great interest in attending Wesley College. Alexa enjoys the atmosphere of Wesley College and truly appreciates the students of Wesley College: “What attracts me to Wesley is definitely the students. To me, it seems like pretty much everyone at Wesley is just an amazing person, period. And it’s awesome to have a Christian college that isn’t mostly consumed by the world.” Refreshed by the sincere Christian attitudes of the students and professors on campus, Alexa is eager to call herself a Wesley College Warrior.

Emanuel Jones, a nineteen year old senior at Florence High School, has attended several of Wesley College’s preview weekends, including this semesters Celebration. I first met Emanuel last year while attending Connekt and immediately noticed his familiarity with the campus and his friendly relationships with many of the students. Emanuel loves visiting the campus and often plays basketball in the gym. A true fan of the sport, Emanuel plans to play basketball if he attends Wesley College. When asked to share some of the highlights from his experience at Celebration, Emanuel cited the rap concert and chapel services as his favorite part of the weekend. During our discussion, Emanuel raved about the talents displayed during the chapel services and commented on how well Roddy Merritt, Katie Bradshaw and Katie Libramento sang while leading worship. Personable and genuine, Emanuel would be a great asset to Wesley College.

High school sophomore, John Chandler, travelled from Atlanta, Georgia for Celebration weekend. John is passionate about his relationship with God and eager to build relationships with other believers. On his experience at Celebration, John openly shared: “I could tell that God was there and I felt surrounded by love.  It was wonderful and truly a blessing that you guys were willing to open up the college for us to come visit. I was able to see friends I haven’t seen in a while, and met new friends that I could potentially go to school with.” John was very encouraged to see young men and women living out their faith boldly and passionately on the campus of Wesley College and hopes to one day become a part of this special body of believers.

Seeing high school students encouraged and inspired by their experiences at  Celebration touched my heart and motivates me to pray for each of them as they seek God’s will. Let us encourage our brothers and sisters by supporting them through prayer and continue to reach out to them when they visit the campus of Wesley College. These potential Wesley College Warriors are passionate, focused and eager to be part of our close knit family and expect each of us to welcome them with open hearts and be ready to build relationships with each one of them.

-Article by WC Student:

Walker Crow

An Advent Meditation

The night a maid brought forth the Lord’s Messiah

And laid Him in a cows’ trough for a cradle,

A host of angels summoned humble shepherds

To see the newborn Savior in the stable.

The shepherds saw the Sign of their salvation;

They glorified the Lord and spread the word;

And Mary treasured all these things within her,

And pondered in her heart what she had heard.

But who, that night of poverty and power,

Could guess how much redemption’s plan would cost?

That Christ, then crying loudly in the manger,

Would hang in silence, dying on the cross?

The tiny clutching hands and reaching fingers

That grasped at Mary’s breast, at Joseph’s beard,

Would be impaled by men with spikes of iron,

And pinned against a beam of rugged wood.

The small, angelic face, all bald and beardless,

That care-unwrinkled brow and childish chin,

Would sweat great drops of blood in mortal anguish–

Be struck and spat on time and time again.

The soft-fleshed back which Mary rubbed to soothe Him

Would by Rome’s scathing scourge be torn to shreds;

The heart within the Child’s chest, fast beating,

By spear would be thrust through as He hung dead.

The Jews were waiting for a warrior-savior,

A Son of David who would free their land.

But Jesus came to save their souls and suffer;

This mission many could not understand.

And so they crucified the Lord of glory,

In hatred killed the only Source of life.

True, Christ will come again to rule as Sovereign,

But first He had to die a sacrifice.

The shoulders that will bear the government–

Those of the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace–

First sagged while carrying a heavy cross

And slumped in death to bring our hearts release.

The holy head some would have crowned with gold,

That wears in heaven diadems of glory,

First wore a crown of thorns athirst for blood,

And bowed at last all beaten, bruised and gory.

O thank You, Lord, that You came first in mercy,

Of woman born that we’d be born of God!

When You return to judge the earth with justice,

Your grace we will eternally applaud.

-Poem/ Devotion by WC Faculty

Mr. Jerome Van Kuiken

Master’s Program

In the past few months, there have been several announcements made in chapel about the new Master of Arts program offered at Wesley College. The new online degree has developed beautifully, as faculty and staff have worked diligently and effectively to build this program successfully for ministerial and educational purposes. According to a link about the Pastoral Ministries Master’s degree program from the Wesley College website, the degree is designed to “assist and equip ministers in training to preach and worship, change their community, perfect their vision for ministry, and create a plan for success.”

Wesley’s own Mrs. Sarah Lee is advisor for the online degree program and is looking forward to assisting prospective students in the area of ministry and education: “I would love the opportunity to discuss the details of the program and to pray with you on your decision to pursue a Master’s degree through Wesley College.”

Let us each choose to pray for this program and each participating student as they choose to seek God and grow in His Word through the Pastoral Ministries Masters program. For more information on the Master’s program here at Wesley College, please contact Mrs. Sarah Lee through e-mail by sending all questions to slee@wesleycollege.edu. I am looking forward to seeing God move through this degree program and watching my brothers and sisters in Christ grow in their faith while earning their Master’s degree from Wesley College.

-Article by WC Student:

Walker Crow

New Message Board System in place

The previous forum host went offline, so the message boards have been revamped. There are new discussion categories, however the online games have not yet been implemented.

These message boards are useful for group discussion regarding in-class projects, or just general discussion of topics relevant to Wesley College and its students and faculty.

Previous users will need to register again, as the user database could not be imported.

Make sure to register using a recognizable name, not a “screen name.”  A proper format would be: “jonsmith,” not “happyboy2005.”