Record-breaking Enrollment p. 4 | Homecoming 2009 p. 6 | Tour the President’s Office p. 26

College of Arts & Sciences | College of Adult & Professional Studies | Graduate School | Bethel Seminary

Fall 2009

WHOLLY NURSINGTeaching students to care

for patients physically, socially, spiritually

Inau

guRal Is

suE!

1Bethel University

Fall 2009 Volume 59 Number 1

senior Vice President for Communications and Marketing Sherie J. Lindvall ’70

Editor Heather Johnson

senior Consulting Editor for Bethel seminary Scott Wible S’02

Contributors Barb Carlson Holly Donato ’78 Dale Eng ’00 Steffanie Lindgren ’10 Cindy Pfingsten Scott Streble Amanda Wanke ’99 Michelle Westlund ’83 Suzanne Yonker

Design Darin Jones ’97

staff Photographer Woody Dahlberg ’69

President James (Jay) H. Barnes III

Vice President for Constituent Relations Ralph Gustafson ’74, S’78

Editorial Offices 3900 Bethel Drive St. Paul, MN 55112-6999 651.638.6233 651.638.6003 (fax) bethel-magazine@bethel.edu

address Corrections Office of Alumni and Parent Services 651.638.6462 alumni@bethel.edu

Bethel Magazine is published three times a year by Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112-6999.Postage paid at St. Paul, Minnesota, and additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA.

Copyright © 2009 Bethel University. All Rights Reserved.

Bethel University is sponsored by the churches of Converge Worldwide, formerly known as the Baptist General Conference. It is the policy of Bethel not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, or disability in its educational programs, admissions, or employment policies as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments. Inquiries regarding compliance may be directed to: Compliance Officer, Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112-6999.

Stronger TogetherIn your hands is evidence of change at Bethel University. After many years of

publishing two magazines, Heart & Mind (for friends of Bethel Seminary) and Focus (for

friends of the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Adult & Professional Studies,

and the Graduate School), we concluded that there was a high degree of overlap in our

audiences and that all friends of Bethel should have the opportunity to hear about the

whole institution. We want to celebrate what God is doing in all parts of the university.

The change in the magazine mirrors the administrative changes we have made.

Recently appointed Executive Vice President and Provost David Clark brings strong

leadership and seminary background to our team. Under his leadership, all the curricular

and co-curricular programs of the university come together for the first time. Dan

Nelson, our new vice president for admissions, financial aid, and retention, brings all

the enrollment functions together into one team under David’s leadership, as well. Bruce

Anderson, vice president for development, is consolidating development functions,

creating a strong central team to connect with friends who have a special affinity for

parts of the university. In these areas and others, through consolidation, we are finding

increased effectiveness, efficiency, and shared knowledge that make these teams stronger.

When things change, however, it is fair to ask, “What remains the same?” The most

important “constant” is our anchor point, captured in the words of I Peter 4:11 carved

in slate in the Lundquist Community Life Center: “In everything honor and praise to

God through Jesus Christ.” Our commitment to Christ-centered, high quality, whole-

person education is unshakable. You’ll hear that in many of the pieces that follow. The

Pietism in our roots gave birth to the evangelical movement that has defined our place

in the Christian family. Bethel’s forebears were persecuted for devotion to God’s Word

and their desire to read it unmediated by others. Like them, we believe that Scripture

was “God breathed.” Like them, we believe that reconciliation with God comes through

a commitment to Jesus as Savior and Lord under the prompting of the Holy Spirit. By

doing good in the name of Jesus and by speaking the truth in love, we share our faith

with others.

The excitement of Bethel today is living out this good news in 21st-century ways

through the more than 100 programs of the university. Whether oriented toward the

marketplace, the church, or the neighborhood, our programs are meant to change

lives and prepare graduates to change the world. So, put your

feet up and enjoy the big picture of what God is doing at Bethel

University as you read this inaugural issue of Bethel Magazine!

President Jay Barnes

F r om t he P r e s ide n t

FEaTuREs

16 Wholly nursingStudents learn to care for patients physically, socially, and spiritually—here and abroad.

20 We are Christ-Followers…A look at Bethel’s first value and what it means to be evangelical

28 a university with MeritAn increasing number of National Merit Scholars are choosing Bethel. Hear why.

33 Home sweet HomeAlumni share timeless stories of Bethel’s fun and faith-filled campus life.

DEPaRTMEnTs

Campus news 2Homecoming 2009; Welcome Class of 2013; Meet the new

provost; CAPS/GS turns 20; Bethel brings clean water to Iraq

ask a Prof 8 A Bethel professor answers your vexing leadership questions

Bookmarked 15 Recently published books by Bethel faculty members

Place Meant 26 A tour of a significant space at Bethel—this issue,

President Jay Barnes’ office

Profile 32 Theola Campbell, Director of Admissions,

Bethel Seminary San Diego

alumnews 37

2 Goodbye Bethel, Hello World In May and June, 2009, some 1,200 students

graduated from all of Bethel’s schools, ready to be adventurous Christ-followers.

Just JayHear from Jay on a regular basis. Check out his blog, Just Jay, at bethel.edu/president/blog.

New

Look for this icon to find Bethel Magazine exclusives on the web! Head to bethel.edu/magazine for more.

New

New

New

1Bethel University

Fall 2009 Volume 59 Number 1

senior Vice President for Communications and Marketing Sherie J. Lindvall ’70

Editor Heather Johnson

senior Consulting Editor for Bethel seminary Scott Wible S’02

Contributors Barb Carlson Holly Donato ’78 Dale Eng ’00 Steffanie Lindgren ’10 Cindy Pfingsten Scott Streble Amanda Wanke ’99 Michelle Westlund ’83 Suzanne Yonker

Design Darin Jones ’97

staff Photographer Woody Dahlberg ’69

President James (Jay) H. Barnes III

Vice President for Constituent Relations Ralph Gustafson ’74, S’78

Editorial Offices 3900 Bethel Drive St. Paul, MN 55112-6999 651.638.6233 651.638.6003 (fax) bethel-magazine@bethel.edu

address Corrections Office of Alumni and Parent Services 651.638.6462 alumni@bethel.edu

Bethel Magazine is published three times a year by Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112-6999.Postage paid at St. Paul, Minnesota, and additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA.

Copyright © 2009 Bethel University. All Rights Reserved.

Bethel University is sponsored by the churches of Converge Worldwide, formerly known as the Baptist General Conference. It is the policy of Bethel not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, or disability in its educational programs, admissions, or employment policies as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments. Inquiries regarding compliance may be directed to: Compliance Officer, Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112-6999.

Stronger TogetherIn your hands is evidence of change at Bethel University. After many years of

publishing two magazines, Heart & Mind (for friends of Bethel Seminary) and Focus (for

friends of the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Adult & Professional Studies,

and the Graduate School), we concluded that there was a high degree of overlap in our

audiences and that all friends of Bethel should have the opportunity to hear about the

whole institution. We want to celebrate what God is doing in all parts of the university.

The change in the magazine mirrors the administrative changes we have made.

Recently appointed Executive Vice President and Provost David Clark brings strong

leadership and seminary background to our team. Under his leadership, all the curricular

and co-curricular programs of the university come together for the first time. Dan

Nelson, our new vice president for admissions, financial aid, and retention, brings all

the enrollment functions together into one team under David’s leadership, as well. Bruce

Anderson, vice president for development, is consolidating development functions,

creating a strong central team to connect with friends who have a special affinity for

parts of the university. In these areas and others, through consolidation, we are finding

increased effectiveness, efficiency, and shared knowledge that make these teams stronger.

When things change, however, it is fair to ask, “What remains the same?” The most

important “constant” is our anchor point, captured in the words of I Peter 4:11 carved

in slate in the Lundquist Community Life Center: “In everything honor and praise to

God through Jesus Christ.” Our commitment to Christ-centered, high quality, whole-

person education is unshakable. You’ll hear that in many of the pieces that follow. The

Pietism in our roots gave birth to the evangelical movement that has defined our place

in the Christian family. Bethel’s forebears were persecuted for devotion to God’s Word

and their desire to read it unmediated by others. Like them, we believe that Scripture

was “God breathed.” Like them, we believe that reconciliation with God comes through

a commitment to Jesus as Savior and Lord under the prompting of the Holy Spirit. By

doing good in the name of Jesus and by speaking the truth in love, we share our faith

with others.

The excitement of Bethel today is living out this good news in 21st-century ways

through the more than 100 programs of the university. Whether oriented toward the

marketplace, the church, or the neighborhood, our programs are meant to change

lives and prepare graduates to change the world. So, put your

feet up and enjoy the big picture of what God is doing at Bethel

University as you read this inaugural issue of Bethel Magazine!

President Jay Barnes

F r om t he P r e s ide n t

FEaTuREs

16 Wholly nursingStudents learn to care for patients physically, socially, and spiritually—here and abroad.

20 We are Christ-Followers…A look at Bethel’s first value and what it means to be evangelical

28 a university with MeritAn increasing number of National Merit Scholars are choosing Bethel. Hear why.

33 Home sweet HomeAlumni share timeless stories of Bethel’s fun and faith-filled campus life.

DEPaRTMEnTs

Campus news 2Homecoming 2009; Welcome Class of 2013; Meet the new

provost; CAPS/GS turns 20; Bethel brings clean water to Iraq

ask a Prof 8 A Bethel professor answers your vexing leadership questions

Bookmarked 15 Recently published books by Bethel faculty members

Place Meant 26 A tour of a significant space at Bethel—this issue,

President Jay Barnes’ office

Profile 32 Theola Campbell, Director of Admissions,

Bethel Seminary San Diego

alumnews 37

2 Goodbye Bethel, Hello World In May and June, 2009, some 1,200 students

graduated from all of Bethel’s schools, ready to be adventurous Christ-followers.

Just JayHear from Jay on a regular basis. Check out his blog, Just Jay, at bethel.edu/president/blog.

New

Look for this icon to find Bethel Magazine exclusives on the web! Head to bethel.edu/magazine for more.

New

New

New

CamPus News

2 Fall 2009 3Bethel University

Pomp, Circumstance…and a Degree!Across all schools of Bethel University, some 1,000 students graduated in seven

commencement ceremonies in May and June: 555 students from the College of Arts & Sciences on May 23; 312 students from the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School on May 23; and 144 students from Bethel Seminary St. Paul on May 30. On the coasts, 31 students graduated from Bethel Seminary San Diego on June 13 and 10 from Bethel Seminary of the East on June 20. “Each graduate is proof that Bethel continues to fulfill its mission to train and equip adventurous Christ-followers to go out and change the world,” says President Jay Barnes.

Meet the Class of 2013! (College of Arts & Sciences)727 freshmen (163 transfers)

42% male 58% female

25 is the average ACT score

19 students have the last name Johnson; 15, Anderson; and 9, Olson

11 sets of twins and 4 other sibling pairs

80% from Minnesota

29 states represented

21 students come from Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis

5% were homeschooled

Most were born in 1991, when the average cost of gas per gallon was $1.12 and the Dow Jones average topped 3,000 for the first time; or 1992, the year Bill Clinton became President and the Twin Cities’ Mall of America was built.

A Fourth Hello to South Africa

Project “Heita! South Africa” took its fourth trip to South Africa in July. Twenty-seven Bethel staff, faculty, students, and community partners encountered the country’s diversity and learned about its culture firsthand during the two-week immersion experience offered through the Office of Reconciliation Studies.

Translated “Hello! South Africa,” the project is designed to provide an ethos to engage the diversity of South Africa on matters of ethnicity, race, class, gender, religion, economics, and politics, explains Seth Naicker, former program and projects director in Bethel’s Office of Reconciliation Studies. “South Africa continues to provide the world with a model of the process of reconciliation, in its successes as well as its failures,” he adds. Naicker and his family moved back to their native South Africa in June, but will continue to work with the program.

This year, project participants visited with Ismail Vadi, a parliamentary dignitary of the African National Congress, among other prominent South African leaders in the reconciliation movement. They also visited historic sites and museums, such as the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg and the Slavery Museum in Cape Town, children’s homes, AIDS hospices, and universities.

Percentage of first-year Bethel students who said “yes” or “definitely yes” when asked: “If you could start over again, would you go to the same institution you are now attending?” Source: The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), conducted by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research

95%Percentage of Bethel seniors who said their entire educational experience was good or excellent.

91%

Heard on CampusAre we crazy enough here at Bethel to believe that God will show up in our lives in radical ways?

Are we willing to let Him surprise us even when we’re in pain and/or in doubt? I think we are. For God’s people, living a life beyond belief is not some pie-in-the-sky concept. It’s a reality. It’s a testimony of many witnesses.

Campus Pastor Laurel Bunker,Kicking off the 2009-2010 chapel year—themed “Life Beyond Belief”—for the College of Arts & Sciences

A Royal WelcomeBethel’s newest faculty members, from left to right: Corey Hobbins (social work), Greta Schutte (health and physical education/athletic training), Kent Gerber (university library), Margaret Johnson (nursing), Will Keillor (university library), Kathy Tilton (nursing), John Rudberg (business and economics), Carol Hargate (nursing), Connie Clark (nursing), Jessica Samens (communication studies).

See more Welcome Week photos.

Read two first-person accounts of the 2009 trip from senior Naomi Thorson,

a journalism and reconciliation studies major, and Sara Jane Benson, a student

in the seminary’s Master of Divinity program.

During Welcome Week, President Jay and Barb Barnes welcomed students and their families to campus; many first-year students moved into residence halls and met their roommates for the first time.

2008 Heita South Africa! participants in the Nelson Mandela Square

CamPus News

2 Fall 2009 3Bethel University

Pomp, Circumstance…and a Degree!Across all schools of Bethel University, some 1,000 students graduated in seven

commencement ceremonies in May and June: 555 students from the College of Arts & Sciences on May 23; 312 students from the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School on May 23; and 144 students from Bethel Seminary St. Paul on May 30. On the coasts, 31 students graduated from Bethel Seminary San Diego on June 13 and 10 from Bethel Seminary of the East on June 20. “Each graduate is proof that Bethel continues to fulfill its mission to train and equip adventurous Christ-followers to go out and change the world,” says President Jay Barnes.

Meet the Class of 2013! (College of Arts & Sciences)727 freshmen (163 transfers)

42% male 58% female

25 is the average ACT score

19 students have the last name Johnson; 15, Anderson; and 9, Olson

11 sets of twins and 4 other sibling pairs

80% from Minnesota

29 states represented

21 students come from Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis

5% were homeschooled

Most were born in 1991, when the average cost of gas per gallon was $1.12 and the Dow Jones average topped 3,000 for the first time; or 1992, the year Bill Clinton became President and the Twin Cities’ Mall of America was built.

A Fourth Hello to South Africa

Project “Heita! South Africa” took its fourth trip to South Africa in July. Twenty-seven Bethel staff, faculty, students, and community partners encountered the country’s diversity and learned about its culture firsthand during the two-week immersion experience offered through the Office of Reconciliation Studies.

Translated “Hello! South Africa,” the project is designed to provide an ethos to engage the diversity of South Africa on matters of ethnicity, race, class, gender, religion, economics, and politics, explains Seth Naicker, former program and projects director in Bethel’s Office of Reconciliation Studies. “South Africa continues to provide the world with a model of the process of reconciliation, in its successes as well as its failures,” he adds. Naicker and his family moved back to their native South Africa in June, but will continue to work with the program.

This year, project participants visited with Ismail Vadi, a parliamentary dignitary of the African National Congress, among other prominent South African leaders in the reconciliation movement. They also visited historic sites and museums, such as the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg and the Slavery Museum in Cape Town, children’s homes, AIDS hospices, and universities.

Percentage of first-year Bethel students who said “yes” or “definitely yes” when asked: “If you could start over again, would you go to the same institution you are now attending?” Source: The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), conducted by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research

95%Percentage of Bethel seniors who said their entire educational experience was good or excellent.

91%

Heard on CampusAre we crazy enough here at Bethel to believe that God will show up in our lives in radical ways?

Are we willing to let Him surprise us even when we’re in pain and/or in doubt? I think we are. For God’s people, living a life beyond belief is not some pie-in-the-sky concept. It’s a reality. It’s a testimony of many witnesses.

Campus Pastor Laurel Bunker,Kicking off the 2009-2010 chapel year—themed “Life Beyond Belief”—for the College of Arts & Sciences

A Royal WelcomeBethel’s newest faculty members, from left to right: Corey Hobbins (social work), Greta Schutte (health and physical education/athletic training), Kent Gerber (university library), Margaret Johnson (nursing), Will Keillor (university library), Kathy Tilton (nursing), John Rudberg (business and economics), Carol Hargate (nursing), Connie Clark (nursing), Jessica Samens (communication studies).

See more Welcome Week photos.

Read two first-person accounts of the 2009 trip from senior Naomi Thorson,

a journalism and reconciliation studies major, and Sara Jane Benson, a student

in the seminary’s Master of Divinity program.

During Welcome Week, President Jay and Barb Barnes welcomed students and their families to campus; many first-year students moved into residence halls and met their roommates for the first time.

2008 Heita South Africa! participants in the Nelson Mandela Square

4 Fall 2009

CamPus News

5Bethel University

Beginning with a BangBethel University has much to celebrate as the 2009-2010 academic year gets off to a great start.

Breaking RecordsWith 2,827 students, Bethel University’s

College of Arts & Sciences broke its enrollment record. Up 1.3 percent from last fall’s enrollment of 2,792, it includes 1,914 students who are continuing enrollment from the previous semester, 727 new freshmen, 23 students returning after an absence, and 163 students transferring from other higher education institutions. This fall also marks a new retention high: 92 percent of last semester’s students returned. Furthermore, The Office of Financial Aid responded to a record number of family financial appeals this past spring and summer—nearly 300, compared with less than 100 in a normal year. Helping enrollment numbers was the additional money awarded in financial aid—nearly $3 million.

Construction Zone

It has been a little loud between the Academic Complex and Clauson Center this fall as construction is underway on new biology labs to support the growing sciences programs. The labs are scheduled to be completed and ready for use by the time spring semester begins January 31, 2010. This project is being funded entirely with designated and estate gifts from generous donors—not from Bethel’s operating budget.

Bethel University’s new executive vice president and provost is David K. Clark, Ph.D., Bethel Seminary professor and dean for 21 years, founder and lead faculty for the Christian Thought program at the seminary, and an articulate defender of the faith. In office since July, Clark is charged with nurturing cohesive growth across all four schools of Bethel. What will a well-known author, speaker, and scholar bring to the task?

Even as a six-year-old growing up with missionary parents in Tokyo, David Clark was a thinker. He sensed something big had happened the day he received Christ in a Sunday church service.

Fast forward 10 years to his sophomore year at Christian Academy in Japan. When a math teacher had to leave mid-semester for an emergency, the principal asked Clark to step in. So for 10 weeks, the lanky 16-year-old taught geometry to his classmates. “I absolutely loved the experience. Teaching came easily,” he says.

Discovering his God-given teaching gift would shape Clark’s career as a theology professor, author of 10 approachably written books, popular conference and church speaker, and frequent guest of the media—including WCCO’s Don Shelby—when matters of faith are a hot topic.

Faith challengesClark majored in religion and

philosophy at Houghton College in New York, where he met his wife, Sandy Bernlehr, an English major at the time and now director of corporate and foundation relations in the Office of Development at Bethel. With an M.A. in philosophy of religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, he taught theology and philosophy for 10 years at Toccoa Falls College, a school affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, prior to joining Bethel Seminary in 1988.

But even adult missionary kids have doubts. And for Clark, it happened during doctoral work at Northwestern, where in a class on the problem of evil, no one else believed in the God of the Bible. The struggle with doubt drove him back into classical philosophical works and set the stage for Clark’s success in founding the M.A. in Christian Thought at Bethel Seminary. More than 30 seminarians are enrolled in the program today, gaining a sense of their own faith and preparing to be more effective Christian thinkers.

Owned faithHis own time of questioning has given

Clark valuable conviction about the special task of Bethel. “We’re not just training or indoctrinating students to believe what their parents believe,” he says. “We’re educating them. And that means challenging them to think for themselves.”

That process, he says, requires the academic freedom of Bethel faculty “to explore ideas as they emerge and at the same time do it with the wisdom of biblical revelation.” The non-negotiables, he contends, are “a supernatural, miracle-working, living God of the universe; a Bible inspired by God and authoritative in a way not true of any other text; and the need for a relationship with the Father by the Spirit’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ—lived out verbally and behaviorally.”

Clark has seen sons Tyler ’03, S ’06 and Ryan ’08 graduate from Bethel with this kind of examined and active faith. “I have

my colleagues on the college faculty to thank for that,” he says.

Under constructionFor four years from 2004 to 2008, Clark

stepped away from full-time teaching at Bethel to pastor Faith Covenant Church in Burnsville, Minn. He gained valuable insight into a role many seminary students will fill—and came away with a softer heart. “I’ve become much more compassionate and empathetic. Emotions now flow more easily,” he says.

It’s a great balance for a man who also wears a tool belt. Clark taught himself home construction, and has been his own general contractor on three homes—hiring his sons as crew members on the current Clark residence in White Bear Lake, Minn.

“I’m a builder—not just a builder of buildings, but of teams, of intellectual architecture … of people, of ideas,” Clark reflects. “I love to build stuff—to think good ideas through strategically and to see if we can turn them into reality.”

Thinker, Teacher, Builder by Holly Donato ’78

Movin’ on Up Bethel University ranked 14th (up

from 16th last year) among Midwestern Universities in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” guide, released in August. The Midwestern Universities category includes Midwest colleges and universities that offer master’s programs. Some statistics used in determining the ranking include Bethel’s freshman retention rate of 85 percent, a graduation rate of 74 percent, and an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

Benson Great Hall Calendar of EventsNovember6 Bethel Jazz Orchestras concert

7 Department of Music Fall concert

14 Minnesota Collegiate Choral Festival

December3-5 53rd Festival of Christmas “Sing We Now of Christmas: A Festival of Carols”

January24 The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra

For a complete listing of events, to order tickets, or to request email updates, visit

bethel.edu/benson-great-hall.

In August, David Clark and his wife, Sandy, celebrated the marriage of their youngest son Ryan ’08 to Rachel (Stensrud) ’08 along with their daughter-in-law Renee and son Tyler ’03, S ’06 (left). David has been his own general contractor on three homes, including the current Clark residence in White Bear Lake, Minn. (below).

4 Fall 2009

CamPus News

5Bethel University

Beginning with a BangBethel University has much to celebrate as the 2009-2010 academic year gets off to a great start.

Breaking RecordsWith 2,827 students, Bethel University’s

College of Arts & Sciences broke its enrollment record. Up 1.3 percent from last fall’s enrollment of 2,792, it includes 1,914 students who are continuing enrollment from the previous semester, 727 new freshmen, 23 students returning after an absence, and 163 students transferring from other higher education institutions. This fall also marks a new retention high: 92 percent of last semester’s students returned. Furthermore, The Office of Financial Aid responded to a record number of family financial appeals this past spring and summer—nearly 300, compared with less than 100 in a normal year. Helping enrollment numbers was the additional money awarded in financial aid—nearly $3 million.

Construction Zone

It has been a little loud between the Academic Complex and Clauson Center this fall as construction is underway on new biology labs to support the growing sciences programs. The labs are scheduled to be completed and ready for use by the time spring semester begins January 31, 2010. This project is being funded entirely with designated and estate gifts from generous donors—not from Bethel’s operating budget.

Bethel University’s new executive vice president and provost is David K. Clark, Ph.D., Bethel Seminary professor and dean for 21 years, founder and lead faculty for the Christian Thought program at the seminary, and an articulate defender of the faith. In office since July, Clark is charged with nurturing cohesive growth across all four schools of Bethel. What will a well-known author, speaker, and scholar bring to the task?

Even as a six-year-old growing up with missionary parents in Tokyo, David Clark was a thinker. He sensed something big had happened the day he received Christ in a Sunday church service.

Fast forward 10 years to his sophomore year at Christian Academy in Japan. When a math teacher had to leave mid-semester for an emergency, the principal asked Clark to step in. So for 10 weeks, the lanky 16-year-old taught geometry to his classmates. “I absolutely loved the experience. Teaching came easily,” he says.

Discovering his God-given teaching gift would shape Clark’s career as a theology professor, author of 10 approachably written books, popular conference and church speaker, and frequent guest of the media—including WCCO’s Don Shelby—when matters of faith are a hot topic.

Faith challengesClark majored in religion and

philosophy at Houghton College in New York, where he met his wife, Sandy Bernlehr, an English major at the time and now director of corporate and foundation relations in the Office of Development at Bethel. With an M.A. in philosophy of religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, he taught theology and philosophy for 10 years at Toccoa Falls College, a school affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, prior to joining Bethel Seminary in 1988.

But even adult missionary kids have doubts. And for Clark, it happened during doctoral work at Northwestern, where in a class on the problem of evil, no one else believed in the God of the Bible. The struggle with doubt drove him back into classical philosophical works and set the stage for Clark’s success in founding the M.A. in Christian Thought at Bethel Seminary. More than 30 seminarians are enrolled in the program today, gaining a sense of their own faith and preparing to be more effective Christian thinkers.

Owned faithHis own time of questioning has given

Clark valuable conviction about the special task of Bethel. “We’re not just training or indoctrinating students to believe what their parents believe,” he says. “We’re educating them. And that means challenging them to think for themselves.”

That process, he says, requires the academic freedom of Bethel faculty “to explore ideas as they emerge and at the same time do it with the wisdom of biblical revelation.” The non-negotiables, he contends, are “a supernatural, miracle-working, living God of the universe; a Bible inspired by God and authoritative in a way not true of any other text; and the need for a relationship with the Father by the Spirit’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ—lived out verbally and behaviorally.”

Clark has seen sons Tyler ’03, S ’06 and Ryan ’08 graduate from Bethel with this kind of examined and active faith. “I have

my colleagues on the college faculty to thank for that,” he says.

Under constructionFor four years from 2004 to 2008, Clark

stepped away from full-time teaching at Bethel to pastor Faith Covenant Church in Burnsville, Minn. He gained valuable insight into a role many seminary students will fill—and came away with a softer heart. “I’ve become much more compassionate and empathetic. Emotions now flow more easily,” he says.

It’s a great balance for a man who also wears a tool belt. Clark taught himself home construction, and has been his own general contractor on three homes—hiring his sons as crew members on the current Clark residence in White Bear Lake, Minn.

“I’m a builder—not just a builder of buildings, but of teams, of intellectual architecture … of people, of ideas,” Clark reflects. “I love to build stuff—to think good ideas through strategically and to see if we can turn them into reality.”

Thinker, Teacher, Builder by Holly Donato ’78

Movin’ on Up Bethel University ranked 14th (up

from 16th last year) among Midwestern Universities in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” guide, released in August. The Midwestern Universities category includes Midwest colleges and universities that offer master’s programs. Some statistics used in determining the ranking include Bethel’s freshman retention rate of 85 percent, a graduation rate of 74 percent, and an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

Benson Great Hall Calendar of EventsNovember6 Bethel Jazz Orchestras concert

7 Department of Music Fall concert

14 Minnesota Collegiate Choral Festival

December3-5 53rd Festival of Christmas “Sing We Now of Christmas: A Festival of Carols”

January24 The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra

For a complete listing of events, to order tickets, or to request email updates, visit

bethel.edu/benson-great-hall.

In August, David Clark and his wife, Sandy, celebrated the marriage of their youngest son Ryan ’08 to Rachel (Stensrud) ’08 along with their daughter-in-law Renee and son Tyler ’03, S ’06 (left). David has been his own general contractor on three homes, including the current Clark residence in White Bear Lake, Minn. (below).

6 Fall 2009

CamPus News

7Bethel University

Kent apostol (biology, adjunct) coauthored articles in Annuals of Forest Science and Plant and Soil. Apostol is a scientific reviewer for Agroforestry Systems and Acta Physiologiae Plantarum.

greg Bourgond (CAPS/GS, adjunct) was appointed to the 2009 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award—presented annually by the U.S. Department of Commerce to recognize role-model organizations for performance excellence.

Peggy Kendall (communications) presented the keynote address and two workshops on youth and technology at the St. Paul School of Theology’s YouTheology conference for youth pastors (Kansas City, Mo.). Kendall also spoke to middle school students, high school students, and their parents at Trinity Christian Academy (Jackson, Tenn.).

Juan li (music, adjunct) was accepted into the Piano Texas International Academy and Festival as a teacher and performer. Piano Texas is held in collaboration with the Van Cliburn Piano Competition.

Ben lim (seminary, San Diego) and his wife Soh Leong Lim presented at the International Counseling and Social Work Symposium (University Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia). They also wrote an article for the California Spring American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy newsletter, conducted a family counseling workshop for the Penang Association for Counselors and Psychologists in Malaysia, provided training for the staff of Compassion for Migrant Children (Beijing), and taught a course on Marriage and Family Therapy at Singapore Bible College.

Michelle louis (general education, adjunct), in collaboration with Shane Lopez of Clifton Strengths Institute/Gallup, published “The Principles of Strengths-Based Education” in the April edition of The Journal of College and Character.

Dennis Port (music) led the Evangelion Chorale on a tour of Ukraine this summer. The adult chorale of 40 singers, many Bethel choir alumni, sang eight concerts for about 4,000 listeners.

Don Postema (philosophy) published the article “Justice Emerging? Ethics Committees Go Beyond the Clinical Context” in the May issue of Minnesota Physician. In August, Postema presented on ethics at Regions Hospital (St. Paul, Minn.) and Westfields Hospital (New Richmond, Wis.).

Jay Rasmussen (education) published a scholarly work on service-learning titled “Teaching and Learning in Guadalajara” in the book Quick Hits for Service-Learning: Successful Strategies from Award-Winning Educators. Rasmussen also presented workshops as part of the Traveling Workshop Series offered by the Collaboration for Teaching and Learning and spoke at San Jacinto College (Houston) and Northwest Iowa Community College.

James Romaine (New York Center for Art & Media Studies) wrote “Re-emergence,” a section of a Christianity Today article addressing James Elkins’ book The Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art. Read the article on christianitytoday.com.

Kristen sandau (nursing) presented a paper in April at the Florida Conference of the International Society for Computerized Electrocardiology.

Marge schaffer (nursing) recently published “A Virtue Ethics Guide to Best Practices for Community-Based Participatory Research” in Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action. Schaffer, in collaboration with Barbara gale ’04, CaPs ’07, also published “Organizational Readiness for Evidence-Based Practice” in the Journal of Nursing Administration. She recently received a Fulbright Specialist Award, which will fund a trip to Oslo for a presentation at an international public health nursing conference and to consult with Diakonova University on the development of a Master’s in Public Health program (see “Wholly Nursing,” p. 16).

Ripley smith (communications) published “The Role of Trust in International Crisis Areas: A Comparison of German and US-American NGO Partnership Strategies” in Organization Trust: A Cultural Perspective. Smith also gave presentations to the Academy of International Research Conference (Honolulu) and the National Communication Association as well as at the Faith and Thought Lecture Series at Northwestern College and the 2008 Religious Communication Pre-Conference.

FACU

lTy A

SiDE

S

SeminaryIn June, the Seminary Alumni Council

and the Office of Alumni and Parent Services presented the 2009 Bethel Seminary Alumnus of the Year Award to Doug Fagerstrom. A 1983 Bethel Seminary alumnus and current president of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, he has served congregations in four different churches in Michigan, Colorado, and Minnesota as a youth pastor, minister of music, single adult pastor, adult ministry pastor, and executive pastor.

He also worked as an adjunct faculty member at three colleges and one seminary, teaching courses in discipleship, education, leadership, church planting, and creative communications. Fagerstrom has trained and/or coached more than

50 church planters since 2000, and was executive director of the Network of Single Adult Leaders for 12 years. He is author, co-author, or editor of 14 publications, and is a frequent keynote speaker and

workshop leader at conferences and retreats, often in partnership with his wife Donna. In presenting the award, retired Bethel Seminary Provost Leland Eliason stated, “We commend you for advancing the gospel and instilling a global vision in the next generation of servant-leaders.”

College of Arts & SciencesWhile visible as First Lady of

Minnesota, it has been Mary Anderson Pawlenty’s quiet life of service that garnered the 2009 Alumna of the Year Award from Bethel’s College of Arts & Sciences during a Homecoming convocation on September 25.

The 1983 political science graduate became an attorney but left a successful partnership to serve for 12 years as a judge in the state’s First Judicial District based in Hastings. “Mary never judged anyone on the basis of why they were in court,” says The Honorable Edward Lynch, Chief Judge of the First Judicial District. “She realized that few people are as good as their best deed, and no one is as bad as their worst.”

Pawlenty balanced her duties on the bench with parenting two daughters and

Throughout Homecoming Weekend, more than 1,500 Bethel alumni took a road trip back to their alma mater, participating in one or more of the many festivities, including Homecoming chapel and the alumni prayer breakfast. Some 800 alumni enjoyed reunion dinners with their class years in the new Monson Dining Center Friday and Saturday night; 80 enjoyed the Royal Stadium Club breakfast Saturday morning; and many

Homecoming: “All Roads lead Home”

serving as First Lady; she also served Bethel University for nine years as a trustee.

In addition to teaching school children about the three branches of government as a guest in elementary schools, today Pawlenty is director of Medical Diplomacy for Children’s HeartLink, a nonprofit organization dedicated to treating and preventing pediatric heart disease in underserved regions of the world. She also has been honored by the National Guard for founding the First Lady’s Military Family Care Initiative, a web-based program designed to unite community organizations with military families to provide simple volunteer services during times of deployment.

“Mary doesn’t offer simple platitudes,” says her former law partner Greg Weyandt. “She is a disciple of [the apostle] St. James: It is important to hear the Word, but she believes you have to do something to help the community—you live the Word.”

AlUmNi OF the YeAR

cheered on the Royals football team to a 29-10 win over Concordia-Moorhead on a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon.

“It was an awesome time for our alumni, staff, and students to celebrate Bethel’s legacy, mission, and future,” says Ralph

Gustafson, vice president for constituent relations. “Alumni laughed, cried, prayed, worshipped, and gave thanks together

as they reflected upon the many ways God has blessed and prospered Bethel.”

See more Homecoming 2009 photos. Paula and Kevin Johnson ’94

6 Fall 2009

6 Fall 2009

CamPus News

7Bethel University

Kent apostol (biology, adjunct) coauthored articles in Annuals of Forest Science and Plant and Soil. Apostol is a scientific reviewer for Agroforestry Systems and Acta Physiologiae Plantarum.

greg Bourgond (CAPS/GS, adjunct) was appointed to the 2009 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award—presented annually by the U.S. Department of Commerce to recognize role-model organizations for performance excellence.

Peggy Kendall (communications) presented the keynote address and two workshops on youth and technology at the St. Paul School of Theology’s YouTheology conference for youth pastors (Kansas City, Mo.). Kendall also spoke to middle school students, high school students, and their parents at Trinity Christian Academy (Jackson, Tenn.).

Juan li (music, adjunct) was accepted into the Piano Texas International Academy and Festival as a teacher and performer. Piano Texas is held in collaboration with the Van Cliburn Piano Competition.

Ben lim (seminary, San Diego) and his wife Soh Leong Lim presented at the International Counseling and Social Work Symposium (University Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia). They also wrote an article for the California Spring American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy newsletter, conducted a family counseling workshop for the Penang Association for Counselors and Psychologists in Malaysia, provided training for the staff of Compassion for Migrant Children (Beijing), and taught a course on Marriage and Family Therapy at Singapore Bible College.

Michelle louis (general education, adjunct), in collaboration with Shane Lopez of Clifton Strengths Institute/Gallup, published “The Principles of Strengths-Based Education” in the April edition of The Journal of College and Character.

Dennis Port (music) led the Evangelion Chorale on a tour of Ukraine this summer. The adult chorale of 40 singers, many Bethel choir alumni, sang eight concerts for about 4,000 listeners.

Don Postema (philosophy) published the article “Justice Emerging? Ethics Committees Go Beyond the Clinical Context” in the May issue of Minnesota Physician. In August, Postema presented on ethics at Regions Hospital (St. Paul, Minn.) and Westfields Hospital (New Richmond, Wis.).

Jay Rasmussen (education) published a scholarly work on service-learning titled “Teaching and Learning in Guadalajara” in the book Quick Hits for Service-Learning: Successful Strategies from Award-Winning Educators. Rasmussen also presented workshops as part of the Traveling Workshop Series offered by the Collaboration for Teaching and Learning and spoke at San Jacinto College (Houston) and Northwest Iowa Community College.

James Romaine (New York Center for Art & Media Studies) wrote “Re-emergence,” a section of a Christianity Today article addressing James Elkins’ book The Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art. Read the article on christianitytoday.com.

Kristen sandau (nursing) presented a paper in April at the Florida Conference of the International Society for Computerized Electrocardiology.

Marge schaffer (nursing) recently published “A Virtue Ethics Guide to Best Practices for Community-Based Participatory Research” in Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action. Schaffer, in collaboration with Barbara gale ’04, CaPs ’07, also published “Organizational Readiness for Evidence-Based Practice” in the Journal of Nursing Administration. She recently received a Fulbright Specialist Award, which will fund a trip to Oslo for a presentation at an international public health nursing conference and to consult with Diakonova University on the development of a Master’s in Public Health program (see “Wholly Nursing,” p. 16).

Ripley smith (communications) published “The Role of Trust in International Crisis Areas: A Comparison of German and US-American NGO Partnership Strategies” in Organization Trust: A Cultural Perspective. Smith also gave presentations to the Academy of International Research Conference (Honolulu) and the National Communication Association as well as at the Faith and Thought Lecture Series at Northwestern College and the 2008 Religious Communication Pre-Conference.

FACU

lTy A

SiDE

S

SeminaryIn June, the Seminary Alumni Council

and the Office of Alumni and Parent Services presented the 2009 Bethel Seminary Alumnus of the Year Award to Doug Fagerstrom. A 1983 Bethel Seminary alumnus and current president of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, he has served congregations in four different churches in Michigan, Colorado, and Minnesota as a youth pastor, minister of music, single adult pastor, adult ministry pastor, and executive pastor.

He also worked as an adjunct faculty member at three colleges and one seminary, teaching courses in discipleship, education, leadership, church planting, and creative communications. Fagerstrom has trained and/or coached more than

50 church planters since 2000, and was executive director of the Network of Single Adult Leaders for 12 years. He is author, co-author, or editor of 14 publications, and is a frequent keynote speaker and

workshop leader at conferences and retreats, often in partnership with his wife Donna. In presenting the award, retired Bethel Seminary Provost Leland Eliason stated, “We commend you for advancing the gospel and instilling a global vision in the next generation of servant-leaders.”

College of Arts & SciencesWhile visible as First Lady of

Minnesota, it has been Mary Anderson Pawlenty’s quiet life of service that garnered the 2009 Alumna of the Year Award from Bethel’s College of Arts & Sciences during a Homecoming convocation on September 25.

The 1983 political science graduate became an attorney but left a successful partnership to serve for 12 years as a judge in the state’s First Judicial District based in Hastings. “Mary never judged anyone on the basis of why they were in court,” says The Honorable Edward Lynch, Chief Judge of the First Judicial District. “She realized that few people are as good as their best deed, and no one is as bad as their worst.”

Pawlenty balanced her duties on the bench with parenting two daughters and

Throughout Homecoming Weekend, more than 1,500 Bethel alumni took a road trip back to their alma mater, participating in one or more of the many festivities, including Homecoming chapel and the alumni prayer breakfast. Some 800 alumni enjoyed reunion dinners with their class years in the new Monson Dining Center Friday and Saturday night; 80 enjoyed the Royal Stadium Club breakfast Saturday morning; and many

Homecoming: “All Roads lead Home”

serving as First Lady; she also served Bethel University for nine years as a trustee.

In addition to teaching school children about the three branches of government as a guest in elementary schools, today Pawlenty is director of Medical Diplomacy for Children’s HeartLink, a nonprofit organization dedicated to treating and preventing pediatric heart disease in underserved regions of the world. She also has been honored by the National Guard for founding the First Lady’s Military Family Care Initiative, a web-based program designed to unite community organizations with military families to provide simple volunteer services during times of deployment.

“Mary doesn’t offer simple platitudes,” says her former law partner Greg Weyandt. “She is a disciple of [the apostle] St. James: It is important to hear the Word, but she believes you have to do something to help the community—you live the Word.”

AlUmNi OF the YeAR

cheered on the Royals football team to a 29-10 win over Concordia-Moorhead on a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon.

“It was an awesome time for our alumni, staff, and students to celebrate Bethel’s legacy, mission, and future,” says Ralph

Gustafson, vice president for constituent relations. “Alumni laughed, cried, prayed, worshipped, and gave thanks together

as they reflected upon the many ways God has blessed and prospered Bethel.”

See more Homecoming 2009 photos. Paula and Kevin Johnson ’94

6 Fall 2009

8 Fall 2009

CamPus News

9Bethel University

213

My boss exaggerates truths to our superiors, and I’m not even sure she realizes she’s doing it. It makes me uncomfortable, and I can’t always keep up with which “truth” is the current version. I think it’s diminished the level of trust in our office. How should I deal with this issue?

The Catholic priest and early theologian Thomas Aquinas wrote that “jocose” lies or “lies that do no harm” may be permissible, depending upon the circumstances. The Leadership Bible also points out that effectiveness in leadership is driven by what “the followers need.” With these caveats in mind, you have a duty not to confront, but to express to

the boss your concerns regarding how the department may be perceived by colleagues and superiors. You can then discuss ways in which you may be able to help your department improve its communication in the future.

In that meeting and others that may follow, you can learn what “the current version” of the department’s story is, and perhaps clarify and influence the formation of the story itself. In this way, you may be able to help your boss hold more closely to the standard of truth as you see it to be. All of this presupposes that the boss’s messages are not intentional misstatements of hard facts regarding income and expenditures, etc., which, of course, are not only unethical but also illegal! If misrepresentation of facts is the case, then you have no alternative but to consider the role of whistleblower.

David schuelkeSchuelke, who has a Ph.D. in organizational communication from Purdue University, has taught communication and leadership at Bethel for 20 years, first as a visiting professor and then as an adjunct. He teaches graduate courses in conflict management, organizational analysis, and quantitative and qualitative research methods in communication. Schuelke has also served as a part-time mediator for the Minnesota

Bureau of Mediation, and authored or co-authored numerous textbooks and articles on communication and organizational behavior.

Ask a ProfEver wish you had access to the advice of an expert Bethel professor? Now you do. Through Bethel Magazine’s new column, Ask a Prof, you can submit a vexing leadership question that you’ve faced in your church, ministry, or office. We’ll select one that applies to the greatest share of our readers and provide an answer from the appropriate expert.

Here’s a question about an ethical problem at the office. Answering it is David Schuelke, who teaches leadership and communication courses in the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School.

4 Ways to Support BethelThe economy may be down, but the Bethel community’s commitment is high! “Even though everyone has felt the constraints of

the recession, our donors have been generous,” says President Jay Barnes. “Contributions to Bethel exceeded expectations! I am so grateful for those who have stood beside me and Bethel throughout the past year.”

While other institutions suffered a considerable drop, Bethel’s Annual Fund declined 17 percent, ending at $2.5 million—a modest decrease when compared with the fall-off other private institutions have suffered in the past year. Furthermore, total giving, including gifts to the Annual Fund, specific projects, and endowment, exceeded $9.3 million at the close of Bethel’s fiscal year on May 31. This makes 2008-2009 Bethel’s third-highest year in terms of all donor contributions.

“We are grateful for the strong support,” says Bruce Anderson, Bethel’s vice president for development. “We also look forward to inviting alumni, parents, and friends to sustain Bethel’s vital educational mission in the coming year.”

Here are four ways you can help sustain Bethel—financially and otherwise.

Contribute to the annual Fund. Next year’s Annual Fund goal is set for $3.025 million, the level sustained by donors in three of the past four years. Give $1 or give $1,000. Every bit helps, say alumni donors Karen ’74 and Dan ’71 Larson.

“We are excited that Bethel is continuing its commitment to being a Christian institution that not only educates its students with excellence, but also challenges them to personalize their faith and integrate it into their majors and prospective fields,” says Karen. “We appreciate that Bethel’s mission is not just about a four-year liberal arts degree, but training students for life’s real mission and purpose.”

Plan your giving. Designate your retirement plan. Leave a life insurance policy. Make a bequest through your will. Take out an annuity. These are all ways you can help support Bethel and leave a lasting legacy. In the past year, Bethel has acquired nearly $3 million in new planned gifts—new gift agreements and gift plans that often benefit the donor now, but eventually are distributed to Bethel through wills, trusts, or beneficiary designations. “Financial advisors say there may not be a better time than now to think about charitable planned giving,” says Dan Wiersum, associate vice president and director of planned giving. “Many strategies remain viable under the current economic conditions.”

It’s easy to respond to any of these invitations to support Bethel. Simply fill out and return the appropriate panels of the enclosed envelope. Appearing in each Bethel Magazine, this insert will help you refer students, request information about Bethel schools, report alumni news, or give financially to Bethel in a number of ways.

4Pray. Nearly 1,000 people pray regularly for Bethel and its mission in small groups or individually through the National Prayer Initiative (NPI). They believe strongly in the power of prayer and the way it fosters Bethel’s mission to equip and train adventurous Christ-followers. “Prayer is essential for Bethel to be all that God intends it to be. It is a great privilege to pray faithfully together,” says Judy Moseman, NPI coordinator. Each month, NPI participants receive new—and specific—“prayer points” to help focus their intercession.

For more information about NPI, visit bethel.edu/prayer-initiative.

Recruit! Dollars for advertising and marketing are scarce and admissions offices have limited resources to recruit students—especially the best ones. In order for Bethel to reach its enrollment goals, continue becoming a nationally recognized university, and maintain its established tradition of excellence, all hands must be on deck. “The ‘Bethel story’ is a powerful one, and no one knows Bethel better than our alumni,” says Jay Fedje, director of admissions for the College of Arts & Sciences. “Our alumni alliances can provide nearly limitless opportunities for those stories to be told and for the best and brightest students to become familiar with Bethel University.”

Know potential students who should receive information about admission to Bethel? They might be at your church, in your neighborhood, at the local high school, at your family reunion, or even at your kitchen table. Refer them to www.bethel.edu for more information.

Have a question for Bethel’s profs? Email bethel-magazine@bethel.edu.

in PracticeCamie Melton Hanily is one of the 60

students currently enrolled in the Master of Arts in Communication program at Bethel’s Graduate School. She and her classmates are learning the principles of effectively communicating with others—like those Professor David Schuelke cites in his response (left).

Hanily used to be a television reporter, viewing her job as a way to make people’s lives better. “I wanted to help people become more financially wise, more physically fit, more educated about the news of the day,” she explains. Hanily, who resides in Victoria, Minn., now makes a difference as the director of communications for the Eden Prairie, Minn., School District. “The better I can communicate to families, the more connected they are to our schools, which hopefully translates to higher achievement for our students,” she explains.

Hanily has found great support from her cohort. “The Bethel program is three-dimensional,” she explains. “Not only does Bethel give you information, they also support you with this amazing group of fellow students and instructors. I didn’t expect to have new friends—but now I do.”

For more information on the M.A. in Communication, visit gs.bethel.edu/communi.

photo by Scott Streble

9Bethel University

8 Fall 2009

CamPus News

9Bethel University

213

My boss exaggerates truths to our superiors, and I’m not even sure she realizes she’s doing it. It makes me uncomfortable, and I can’t always keep up with which “truth” is the current version. I think it’s diminished the level of trust in our office. How should I deal with this issue?

The Catholic priest and early theologian Thomas Aquinas wrote that “jocose” lies or “lies that do no harm” may be permissible, depending upon the circumstances. The Leadership Bible also points out that effectiveness in leadership is driven by what “the followers need.” With these caveats in mind, you have a duty not to confront, but to express to

the boss your concerns regarding how the department may be perceived by colleagues and superiors. You can then discuss ways in which you may be able to help your department improve its communication in the future.

In that meeting and others that may follow, you can learn what “the current version” of the department’s story is, and perhaps clarify and influence the formation of the story itself. In this way, you may be able to help your boss hold more closely to the standard of truth as you see it to be. All of this presupposes that the boss’s messages are not intentional misstatements of hard facts regarding income and expenditures, etc., which, of course, are not only unethical but also illegal! If misrepresentation of facts is the case, then you have no alternative but to consider the role of whistleblower.

David schuelkeSchuelke, who has a Ph.D. in organizational communication from Purdue University, has taught communication and leadership at Bethel for 20 years, first as a visiting professor and then as an adjunct. He teaches graduate courses in conflict management, organizational analysis, and quantitative and qualitative research methods in communication. Schuelke has also served as a part-time mediator for the Minnesota

Bureau of Mediation, and authored or co-authored numerous textbooks and articles on communication and organizational behavior.

Ask a ProfEver wish you had access to the advice of an expert Bethel professor? Now you do. Through Bethel Magazine’s new column, Ask a Prof, you can submit a vexing leadership question that you’ve faced in your church, ministry, or office. We’ll select one that applies to the greatest share of our readers and provide an answer from the appropriate expert.

Here’s a question about an ethical problem at the office. Answering it is David Schuelke, who teaches leadership and communication courses in the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School.

4 Ways to Support BethelThe economy may be down, but the Bethel community’s commitment is high! “Even though everyone has felt the constraints of

the recession, our donors have been generous,” says President Jay Barnes. “Contributions to Bethel exceeded expectations! I am so grateful for those who have stood beside me and Bethel throughout the past year.”

While other institutions suffered a considerable drop, Bethel’s Annual Fund declined 17 percent, ending at $2.5 million—a modest decrease when compared with the fall-off other private institutions have suffered in the past year. Furthermore, total giving, including gifts to the Annual Fund, specific projects, and endowment, exceeded $9.3 million at the close of Bethel’s fiscal year on May 31. This makes 2008-2009 Bethel’s third-highest year in terms of all donor contributions.

“We are grateful for the strong support,” says Bruce Anderson, Bethel’s vice president for development. “We also look forward to inviting alumni, parents, and friends to sustain Bethel’s vital educational mission in the coming year.”

Here are four ways you can help sustain Bethel—financially and otherwise.

Contribute to the annual Fund. Next year’s Annual Fund goal is set for $3.025 million, the level sustained by donors in three of the past four years. Give $1 or give $1,000. Every bit helps, say alumni donors Karen ’74 and Dan ’71 Larson.

“We are excited that Bethel is continuing its commitment to being a Christian institution that not only educates its students with excellence, but also challenges them to personalize their faith and integrate it into their majors and prospective fields,” says Karen. “We appreciate that Bethel’s mission is not just about a four-year liberal arts degree, but training students for life’s real mission and purpose.”

Plan your giving. Designate your retirement plan. Leave a life insurance policy. Make a bequest through your will. Take out an annuity. These are all ways you can help support Bethel and leave a lasting legacy. In the past year, Bethel has acquired nearly $3 million in new planned gifts—new gift agreements and gift plans that often benefit the donor now, but eventually are distributed to Bethel through wills, trusts, or beneficiary designations. “Financial advisors say there may not be a better time than now to think about charitable planned giving,” says Dan Wiersum, associate vice president and director of planned giving. “Many strategies remain viable under the current economic conditions.”

It’s easy to respond to any of these invitations to support Bethel. Simply fill out and return the appropriate panels of the enclosed envelope. Appearing in each Bethel Magazine, this insert will help you refer students, request information about Bethel schools, report alumni news, or give financially to Bethel in a number of ways.

4Pray. Nearly 1,000 people pray regularly for Bethel and its mission in small groups or individually through the National Prayer Initiative (NPI). They believe strongly in the power of prayer and the way it fosters Bethel’s mission to equip and train adventurous Christ-followers. “Prayer is essential for Bethel to be all that God intends it to be. It is a great privilege to pray faithfully together,” says Judy Moseman, NPI coordinator. Each month, NPI participants receive new—and specific—“prayer points” to help focus their intercession.

For more information about NPI, visit bethel.edu/prayer-initiative.

Recruit! Dollars for advertising and marketing are scarce and admissions offices have limited resources to recruit students—especially the best ones. In order for Bethel to reach its enrollment goals, continue becoming a nationally recognized university, and maintain its established tradition of excellence, all hands must be on deck. “The ‘Bethel story’ is a powerful one, and no one knows Bethel better than our alumni,” says Jay Fedje, director of admissions for the College of Arts & Sciences. “Our alumni alliances can provide nearly limitless opportunities for those stories to be told and for the best and brightest students to become familiar with Bethel University.”

Know potential students who should receive information about admission to Bethel? They might be at your church, in your neighborhood, at the local high school, at your family reunion, or even at your kitchen table. Refer them to www.bethel.edu for more information.

Have a question for Bethel’s profs? Email bethel-magazine@bethel.edu.

in PracticeCamie Melton Hanily is one of the 60

students currently enrolled in the Master of Arts in Communication program at Bethel’s Graduate School. She and her classmates are learning the principles of effectively communicating with others—like those Professor David Schuelke cites in his response (left).

Hanily used to be a television reporter, viewing her job as a way to make people’s lives better. “I wanted to help people become more financially wise, more physically fit, more educated about the news of the day,” she explains. Hanily, who resides in Victoria, Minn., now makes a difference as the director of communications for the Eden Prairie, Minn., School District. “The better I can communicate to families, the more connected they are to our schools, which hopefully translates to higher achievement for our students,” she explains.

Hanily has found great support from her cohort. “The Bethel program is three-dimensional,” she explains. “Not only does Bethel give you information, they also support you with this amazing group of fellow students and instructors. I didn’t expect to have new friends—but now I do.”

For more information on the M.A. in Communication, visit gs.bethel.edu/communi.

photo by Scott Streble

9Bethel University

10 Fall 2009

CamPus News

11Bethel University

Light the candles! The College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School celebrates its 20th birthday and its growing number of learners—currently 2,500.

New Degree for Healthcare Professionals including teamwork, communications, and principles of accounting and budgeting.

“People are often promoted in healthcare regardless of interest or knowledge of management or leadership,” says Pete Erickson, one of the creators of the initiative, explaining the need for such a program. “Maybe they are technicians, first responders, EMTs, or nurses, but they

The College of Adult & Professional Studies/Graduate School now has a B.A. in Healthcare Leadership program, combining course work in organizational leadership and courses specifically designed for the healthcare professional. Drawing from experience in the medical, public health, social services, and insurance industries, students explore leadership specific to the healthcare field,

The first cohort in the Program in Adult College Education begins, serving 31 adult learners with a degree-completion program in Organizational Studies (now Organizational leadership). To date, this major has the highest number of graduates—1,152 and counting.

1989

First off-campus graduate cohort (M.Ed. in Special Education in North Branch, Minn.)

1991

1992

1996

1994

First off-campus undergraduate cohorts in Organizational Studies offered in Austin and Mankato, Minn., and San Diego

M.A. in Counseling Psychology launches

M.A. degrees in Organizational leadership and Communication begin; A.A. degree in General Studies starts

13 adult programs running

2001

2004

2005

2009

M.Ed. in instructional leadership K-12 in the Dominican Republic begins (the farthest face-to-face cohort); Doctor of Education degree program begins with primarily online format

MBA program launches; as of October 2009, this is the largest program with 281 students currently enrolled.

The schools now boast 13 graduate degrees and seven undergraduate degrees, along with numerous licenses and certificates. Classes meet at the Bethel campus and in several Twin Cities metropolitan locations including the new Bloomington site.

CAPS/GS Turns 20

“People loved the wristbands,” says Senior Vice President for Communications and Marketing Sherie Lindvall, noting the supply ran out most days. “It was amazing to see them stop and ponder which value they identified with most,” choosing from Christ-follower, character-builder, truth-seeker, learner, reconciler, salt and light, and world-changer. “Whether they’re people of faith or not,” Lindvall adds, “there seems to be a value with which everyone can resonate.”

About 80 student and staff volunteers kept the booth staffed 12 hours a day for 12 days. The effort was coordinated by student employee Eva Rodelius ’10.

have never been trained in leadership. We need to develop them so they have the tools and skills to succeed.”

Erickson, also one of the program’s lead instructors, has an M.A. in organizational leadership from Bethel and wrote his thesis on training healthcare leaders.

Accredited in San DiegoBethel Seminary San Diego now has the only seminary program in the state of

California with an accredited master’s degree program in Marital and Family Therapy (MFT). With accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, it also becomes one of only four seminary programs in the nation to merit this accreditation. Other accreditations come from the Association of Theological Schools and the regional North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Collectively, these accreditations assure prospective students that their academic and practical training will equip them for success in kingdom service as licensed marriage and family therapists. Started in 1997, the MFT program is expected to draw about 60 students in San Diego this fall.

…it’s What’s for Dinner

Potato-crusted walleye with sautéed leeks, carrots, and red peppers topped with a balsamic honey reduction.

It’s what Bethel’s cook Brian Henning chose to make at the Minnesota State Fair, where he and 15 other Minnesota chefs were featured at a sustainable and local food event. They “created delicious fare with fresh ingredients” all grown by local farmers.

Henning’s food selection was easy. After all, he says, Minnesota is the state of walleye. You can taste some of his other selections in Bethel’s own Monson Dining Center. He’s been part of the Sodexo Dining Service team for seven years.

Fair ValueA record 2009 Minnesota State Fair attendance of more than 1.7 million people

August 27-September 7 made an impact on the Bethel University booth, too. Here are the goods that approximately 25,000 visitors took to learn about and remember Bethel:

22,000 grocery totes

8,000 rulers

6,000 “Who Will You Become?” brochures describing typical Bethel students across all four schools

New Seminary leader

After serving as acting vice president and dean of Bethel Seminary for several months, David Ridder was officially confirmed as such by the Board of Trustees. In this role, Ridder reports to Provost David Clark and parallels the vice presidents and deans of the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School.

“I think of Dave as a persistent, mindful, collaborative leader,” says Clark. “I’m deeply grateful to Dave for his flexible spirit, his understanding of the current world, his commitment to the church, his leadership savvy, and his consistent, godly heart. I feel confident that he is the right person to help lead the seminary during this critical time.”

From 1981 to 2007, Ridder who received his B.A. from Wheaton College, and M.Div. and D.Min. degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, was a pastor. He joined Bethel in 1996 and has served in many different roles: a faculty associate in pastoral theology; dean and executive officer for Bethel Seminary of the East (2000-2002); two stints on the Bethel University Board of Trustees (1997-2000 and 2004-2007); dean of the Center for Transformational Leadership (2007-2008); and dean of Bethel Seminary St. Paul (since 2008).

“It is a privilege to build on the legacy of Leland Eliason who was used by God to put Bethel Seminary on the cutting edge of theological education,” says Ridder. “I covet the prayers of all who love Bethel as we work to discern how best to prepare the next generation of pastors and Christian leaders to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ in a rapidly changing world.”

6,000 “Tell Me More” cards (including 300 filled out and left at the booth, indicating immediate interest)

27,000 wristbands imprinted with one of Bethel’s seven core values

10 Fall 2009

CamPus News

11Bethel University

Light the candles! The College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School celebrates its 20th birthday and its growing number of learners—currently 2,500.

New Degree for Healthcare Professionals including teamwork, communications, and principles of accounting and budgeting.

“People are often promoted in healthcare regardless of interest or knowledge of management or leadership,” says Pete Erickson, one of the creators of the initiative, explaining the need for such a program. “Maybe they are technicians, first responders, EMTs, or nurses, but they

The College of Adult & Professional Studies/Graduate School now has a B.A. in Healthcare Leadership program, combining course work in organizational leadership and courses specifically designed for the healthcare professional. Drawing from experience in the medical, public health, social services, and insurance industries, students explore leadership specific to the healthcare field,

The first cohort in the Program in Adult College Education begins, serving 31 adult learners with a degree-completion program in Organizational Studies (now Organizational leadership). To date, this major has the highest number of graduates—1,152 and counting.

1989

First off-campus graduate cohort (M.Ed. in Special Education in North Branch, Minn.)

1991

1992

1996

1994

First off-campus undergraduate cohorts in Organizational Studies offered in Austin and Mankato, Minn., and San Diego

M.A. in Counseling Psychology launches

M.A. degrees in Organizational leadership and Communication begin; A.A. degree in General Studies starts

13 adult programs running

2001

2004

2005

2009

M.Ed. in instructional leadership K-12 in the Dominican Republic begins (the farthest face-to-face cohort); Doctor of Education degree program begins with primarily online format

MBA program launches; as of October 2009, this is the largest program with 281 students currently enrolled.

The schools now boast 13 graduate degrees and seven undergraduate degrees, along with numerous licenses and certificates. Classes meet at the Bethel campus and in several Twin Cities metropolitan locations including the new Bloomington site.

CAPS/GS Turns 20

“People loved the wristbands,” says Senior Vice President for Communications and Marketing Sherie Lindvall, noting the supply ran out most days. “It was amazing to see them stop and ponder which value they identified with most,” choosing from Christ-follower, character-builder, truth-seeker, learner, reconciler, salt and light, and world-changer. “Whether they’re people of faith or not,” Lindvall adds, “there seems to be a value with which everyone can resonate.”

About 80 student and staff volunteers kept the booth staffed 12 hours a day for 12 days. The effort was coordinated by student employee Eva Rodelius ’10.

have never been trained in leadership. We need to develop them so they have the tools and skills to succeed.”

Erickson, also one of the program’s lead instructors, has an M.A. in organizational leadership from Bethel and wrote his thesis on training healthcare leaders.

Accredited in San DiegoBethel Seminary San Diego now has the only seminary program in the state of

California with an accredited master’s degree program in Marital and Family Therapy (MFT). With accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, it also becomes one of only four seminary programs in the nation to merit this accreditation. Other accreditations come from the Association of Theological Schools and the regional North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Collectively, these accreditations assure prospective students that their academic and practical training will equip them for success in kingdom service as licensed marriage and family therapists. Started in 1997, the MFT program is expected to draw about 60 students in San Diego this fall.

…it’s What’s for Dinner

Potato-crusted walleye with sautéed leeks, carrots, and red peppers topped with a balsamic honey reduction.

It’s what Bethel’s cook Brian Henning chose to make at the Minnesota State Fair, where he and 15 other Minnesota chefs were featured at a sustainable and local food event. They “created delicious fare with fresh ingredients” all grown by local farmers.

Henning’s food selection was easy. After all, he says, Minnesota is the state of walleye. You can taste some of his other selections in Bethel’s own Monson Dining Center. He’s been part of the Sodexo Dining Service team for seven years.

Fair ValueA record 2009 Minnesota State Fair attendance of more than 1.7 million people

August 27-September 7 made an impact on the Bethel University booth, too. Here are the goods that approximately 25,000 visitors took to learn about and remember Bethel:

22,000 grocery totes

8,000 rulers

6,000 “Who Will You Become?” brochures describing typical Bethel students across all four schools

New Seminary leader

After serving as acting vice president and dean of Bethel Seminary for several months, David Ridder was officially confirmed as such by the Board of Trustees. In this role, Ridder reports to Provost David Clark and parallels the vice presidents and deans of the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School.

“I think of Dave as a persistent, mindful, collaborative leader,” says Clark. “I’m deeply grateful to Dave for his flexible spirit, his understanding of the current world, his commitment to the church, his leadership savvy, and his consistent, godly heart. I feel confident that he is the right person to help lead the seminary during this critical time.”

From 1981 to 2007, Ridder who received his B.A. from Wheaton College, and M.Div. and D.Min. degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, was a pastor. He joined Bethel in 1996 and has served in many different roles: a faculty associate in pastoral theology; dean and executive officer for Bethel Seminary of the East (2000-2002); two stints on the Bethel University Board of Trustees (1997-2000 and 2004-2007); dean of the Center for Transformational Leadership (2007-2008); and dean of Bethel Seminary St. Paul (since 2008).

“It is a privilege to build on the legacy of Leland Eliason who was used by God to put Bethel Seminary on the cutting edge of theological education,” says Ridder. “I covet the prayers of all who love Bethel as we work to discern how best to prepare the next generation of pastors and Christian leaders to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ in a rapidly changing world.”

6,000 “Tell Me More” cards (including 300 filled out and left at the booth, indicating immediate interest)

27,000 wristbands imprinted with one of Bethel’s seven core values

12 Fall 2009

CamPus News

13Bethel University

Filtering Water in iraq

They used to drink water contaminated with sewage bacteria, but now some Iraqi high schoolers in Najaf, Iraq, are refreshed with pure H

20, thanks

to several Bethel students. World Challenge, a student

group that promotes missions and biblical justice on Bethel’s campus, raised $1,100 during the 2008-09 school year to donate and install a water filter at the Najaf high school.

“A project like this seemed a very tangible way we students could be involved with the reconciliation process in Iraq,” says Maren Anderson ’09. “For years now, we have seen images of devastation in Iraq, and I think many of us have felt helpless. As Christians, this was an opportunity to take a stance for justice, inter-faith partnership, and living generously.”

The students first learned of the desperate need for water filtration systems in Iraq when the founder of the Muslim Peacemaker Teams came to speak in a reconciliation studies course at Bethel. In response, students raised funds through a Christmas Fair Trade market, during which students sold products either certified as Fair Trade or acquired directly from the producer, and a campaign urging Bethel students and employees to give $1. Muslim Peacemaker Teams installed the filter in May.

“Through projects like this, God is moving students to real transformation—for their lives and for the lives of others in the world. They are not only becoming competent Christ-like activists and scholars, they are living out the biblical mandates to ‘love sacrificially’ and ‘do justice,’” says Associate Campus Pastor Matt Runion, who works with the World Challenge group.

“I think it was a successful project,” explains Bethel senior Elisabeth Geschiere, “not because of any individual student’s efforts, but because of the simple fact that a few more Iraqi students have clean water.”

Support for Tomorrow’s Church leaders

Seven Bethel Seminary students—all in the M.Div. program intending to do pastoral ministry in a local church—were awarded prestigious Kern scholarships.

Sponsored by the Kern Family Foundation of Waukesha, Wis., these students receive full tuition for three years and have opportunities to connect with other Kern scholars across the nation during their seminary careers. Founded in 1998 to improve society’s values, the foundation seeks to equip well-prepared leaders for tomorrow’s churches.

In total, Bethel has 17 Kern scholars with the possibility of up to 12 scholarships added next year. Bethel was originally among more than 200 seminaries nationwide to be considered for a specific, yearly partnership with the Kern foundation, and one of just eight seminaries to be selected.

NeW KeRN SCHOLARSZachary Howland

Megan Percy

Jeremy Lindy

Sarah Anderson

Todd Asper

elyse Levinskas

Seth Ingersoll

To Bloomington and BeyondThe building at 8201 Norman Center Drive, near the intersection of

494 and 100 in Bloomington, Minn., is now Bethel. The College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School have begun offering classes at the 11,000-square foot facility—including seven classrooms and office space—in the latest expansion of Bethel’s adult program.

“We have seen a desire among adult students to use this economic downturn to better prepare themselves for the next steps in their current careers or for new careers altogether,” explains Michael Price, director of admissions for the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School. “They want to improve their experience and resumes in order to weather this and other economic downturns and make them invaluable to employers.”

Runs in the Familythree families, four Bethel generations…

The family of Ole Larson (S ’18)His three children and many of their children attended Bethel, most recently Rick A.

Sturm, who received his M.A. in 2006—a span of 88 years.

The family of Axel Rendahl (S ’12)His two children and many of their children attended Bethel, most recently Aaron

’00 and Tessa Rendahl ’99—a span of 87 years.

The family of Amy Lambert Christenson (’30)Two of her children, seven of her nine

grandchildren, and one of her great-grandchildren have graduated from Bethel. Her great-granddaughter Caitlyn Bettger graduates this year. Her cousin Millard Erickson was dean of Bethel Seminary from 1984 to 1992, and her grandson, Jeff Port, has been a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences since 2001.

Does your family have a deep, long-standing connection to Bethel? Tell us about your clan at bethel-magazine@bethel.edu.

And the Winner is…Thank you to those of you who participated in the recent survey regarding

Bethel University’s new website. Chicago-based design firm mStoner emailed 35,000 prospective students, current students, employees, parents, and alumni and received a record-breaking response rate. Furthermore, the responses provided a clear consensus: Concept No. 2 wins!

Respondents shared that the design and messaging of Concept No. 2 tell people that Bethel is about “the transformation journey” and “community,” among other things.

For more on the survey results, visit redesign.bethel.edu.

Care to Share?Bethel University will have guests

February 8-10, 2010. The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools will send a visiting team to review Bethel’s ability to meet the commission’s accreditation criteria. The College of Arts and Sciences and College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School must undergo the comprehensive evaluation every 10 years. To prepare, the commission is collecting “third-party comments,” comments from the public, regarding Bethel. Care to share? Submit a comment. Comments must: • addresssubstantivemattersrelatedto Bethel’s quality and/or academic programs • beinwritingandsigned• bemailedto:TheHigherLearning Commission, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602, by Jan. 8, 2010 • includeyournameandaddress

Note: Individuals with a specific dispute or grievance with Bethel should request the separate Policy on Complaints document from the Commission office (hlcommission.org). The Higher Learning Commission cannot settle disputes between institutions and individuals, whether those individuals are faculty, students, or others. Complaints will not be considered third-party comment.

12 Fall 2009

CamPus News

13Bethel University

Filtering Water in iraq

They used to drink water contaminated with sewage bacteria, but now some Iraqi high schoolers in Najaf, Iraq, are refreshed with pure H

20, thanks

to several Bethel students. World Challenge, a student

group that promotes missions and biblical justice on Bethel’s campus, raised $1,100 during the 2008-09 school year to donate and install a water filter at the Najaf high school.

“A project like this seemed a very tangible way we students could be involved with the reconciliation process in Iraq,” says Maren Anderson ’09. “For years now, we have seen images of devastation in Iraq, and I think many of us have felt helpless. As Christians, this was an opportunity to take a stance for justice, inter-faith partnership, and living generously.”

The students first learned of the desperate need for water filtration systems in Iraq when the founder of the Muslim Peacemaker Teams came to speak in a reconciliation studies course at Bethel. In response, students raised funds through a Christmas Fair Trade market, during which students sold products either certified as Fair Trade or acquired directly from the producer, and a campaign urging Bethel students and employees to give $1. Muslim Peacemaker Teams installed the filter in May.

“Through projects like this, God is moving students to real transformation—for their lives and for the lives of others in the world. They are not only becoming competent Christ-like activists and scholars, they are living out the biblical mandates to ‘love sacrificially’ and ‘do justice,’” says Associate Campus Pastor Matt Runion, who works with the World Challenge group.

“I think it was a successful project,” explains Bethel senior Elisabeth Geschiere, “not because of any individual student’s efforts, but because of the simple fact that a few more Iraqi students have clean water.”

Support for Tomorrow’s Church leaders

Seven Bethel Seminary students—all in the M.Div. program intending to do pastoral ministry in a local church—were awarded prestigious Kern scholarships.

Sponsored by the Kern Family Foundation of Waukesha, Wis., these students receive full tuition for three years and have opportunities to connect with other Kern scholars across the nation during their seminary careers. Founded in 1998 to improve society’s values, the foundation seeks to equip well-prepared leaders for tomorrow’s churches.

In total, Bethel has 17 Kern scholars with the possibility of up to 12 scholarships added next year. Bethel was originally among more than 200 seminaries nationwide to be considered for a specific, yearly partnership with the Kern foundation, and one of just eight seminaries to be selected.

NeW KeRN SCHOLARSZachary Howland

Megan Percy

Jeremy Lindy

Sarah Anderson

Todd Asper

elyse Levinskas

Seth Ingersoll

To Bloomington and BeyondThe building at 8201 Norman Center Drive, near the intersection of

494 and 100 in Bloomington, Minn., is now Bethel. The College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School have begun offering classes at the 11,000-square foot facility—including seven classrooms and office space—in the latest expansion of Bethel’s adult program.

“We have seen a desire among adult students to use this economic downturn to better prepare themselves for the next steps in their current careers or for new careers altogether,” explains Michael Price, director of admissions for the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School. “They want to improve their experience and resumes in order to weather this and other economic downturns and make them invaluable to employers.”

Runs in the Familythree families, four Bethel generations…

The family of Ole Larson (S ’18)His three children and many of their children attended Bethel, most recently Rick A.

Sturm, who received his M.A. in 2006—a span of 88 years.

The family of Axel Rendahl (S ’12)His two children and many of their children attended Bethel, most recently Aaron

’00 and Tessa Rendahl ’99—a span of 87 years.

The family of Amy Lambert Christenson (’30)Two of her children, seven of her nine

grandchildren, and one of her great-grandchildren have graduated from Bethel. Her great-granddaughter Caitlyn Bettger graduates this year. Her cousin Millard Erickson was dean of Bethel Seminary from 1984 to 1992, and her grandson, Jeff Port, has been a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences since 2001.

Does your family have a deep, long-standing connection to Bethel? Tell us about your clan at bethel-magazine@bethel.edu.

And the Winner is…Thank you to those of you who participated in the recent survey regarding

Bethel University’s new website. Chicago-based design firm mStoner emailed 35,000 prospective students, current students, employees, parents, and alumni and received a record-breaking response rate. Furthermore, the responses provided a clear consensus: Concept No. 2 wins!

Respondents shared that the design and messaging of Concept No. 2 tell people that Bethel is about “the transformation journey” and “community,” among other things.

For more on the survey results, visit redesign.bethel.edu.

Care to Share?Bethel University will have guests

February 8-10, 2010. The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools will send a visiting team to review Bethel’s ability to meet the commission’s accreditation criteria. The College of Arts and Sciences and College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School must undergo the comprehensive evaluation every 10 years. To prepare, the commission is collecting “third-party comments,” comments from the public, regarding Bethel. Care to share? Submit a comment. Comments must: • addresssubstantivemattersrelatedto Bethel’s quality and/or academic programs • beinwritingandsigned• bemailedto:TheHigherLearning Commission, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602, by Jan. 8, 2010 • includeyournameandaddress

Note: Individuals with a specific dispute or grievance with Bethel should request the separate Policy on Complaints document from the Commission office (hlcommission.org). The Higher Learning Commission cannot settle disputes between institutions and individuals, whether those individuals are faculty, students, or others. Complaints will not be considered third-party comment.

14 Fall 2009

sPorts News

15Bethel University

FootballBethel’s football team is off to a 5-2 start

after convincing wins over Concordia-Wisconsin, Carleton, and Concordia Moorhead. Logan Flannery (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) is one of the top rushers in the conference and Reid Velo (Sr., Nashwauk, Minn.) was named to the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team (see below).

SoccerWomen’s

The women’s soccer team continues to set new records for wins and shutouts, and in the first seven games of this season, they scored more goals than all of last season. Brittany Griffore (So., Maple Grove, Minn.) leads the team with 29 points on 11 goals and seven assists.

men’sThe men’s soccer team just finished

their most successful season in the last

five years by going 10-6-2, doubling their win total from last season. They had landmark wins against St. Thomas and Macalester—two teams they hadn’t beaten in a decade or more. Andreas Scott (Jr., Cedar, Minn.) led the team with 26 points on eight goals and 10 assists.

GolfThe men’s team placed sixth at the

MIAC Championship at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids, Minn. Mason Swenson (So., Eagan, Minn.) was Bethel’s top men’s golfer by finishing in eighth place, which earned him All-MIAC honors. He shot a collective 10-over par in the 54-hole tournament. On the women’s side, Paige Lemieux (So., Fargo, N.D.) was Bethel’s best golfer in the conference championship. In just their second full season as a varsity sport, the women’s team continues to bring their cumulative scores down as they increase their competitiveness.

VolleyballBethel’s volleyball team is currently

12-15 after winning five of their last seven matches. Earlier this season, head coach

team PlayerReid Velo was named to the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team. The Royals’ starting wide receiver will graduate in spring 2010 with a psychology major and a philosophy minor. He’s a member of Antioch Way; spent last semester studying in Nicosia, Cyprus; interned at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minn., this past summer; and is currently serving as a resident assistant in Heritage Hall.

“As a sophomore, i traveled with the football team to Canton, Ohio, to play Mount Union in the National Semifinals. it was one of the most enjoyable and influencing events, even though we didn’t win. One thing that stands out in my mind was the way our team interacted with others. Football players have the stereotype of being loud and obnoxious.

But people were amazed at how we as ‘God guys’—as Coach J says—interacted with each other and those around us.

We’re a bunch of brothers who love each other, God, and football. When people notice that, it strikes a chord. Countless times during our trip, i heard people talking about what a special group we were. i observed people light up with smiles and laughter at our humor, and i noticed puzzled faces that showed amazement at our quick response to helping people. living together as the church has a ripple-effect on our surroundings, and it also has the power to drastically transform for good.”

BookmarkedRecently published books by Bethel University’s faculty

Being Present: A Nurse’s Resource for End-of-Life Communicationby Bethel University Professor of Nursing Marjorie Schaffer and end-of-life care expert Linda Norlander(Sigma Theta Tau International)This book offers strategies to help nurses talk with patients and families about their needs, hopes, and wishes as they face their own death or that of a loved one. Each chapter presents a real-life account of nurses dealing with near-death patients and their families and includes the best communication techniques.

Patron Saints for Postmoderns: Ten from the Past Who Speak to Our Futureby Bethel Seminary Associate Professor of Church History Christopher Armstrong(IVP Books)Feeling discouraged in your efforts to reflect Christ each day in our broken world? The saints can help you. Armstrong has chosen Antony of Egypt, Gregory the Great, and Margery Kempe, to name a few, for the ways they’ve inspired and deepened his own faith. “Knowing their stories buoys our own,” says Armstrong, “and observing their steps gives us lived-out action to go with our theology.”

International Advances in Adoption Research for Practiceby Bethel University Professor of Psychology Gretchen Miller Wrobel and University of East Anglia Senior Lecturer Elsbeth Neil (Wiley-Blackwell)Interest in the role of legal adoption as both a child welfare solution and a means of alternative family formation is increasing worldwide; this compilation of 13 papers from a multidisciplinary community of distinguished and emerging adoption researchers shows cross-cultural and international attitudes towards adoption research and outcomes.

For many other books by Bethel faculty, visit the Campus Store at bookstore.bethel.edu and click on “Bethel Authors.”

Armstrong was recently interviewed about this

book on the Los Angeles drive-time KKLA show

by Christian radio host Frank Pastore. Listen to

the interview.

Gretchen Hunt earned her 150th career win—all with the Royals. She is just the second Bethel coach to reach that plateau. The team is led by Nicole Wriedt (So., Pewaukee, Wis.), who has 281 kills.

Cross-countryThe women’s cross-country team has

been ranked as high as 10th in the nation, while the men’s team has been ranked as high as 9th in the region heading into the MIAC Championships. Two-time NCAA All-Americans Marie Borner (Sr., Cottage Grove, Minn.) and Dan Greeno (Sr., St. Michael, Minn.) have earned MIAC Athlete of the Week awards three times, most recently for their finishes at the Brooks Invitational, hosted by UW-Oshkosh.

Visit athletics.bethel.edu to:•WatchRoyalRecap:athree-tofive-minute

Royals sports highlight segment by Sports Information Director Dale eng.

•Getgameschedules.

•Watchwebcasts.

Also, become a Royals Fan on Facebook.

Kelly OttoSr., Plymouth, Minn.

Royals celebrate after 2-1 victory over Macalester

14 Fall 2009

sPorts News

15Bethel University

FootballBethel’s football team is off to a 5-2 start

after convincing wins over Concordia-Wisconsin, Carleton, and Concordia Moorhead. Logan Flannery (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) is one of the top rushers in the conference and Reid Velo (Sr., Nashwauk, Minn.) was named to the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team (see below).

SoccerWomen’s

The women’s soccer team continues to set new records for wins and shutouts, and in the first seven games of this season, they scored more goals than all of last season. Brittany Griffore (So., Maple Grove, Minn.) leads the team with 29 points on 11 goals and seven assists.

men’sThe men’s soccer team just finished

their most successful season in the last

five years by going 10-6-2, doubling their win total from last season. They had landmark wins against St. Thomas and Macalester—two teams they hadn’t beaten in a decade or more. Andreas Scott (Jr., Cedar, Minn.) led the team with 26 points on eight goals and 10 assists.

GolfThe men’s team placed sixth at the

MIAC Championship at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids, Minn. Mason Swenson (So., Eagan, Minn.) was Bethel’s top men’s golfer by finishing in eighth place, which earned him All-MIAC honors. He shot a collective 10-over par in the 54-hole tournament. On the women’s side, Paige Lemieux (So., Fargo, N.D.) was Bethel’s best golfer in the conference championship. In just their second full season as a varsity sport, the women’s team continues to bring their cumulative scores down as they increase their competitiveness.

VolleyballBethel’s volleyball team is currently

12-15 after winning five of their last seven matches. Earlier this season, head coach

team PlayerReid Velo was named to the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team. The Royals’ starting wide receiver will graduate in spring 2010 with a psychology major and a philosophy minor. He’s a member of Antioch Way; spent last semester studying in Nicosia, Cyprus; interned at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minn., this past summer; and is currently serving as a resident assistant in Heritage Hall.

“As a sophomore, i traveled with the football team to Canton, Ohio, to play Mount Union in the National Semifinals. it was one of the most enjoyable and influencing events, even though we didn’t win. One thing that stands out in my mind was the way our team interacted with others. Football players have the stereotype of being loud and obnoxious.

But people were amazed at how we as ‘God guys’—as Coach J says—interacted with each other and those around us.

We’re a bunch of brothers who love each other, God, and football. When people notice that, it strikes a chord. Countless times during our trip, i heard people talking about what a special group we were. i observed people light up with smiles and laughter at our humor, and i noticed puzzled faces that showed amazement at our quick response to helping people. living together as the church has a ripple-effect on our surroundings, and it also has the power to drastically transform for good.”

BookmarkedRecently published books by Bethel University’s faculty

Being Present: A Nurse’s Resource for End-of-Life Communicationby Bethel University Professor of Nursing Marjorie Schaffer and end-of-life care expert Linda Norlander(Sigma Theta Tau International)This book offers strategies to help nurses talk with patients and families about their needs, hopes, and wishes as they face their own death or that of a loved one. Each chapter presents a real-life account of nurses dealing with near-death patients and their families and includes the best communication techniques.

Patron Saints for Postmoderns: Ten from the Past Who Speak to Our Futureby Bethel Seminary Associate Professor of Church History Christopher Armstrong(IVP Books)Feeling discouraged in your efforts to reflect Christ each day in our broken world? The saints can help you. Armstrong has chosen Antony of Egypt, Gregory the Great, and Margery Kempe, to name a few, for the ways they’ve inspired and deepened his own faith. “Knowing their stories buoys our own,” says Armstrong, “and observing their steps gives us lived-out action to go with our theology.”

International Advances in Adoption Research for Practiceby Bethel University Professor of Psychology Gretchen Miller Wrobel and University of East Anglia Senior Lecturer Elsbeth Neil (Wiley-Blackwell)Interest in the role of legal adoption as both a child welfare solution and a means of alternative family formation is increasing worldwide; this compilation of 13 papers from a multidisciplinary community of distinguished and emerging adoption researchers shows cross-cultural and international attitudes towards adoption research and outcomes.

For many other books by Bethel faculty, visit the Campus Store at bookstore.bethel.edu and click on “Bethel Authors.”

Armstrong was recently interviewed about this

book on the Los Angeles drive-time KKLA show

by Christian radio host Frank Pastore. Listen to

the interview.

Gretchen Hunt earned her 150th career win—all with the Royals. She is just the second Bethel coach to reach that plateau. The team is led by Nicole Wriedt (So., Pewaukee, Wis.), who has 281 kills.

Cross-countryThe women’s cross-country team has

been ranked as high as 10th in the nation, while the men’s team has been ranked as high as 9th in the region heading into the MIAC Championships. Two-time NCAA All-Americans Marie Borner (Sr., Cottage Grove, Minn.) and Dan Greeno (Sr., St. Michael, Minn.) have earned MIAC Athlete of the Week awards three times, most recently for their finishes at the Brooks Invitational, hosted by UW-Oshkosh.

Visit athletics.bethel.edu to:•WatchRoyalRecap:athree-tofive-minute

Royals sports highlight segment by Sports Information Director Dale eng.

•Getgameschedules.

•Watchwebcasts.

Also, become a Royals Fan on Facebook.

Kelly OttoSr., Plymouth, Minn.

Royals celebrate after 2-1 victory over Macalester

16 Fall 2009 17Bethel University

In sixth grade, Rachel Matz’s classmate was diagnosed with cancer. Matz spent a lot of time with her friend during the treatments and quickly learned that a “good” or “bad” nurse could make or break her friend’s day.

This relational aspect of providing care—and its impact on patients—is one of the main reasons Matz decided to pursue nursing. “As a nurse, you can do so much,” she explains. “Not just physically, but socially and spiritually. It’s holistic care. It’s the whole package.”

Now a senior wanting to go into missionary nursing, Matz is one of the 160 students learning how to blend healthcare and ministry in Bethel’s fast-growing pre-licensure undergraduate nursing program.

expanding Space With 2.5 million jobs, registered nurses constitute the largest

healthcare occupation in the United States. And 587,000 new jobs are projected over the 2006-16 period, one of the largest numbers among all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Perhaps this is one reason why more than one-seventh of Bethel’s undergrad population is in the nursing program.

Accommodating the growth in student enrollment, 39 percent over the past five years, the undergraduate nursing program at Bethel looks much different now than it did just two semesters ago, when it borrowed computer space from the library and tore down a wall between two faculty offices for a simulation lab. This fall, you’ll find nursing students taking blood pressure and other vital signs in what used to be the Dining Center (below).

During the summer, the recently vacated dining area was reconstructed and now includes a classroom for up to 45 students; a computer lab; two general purpose labs that can be used for teaching, practicing, and testing; rooms for video-recording student performance; and three high-tech simulation labs. One of these labs is set up as an acute care environment, while the others simulate community, pediatric, obstetric, or psychiatric care settings.

“We’re also purchasing new patient simulators,” says Sandy Peterson, chair of the nursing department. “‘Noel’ and ‘Baby Hal’ will allow us to simulate maternal-child clinical experiences.”

Peterson was hired in 1981 to help develop the pre-licensure program, now accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing. She oversees the department’s faculty members—now more than 20 full-time and 18 part-time.

Changing Curriculum But more than facilities are changing. In a major curriculum

shift, nursing majors will begin specific nursing classes during the spring of their sophomore year, rather than fall of their junior year, as in the past. This affords nursing students five semesters in which to complete their necessary course work, instead of just four. In addition to increasing the length of the program, the number of students admitted has been intentionally and incrementally expanded from a maximum of 63 to 90 per year. “Interest has been ever-increasing, and we got to the point where we were unable to admit qualified Bethel students,” explains Peterson.

Senior Chris Luedeman started in the program last fall. Previously a construction worker, the healthcare field never crossed his mind until freshman biology class. “I knew I liked science, and I really wanted to do something to help people,” he explains. So, he gave nursing a try and hasn’t looked back. “My love for nursing has increased exponentially,” he says. “The profession’s values, beliefs, and actions align so completely with what I’m called to do as a Christ follower.”

As a male nurse, he is an anomaly. Less than 10 percent of Bethel’s nursing students are male, but Peterson says the

by Heather Johnsonphotos by Scott Streble

Who

lly

Bethel’s fast-growing nursing program teaches students to care for patients physically, socially, and spiritually—both here and abroad.

nursing

16 Fall 2009 17Bethel University

In sixth grade, Rachel Matz’s classmate was diagnosed with cancer. Matz spent a lot of time with her friend during the treatments and quickly learned that a “good” or “bad” nurse could make or break her friend’s day.

This relational aspect of providing care—and its impact on patients—is one of the main reasons Matz decided to pursue nursing. “As a nurse, you can do so much,” she explains. “Not just physically, but socially and spiritually. It’s holistic care. It’s the whole package.”

Now a senior wanting to go into missionary nursing, Matz is one of the 160 students learning how to blend healthcare and ministry in Bethel’s fast-growing pre-licensure undergraduate nursing program.

expanding Space With 2.5 million jobs, registered nurses constitute the largest

healthcare occupation in the United States. And 587,000 new jobs are projected over the 2006-16 period, one of the largest numbers among all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Perhaps this is one reason why more than one-seventh of Bethel’s undergrad population is in the nursing program.

Accommodating the growth in student enrollment, 39 percent over the past five years, the undergraduate nursing program at Bethel looks much different now than it did just two semesters ago, when it borrowed computer space from the library and tore down a wall between two faculty offices for a simulation lab. This fall, you’ll find nursing students taking blood pressure and other vital signs in what used to be the Dining Center (below).

During the summer, the recently vacated dining area was reconstructed and now includes a classroom for up to 45 students; a computer lab; two general purpose labs that can be used for teaching, practicing, and testing; rooms for video-recording student performance; and three high-tech simulation labs. One of these labs is set up as an acute care environment, while the others simulate community, pediatric, obstetric, or psychiatric care settings.

“We’re also purchasing new patient simulators,” says Sandy Peterson, chair of the nursing department. “‘Noel’ and ‘Baby Hal’ will allow us to simulate maternal-child clinical experiences.”

Peterson was hired in 1981 to help develop the pre-licensure program, now accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing. She oversees the department’s faculty members—now more than 20 full-time and 18 part-time.

Changing Curriculum But more than facilities are changing. In a major curriculum

shift, nursing majors will begin specific nursing classes during the spring of their sophomore year, rather than fall of their junior year, as in the past. This affords nursing students five semesters in which to complete their necessary course work, instead of just four. In addition to increasing the length of the program, the number of students admitted has been intentionally and incrementally expanded from a maximum of 63 to 90 per year. “Interest has been ever-increasing, and we got to the point where we were unable to admit qualified Bethel students,” explains Peterson.

Senior Chris Luedeman started in the program last fall. Previously a construction worker, the healthcare field never crossed his mind until freshman biology class. “I knew I liked science, and I really wanted to do something to help people,” he explains. So, he gave nursing a try and hasn’t looked back. “My love for nursing has increased exponentially,” he says. “The profession’s values, beliefs, and actions align so completely with what I’m called to do as a Christ follower.”

As a male nurse, he is an anomaly. Less than 10 percent of Bethel’s nursing students are male, but Peterson says the

by Heather Johnsonphotos by Scott Streble

Who

lly

Bethel’s fast-growing nursing program teaches students to care for patients physically, socially, and spiritually—both here and abroad.

nursing

18 Fall 2009 19Bethel University

Available from the College of Adult & Professional Studies:

a BaCHElOR OF sCIEnCE In nuRsIngIn the average hospital today, about 60 percent of nurses have only two-year associate’s degrees, and 40 percent have four-

year bachelor’s degrees. Increasingly, hospitals want to transpose those ratios, explains Diane Dahl, director of the nursing program in the College of Adult & Professional Studies. “A lot of nurses are coming back to school,” she says, “because they’re feeling the pressure of that situation.”

Indeed, enrollment in the degree-completion program has remained steady despite the stressed economy. Currently, about 160 students in eight cohorts are working towards their bachelor’s degrees. These in-career nurses take their courses at night and will usually finish within two years. And they’re motivated to finish. In fact, the program’s completion rate has held fast at a high 97 percent since the adult B.S. program was introduced in 1990.

These cohorts make up a uniquely diverse corner of Bethel because they often include non-Christians, such as Muslims from African countries. “When I interview them prior to enrollment, I’m very open about what we do here at Bethel,” says Dahl. “We have people who believe in different types of gods. We respect that, but we continue to teach from our Christian faith perspective.” In addition to word of mouth in immigrant communities, Bethel’s partnership with Uganda Christian University (see p. 19) has given a cross-cultural reputation to the program, says Dahl. “We care outside of the walls of this school.”

Other adult students are nominal Christians, but come to Bethel to be reintroduced to their faith and receive an education within a Christian community. “We have people who say ‘we have really moved away from God and our beliefs. We hope being at Bethel will help us reconnect,’” Dahl observes. “And I think ‘wow, what a great opportunity!’”

Available from the Graduate School:

a MasTER OF aRTs In nuRsIng (with concentrations in Nursing and Healthcare leadership and Nursing Education)

Many practicing nurses with a bachelor’s degree want to take their careers to the next level—to enhance the profession in some way. Bethel serves these nurses through an advanced degree in the Graduate School. Some 60

nursing students are working toward master’s degrees—either to become nurse administrators or educators. These distinct goals are served through concentrations in nursing and healthcare leadership, or in nursing education. In 2011,

the nursing department hopes to add a Doctor of Nursing Practice option. Like the degree-completion program, the graduate program draws some who are curious about spiritual issues. “Maybe they’re not totally in agreement with where Bethel is coming from, but they’re certainly open to looking at the

Christian worldview,” explains Pam Friesen, director of the graduate program, who’s been at Bethel since 1985. At Bethel they can see and participate in a Christian community, and the reality of what that’s all about.”

The biblical basis of the Bethel program has also created a reputation for patient-centered nursing—an approach that is resurgent in the healthcare marketplace. “With the increase of

technology in the nursing profession, we can tend to stray from the care and compassion that characterizes good nursing,”

says Friesen. “That’s the difference between a Bethel grad and a grad from somewhere else.”

From Nurses to Better Nurses Bethel’s nursing program does more than educate new nurses for basic licensure. Other degree options within the university

are designed to qualify nurses already in the profession.Some 220 adult students are completing their bachelor of science degree in nursing in the College of Adult & Professional

Studies or their M.A. in Nursing from the Graduate School. Together, these two schools for working adults provide outreach in Christ’s name during times of significant life transition. Many nurses employed in hospitals and clinics across the Twin Cities choose Bethel for its Christ-centered curriculum; others receive a refresher course in the Christian faith or are introduced to a Christian community for the first time.

department’s three male professors provide great opportunities for peer mentoring and guidance. And Luedeman hasn’t minded the ratio.

“One time I was the only guy in class, and a girl leaned over and told me I was pretty lucky,” Luedeman jokes. “But I tell my friends that I get to go to school every day with so many amazing women, many of whom I’m blessed to have as friends.”

Perhaps the biggest curriculum change for the undergraduate nursing program is its focus. “We looked at our mission statement and decided to more closely look at patients caught in the gaps of healthcare,” explains Professor Diane Dahl. “We wanted to focus more on social justice issues from a biblical perspective.” At Bethel for 11 years, Dahl is director of the nursing degree-completion program in the College of Adult & Professional Studies, and also teaches in the traditional undergraduate program.

The curriculum now has a much stronger emphasis on community engagement. Teams of five nursing students will work with diverse, and often underserved, populations at nonprofit agencies, in addition to spending time in acute care settings focused on specialties such as medical, surgical, pediatrics, maternal, and psychiatric/mental health. “Their degree of involvement and their ability to understand at a deeper level what nurses can contribute to a community-based health program will be intensified,” says Peterson.

All of this is distinguishing Bethel’s nursing program from others, believes Vice President and Dean Deb Harless. “One concrete measure of this program’s excellence is seen in the rates at which graduates pass the nursing licensure exam,” she says. “We’ve consistently been above 90 percent—several times at 98 percent.”

Beyond CampusAn emphasis on social justice nursing means working abroad.

Another addition to the curriculum is the opportunity for students to study nursing overseas alongside a Bethel faculty member during the fall semester of their senior year. This past summer, Matz spent 10 weeks with her Bethel roommate and fellow nursing student Katrina Anderson, caring for patients at a hospital in Indonesia. “It was really challenging to see the poverty. We were in the middle of a jungle, miles from the nearest city, and I learned how to function and spread God’s love,” she says.

The patients she cared for often believed in witch doctors and called on tribal spirits for healing. “Sometimes you couldn’t tell if the problem was physical or spiritual,” she explains. “They’d come for physical care, and while we were working with them, they’d be very attentive and listen to what we said.”

Bethel’s nursing professors encourage such cross-cultural experiences. “Nursing is a global enterprise. We can learn so much from others,” says Peterson. To that end, Bethel was selected for a partnership with Diakonova University College in Oslo, through which faculty members will collaborate to conduct research in sub-specialties such as community health, end-of-life health, and parish nursing. This partnership, also funded by the Norwegian government, grew out of the efforts of Fulbright Scholar Marge Schaffer, a Bethel nursing professor since 1984. She also recently received a Fulbright Specialist Award and will present at an international public health nursing conference, as well as consult with Diakonova University on developing a master’s in public health program there.

Bethel has also partnered with Uganda Christian University (UCU) since 2005, thanks to nursing professor Karen Drake and the Fulbright Scholar Program. She explored the partnership opportunities with UCU; spent an academic year teaching in the school’s nursing baccalaureate degree-completion program; and is now coordinating the creation of Uganda’s only master’s of nursing program. This January will mark the fourth year that a group of Bethel senior nursing students have studied cultural diversity and healthcare in Uganda during interim. And as Bethel heads to Uganda in January, seven UCU master’s students will travel to Minnesota for several months. They will be preceptored by Bethel faculty members and engage in clinical experiences alongside Bethel students.

Alum Heidi Bredemeier ’08 studied at UCU for a semester during her time at Bethel. Although she is currently a triage phone nurse for family practice doctors at Fairview Clinic in Columbia Heights, Minn., she would like to get her degree in nursing education through Bethel’s graduate nursing program and return to UCU. “I still keep in touch with some of my Bethel professors, meeting them for coffee or lunch,” Bredemeier says. “We talk about nursing, Uganda, and my faith, and how they can all intertwine together to serve God.”

Indeed, Bethel’s experienced and committed nursing faculty is one of the program’s strongest attributes. “I appreciate the academic push that they are not afraid to press upon us,” says Luedeman. “Sometimes I’d rather not have to stay up studying, but I know they care deeply about us and the people we care for. So they’ll provide us with the best training possible.”

Matz agrees. “The [nursing] faculty is the number one reason the department is so great,” she says. “They’re so interested in knowing you personally but also working on ways to share God and bring Jesus into your ministry—in the U.S. and abroad.” BU

18 Fall 2009

See more nursing department photos.

18 Fall 2009 19Bethel University

Available from the College of Adult & Professional Studies:

a BaCHElOR OF sCIEnCE In nuRsIngIn the average hospital today, about 60 percent of nurses have only two-year associate’s degrees, and 40 percent have four-

year bachelor’s degrees. Increasingly, hospitals want to transpose those ratios, explains Diane Dahl, director of the nursing program in the College of Adult & Professional Studies. “A lot of nurses are coming back to school,” she says, “because they’re feeling the pressure of that situation.”

Indeed, enrollment in the degree-completion program has remained steady despite the stressed economy. Currently, about 160 students in eight cohorts are working towards their bachelor’s degrees. These in-career nurses take their courses at night and will usually finish within two years. And they’re motivated to finish. In fact, the program’s completion rate has held fast at a high 97 percent since the adult B.S. program was introduced in 1990.

These cohorts make up a uniquely diverse corner of Bethel because they often include non-Christians, such as Muslims from African countries. “When I interview them prior to enrollment, I’m very open about what we do here at Bethel,” says Dahl. “We have people who believe in different types of gods. We respect that, but we continue to teach from our Christian faith perspective.” In addition to word of mouth in immigrant communities, Bethel’s partnership with Uganda Christian University (see p. 19) has given a cross-cultural reputation to the program, says Dahl. “We care outside of the walls of this school.”

Other adult students are nominal Christians, but come to Bethel to be reintroduced to their faith and receive an education within a Christian community. “We have people who say ‘we have really moved away from God and our beliefs. We hope being at Bethel will help us reconnect,’” Dahl observes. “And I think ‘wow, what a great opportunity!’”

Available from the Graduate School:

a MasTER OF aRTs In nuRsIng (with concentrations in Nursing and Healthcare leadership and Nursing Education)

Many practicing nurses with a bachelor’s degree want to take their careers to the next level—to enhance the profession in some way. Bethel serves these nurses through an advanced degree in the Graduate School. Some 60

nursing students are working toward master’s degrees—either to become nurse administrators or educators. These distinct goals are served through concentrations in nursing and healthcare leadership, or in nursing education. In 2011,

the nursing department hopes to add a Doctor of Nursing Practice option. Like the degree-completion program, the graduate program draws some who are curious about spiritual issues. “Maybe they’re not totally in agreement with where Bethel is coming from, but they’re certainly open to looking at the

Christian worldview,” explains Pam Friesen, director of the graduate program, who’s been at Bethel since 1985. At Bethel they can see and participate in a Christian community, and the reality of what that’s all about.”

The biblical basis of the Bethel program has also created a reputation for patient-centered nursing—an approach that is resurgent in the healthcare marketplace. “With the increase of

technology in the nursing profession, we can tend to stray from the care and compassion that characterizes good nursing,”

says Friesen. “That’s the difference between a Bethel grad and a grad from somewhere else.”

From Nurses to Better Nurses Bethel’s nursing program does more than educate new nurses for basic licensure. Other degree options within the university

are designed to qualify nurses already in the profession.Some 220 adult students are completing their bachelor of science degree in nursing in the College of Adult & Professional

Studies or their M.A. in Nursing from the Graduate School. Together, these two schools for working adults provide outreach in Christ’s name during times of significant life transition. Many nurses employed in hospitals and clinics across the Twin Cities choose Bethel for its Christ-centered curriculum; others receive a refresher course in the Christian faith or are introduced to a Christian community for the first time.

department’s three male professors provide great opportunities for peer mentoring and guidance. And Luedeman hasn’t minded the ratio.

“One time I was the only guy in class, and a girl leaned over and told me I was pretty lucky,” Luedeman jokes. “But I tell my friends that I get to go to school every day with so many amazing women, many of whom I’m blessed to have as friends.”

Perhaps the biggest curriculum change for the undergraduate nursing program is its focus. “We looked at our mission statement and decided to more closely look at patients caught in the gaps of healthcare,” explains Professor Diane Dahl. “We wanted to focus more on social justice issues from a biblical perspective.” At Bethel for 11 years, Dahl is director of the nursing degree-completion program in the College of Adult & Professional Studies, and also teaches in the traditional undergraduate program.

The curriculum now has a much stronger emphasis on community engagement. Teams of five nursing students will work with diverse, and often underserved, populations at nonprofit agencies, in addition to spending time in acute care settings focused on specialties such as medical, surgical, pediatrics, maternal, and psychiatric/mental health. “Their degree of involvement and their ability to understand at a deeper level what nurses can contribute to a community-based health program will be intensified,” says Peterson.

All of this is distinguishing Bethel’s nursing program from others, believes Vice President and Dean Deb Harless. “One concrete measure of this program’s excellence is seen in the rates at which graduates pass the nursing licensure exam,” she says. “We’ve consistently been above 90 percent—several times at 98 percent.”

Beyond CampusAn emphasis on social justice nursing means working abroad.

Another addition to the curriculum is the opportunity for students to study nursing overseas alongside a Bethel faculty member during the fall semester of their senior year. This past summer, Matz spent 10 weeks with her Bethel roommate and fellow nursing student Katrina Anderson, caring for patients at a hospital in Indonesia. “It was really challenging to see the poverty. We were in the middle of a jungle, miles from the nearest city, and I learned how to function and spread God’s love,” she says.

The patients she cared for often believed in witch doctors and called on tribal spirits for healing. “Sometimes you couldn’t tell if the problem was physical or spiritual,” she explains. “They’d come for physical care, and while we were working with them, they’d be very attentive and listen to what we said.”

Bethel’s nursing professors encourage such cross-cultural experiences. “Nursing is a global enterprise. We can learn so much from others,” says Peterson. To that end, Bethel was selected for a partnership with Diakonova University College in Oslo, through which faculty members will collaborate to conduct research in sub-specialties such as community health, end-of-life health, and parish nursing. This partnership, also funded by the Norwegian government, grew out of the efforts of Fulbright Scholar Marge Schaffer, a Bethel nursing professor since 1984. She also recently received a Fulbright Specialist Award and will present at an international public health nursing conference, as well as consult with Diakonova University on developing a master’s in public health program there.

Bethel has also partnered with Uganda Christian University (UCU) since 2005, thanks to nursing professor Karen Drake and the Fulbright Scholar Program. She explored the partnership opportunities with UCU; spent an academic year teaching in the school’s nursing baccalaureate degree-completion program; and is now coordinating the creation of Uganda’s only master’s of nursing program. This January will mark the fourth year that a group of Bethel senior nursing students have studied cultural diversity and healthcare in Uganda during interim. And as Bethel heads to Uganda in January, seven UCU master’s students will travel to Minnesota for several months. They will be preceptored by Bethel faculty members and engage in clinical experiences alongside Bethel students.

Alum Heidi Bredemeier ’08 studied at UCU for a semester during her time at Bethel. Although she is currently a triage phone nurse for family practice doctors at Fairview Clinic in Columbia Heights, Minn., she would like to get her degree in nursing education through Bethel’s graduate nursing program and return to UCU. “I still keep in touch with some of my Bethel professors, meeting them for coffee or lunch,” Bredemeier says. “We talk about nursing, Uganda, and my faith, and how they can all intertwine together to serve God.”

Indeed, Bethel’s experienced and committed nursing faculty is one of the program’s strongest attributes. “I appreciate the academic push that they are not afraid to press upon us,” says Luedeman. “Sometimes I’d rather not have to stay up studying, but I know they care deeply about us and the people we care for. So they’ll provide us with the best training possible.”

Matz agrees. “The [nursing] faculty is the number one reason the department is so great,” she says. “They’re so interested in knowing you personally but also working on ways to share God and bring Jesus into your ministry—in the U.S. and abroad.” BU

18 Fall 2009

See more nursing department photos.

20 Fall 2009 21Bethel University

Wonder…transformation…CallingA Bethel University education starts with wonder and ends

with calling. And in between, transformation happens.A community awed by the Triune God is the seedbed of a

Bethel education. We’re Christ-followers, deeply committed to Scripture. We celebrate the evangel—the Good News: through Jesus and by the Spirit, God planted his kingdom in our broken world. And by God’s grace, through our faith, God invites each of us to join that kingdom, to receive redemption for our past

and equipping for our future. Our passion to live and share this Good News shapes Bethel, as does a passion to serve God’s kingdom. This service goes far beyond jumping on the latest trend in social activism. We hope all Bethel grads—not just pastors or missionaries—will respond to divine “calling.” They live out their callings in elementary school principal’s offices, in remote

A look at Bethel’s first value and what it means to be evangelical

WeBSTeR AND WIKIPeDIA ARe NOT GOING TO CUT IT. in fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a sharp, concise definition of the word “evangelical” among members of the same evangelical church, let alone the experts. For the past 60 years, it’s a term that has served as shorthand for born-again or Bible-believing, or to describe someone more open-minded than a fundamentalist—or some combination of all three definitions.

But what does it mean now? And what does it mean at Bethel University? After all, the term is part of Bethel’s core values: “We are Christ-followers—orthodox, conversionist, and evangelical, rooted in the authority of Scripture.”

Bethel Magazine went to its own experts for some answers. David Clark, new provost and former seminary professor, shares his vision for an evangelical pietistic university in the 21st century, and how it can transform students for a lifetime. And Professors Phyllis Alsdurf, Chris Armstrong, and Bernard Walker, representing the three Bethel schools, converse on the meaning of the word “evangelical,” its role in politics, postmodernism, and what they’re seeing at Bethel in the younger generation.

Christ-followers...

for a 21st-Century Evangelical UniversityBy David Clark

Vision

D|i|s|s|e|c|t|e|d

the Word DefinedRooted in the Greek “eu” and “angelion” meaning good news, the term “evangelical” first surfaced when Martin

Luther differentiated himself and his movement from the Catholic church during the Reformation in the 1500s. The

doctrines of these first Protestants included justification by faith, a high view of Scripture, and the priesthood of

believers—all of which are still important to evangelicalism today.

Then, during the 17th century, the term became associated with the revivalist movement, led by John Wesley, George

Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards, among others. In preaching, these theologians emphasized evangelism and social

activism, which laid the groundwork for Baptists, Methodists, and many other denominations.

In the later 1800s, institutions like Wheaton College and Moody Bible Institute were founded

with missions committed to evangelical Christianity. Along came the National Association of

Evangelicals in the 1940s and Billy Graham in the 1950s, collectively responding to the anti-

intellectual fundamentalism of the time. It’s this response that’s often referred to as the evangelical movement. In

fact, in a 1982 [Newsweek] article titled “The Split-Up Evangelicals,” historian Martin Marty said that an evangelical

was anyone who followed Graham.

Now, some 70 years later…

Chris Armstrong: The British scholar David Bebbington [professor of history at the University of Stirling, Scotland] gave a famous quadrilateral definition of evangelicalism in his 1989 study. First, [evangelicals emphasize] conversionism, a focus on the conversion experience. Second, biblicism: a particular regard for the Bible. Third, crucicentrism: a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. And lastly, activism—whatever’s in people’s hearts, they just got to go out and tell somebody and do something about it. And this,

We ar

e

continued on p.22

Editors: Scott Streble S’02, Heather Johnson, Holly Donato ’78

20 Fall 2009 21Bethel University

20 Fall 2009 21Bethel University

Wonder…transformation…CallingA Bethel University education starts with wonder and ends

with calling. And in between, transformation happens.A community awed by the Triune God is the seedbed of a

Bethel education. We’re Christ-followers, deeply committed to Scripture. We celebrate the evangel—the Good News: through Jesus and by the Spirit, God planted his kingdom in our broken world. And by God’s grace, through our faith, God invites each of us to join that kingdom, to receive redemption for our past

and equipping for our future. Our passion to live and share this Good News shapes Bethel, as does a passion to serve God’s kingdom. This service goes far beyond jumping on the latest trend in social activism. We hope all Bethel grads—not just pastors or missionaries—will respond to divine “calling.” They live out their callings in elementary school principal’s offices, in remote

A look at Bethel’s first value and what it means to be evangelical

WeBSTeR AND WIKIPeDIA ARe NOT GOING TO CUT IT. in fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a sharp, concise definition of the word “evangelical” among members of the same evangelical church, let alone the experts. For the past 60 years, it’s a term that has served as shorthand for born-again or Bible-believing, or to describe someone more open-minded than a fundamentalist—or some combination of all three definitions.

But what does it mean now? And what does it mean at Bethel University? After all, the term is part of Bethel’s core values: “We are Christ-followers—orthodox, conversionist, and evangelical, rooted in the authority of Scripture.”

Bethel Magazine went to its own experts for some answers. David Clark, new provost and former seminary professor, shares his vision for an evangelical pietistic university in the 21st century, and how it can transform students for a lifetime. And Professors Phyllis Alsdurf, Chris Armstrong, and Bernard Walker, representing the three Bethel schools, converse on the meaning of the word “evangelical,” its role in politics, postmodernism, and what they’re seeing at Bethel in the younger generation.

Christ-followers...

for a 21st-Century Evangelical UniversityBy David Clark

Vision

D|i|s|s|e|c|t|e|d

the Word DefinedRooted in the Greek “eu” and “angelion” meaning good news, the term “evangelical” first surfaced when Martin

Luther differentiated himself and his movement from the Catholic church during the Reformation in the 1500s. The

doctrines of these first Protestants included justification by faith, a high view of Scripture, and the priesthood of

believers—all of which are still important to evangelicalism today.

Then, during the 17th century, the term became associated with the revivalist movement, led by John Wesley, George

Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards, among others. In preaching, these theologians emphasized evangelism and social

activism, which laid the groundwork for Baptists, Methodists, and many other denominations.

In the later 1800s, institutions like Wheaton College and Moody Bible Institute were founded

with missions committed to evangelical Christianity. Along came the National Association of

Evangelicals in the 1940s and Billy Graham in the 1950s, collectively responding to the anti-

intellectual fundamentalism of the time. It’s this response that’s often referred to as the evangelical movement. In

fact, in a 1982 [Newsweek] article titled “The Split-Up Evangelicals,” historian Martin Marty said that an evangelical

was anyone who followed Graham.

Now, some 70 years later…

Chris Armstrong: The British scholar David Bebbington [professor of history at the University of Stirling, Scotland] gave a famous quadrilateral definition of evangelicalism in his 1989 study. First, [evangelicals emphasize] conversionism, a focus on the conversion experience. Second, biblicism: a particular regard for the Bible. Third, crucicentrism: a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. And lastly, activism—whatever’s in people’s hearts, they just got to go out and tell somebody and do something about it. And this,

We ar

e

continued on p.22

Editors: Scott Streble S’02, Heather Johnson, Holly Donato ’78

20 Fall 2009 21Bethel University

22 Fall 2009 23Bethel University

I think, is a pretty good definition still today.David Neff, current editor of Christianity Today, asks whether

we’re losing ground on conversionism, biblicism, cross-centeredness, because we’re so concerned with being in the culture for evangelistic purposes and dialogue purposes. Are we becoming increasingly of the culture? I think that’s a very important question.

Phyllis Alsdurf: The very first editorial in Christianity Today magazine talked about evangelicals as this poor, despised group outside the cultural mainstream. They were subjected to prejudice, misunderstood. Does that apply to evangelicals today? Many people in mainstream culture today would say that [they are] the ones who are misunderstood, [not evangelicals]. [Secularists fear] evangelicals are this army, this force, so the dynamics have changed—the definition has changed.

There are lots of ways to define it, but my point is that [the definition of evangelicalism is] a moving target and it’s changing. It’s a living entity in a sense—Christian faith should be! The evangelical movement is moving, and it’s difficult to put boundaries on it. But I do believe there is a center.

Voting Blocs BlurredIt’s a fact that Hispanics—the United States’ largest minority

group—are the fastest-growing population within evangelicalism.

Although 68 percent of the Hispanic population is Roman Catholic, 15

percent of the nation’s nearly 15 million Hispanics identify themselves

as born-again or evangelical Christians. It’s also a fact that Hispanics

as a people group do not vote Republican. In the 2008 presidential

African AIDS clinics, in Fortune 500 boardrooms, and in obscure mission outposts.

Something subtle and mysterious saturates a Bethel education. A transforming recipe of classroom study, modeling and mentoring, international study, outside-the-classroom experiences, and interpersonal dialogues produces multi-layered results: it nurtures sharp, inquisitive minds; develops mature, selfless character; fosters self-aware cultural maturity; and cultivates robust, storm-hardy faith.

As a university, we do tenaciously safeguard the life of the mind against multiple temptations to compromise. We do aspire to academic excellence. Still, God created persons, not computers. God designed people who love, think, relate, work, and worship. This means faculty members are person developers, not just information dispensers. This requires unique faculty members. Why? Because we teach what we know, but we

reproduce who we are.Our vision is to become the university of choice for more

and more learners who seek evangelical, whole-person, transformative education—to honor and serve the Lord by becoming everything God has for them cognitively, relationally, culturally, and spiritually.

Conceptual depthOur goal for college, adult, and seminary graduates is bigger

than job training. An educated person is broadly aware of the world and deeply informed in her specialty. But beyond gaining information, educated persons hone conceptual skills. They develop skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, conceptual analysis, synthetic integration, and mature evaluation. They acquire intellectual virtues: they love truth, treat evidence

with integrity, remain open to new data, and willingly hear fair criticism. These go beyond preparation for a job: they sustain alums for a lifetime.

Personal strength We hope Bethel alums develop personal virtues. Moral

choices coagulate into habits; habits, in turn, solidify into virtues. It’s right and good to pursue virtues like love, justice, humility, patience, courage, kindness, and joy. In addition, we hope graduates grow emotional intelligence. The soil of

healthy relationships fertilizes emotional growth. A healthy educational community creates multiple pathways for students to experience emotionally mature relationships with caring persons who both support and challenge them. For students who lack healthy relational instincts and suffer from deeper struggles, we offer more direct assistance even though a university is not a therapist’s practice. Still, great education seeks whole-person transformation so that graduates become persons of strength.

Phyllis Alsdurf is director of the Johnson Center for Journalism and Communication and an associate professor of English in the College of Arts & Sciences. Her dissertation research was on the role of Christianity Today magazine in the development of modern evangelicalism. Sharing worship with her young adult daughter, she attends Substance Church in Fridley, Minn.

Chris Armstrong teaches church history at Bethel Seminary. He has been managing editor of Christian History & Biography and continues to write for that publication as well as for Christianity Today, Leadership Journal, and www.christianhistory.net. His doctoral research focused on the 19th-century holiness movement. Armstrong attends Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minn., and has recently written a “group biography” titled Patron Saints for Postmoderns (IVP, 2009).

Bernard Walker teaches philosophy and ethics in the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School. His philosophical interest in the evangelical movement is aimed at separating “what is the work of the Spirit from the work of human tradition” through a process of dialogue among the movement’s diverse voices. His home congregation is Church of All Nations in St. Anthony, Minn.

election, Hispanics voted Democrat over Republican by a margin of

more than two-to-one, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

So, although the media may portray otherwise, evangelicalism is

theologically conservative, but this does not neatly parallel with political

conservatism. There’s no question though that the term has found itself

more and more in the speeches of political leaders and the headlines

of political pieces…

CA: We have a media image of evangelicals as being about theocracy [a nation ruled by God through priests], and we do have a few extreme conservative evangelicals. But I think there’s still a deep-rooted stance of personal liberty and individualism, even among those Falwell-type contemporary fundamentalists. So I’m not sure if I buy that kind of stereotype of evangelicals. Certainly we want morality legislated in some sense, but theocracy? Are we really going that far?

Bernard Walker: While the fundamentalist end of the movement may embrace history—theological history—it in some sense ignores history on most other matters. So you look at, say, the civil rights movement in this country back in the 1950s, Christianity Today published very few articles about that particular issue, which was very pivotal in our country. So evangelicalism as a whole did not engage the world in terms of the historical issues of the black community.

For Bible-believing, African-American Christians, there’s a tendency, for obvious reasons, to be more progressive socially and thus embrace the [political] liberalism of the Democratic Party; whereas with white evangelical churches, the tendency is

continued on p.24

cont

inued

from

p.2

1

“our vision is to become the university of choice for more and more learners

who seek evangelical, whole-person, transformative education.”

phot

os b

y Sco

tt St

rebl

e

22 Fall 2009 23Bethel University

22 Fall 2009 23Bethel University

I think, is a pretty good definition still today.David Neff, current editor of Christianity Today, asks whether

we’re losing ground on conversionism, biblicism, cross-centeredness, because we’re so concerned with being in the culture for evangelistic purposes and dialogue purposes. Are we becoming increasingly of the culture? I think that’s a very important question.

Phyllis Alsdurf: The very first editorial in Christianity Today magazine talked about evangelicals as this poor, despised group outside the cultural mainstream. They were subjected to prejudice, misunderstood. Does that apply to evangelicals today? Many people in mainstream culture today would say that [they are] the ones who are misunderstood, [not evangelicals]. [Secularists fear] evangelicals are this army, this force, so the dynamics have changed—the definition has changed.

There are lots of ways to define it, but my point is that [the definition of evangelicalism is] a moving target and it’s changing. It’s a living entity in a sense—Christian faith should be! The evangelical movement is moving, and it’s difficult to put boundaries on it. But I do believe there is a center.

Voting Blocs BlurredIt’s a fact that Hispanics—the United States’ largest minority

group—are the fastest-growing population within evangelicalism.

Although 68 percent of the Hispanic population is Roman Catholic, 15

percent of the nation’s nearly 15 million Hispanics identify themselves

as born-again or evangelical Christians. It’s also a fact that Hispanics

as a people group do not vote Republican. In the 2008 presidential

African AIDS clinics, in Fortune 500 boardrooms, and in obscure mission outposts.

Something subtle and mysterious saturates a Bethel education. A transforming recipe of classroom study, modeling and mentoring, international study, outside-the-classroom experiences, and interpersonal dialogues produces multi-layered results: it nurtures sharp, inquisitive minds; develops mature, selfless character; fosters self-aware cultural maturity; and cultivates robust, storm-hardy faith.

As a university, we do tenaciously safeguard the life of the mind against multiple temptations to compromise. We do aspire to academic excellence. Still, God created persons, not computers. God designed people who love, think, relate, work, and worship. This means faculty members are person developers, not just information dispensers. This requires unique faculty members. Why? Because we teach what we know, but we

reproduce who we are.Our vision is to become the university of choice for more

and more learners who seek evangelical, whole-person, transformative education—to honor and serve the Lord by becoming everything God has for them cognitively, relationally, culturally, and spiritually.

Conceptual depthOur goal for college, adult, and seminary graduates is bigger

than job training. An educated person is broadly aware of the world and deeply informed in her specialty. But beyond gaining information, educated persons hone conceptual skills. They develop skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, conceptual analysis, synthetic integration, and mature evaluation. They acquire intellectual virtues: they love truth, treat evidence

with integrity, remain open to new data, and willingly hear fair criticism. These go beyond preparation for a job: they sustain alums for a lifetime.

Personal strength We hope Bethel alums develop personal virtues. Moral

choices coagulate into habits; habits, in turn, solidify into virtues. It’s right and good to pursue virtues like love, justice, humility, patience, courage, kindness, and joy. In addition, we hope graduates grow emotional intelligence. The soil of

healthy relationships fertilizes emotional growth. A healthy educational community creates multiple pathways for students to experience emotionally mature relationships with caring persons who both support and challenge them. For students who lack healthy relational instincts and suffer from deeper struggles, we offer more direct assistance even though a university is not a therapist’s practice. Still, great education seeks whole-person transformation so that graduates become persons of strength.

Phyllis Alsdurf is director of the Johnson Center for Journalism and Communication and an associate professor of English in the College of Arts & Sciences. Her dissertation research was on the role of Christianity Today magazine in the development of modern evangelicalism. Sharing worship with her young adult daughter, she attends Substance Church in Fridley, Minn.

Chris Armstrong teaches church history at Bethel Seminary. He has been managing editor of Christian History & Biography and continues to write for that publication as well as for Christianity Today, Leadership Journal, and www.christianhistory.net. His doctoral research focused on the 19th-century holiness movement. Armstrong attends Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minn., and has recently written a “group biography” titled Patron Saints for Postmoderns (IVP, 2009).

Bernard Walker teaches philosophy and ethics in the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School. His philosophical interest in the evangelical movement is aimed at separating “what is the work of the Spirit from the work of human tradition” through a process of dialogue among the movement’s diverse voices. His home congregation is Church of All Nations in St. Anthony, Minn.

election, Hispanics voted Democrat over Republican by a margin of

more than two-to-one, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

So, although the media may portray otherwise, evangelicalism is

theologically conservative, but this does not neatly parallel with political

conservatism. There’s no question though that the term has found itself

more and more in the speeches of political leaders and the headlines

of political pieces…

CA: We have a media image of evangelicals as being about theocracy [a nation ruled by God through priests], and we do have a few extreme conservative evangelicals. But I think there’s still a deep-rooted stance of personal liberty and individualism, even among those Falwell-type contemporary fundamentalists. So I’m not sure if I buy that kind of stereotype of evangelicals. Certainly we want morality legislated in some sense, but theocracy? Are we really going that far?

Bernard Walker: While the fundamentalist end of the movement may embrace history—theological history—it in some sense ignores history on most other matters. So you look at, say, the civil rights movement in this country back in the 1950s, Christianity Today published very few articles about that particular issue, which was very pivotal in our country. So evangelicalism as a whole did not engage the world in terms of the historical issues of the black community.

For Bible-believing, African-American Christians, there’s a tendency, for obvious reasons, to be more progressive socially and thus embrace the [political] liberalism of the Democratic Party; whereas with white evangelical churches, the tendency is

continued on p.24

cont

inued

from

p.2

1

“our vision is to become the university of choice for more and more learners

who seek evangelical, whole-person, transformative education.”

phot

os b

y Sco

tt St

rebl

e

22 Fall 2009 23Bethel University

24 Fall 2009 25Bethel University

to be socially conservative and embrace the Republican Party. Contrary to popular thought, the normative political party for Christians is not the Republican Party. But this talk or what’s normative may be changing with younger evangelicals. Critically reflecting on the issues should cause evangelicals to avoid taking party lines in the name of Christ. Our focus should be on justice, not political parties.

Postmodernism Played OutModernism was a period of thinking that sought absolutes—in

science, religion, and philosophy. Following on its heels came

postmodernism in the late 20th and early 21st century; postmodern

thinkers reject universal, absolute truths and don’t believe anyone can

know anything “for sure.”

The word “postmodern” is often used to describe art, literature,

architecture—and yes, evangelicalism. It’s a slippery adjective, and

when brought into the Christian faith, often aligned with the Emergent

Church. Emerging churches, it is said, strive to better understand the

postmodern culture—and all its shifts—in order to make Christianity

more relevant for younger generations.

PA: One of the things I sometimes do with students is [to] ask them to write down some slang expressions they use. Part of it is to poke fun at me and show how out of it I am! But one word

hungering for God at BethelBethel University’s mission has not wavered since the school was

originally founded as a seminary for Swedish immigrants in 1871.

“Boldly informed and motivated by the Christian faith, Bethel

University educates and energizes men and women for excellence in

leadership, scholarship, and service. The school prepares graduates

to serve in strategic capacities to renew minds, live out biblical truth,

transform culture, and advance the gospel.”

During the 2009-2010 academic year, Bethel will strive to do this for

its 2,827 young people—mostly between the ages of 18 and 24—enrolled

in the College of Arts & Science, as well as the 1,543 learners in the

College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School and the

1,101 students in the Seminary. The evangelicalism of these future leaders,

pastors, and teachers may look different than yours…

CA: In 2000, Robert Webber put out his book The Younger Evangelicals, which discerns three distinct phases within evangelicalism. The first one he calls “traditional,” which was much more doctrinally focused. The second he labels “pragmatic,” in which a concern for numbers and seeker sensitivity predominated—the Christian contemporary music movement, everything in the world having a parallel in evangelicalism, trying to look like the surrounding culture so we can get a bigger piece of the demographic pie. But even in 2000, Webber began discerning a third movement within evangelicalism. This is a movement of younger evangelicals who are tired of the apologetic arguments of the traditionalists and the big shopping-mall-like churches and rock-concert worship

that comes up is “whatever.” I talk about how “whatever” was not an expression when I was growing up. Everything mattered. Expressions can be an outlook on the world, and is “whatever” the one we want to express? I think that “whatever” has really infused our theology: “This is true for me, but maybe not for you. Whatever.”

BW: Our culture says there’s no truth with a capital T on most things, unless, of course, it deals with science. So for issues of values, ethics, and religion, our culture says “of course you can’t use truth with a capital T.” You have this younger generation that says, “We can’t even discuss those issues because we don’t have access to how things really are even when the issue is about the historicity of Jesus and his resurrection.” I find this amazing at best and absurd at worst! Sure, much of what we believe is a reflection of our culture. This goes without saying. But we tread on troubled waters when we embrace postmodernism unreflectively.

We do have individuals, though, who are saying, “If we cannot resolve certain theoretical issues or form a consensus in the Body, at least we can definitely get out there and change the world for Christ. We share a common goal, and that is to affect people’s lives to bring the kingdom to earth.” As those in the black church once would say to their white brothers and sisters during Jim Crow days, “Look, [heaven] may be promised to me by-and-by, but I got about 80 years before that happens, so in the meantime I need to change some things here now.”

Cultural agilityOur passionate desire is that graduates understand both

their own cultural heritage and others’ cultural traditions. In today’s world, they need cross-cultural skills: readiness to listen, willingness to learn, and humility to compromise. We hope they learn mature self-criticism, not fixating on their own culture’s strengths or others’ shortcomings. Cultural agility requires insight into how social structures benefit some groups and hurt others. When cultural factors lead to social injustice, those with

cont

inued

from

p.2

3 cultural agility follow Christ’s teaching to work sacrificially for social transformation that promotes others’ well-being.

Spiritual passionWe pray that graduates develop mature faith in Jesus Christ.

For younger students, this includes letting go of parents’ faith and owning their faith. Graduates allow trust in Christ to guide and motivate every aspect of life. A relationship with God interacts with relationships with others. So a healthy

services of the pragmatists. People in this phase, said Webber, are trying to reconnect with stuff that’s distinctively Christian. They want to go back into Christian history and tradition and at least cherry-pick some aspects of what makes Christianity distinctive. Stained glass may be okay now; it’s okay to light candles. Maybe there’s some value to those traditional symbols because they train us and allow us to be more fully Christian. To me, if that’s true, then it at least allays some of my concern. I think maybe there’s some movement away from a relativistic outlook to, maybe, a revivalistic outlook—but a new revivalism that draws from our spiritual heritage.

PA: A place like Bethel is so important. It’s such a privilege to have influence with this generation and to help students struggle through some of these issues. I think of a student who is in South Africa as we speak, and she’s there as someone with a very alive, concrete, centered faith. She’s trying to understand herself as a future journalist and an advocate for the poor. How does she live that out? I find many examples of this approach among this generation. Students may come in with a pretty thin theological veneer, but then as faculty members, we have the challenge and privilege to push them to dig deeper into what separates plain activism from an activism motivated by a deeply held evangelical faith. So, I would just say the fact that a place like Bethel is thriving in the postmodern world tells me there’s still a hunger for something more—a hunger for rootedness you’re not going to find in other kinds of institutions. I think there will always be this hunger, because of the power of God working in the world and that the core of our evangelical faith will be preserved. BU

“We trust students will grow in their intimate love for God. this both honors God

and promotes effective, lifelong service to Christ’s kingdom.”

relationship with God promotes healing of damaged human relational patterns. This healing in turn reinforces deeper intimacy with the Father. The person who rightly relates to God can enter human relationships, including work relationships, with greater strength. So, we trust students will grow in their intimate love for God. This both honors God and promotes effective, lifelong service to Christ’s kingdom.

The magic of a Bethel education is integrating worship and calling, mind and heart, for all learners. Evangelical faith—personal trust in the Triune God whose kingdom has come—grounds this education. As it soaks in the marinade of faith, a Bethel education gains natural strength, conceptual shape, tactical purposes, and ultimate meanings. Harvard and Oxford can’t do what Bethel does. Our passion for Bethel University is to be the best in the world at doing what God asks of us, through divine grace and strength. That’s our truest measure of excellence. BU

“We share a common goal, and that is to affect people’s lives to bring the kingdom to earth.”Bernard Walker

24 Fall 2009 25Bethel University

24 Fall 2009 25Bethel University

to be socially conservative and embrace the Republican Party. Contrary to popular thought, the normative political party for Christians is not the Republican Party. But this talk or what’s normative may be changing with younger evangelicals. Critically reflecting on the issues should cause evangelicals to avoid taking party lines in the name of Christ. Our focus should be on justice, not political parties.

Postmodernism Played OutModernism was a period of thinking that sought absolutes—in

science, religion, and philosophy. Following on its heels came

postmodernism in the late 20th and early 21st century; postmodern

thinkers reject universal, absolute truths and don’t believe anyone can

know anything “for sure.”

The word “postmodern” is often used to describe art, literature,

architecture—and yes, evangelicalism. It’s a slippery adjective, and

when brought into the Christian faith, often aligned with the Emergent

Church. Emerging churches, it is said, strive to better understand the

postmodern culture—and all its shifts—in order to make Christianity

more relevant for younger generations.

PA: One of the things I sometimes do with students is [to] ask them to write down some slang expressions they use. Part of it is to poke fun at me and show how out of it I am! But one word

hungering for God at BethelBethel University’s mission has not wavered since the school was

originally founded as a seminary for Swedish immigrants in 1871.

“Boldly informed and motivated by the Christian faith, Bethel

University educates and energizes men and women for excellence in

leadership, scholarship, and service. The school prepares graduates

to serve in strategic capacities to renew minds, live out biblical truth,

transform culture, and advance the gospel.”

During the 2009-2010 academic year, Bethel will strive to do this for

its 2,827 young people—mostly between the ages of 18 and 24—enrolled

in the College of Arts & Science, as well as the 1,543 learners in the

College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School and the

1,101 students in the Seminary. The evangelicalism of these future leaders,

pastors, and teachers may look different than yours…

CA: In 2000, Robert Webber put out his book The Younger Evangelicals, which discerns three distinct phases within evangelicalism. The first one he calls “traditional,” which was much more doctrinally focused. The second he labels “pragmatic,” in which a concern for numbers and seeker sensitivity predominated—the Christian contemporary music movement, everything in the world having a parallel in evangelicalism, trying to look like the surrounding culture so we can get a bigger piece of the demographic pie. But even in 2000, Webber began discerning a third movement within evangelicalism. This is a movement of younger evangelicals who are tired of the apologetic arguments of the traditionalists and the big shopping-mall-like churches and rock-concert worship

that comes up is “whatever.” I talk about how “whatever” was not an expression when I was growing up. Everything mattered. Expressions can be an outlook on the world, and is “whatever” the one we want to express? I think that “whatever” has really infused our theology: “This is true for me, but maybe not for you. Whatever.”

BW: Our culture says there’s no truth with a capital T on most things, unless, of course, it deals with science. So for issues of values, ethics, and religion, our culture says “of course you can’t use truth with a capital T.” You have this younger generation that says, “We can’t even discuss those issues because we don’t have access to how things really are even when the issue is about the historicity of Jesus and his resurrection.” I find this amazing at best and absurd at worst! Sure, much of what we believe is a reflection of our culture. This goes without saying. But we tread on troubled waters when we embrace postmodernism unreflectively.

We do have individuals, though, who are saying, “If we cannot resolve certain theoretical issues or form a consensus in the Body, at least we can definitely get out there and change the world for Christ. We share a common goal, and that is to affect people’s lives to bring the kingdom to earth.” As those in the black church once would say to their white brothers and sisters during Jim Crow days, “Look, [heaven] may be promised to me by-and-by, but I got about 80 years before that happens, so in the meantime I need to change some things here now.”

Cultural agilityOur passionate desire is that graduates understand both

their own cultural heritage and others’ cultural traditions. In today’s world, they need cross-cultural skills: readiness to listen, willingness to learn, and humility to compromise. We hope they learn mature self-criticism, not fixating on their own culture’s strengths or others’ shortcomings. Cultural agility requires insight into how social structures benefit some groups and hurt others. When cultural factors lead to social injustice, those with

cont

inued

from

p.2

3 cultural agility follow Christ’s teaching to work sacrificially for social transformation that promotes others’ well-being.

Spiritual passionWe pray that graduates develop mature faith in Jesus Christ.

For younger students, this includes letting go of parents’ faith and owning their faith. Graduates allow trust in Christ to guide and motivate every aspect of life. A relationship with God interacts with relationships with others. So a healthy

services of the pragmatists. People in this phase, said Webber, are trying to reconnect with stuff that’s distinctively Christian. They want to go back into Christian history and tradition and at least cherry-pick some aspects of what makes Christianity distinctive. Stained glass may be okay now; it’s okay to light candles. Maybe there’s some value to those traditional symbols because they train us and allow us to be more fully Christian. To me, if that’s true, then it at least allays some of my concern. I think maybe there’s some movement away from a relativistic outlook to, maybe, a revivalistic outlook—but a new revivalism that draws from our spiritual heritage.

PA: A place like Bethel is so important. It’s such a privilege to have influence with this generation and to help students struggle through some of these issues. I think of a student who is in South Africa as we speak, and she’s there as someone with a very alive, concrete, centered faith. She’s trying to understand herself as a future journalist and an advocate for the poor. How does she live that out? I find many examples of this approach among this generation. Students may come in with a pretty thin theological veneer, but then as faculty members, we have the challenge and privilege to push them to dig deeper into what separates plain activism from an activism motivated by a deeply held evangelical faith. So, I would just say the fact that a place like Bethel is thriving in the postmodern world tells me there’s still a hunger for something more—a hunger for rootedness you’re not going to find in other kinds of institutions. I think there will always be this hunger, because of the power of God working in the world and that the core of our evangelical faith will be preserved. BU

“We trust students will grow in their intimate love for God. this both honors God

and promotes effective, lifelong service to Christ’s kingdom.”

relationship with God promotes healing of damaged human relational patterns. This healing in turn reinforces deeper intimacy with the Father. The person who rightly relates to God can enter human relationships, including work relationships, with greater strength. So, we trust students will grow in their intimate love for God. This both honors God and promotes effective, lifelong service to Christ’s kingdom.

The magic of a Bethel education is integrating worship and calling, mind and heart, for all learners. Evangelical faith—personal trust in the Triune God whose kingdom has come—grounds this education. As it soaks in the marinade of faith, a Bethel education gains natural strength, conceptual shape, tactical purposes, and ultimate meanings. Harvard and Oxford can’t do what Bethel does. Our passion for Bethel University is to be the best in the world at doing what God asks of us, through divine grace and strength. That’s our truest measure of excellence. BU

“We share a common goal, and that is to affect people’s lives to bring the kingdom to earth.”Bernard Walker

24 Fall 2009 25Bethel University

26 Fall 2009 27Bethel University

Place Meant By Heather Johnson

WHERE DOES JAy BARNES GET HiS WORK DONE? NOT WHERE yOU MiGHT ExPECT. yes, it’s in ClC 234, the Office of the President, where administrative assistants Carolyn Barr and lois Jacobs warmly greet you and offer chocolate as you wait. But when you’re invited down the hallway through the door into an expansive space overlooking a vista of lake Valentine with leather seating and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, you won’t always find Jay. Where there once was an executive desk, now there’s a long conference table—a place for group discussion.

So where’s the president? To your left. A door opens to a small, inner sanctum. There he is, tapping on the keyboard of his PC at a modest workstation, where priorities are set and tough decisions made.

What can we learn about Bethel’s chief executive from the artifacts on his desk and walls? He and Barb share the meaning and inspiration behind a few of the items—some from his 14 years at Bethel, others from long before.

1 Model of a tugboat. This most unassuming of ships has always been Jay’s favorite—perhaps from reading Scuffy the Tugboat as a child. Now, the tugboat reminds Jay of the kind of leader he strives to be—coming alongside people in quiet ways to help them achieve their potential. Jay bought the model at a store in Maine that sells items made by inmates in the Maine State Prison system.

2 a shepherd figurine. Carved of wood, this figure carrying a sheep was a gift from the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School in gratitude for Jay’s gentle, decisive leadership as provost when the fast-growing adult program was between deans in the late 1990s.

3 Drawings of the prophets Daniel, Ezekiel, and Isaiah. For more than three decades, these portraits have hung in Jay’s various offices, reminding him to follow God’s call—even when there’s a sacrificial price to be paid.

4 a chrome bulldog hood ornament for a Mack truck, engraved with Jay’s grandfather’s name, James H. Barnes Sr., who sold axles to the semi manufacturer. it represents Jay’s love for heritage and his deep respect for family: “i’ve always been glad i carry my grandpa’s and dad’s name. They were outspoken Christians, businessmen actively involved in the life of the church.”

5 The book How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins, one of Jay’s current reads. He often reads books on effective leadership: “i don’t want to take the passion God has given me for top-quality, life-transforming Christian higher education, or our rank as an institution, and make that the most important thing. if it’s not about life change at the bottom, then i need to recalibrate my internal compass.”

6 The Expanded Bible is the work of three scholars, including two of Bethel’s own: Daniel Taylor, English professor in the College of Arts & Sciences; and Mark Strauss, New Testament professor at Bethel Seminary San Diego. This edition openly cites the challenges and complexities involved in translating some biblical texts into modern English. Jay’s quick review? “it’s like reading multiple translations at one time, with study helps thrown in for good measure.”

7 Bookend replicas of The Man at the Wheel sculpture, a prominent memorial to the fishermen of Gloucester, Mass., where Jay’s grandparents had a summer cottage. Erected in 1923 on the 300th anniversary of the town (also featured in the George Clooney film The Perfect Storm), the sculpture is inscribed with part of Psalm 107: “They that go down to sea in ships.”

8 Family photo. Married since 1971, Jay and Barb have three adult children, Rebecca, James, and Mark, and eight grandchildren. Grandson Max spoke at Jay’s inauguration, remembering time together at Deerfoot lodge in the Adirondacks of upstate New york.

9 a yellow hard hat, worn by former Dean Virgil Olson during frequent visits to construction sites on the “new” Arden Hills campus in the early 1970s. Two other hard hats nearby are from Mortenson Construction, builder of the most recent campus addition, Brushaber Commons.

10 Purell hand sanitizer. A president’s good friend!11 a large hand-thrown vase created by Bethel’s pre-eminent ceramics artist,

Professor Kirk Freeman. He and Jay used it as an illustration of Ephesians 2:10 when they spoke together in chapel two years ago.

1

3

2

4

6 5

7

9

8

10

11

26 Fall 2009 27Bethel University

26 Fall 2009 27Bethel University

Place Meant By Heather Johnson

WHERE DOES JAy BARNES GET HiS WORK DONE? NOT WHERE yOU MiGHT ExPECT. yes, it’s in ClC 234, the Office of the President, where administrative assistants Carolyn Barr and lois Jacobs warmly greet you and offer chocolate as you wait. But when you’re invited down the hallway through the door into an expansive space overlooking a vista of lake Valentine with leather seating and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, you won’t always find Jay. Where there once was an executive desk, now there’s a long conference table—a place for group discussion.

So where’s the president? To your left. A door opens to a small, inner sanctum. There he is, tapping on the keyboard of his PC at a modest workstation, where priorities are set and tough decisions made.

What can we learn about Bethel’s chief executive from the artifacts on his desk and walls? He and Barb share the meaning and inspiration behind a few of the items—some from his 14 years at Bethel, others from long before.

1 Model of a tugboat. This most unassuming of ships has always been Jay’s favorite—perhaps from reading Scuffy the Tugboat as a child. Now, the tugboat reminds Jay of the kind of leader he strives to be—coming alongside people in quiet ways to help them achieve their potential. Jay bought the model at a store in Maine that sells items made by inmates in the Maine State Prison system.

2 a shepherd figurine. Carved of wood, this figure carrying a sheep was a gift from the College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School in gratitude for Jay’s gentle, decisive leadership as provost when the fast-growing adult program was between deans in the late 1990s.

3 Drawings of the prophets Daniel, Ezekiel, and Isaiah. For more than three decades, these portraits have hung in Jay’s various offices, reminding him to follow God’s call—even when there’s a sacrificial price to be paid.

4 a chrome bulldog hood ornament for a Mack truck, engraved with Jay’s grandfather’s name, James H. Barnes Sr., who sold axles to the semi manufacturer. it represents Jay’s love for heritage and his deep respect for family: “i’ve always been glad i carry my grandpa’s and dad’s name. They were outspoken Christians, businessmen actively involved in the life of the church.”

5 The book How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins, one of Jay’s current reads. He often reads books on effective leadership: “i don’t want to take the passion God has given me for top-quality, life-transforming Christian higher education, or our rank as an institution, and make that the most important thing. if it’s not about life change at the bottom, then i need to recalibrate my internal compass.”

6 The Expanded Bible is the work of three scholars, including two of Bethel’s own: Daniel Taylor, English professor in the College of Arts & Sciences; and Mark Strauss, New Testament professor at Bethel Seminary San Diego. This edition openly cites the challenges and complexities involved in translating some biblical texts into modern English. Jay’s quick review? “it’s like reading multiple translations at one time, with study helps thrown in for good measure.”

7 Bookend replicas of The Man at the Wheel sculpture, a prominent memorial to the fishermen of Gloucester, Mass., where Jay’s grandparents had a summer cottage. Erected in 1923 on the 300th anniversary of the town (also featured in the George Clooney film The Perfect Storm), the sculpture is inscribed with part of Psalm 107: “They that go down to sea in ships.”

8 Family photo. Married since 1971, Jay and Barb have three adult children, Rebecca, James, and Mark, and eight grandchildren. Grandson Max spoke at Jay’s inauguration, remembering time together at Deerfoot lodge in the Adirondacks of upstate New york.

9 a yellow hard hat, worn by former Dean Virgil Olson during frequent visits to construction sites on the “new” Arden Hills campus in the early 1970s. Two other hard hats nearby are from Mortenson Construction, builder of the most recent campus addition, Brushaber Commons.

10 Purell hand sanitizer. A president’s good friend!11 a large hand-thrown vase created by Bethel’s pre-eminent ceramics artist,

Professor Kirk Freeman. He and Jay used it as an illustration of Ephesians 2:10 when they spoke together in chapel two years ago.

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9

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26 Fall 2009 27Bethel University

28 Fall 2009 29Bethel University

meritFor a growing number of National Merit students, the answer

is Bethel University. Enrollment in 2008-09 included 18 National Merit scholars, with four more enrolling this fall. With all the opportunities available to them, why did these students choose Bethel? Their reasons are as diverse as the scholars themselves.

A CLeAR CHOICeSince 1955, the National Merit Scholarship program has

served as an academic competition providing recognition and scholarships for high school students. Students enter the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which screens approximately 1.5 million entrants each year. Of these, about 15,000 advance to finalist standing, and only 8,200 of these eventually receive a Merit Scholarship award from the National Merit Scholarship program or participating corporate and college sponsors.

Though not the only means for identifying academically gifted students, the scholarship program certainly spotlights students with high academic potential. National Merit scholars are drawn, with good reason, to the nation’s top academic institutions; about 25 percent of the 2008 entering classes of Harvard and Yale were made up of these scholars.

On a lesser scale, but an impressive one nonetheless, Bethel too is attracting National Merit scholars for many reasons. Interviewed for this article, some scholars mention Bethel’s respected academic reputation or strength of curriculum in the area of their intended major. Several were recruited for athletics; others have family ties or completed college courses here during high school as Post-Secondary Enrollment students.

But the most frequent and passionate reasons for choosing Bethel are spiritual in nature. Matthew Nelson, a junior studying in Australia this fall, says, “I was accepted to all the schools I applied for and I chose Bethel. It’s hard to explain, but Bethel felt right in a way that the other schools didn’t. I wanted a place where I could grow in my faith as well as academically.”

Likewise, junior Hannah Parks, a varsity volleyball player, visited several schools in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) before choosing Bethel. She explains, “I knew that I would be challenged in my faith by attending a school like Bethel that is committed to a Christ-centered community and putting Jesus first in every area of life. Compared to the other schools I visited, the feeling on campus and the attitudes of the students really stood out at Bethel.”

And sophomore Christa Rheingans carefully considered

the university’s many assets when making her choice, too, but she had some help with the final decision. “Why did I choose Bethel?” she reflects. “It has respected academics, professors who take an interest in your life, a fun atmosphere, and a commitment to its students—mentally, physically, and spiritually. But the real reason I chose Bethel? God led me here.”

ACADeMICS PLUS FAITHThe union of faith-based education and strong academics is

one that Bethel administrators strive to emphasize. “Students and parents are often not aware of the outstanding opportunities they have for an excellent education in a context that will also encourage them to grow and thrive in their Christian faith,” says Deb Harless, vice president and dean of Bethel University’s College of Arts & Sciences. “Parents don’t need to choose between a college with high academic standards and a faith-based college. They can have both.”

Most incoming Bethel students cite the institution’s commitment to spiritual values as the primary reason they chose Bethel, with academic strength coming second, according to the results of the Higher Education Research Institute survey given in alternate years to freshmen. These results demonstrate that “students who are looking for an academic challenge are hopeful that their lives as Christians will be strengthened and deepened,” explains Rich Sherry, executive assistant to the president. “And students who are believers looking for avenues of growth are also seeking to study in a faith-filled context.”

Both Harless and Sherry see the quality and commitment of faculty as central to the institution’s mission. “Increasingly, Bethel faculty are becoming recognized as scholars who bring a Christian

perspective to their work,” says Sherry. “We’re seeing a cascade of scholarship that’s new to Bethel: education and nursing faculty known internationally for their Fulbright teaching and research; professional presentations and publications across the sciences; literature and writing faculty publishing frequently; psychology faculty known as researchers across a range of fields; biblical studies faculty adding several books a year to their fields; and art faculty

exhibiting work nationally.” Bethel faculty members are scholars who are “without

question experts in their fields,” agrees Harless. “But they also really want to work with undergraduate students. They are here because they want to be with students and explicitly explore and model the integration of faith and learning.”

This commitment to developing and nurturing students holistically creates opportunities for Bethel students that are more atypical at other institutions. Students compete in national mathematics competitions alongside their professors. They participate in research with faculty, often leading to publication

Find out why an increasing number of national Merit scholars from around the nation are choosing Bethel university for more than academics.

by M

ichell

e Wes

tlund

’83

you’re a high school senior. you take a full load of advanced placement classes and have an exceptionally

high GPA. your standardized test scores have earned you National Merit Finalist status. you receive stacks

of mail from colleges and universities nationwide, all courting you with promises of a life-changing

experience. Where will you go?

“Compared to the other schools I visited, the feeling on campus and the attitudes of the students really stood out at Bethel.”

—junior Hannah Parks

a unIVERsITy WITH

28 Fall 2009 29Bethel University

meritFor a growing number of National Merit students, the answer

is Bethel University. Enrollment in 2008-09 included 18 National Merit scholars, with four more enrolling this fall. With all the opportunities available to them, why did these students choose Bethel? Their reasons are as diverse as the scholars themselves.

A CLeAR CHOICeSince 1955, the National Merit Scholarship program has

served as an academic competition providing recognition and scholarships for high school students. Students enter the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which screens approximately 1.5 million entrants each year. Of these, about 15,000 advance to finalist standing, and only 8,200 of these eventually receive a Merit Scholarship award from the National Merit Scholarship program or participating corporate and college sponsors.

Though not the only means for identifying academically gifted students, the scholarship program certainly spotlights students with high academic potential. National Merit scholars are drawn, with good reason, to the nation’s top academic institutions; about 25 percent of the 2008 entering classes of Harvard and Yale were made up of these scholars.

On a lesser scale, but an impressive one nonetheless, Bethel too is attracting National Merit scholars for many reasons. Interviewed for this article, some scholars mention Bethel’s respected academic reputation or strength of curriculum in the area of their intended major. Several were recruited for athletics; others have family ties or completed college courses here during high school as Post-Secondary Enrollment students.

But the most frequent and passionate reasons for choosing Bethel are spiritual in nature. Matthew Nelson, a junior studying in Australia this fall, says, “I was accepted to all the schools I applied for and I chose Bethel. It’s hard to explain, but Bethel felt right in a way that the other schools didn’t. I wanted a place where I could grow in my faith as well as academically.”

Likewise, junior Hannah Parks, a varsity volleyball player, visited several schools in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) before choosing Bethel. She explains, “I knew that I would be challenged in my faith by attending a school like Bethel that is committed to a Christ-centered community and putting Jesus first in every area of life. Compared to the other schools I visited, the feeling on campus and the attitudes of the students really stood out at Bethel.”

And sophomore Christa Rheingans carefully considered

the university’s many assets when making her choice, too, but she had some help with the final decision. “Why did I choose Bethel?” she reflects. “It has respected academics, professors who take an interest in your life, a fun atmosphere, and a commitment to its students—mentally, physically, and spiritually. But the real reason I chose Bethel? God led me here.”

ACADeMICS PLUS FAITHThe union of faith-based education and strong academics is

one that Bethel administrators strive to emphasize. “Students and parents are often not aware of the outstanding opportunities they have for an excellent education in a context that will also encourage them to grow and thrive in their Christian faith,” says Deb Harless, vice president and dean of Bethel University’s College of Arts & Sciences. “Parents don’t need to choose between a college with high academic standards and a faith-based college. They can have both.”

Most incoming Bethel students cite the institution’s commitment to spiritual values as the primary reason they chose Bethel, with academic strength coming second, according to the results of the Higher Education Research Institute survey given in alternate years to freshmen. These results demonstrate that “students who are looking for an academic challenge are hopeful that their lives as Christians will be strengthened and deepened,” explains Rich Sherry, executive assistant to the president. “And students who are believers looking for avenues of growth are also seeking to study in a faith-filled context.”

Both Harless and Sherry see the quality and commitment of faculty as central to the institution’s mission. “Increasingly, Bethel faculty are becoming recognized as scholars who bring a Christian

perspective to their work,” says Sherry. “We’re seeing a cascade of scholarship that’s new to Bethel: education and nursing faculty known internationally for their Fulbright teaching and research; professional presentations and publications across the sciences; literature and writing faculty publishing frequently; psychology faculty known as researchers across a range of fields; biblical studies faculty adding several books a year to their fields; and art faculty

exhibiting work nationally.” Bethel faculty members are scholars who are “without

question experts in their fields,” agrees Harless. “But they also really want to work with undergraduate students. They are here because they want to be with students and explicitly explore and model the integration of faith and learning.”

This commitment to developing and nurturing students holistically creates opportunities for Bethel students that are more atypical at other institutions. Students compete in national mathematics competitions alongside their professors. They participate in research with faculty, often leading to publication

Find out why an increasing number of national Merit scholars from around the nation are choosing Bethel university for more than academics.

by M

ichell

e Wes

tlund

’83

you’re a high school senior. you take a full load of advanced placement classes and have an exceptionally

high GPA. your standardized test scores have earned you National Merit Finalist status. you receive stacks

of mail from colleges and universities nationwide, all courting you with promises of a life-changing

experience. Where will you go?

“Compared to the other schools I visited, the feeling on campus and the attitudes of the students really stood out at Bethel.”

—junior Hannah Parks

a unIVERsITy WITH

30 Fall 2009 31Bethel University

while still in college. They study abroad in large numbers through partnerships Bethel has developed with other institutions around the world. They are trained to be leaders and servants, making positive and lasting contributions to their communities and churches during their college years and after graduation.

National Merit scholars thrive at Bethel, where there are just 11 students to each faculty member, allowing an unusual degree of personal attention. “I have found professors that push me and want me to grow and succeed,” says senior Jessica Nordman, an elementary education major.

Likewise, senior Benjamin Boycott, a teaching assistant in the finance department, has become close to a number of his Bethel instructors and says he found academic success through their guidance. “I have been impressed with the manner in which the business and economics faculty have integrated Christ, morality, and truth into a line of work that is starved for these things,” he explains. “Their passion has helped shape my future plans, and has given me a drive to use my skills for the glory of God.” BU

•AccordingtotheAmericanEnterpriseInstitutestudyDiplomas and Dropouts, Bethel University has the highest graduation rate in the Midwest and stands among the five highest in the nation in the “Competitive” category—schools with moderately difficult admissions standards.

• Bethelisranked19th in the nation for number of students studying abroad in the “Master’s Institutions” category, according to the 2008 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.

•FourfacultymembersandonestudenthavereceivedFulbright grants in the last five years.

•DepartmentofPhysicswaschosenbyTheNationalTask Force for Undergraduate Physics as one of the 21 “Thriving” Physics Departments in the United States (out of 780).

•ConsistentsuccessbyteamsofBethelstudentsinthe Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) and

CHRISTA RHeINGANSSophomore undecided major from Madison, Minn.

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…participate on the Global Prayer Team and in Twin Cities Outreach, work in the Math Lab, volunteer as a youth mentor, and have adventures!

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Humanities I and II

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: I’ve done too many to pick just one. But it most likely happened at four in the morning when I should have been in bed!

BeNJAMIN BOYCOTTSenior economics/business major from Kenai, Alaska

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…work part time as a marketing consultant and am a teaching assistant in the finance department. I played Bethel hockey for one year, and now play in a Christian men’s league, where we travel to northern Canada each winter for a mission/hockey trip. Being from Alaska, I’m also really into hunting and fishing, and last spring I finally got that big grizzly bear! I also enjoy spending time with my wife and cat.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Believe it or not, ILA (Introduction to Liberal Arts)!

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: Giving this interview. There’s a good chance I’ll never live it down!

HANNAH PARKSJunior biochemistry/molecular biology major from Plymouth, Minn.

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…play varsity volleyball, work with Shift (a freshman Bible study/mentorship program), tutor for biology and chemistry, serve as a teaching assistant in chemistry and an intern with Medtronic. I like to relax outside, play any sort of sport, and spend time with friends.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Calculus II

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…might go to medical school or enter a physician assistant program.

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: I do lots! But I’m probably too quick to speak and say stupid things without thinking.

JeSSICA BeNHAMFreshman international relations/communications studies major from Pittsburgh

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…plan to participate on the forensics team. I love swimming, especially the 100-yard butterfly. And taking time to visit and listen to the elderly is one of my passions.

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…plan to attend law school.

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: I allowed myself to get extremely nervous before my driving test and ended up running a red light! But no one was injured.

MATTHeW NeLSONSophomore theatre major from Minnetonka, Minn., currently studying in Australia

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…act in Bethel productions and in a performance piece at Wesley Institute in Sydney, Australia, where I’m studying this semester. I play pick-up sports like broomball and ultimate Frisbee, and I work with a local youth group every week. I love studying abroad and traveling on mission trips.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Introduction to Statistical Methods and experimental Design

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…plan to work with urban youth using drama/theatre to connect and reach kids.

STePHeN SeABeRGSophomore music education major from Eagan, Minn.

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…play trumpet in a variety of bands, including the Minnesota Youth Symphony. I was a drum major in my high school marching band, and was on the cross country, baseball, table tennis, and math teams. I plan to be in the band, orchestra, and jazz band at Bethel and play some intramural sports.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Multi-variable Calculus

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…want to become a high school band teacher.

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: While driving, I made a wrong turn and ended up in the parking entrance at the airport. I had no money to get through the gate, so I had to go back the wrong way.

JeSSICA NORDMANSenior elementary education major from Owatonna, Minn.

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…read classic novels and listen to music.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Humanities

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…plan to teach elementary school.

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: I once wore 4 ½ inch heels to teach for an entire day. I’m not exactly sure what I was thinking that morning!

JONATHAN SeABeRGSenior mathematics/Spanish major from Eagan, Minn., currently studying in Mexico

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…play trumpet and piano in band and orchestra, take piano lessons, and play piano in chamber ensembles. I enjoy traveling on mission trips and have been to Mexico and Texas with campus ministries groups.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Readings from Latin America and Spain

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…plan to go into actuarial science, preferably at an insurance company.

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: On a vacation to Florida many years ago, I accidentally smacked my forehead against a stucco stairwell while chasing my brother. We spent several hours at the hospital.

International Mathematical Contest in Modeling (COMAP) with students usually placing in the first or second tier.

• Bethelforensicsteamishighlyrecognized,withparticipantsearning national championships at the Christian College Nationals and All-American Awards from the National Parliamentary Debate Association.

•Athletesconsistentlynamedtoacademic all-star teams. Bethel had 76 All-MIAC All-Academic athletes, four all-district athletes, and two academic All-Americans in 2008-09.

•TheClarion student newspaper in 2008 received second place “Best of Show” honors from the Associated College Press in the four-year, non-weekly competition category.

•TheGammaOmegachapteroftheTri-BetaNationalHonorSociety (for the biological sciences) at Bethel received the 2007 Lloyd M. Bertholf “Outstanding Chapter”

Award for its extensive involvement in promoting scholarship and biological research, service, convention participation, and social activities.

• BethelUniversityisconsistently ranked among top Midwestern Universities in the “America’s Best Colleges” issue of U.S. News & World Report—this year 14th in the Master’s category.

• BethelUniversityislistedin“Top Colleges for Top Students” in Peterson’s Competitive Colleges.

ACADeMIC ReCOGNITION

30 Fall 2009 31Bethel University

while still in college. They study abroad in large numbers through partnerships Bethel has developed with other institutions around the world. They are trained to be leaders and servants, making positive and lasting contributions to their communities and churches during their college years and after graduation.

National Merit scholars thrive at Bethel, where there are just 11 students to each faculty member, allowing an unusual degree of personal attention. “I have found professors that push me and want me to grow and succeed,” says senior Jessica Nordman, an elementary education major.

Likewise, senior Benjamin Boycott, a teaching assistant in the finance department, has become close to a number of his Bethel instructors and says he found academic success through their guidance. “I have been impressed with the manner in which the business and economics faculty have integrated Christ, morality, and truth into a line of work that is starved for these things,” he explains. “Their passion has helped shape my future plans, and has given me a drive to use my skills for the glory of God.” BU

•AccordingtotheAmericanEnterpriseInstitutestudyDiplomas and Dropouts, Bethel University has the highest graduation rate in the Midwest and stands among the five highest in the nation in the “Competitive” category—schools with moderately difficult admissions standards.

• Bethelisranked19th in the nation for number of students studying abroad in the “Master’s Institutions” category, according to the 2008 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.

•FourfacultymembersandonestudenthavereceivedFulbright grants in the last five years.

•DepartmentofPhysicswaschosenbyTheNationalTask Force for Undergraduate Physics as one of the 21 “Thriving” Physics Departments in the United States (out of 780).

•ConsistentsuccessbyteamsofBethelstudentsinthe Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) and

CHRISTA RHeINGANSSophomore undecided major from Madison, Minn.

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…participate on the Global Prayer Team and in Twin Cities Outreach, work in the Math Lab, volunteer as a youth mentor, and have adventures!

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Humanities I and II

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: I’ve done too many to pick just one. But it most likely happened at four in the morning when I should have been in bed!

BeNJAMIN BOYCOTTSenior economics/business major from Kenai, Alaska

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…work part time as a marketing consultant and am a teaching assistant in the finance department. I played Bethel hockey for one year, and now play in a Christian men’s league, where we travel to northern Canada each winter for a mission/hockey trip. Being from Alaska, I’m also really into hunting and fishing, and last spring I finally got that big grizzly bear! I also enjoy spending time with my wife and cat.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Believe it or not, ILA (Introduction to Liberal Arts)!

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: Giving this interview. There’s a good chance I’ll never live it down!

HANNAH PARKSJunior biochemistry/molecular biology major from Plymouth, Minn.

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…play varsity volleyball, work with Shift (a freshman Bible study/mentorship program), tutor for biology and chemistry, serve as a teaching assistant in chemistry and an intern with Medtronic. I like to relax outside, play any sort of sport, and spend time with friends.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Calculus II

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…might go to medical school or enter a physician assistant program.

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: I do lots! But I’m probably too quick to speak and say stupid things without thinking.

JeSSICA BeNHAMFreshman international relations/communications studies major from Pittsburgh

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…plan to participate on the forensics team. I love swimming, especially the 100-yard butterfly. And taking time to visit and listen to the elderly is one of my passions.

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…plan to attend law school.

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: I allowed myself to get extremely nervous before my driving test and ended up running a red light! But no one was injured.

MATTHeW NeLSONSophomore theatre major from Minnetonka, Minn., currently studying in Australia

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…act in Bethel productions and in a performance piece at Wesley Institute in Sydney, Australia, where I’m studying this semester. I play pick-up sports like broomball and ultimate Frisbee, and I work with a local youth group every week. I love studying abroad and traveling on mission trips.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Introduction to Statistical Methods and experimental Design

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…plan to work with urban youth using drama/theatre to connect and reach kids.

STePHeN SeABeRGSophomore music education major from Eagan, Minn.

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…play trumpet in a variety of bands, including the Minnesota Youth Symphony. I was a drum major in my high school marching band, and was on the cross country, baseball, table tennis, and math teams. I plan to be in the band, orchestra, and jazz band at Bethel and play some intramural sports.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Multi-variable Calculus

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…want to become a high school band teacher.

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: While driving, I made a wrong turn and ended up in the parking entrance at the airport. I had no money to get through the gate, so I had to go back the wrong way.

JeSSICA NORDMANSenior elementary education major from Owatonna, Minn.

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…read classic novels and listen to music.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Humanities

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…plan to teach elementary school.

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: I once wore 4 ½ inch heels to teach for an entire day. I’m not exactly sure what I was thinking that morning!

JONATHAN SeABeRGSenior mathematics/Spanish major from Eagan, Minn., currently studying in Mexico

IN MY FRee TIMe, I…play trumpet and piano in band and orchestra, take piano lessons, and play piano in chamber ensembles. I enjoy traveling on mission trips and have been to Mexico and Texas with campus ministries groups.

HARDeST BeTHeL CLASS: Readings from Latin America and Spain

WHeN I GRADUATe, I…plan to go into actuarial science, preferably at an insurance company.

DUMB THING I’Ve DONe: On a vacation to Florida many years ago, I accidentally smacked my forehead against a stucco stairwell while chasing my brother. We spent several hours at the hospital.

International Mathematical Contest in Modeling (COMAP) with students usually placing in the first or second tier.

• Bethelforensicsteamishighlyrecognized,withparticipantsearning national championships at the Christian College Nationals and All-American Awards from the National Parliamentary Debate Association.

•Athletesconsistentlynamedtoacademic all-star teams. Bethel had 76 All-MIAC All-Academic athletes, four all-district athletes, and two academic All-Americans in 2008-09.

•TheClarion student newspaper in 2008 received second place “Best of Show” honors from the Associated College Press in the four-year, non-weekly competition category.

•TheGammaOmegachapteroftheTri-BetaNationalHonorSociety (for the biological sciences) at Bethel received the 2007 Lloyd M. Bertholf “Outstanding Chapter”

Award for its extensive involvement in promoting scholarship and biological research, service, convention participation, and social activities.

• BethelUniversityisconsistently ranked among top Midwestern Universities in the “America’s Best Colleges” issue of U.S. News & World Report—this year 14th in the Master’s category.

• BethelUniversityislistedin“Top Colleges for Top Students” in Peterson’s Competitive Colleges.

ACADeMIC ReCOGNITION

32 Fall 2009 33Bethel University

sHE HaD HER sIgHTs sET On a PInK CaDIllaC. As a Mary Kay cosmetics rep, sales equaled success. But while Theola Campbell was driving her green Omega Oldsmobile one day, she heard the words “full-time ministry.” She knew it was God, but she ignored it. She heard the message again though. “i thought, ‘what is that? Full-time ministry? i don’t even know what that is!’” she says.

Theola went to her pastor and asked him what the messages meant. “He told me he didn’t know,” she says. “i said, ‘you’re supposed to have the hook-up with God! you’re the pastor!’ But he sent me back to the lord.”

And the lord sent her to Bethel Seminary San Diego, where she received her master’s in theological studies in June 2001. She also obtained her

ministerial license and was ordained in her former church in the Baptist tradition. Within a month of graduation, and still unsure

what “full-time ministry” would look like for her, she was asked to become Bethel Seminary San Diego’s director of admissions,

helping to recruit new students into the kind of transforming education she had received. Eight years later, the West

Coast seminary boasts the highest enrollment ever, with 236 current students and increasing diversity. More than 30 percent of the students are of Asian, African American, or Hispanic descent, reflecting the rich cultural landscape of San Diego. Theola recently received Bethel’s Distinguished Service Award for her dedicated work in the admissions office.

Her dedication, however, reaches beyond Bethel’s walls. She also began a church plant called Release Worship Center in San Diego.“it’s more of a training center to help prepare those who

have been hurt in a church body,” she explains. “We provide a place for people to rest for a season, find their gifts, be

trained, and then released to live out God’s call.”Theola has undertaken another ministry where recovery is the

main goal: San Diego’s juvenile hall. She and a team hold worship services for two of the units for young women each week. Also, once a

month, this ministry provides opportunities for women to use their gift of preaching and/or teaching in a chapel setting at the Women and Children’s Center at the San Diego Rescue Mission. “i like to allow women who don’t get the opportunity to preach or teach elsewhere to come down and be guest speakers,” she says. Some come from her church; others are students or staff from Bethel Seminary.

Having benefitted from seminary herself, she’s able to provide solid guidance and spiritual support to prospective and current students.

“My office sees a lot of prayer,” she says. “i love getting to know students in that capacity. And i have my diploma up on the wall, so

whenever they think they may not be able to do it, i point to that frame and say, ‘yes, it’s possible. it’s do-able with God.’”

Theola and her husband Mitchell—an assistant to the dean of Bethel Seminary San Diego—are both originally from Chicago. Married for 27 years, they have four adult children and one grandchild.

And for the record, she’s now content to drive a Nissan Altima.

Theola CampbellBethel Seminary San Diego, director of admissions

by Heather Johnsonphoto by Greg Schneider

Favorite part of her job:“THE ETHOS HERE AT BETHEl SEMiNARy—iT’S NURTURiNG AND ENCOURAGiNG.”

In 1946, there was a housing shortage. Bethel

had three buildings: college, girl’s dorm, and seminary building. For a while, some of us men bunked in the basement of the sem building. Then we moved to the 4-H building on the fairgrounds. There we made our own entertainment. One highlight was Rosie’s Sauerkraut Band: Karl Rosenquist, Cal Lundberg, and me, on slide whistle, gahoon (alto sax mouthpiece on a spring that was bent to change the tone—sounded like a wounded cow), and some percussion thing. I played the gahoon because no one else would touch it.

Gordon C. Krantz ’49

HOME SWeet

HOME

This fall, more than 1,900 students fill the College of Arts & Sciences residence halls, and 70 will call the seminary residences home. They brought ipods, iphones, personal laptops (in various colors), Nintendo Wiis, and 64-inch, flat-screen TVs! It’s a far cry from what students in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s brought from home (think clock radios, popcorn makers, and high-intensity lights). But through the years, a few elements of dorm life have remained constant: living in Christian community; building lifelong friendships; and, well... just good, old-fashioned fun.

Hear from Bethel alumni spanning some 50 years about the fun they had while living on campus, and the jokes played on them—or by them? All in good fun, of course.

Seminary men lived upstairs in the seminary

building at the end of World War II. One of those seminarians got up on the roof just over the door. When his fellow classmates came out the door, he poured a bucket of water down over them. Someone saw what was happening and went upstairs to that seminarian’s room. He got this man’s best suit, put it on, and then boldly walked out the door. The water came down drenching the student. But, the joke was on the jokester. It was his best suit that got doused!

Jim Spickelmier ’63, S’68

Through the years, living on campus at Bethel has

blended faith and fun.By Heather Johnson ph

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32 Fall 2009 33Bethel University

sHE HaD HER sIgHTs sET On a PInK CaDIllaC. As a Mary Kay cosmetics rep, sales equaled success. But while Theola Campbell was driving her green Omega Oldsmobile one day, she heard the words “full-time ministry.” She knew it was God, but she ignored it. She heard the message again though. “i thought, ‘what is that? Full-time ministry? i don’t even know what that is!’” she says.

Theola went to her pastor and asked him what the messages meant. “He told me he didn’t know,” she says. “i said, ‘you’re supposed to have the hook-up with God! you’re the pastor!’ But he sent me back to the lord.”

And the lord sent her to Bethel Seminary San Diego, where she received her master’s in theological studies in June 2001. She also obtained her

ministerial license and was ordained in her former church in the Baptist tradition. Within a month of graduation, and still unsure

what “full-time ministry” would look like for her, she was asked to become Bethel Seminary San Diego’s director of admissions,

helping to recruit new students into the kind of transforming education she had received. Eight years later, the West

Coast seminary boasts the highest enrollment ever, with 236 current students and increasing diversity. More than 30 percent of the students are of Asian, African American, or Hispanic descent, reflecting the rich cultural landscape of San Diego. Theola recently received Bethel’s Distinguished Service Award for her dedicated work in the admissions office.

Her dedication, however, reaches beyond Bethel’s walls. She also began a church plant called Release Worship Center in San Diego.“it’s more of a training center to help prepare those who

have been hurt in a church body,” she explains. “We provide a place for people to rest for a season, find their gifts, be

trained, and then released to live out God’s call.”Theola has undertaken another ministry where recovery is the

main goal: San Diego’s juvenile hall. She and a team hold worship services for two of the units for young women each week. Also, once a

month, this ministry provides opportunities for women to use their gift of preaching and/or teaching in a chapel setting at the Women and Children’s Center at the San Diego Rescue Mission. “i like to allow women who don’t get the opportunity to preach or teach elsewhere to come down and be guest speakers,” she says. Some come from her church; others are students or staff from Bethel Seminary.

Having benefitted from seminary herself, she’s able to provide solid guidance and spiritual support to prospective and current students.

“My office sees a lot of prayer,” she says. “i love getting to know students in that capacity. And i have my diploma up on the wall, so

whenever they think they may not be able to do it, i point to that frame and say, ‘yes, it’s possible. it’s do-able with God.’”

Theola and her husband Mitchell—an assistant to the dean of Bethel Seminary San Diego—are both originally from Chicago. Married for 27 years, they have four adult children and one grandchild.

And for the record, she’s now content to drive a Nissan Altima.

Theola CampbellBethel Seminary San Diego, director of admissions

by Heather Johnsonphoto by Greg Schneider

Favorite part of her job:“THE ETHOS HERE AT BETHEl SEMiNARy—iT’S NURTURiNG AND ENCOURAGiNG.”

In 1946, there was a housing shortage. Bethel

had three buildings: college, girl’s dorm, and seminary building. For a while, some of us men bunked in the basement of the sem building. Then we moved to the 4-H building on the fairgrounds. There we made our own entertainment. One highlight was Rosie’s Sauerkraut Band: Karl Rosenquist, Cal Lundberg, and me, on slide whistle, gahoon (alto sax mouthpiece on a spring that was bent to change the tone—sounded like a wounded cow), and some percussion thing. I played the gahoon because no one else would touch it.

Gordon C. Krantz ’49

HOME SWeet

HOME

This fall, more than 1,900 students fill the College of Arts & Sciences residence halls, and 70 will call the seminary residences home. They brought ipods, iphones, personal laptops (in various colors), Nintendo Wiis, and 64-inch, flat-screen TVs! It’s a far cry from what students in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s brought from home (think clock radios, popcorn makers, and high-intensity lights). But through the years, a few elements of dorm life have remained constant: living in Christian community; building lifelong friendships; and, well... just good, old-fashioned fun.

Hear from Bethel alumni spanning some 50 years about the fun they had while living on campus, and the jokes played on them—or by them? All in good fun, of course.

Seminary men lived upstairs in the seminary

building at the end of World War II. One of those seminarians got up on the roof just over the door. When his fellow classmates came out the door, he poured a bucket of water down over them. Someone saw what was happening and went upstairs to that seminarian’s room. He got this man’s best suit, put it on, and then boldly walked out the door. The water came down drenching the student. But, the joke was on the jokester. It was his best suit that got doused!

Jim Spickelmier ’63, S’68

Through the years, living on campus at Bethel has

blended faith and fun.By Heather Johnson ph

oto c

ourte

sy o

f BGC

His

tory

Cen

ter

1970s

32 Fall 2009

34 Fall 2009 35Bethel University

Seminary involved lots of late-night studying and

students ordering Domino’s in the wee hours. Sometimes we got a little punchy: I have a photo of two of my friends sitting shirtless at their dining room table surrounded by books. One of them has a pencil in his nose. Both these guys are still in ministry. Occasionally the guys taking preaching class could be seen—and heard—walking the path behind the apartments practicing their sermons. My wife tells me I also preached in my sleep. Another memory is the snapping turtles that emerged from Lake Valentine to scare small children and lay eggs. One turtle laid her eggs on the side of the road by the old dining center. Facilities made a wood box for it to keep it safe through the winter.

Rick yonker S’93

Sophomore year, when I was moving into Nelson

Hall, I met my floormate and soon-to-be friend Alison Heep (now Givand). Our parents were helping us move in, and our fathers were swapping dorm-life stories. One particular prank Mr. Heep was fond of was stealing his roommates’ clothes and towel while they were showering. He also gave me a bit of advice: if it ever happened to me, go to the paper towel dispenser and unroll a huge portion in one piece to use as a toga/towel.

Lo and behold, not two months later, Alison pulled this prank on me, removing my towel, robe, and clothes from the bathroom while I showered. The whole floor was treated to me walking to my room wrapped in paper towels, and was treated later in the year to Alison returning to her room after a shower wearing only the shower curtain, as my retaliation was carefully crafted to remove the paper towels from the dispenser. We even got a picture of it for the Spring Banquet, but out of kindness to Ali and a desire to be ‘Bethical,’ we did not submit it for the slideshow.

Bynthia Anose ’98, S’04

Freshman year in Edgren, 1995. We (3rd-floor girls)

would select unsuspecting targets (boys), phone their rooms from the lobby and say, ‘Domino’s Pizza. Your pizza is here.’ And they would say, ‘I didn’t order pizza.’ And we would say, ‘Oh, really? Well, I’m in the lobby with a hot pizza, and I need to deliver it to somebody. Do you want a free pizza?’ And they would say, ‘Yeah! I’ll be right there!’ And we would hang up, and wait for them to come running into the lobby. We would laugh, and then we would do it again.

Jada (Mrozinski) Sanders ’99

In the 1970s, security got complaints that some boys

were throwing snowballs at cars on Snelling Avenue from the roof of the closed college buildings. Maintenance checked several times but could find no sign of entry. Finally, they found an open basement window, but no students. Coming back a second time, they found a false wall built into the back of the old Clarion office in the basement. Behind the wall were two beds and student clothes. Two Bethel college guys had been using the makeshift apartment, without rent, for most of the semester. That ended abruptly.

Jim Spickelmier ’63, S’68

Our room in Bodien was on the boys’ side inside

the courtyard that faced Edgren. My room was above the RD’s apartment. We got the record of the seven dwarfs singing “Heigh Ho.” At about 2 or 3 a.m., we held the speaker out the window playing it as loud as possible toward the boys in Edgren. The tune bounced back and forth on the walls making it hard to figure out where it was coming from. Finally, our phone rang, and we were told to stop immediately. It was quite funny to watch all the lights go on and boys running around trying to figure it out.

Robyn Sandquist ’80

When I was a freshman in the townhouses,

we papered up the outside of the door on one of the guys’ townhouses and filled the captive space with old peanut shells off the floor of a nearby restaurant. What a big surprise for the first guy out to open the door and have all that great early morning fiber sucked about eight feet into the middle of their living room floor. Very nutritious!

linda Swift Kinsey ’81

I came for an overnight visit my senior year of

high school (1995-1996) and stayed with a friend who was a freshman in Edgren. The next morning I had to get up early to drive back home in time for my high school classes. As most high school students are in the morning, I was a bit groggy. I went into the bathroom to take a shower. One of the showers was running; the shower curtain was open, and I could see green inside. I took another step to realize it was a Christmas tree from the tree sale in the SRC. Someone had gotten onto the floor and left the tree in the shower with the water running.

Mindy Molin ’00

We had a roommate who was big into

hunting and would leave at 4 a.m. to go north and shoot ducks. One morning we found gutted ducks in our little dorm fridge. So another roommate filled the fridge with coffee to get rid of the smell. Later, another roommate put in microwave popcorn for 30 minutes instead of three. He stepped out, and the popcorn cooked for at least 20 minutes before another roommate walked in. So, now our room smelled like dead ducks, coffee, and badly burned popcorn. In the end, this worked for the best because President Brushaber used our room as a selling point for building a new dorm; he raised a lot of support after that.

Josh Holm ’00

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1990s

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34 Fall 2009 35Bethel University

Seminary involved lots of late-night studying and

students ordering Domino’s in the wee hours. Sometimes we got a little punchy: I have a photo of two of my friends sitting shirtless at their dining room table surrounded by books. One of them has a pencil in his nose. Both these guys are still in ministry. Occasionally the guys taking preaching class could be seen—and heard—walking the path behind the apartments practicing their sermons. My wife tells me I also preached in my sleep. Another memory is the snapping turtles that emerged from Lake Valentine to scare small children and lay eggs. One turtle laid her eggs on the side of the road by the old dining center. Facilities made a wood box for it to keep it safe through the winter.

Rick yonker S’93

Sophomore year, when I was moving into Nelson

Hall, I met my floormate and soon-to-be friend Alison Heep (now Givand). Our parents were helping us move in, and our fathers were swapping dorm-life stories. One particular prank Mr. Heep was fond of was stealing his roommates’ clothes and towel while they were showering. He also gave me a bit of advice: if it ever happened to me, go to the paper towel dispenser and unroll a huge portion in one piece to use as a toga/towel.

Lo and behold, not two months later, Alison pulled this prank on me, removing my towel, robe, and clothes from the bathroom while I showered. The whole floor was treated to me walking to my room wrapped in paper towels, and was treated later in the year to Alison returning to her room after a shower wearing only the shower curtain, as my retaliation was carefully crafted to remove the paper towels from the dispenser. We even got a picture of it for the Spring Banquet, but out of kindness to Ali and a desire to be ‘Bethical,’ we did not submit it for the slideshow.

Bynthia Anose ’98, S’04

Freshman year in Edgren, 1995. We (3rd-floor girls)

would select unsuspecting targets (boys), phone their rooms from the lobby and say, ‘Domino’s Pizza. Your pizza is here.’ And they would say, ‘I didn’t order pizza.’ And we would say, ‘Oh, really? Well, I’m in the lobby with a hot pizza, and I need to deliver it to somebody. Do you want a free pizza?’ And they would say, ‘Yeah! I’ll be right there!’ And we would hang up, and wait for them to come running into the lobby. We would laugh, and then we would do it again.

Jada (Mrozinski) Sanders ’99

In the 1970s, security got complaints that some boys

were throwing snowballs at cars on Snelling Avenue from the roof of the closed college buildings. Maintenance checked several times but could find no sign of entry. Finally, they found an open basement window, but no students. Coming back a second time, they found a false wall built into the back of the old Clarion office in the basement. Behind the wall were two beds and student clothes. Two Bethel college guys had been using the makeshift apartment, without rent, for most of the semester. That ended abruptly.

Jim Spickelmier ’63, S’68

Our room in Bodien was on the boys’ side inside

the courtyard that faced Edgren. My room was above the RD’s apartment. We got the record of the seven dwarfs singing “Heigh Ho.” At about 2 or 3 a.m., we held the speaker out the window playing it as loud as possible toward the boys in Edgren. The tune bounced back and forth on the walls making it hard to figure out where it was coming from. Finally, our phone rang, and we were told to stop immediately. It was quite funny to watch all the lights go on and boys running around trying to figure it out.

Robyn Sandquist ’80

When I was a freshman in the townhouses,

we papered up the outside of the door on one of the guys’ townhouses and filled the captive space with old peanut shells off the floor of a nearby restaurant. What a big surprise for the first guy out to open the door and have all that great early morning fiber sucked about eight feet into the middle of their living room floor. Very nutritious!

linda Swift Kinsey ’81

I came for an overnight visit my senior year of

high school (1995-1996) and stayed with a friend who was a freshman in Edgren. The next morning I had to get up early to drive back home in time for my high school classes. As most high school students are in the morning, I was a bit groggy. I went into the bathroom to take a shower. One of the showers was running; the shower curtain was open, and I could see green inside. I took another step to realize it was a Christmas tree from the tree sale in the SRC. Someone had gotten onto the floor and left the tree in the shower with the water running.

Mindy Molin ’00

We had a roommate who was big into

hunting and would leave at 4 a.m. to go north and shoot ducks. One morning we found gutted ducks in our little dorm fridge. So another roommate filled the fridge with coffee to get rid of the smell. Later, another roommate put in microwave popcorn for 30 minutes instead of three. He stepped out, and the popcorn cooked for at least 20 minutes before another roommate walked in. So, now our room smelled like dead ducks, coffee, and badly burned popcorn. In the end, this worked for the best because President Brushaber used our room as a selling point for building a new dorm; he raised a lot of support after that.

Josh Holm ’00

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alum News

1931Myrel Harriet anderson, 98, of Bra-ham, minn., passed away in August. She was preceded in death by her husband Frank lowell Anderson, and is survived by her sons Gerald, Den-nis (mary), and Richard (Pam); her daughter Pat (ed) Anthony; 14 grand-children; 28 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

1942Merriam leslie Olson died in July in texas at the age of 89.

1944Chaplain (Ret. Col.) Willis Warren Wessman (sEM), topeka, passed away at the age of 88 in July. he served in the U.S. Navy (1944-1946) and later as an Army chaplain from 1951 until his retirement in 1979. he served during the World War ii, Korean, and Vietnam War eras. his wife, Dolores (Poole), preceded him in death in 2003. he is survived by his son, Kim; daughter, Kathleen (Norman) Bacon; a granddaughter, and two grandsons.

1948Valeda samuelson has a new mission: Central Clearinghouse in israel. She

also continues her other ministries in the Philippines and israel.

1946leRoy gardner founded North Central Baptist Church in St. Paul and served as pastor for 39 years. in 1997 he moved to Carmichael, Calif., and founded a new church. A speaker and author, he and his wife Kay now live in Southern California.

1949Walton Johnson (sEM) lives in Supe-rior, Wis. he served seven churches in 35 years, and for two years in Chicago at the denominational headquarters. Since his 1983 retirement, he has served as an interim pastor in 12 churches and is still active in ministry. his first wife, eunice, passed away in 2003. they had four children, Vern ’76, Dale ’78, Paul ’80, and lois. he married marit Johnson in 2005.

1953in August 2009, Marian (Peterson) Johnson passed away in Sioux Falls, S.D., at the age of 78. She lived in Slayton, minn., and is survived by her four sons, Gary (Sue), Dean, Gene (Karla), and David (lisa); 14

grandchildren; and 13 great-grand-children.

1954george William Chalmers (sEM) died at age 85 in manila, Philippines, in August. he was a career missionary to the Philippines with the BGC (now Converge Worldwide), and a U.S. Navy veteran. he was preceded in death by his wife Nancy and a son, Stuart. he’s survived by his children, Daniel (Carla), James (laurie), Faith (mansor Chitsazann), Philip (Jen-nifer), and daughter-in-law Candace; 16 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

1958Nancy and Joel stolte continue their ministry with Wycliffe Bible transla-tors in Bogotá, Colombia. they are making a recording of the New testa-ment in the Waimaha language, and are close to a final edit of a Waimahan New testament, complete with maps, drawings, and pictures.

1959Ed Whitford lives in tecate, Calif. he helped start tecate mission, which ministers on both sides of the border. he and missionary Bill Jones aided in construction of and taught in the Seminario Biblico de Baja California, affiliated with la iglesia Bautista la hermosa, a church in tecate, Baja California, mexico. the seminary has sent more than 450 pastors and mission workers to serve throughout mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and the United States.

1964Dale Pearson retired from the St. Paul Public schools at the end of the 2000 school year after teaching mathemat-ics for 34 years. in the fall of 2001, he began teaching at minnehaha Academy and retired from there at the end of the 2007 school year. he lives in little Canada, minn., with his wife Corrine.

1965D a v i d M b i t h i Mbiti, recipient of the 1997 Bethel Alumni Achieve-m e n t A w a r d , passed away at Karen hospital, Nairobi, Kenya, in may. he was a former director of education for Kenya, former deputy vice chancellor (finance and adminis-tration) of Daystar University, former assistant director, education program, for the Commonwealth Secretariat in london, and an elder and trustee for Christ is the Answer ministries. he is survived by his wife, Dorothy, and his children, Josephine muthoki, irene mumo, John maithya, Juliet mueni, and isaac mulangu, and his grandchild, Nia mutanu.

1966hugh and Martha (gemmel) Tracy are at a new assignment for Wycliffe in Dallas. hugh will plan the training for Wycliffe field workers, and martie will offer secretarial support to the international literacy and education coordinator.

Ron asmus Former director of CAPS/GS student services

Ron asmus passed away in August after a 15-month battle with leukemia. He was 66 years old. Asmus worked for Bethel from 1991-2009, first as an admissions counselor for what is now the College of Adult & Professional Stud-ies and Graduate School. He eventually became director of admissions for that area and was instrumental in the significant growth spurt in adult programs during the 1990s. A short time later he was asked to become the first director of student services for CAPS/GS.

Asmus is survived by his wife of 46 years, Sharon Johnson Asmus; daughters Jennifer and Rebecca, and son-in-law Ben Hasselblad; grandchildren Christina and Austin Asmus, and Natalie, Kari, and Annika Hasselblad; and other family and friends.

“measure our performance by what God accomplishes through our graduates after they have been prepared at Bethel to go out into the world to serve.”

—John Alexis edgren, FounderThe guys taped a dead fish under our dorm sink in

Edgren. Unfortunately, the quietest (and most easily scared) girl found it! At 5 a.m., the tape wouldn’t stick anymore, and the fish landed at her feet. She then proceeded to scream until we were all up!

Colleen Nelson ’01, S’06

SIMULTANeOUSLY SPIRITUALLiving on campus definitely includes fun and games—and

it should, says Jim Benjamin, associate dean for residence life. But at Bethel, it’s much more than that. The strengthening of personal relationships with God and each other is the permanent backdrop to late-night pizza orders, movie-watching, and ping-pong competitions.

“We want students to take advantage of the learning environment outside the classroom,” explains Benjamin. “We want them to experience growth in their interpersonal skills, social networking, and spiritual life.” Living in residence halls often gives students a safe environment in which to practice living out the very things they’re learning in classes and chapel services.

Benjamin’s staff, including 10 resident directors, works hard around the clock to ensure that each Bethel student feels welcome and comfortable. “We want to actively engage with our residents in authentic ways,” says Jenn Hillier, resident director for Bodien, a first-year student residence hall. “We want to create a place where students can be real, a place where each resident can give and receive love as we encounter the joys and challenges of life together.” To do that in Bodien, she says they work hard and play hard.

Down from freshman hill, upper-class students in Heritage Hall this year are thinking about limits. “The prophet Habakkuk writes of his doubts and frustrations. He doesn’t believe God will show up in his circumstances,” explains Steph Williams, Heritage’s Resident Director. “So, what do we limit? Ourselves, others, the present, the future, our God?”

The hall’s theme verse for this academic year is God’s response to Habakkuk (1:5): “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”

“We’re asking how much different life could be if we rejected the limit of expectations and chose expectancy,” says Williams. “We believe that an infinite God can do more than we can ask or imagine!”

Learn more about Bethel’s other residence halls at cas.bethel.edu/student-development/reslife.

Bethel Magazine incorporates Alum News from all schools of Bethel University. (Sem) indicates news from Bethel Seminary alumni and (CAPS/GS) indicates news from College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School alumni. No indication is news from College of Arts & Sciences alumni.

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For my senior year, I lived in a Heritage apartment

with six girls, but we considered the six girls who lived across the hall from us our honorary roommates—spending as much time in their room as we did in ours. One evening we ended up in my room for a while, watching “The Office.”

Now, because Bethel is a safe place (and we were right across the hall), we’d left the front door unlocked. During a commercial break, my friend Amy wandered across the hall. Thirty seconds later, she reappeared in our doorway and calmly stated, “The door to the toilet room is missing.”

Silence. “What?” Eliza asked. “The door to the toilet room

is missing,” Amy repeated. We looked at each other,

disbelieving, before the eight of us jumped up screaming. We sprinted across the hall and someone had indeed taken the door off by its hinges, leaving an open stall. We immediately knew our culprit. Mike Frederickson, aka, “Freddy.” He’d pulled such a prank when we were freshmen. Plus, we knew he had the right tools.

Nicole Westlund ’09

36 Fall 2009 37Bethel University

alum News

1931Myrel Harriet anderson, 98, of Bra-ham, minn., passed away in August. She was preceded in death by her husband Frank lowell Anderson, and is survived by her sons Gerald, Den-nis (mary), and Richard (Pam); her daughter Pat (ed) Anthony; 14 grand-children; 28 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

1942Merriam leslie Olson died in July in texas at the age of 89.

1944Chaplain (Ret. Col.) Willis Warren Wessman (sEM), topeka, passed away at the age of 88 in July. he served in the U.S. Navy (1944-1946) and later as an Army chaplain from 1951 until his retirement in 1979. he served during the World War ii, Korean, and Vietnam War eras. his wife, Dolores (Poole), preceded him in death in 2003. he is survived by his son, Kim; daughter, Kathleen (Norman) Bacon; a granddaughter, and two grandsons.

1948Valeda samuelson has a new mission: Central Clearinghouse in israel. She

also continues her other ministries in the Philippines and israel.

1946leRoy gardner founded North Central Baptist Church in St. Paul and served as pastor for 39 years. in 1997 he moved to Carmichael, Calif., and founded a new church. A speaker and author, he and his wife Kay now live in Southern California.

1949Walton Johnson (sEM) lives in Supe-rior, Wis. he served seven churches in 35 years, and for two years in Chicago at the denominational headquarters. Since his 1983 retirement, he has served as an interim pastor in 12 churches and is still active in ministry. his first wife, eunice, passed away in 2003. they had four children, Vern ’76, Dale ’78, Paul ’80, and lois. he married marit Johnson in 2005.

1953in August 2009, Marian (Peterson) Johnson passed away in Sioux Falls, S.D., at the age of 78. She lived in Slayton, minn., and is survived by her four sons, Gary (Sue), Dean, Gene (Karla), and David (lisa); 14

grandchildren; and 13 great-grand-children.

1954george William Chalmers (sEM) died at age 85 in manila, Philippines, in August. he was a career missionary to the Philippines with the BGC (now Converge Worldwide), and a U.S. Navy veteran. he was preceded in death by his wife Nancy and a son, Stuart. he’s survived by his children, Daniel (Carla), James (laurie), Faith (mansor Chitsazann), Philip (Jen-nifer), and daughter-in-law Candace; 16 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

1958Nancy and Joel stolte continue their ministry with Wycliffe Bible transla-tors in Bogotá, Colombia. they are making a recording of the New testa-ment in the Waimaha language, and are close to a final edit of a Waimahan New testament, complete with maps, drawings, and pictures.

1959Ed Whitford lives in tecate, Calif. he helped start tecate mission, which ministers on both sides of the border. he and missionary Bill Jones aided in construction of and taught in the Seminario Biblico de Baja California, affiliated with la iglesia Bautista la hermosa, a church in tecate, Baja California, mexico. the seminary has sent more than 450 pastors and mission workers to serve throughout mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and the United States.

1964Dale Pearson retired from the St. Paul Public schools at the end of the 2000 school year after teaching mathemat-ics for 34 years. in the fall of 2001, he began teaching at minnehaha Academy and retired from there at the end of the 2007 school year. he lives in little Canada, minn., with his wife Corrine.

1965D a v i d M b i t h i Mbiti, recipient of the 1997 Bethel Alumni Achieve-m e n t A w a r d , passed away at Karen hospital, Nairobi, Kenya, in may. he was a former director of education for Kenya, former deputy vice chancellor (finance and adminis-tration) of Daystar University, former assistant director, education program, for the Commonwealth Secretariat in london, and an elder and trustee for Christ is the Answer ministries. he is survived by his wife, Dorothy, and his children, Josephine muthoki, irene mumo, John maithya, Juliet mueni, and isaac mulangu, and his grandchild, Nia mutanu.

1966hugh and Martha (gemmel) Tracy are at a new assignment for Wycliffe in Dallas. hugh will plan the training for Wycliffe field workers, and martie will offer secretarial support to the international literacy and education coordinator.

Ron asmus Former director of CAPS/GS student services

Ron asmus passed away in August after a 15-month battle with leukemia. He was 66 years old. Asmus worked for Bethel from 1991-2009, first as an admissions counselor for what is now the College of Adult & Professional Stud-ies and Graduate School. He eventually became director of admissions for that area and was instrumental in the significant growth spurt in adult programs during the 1990s. A short time later he was asked to become the first director of student services for CAPS/GS.

Asmus is survived by his wife of 46 years, Sharon Johnson Asmus; daughters Jennifer and Rebecca, and son-in-law Ben Hasselblad; grandchildren Christina and Austin Asmus, and Natalie, Kari, and Annika Hasselblad; and other family and friends.

“measure our performance by what God accomplishes through our graduates after they have been prepared at Bethel to go out into the world to serve.”

—John Alexis edgren, FounderThe guys taped a dead fish under our dorm sink in

Edgren. Unfortunately, the quietest (and most easily scared) girl found it! At 5 a.m., the tape wouldn’t stick anymore, and the fish landed at her feet. She then proceeded to scream until we were all up!

Colleen Nelson ’01, S’06

SIMULTANeOUSLY SPIRITUALLiving on campus definitely includes fun and games—and

it should, says Jim Benjamin, associate dean for residence life. But at Bethel, it’s much more than that. The strengthening of personal relationships with God and each other is the permanent backdrop to late-night pizza orders, movie-watching, and ping-pong competitions.

“We want students to take advantage of the learning environment outside the classroom,” explains Benjamin. “We want them to experience growth in their interpersonal skills, social networking, and spiritual life.” Living in residence halls often gives students a safe environment in which to practice living out the very things they’re learning in classes and chapel services.

Benjamin’s staff, including 10 resident directors, works hard around the clock to ensure that each Bethel student feels welcome and comfortable. “We want to actively engage with our residents in authentic ways,” says Jenn Hillier, resident director for Bodien, a first-year student residence hall. “We want to create a place where students can be real, a place where each resident can give and receive love as we encounter the joys and challenges of life together.” To do that in Bodien, she says they work hard and play hard.

Down from freshman hill, upper-class students in Heritage Hall this year are thinking about limits. “The prophet Habakkuk writes of his doubts and frustrations. He doesn’t believe God will show up in his circumstances,” explains Steph Williams, Heritage’s Resident Director. “So, what do we limit? Ourselves, others, the present, the future, our God?”

The hall’s theme verse for this academic year is God’s response to Habakkuk (1:5): “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”

“We’re asking how much different life could be if we rejected the limit of expectations and chose expectancy,” says Williams. “We believe that an infinite God can do more than we can ask or imagine!”

Learn more about Bethel’s other residence halls at cas.bethel.edu/student-development/reslife.

Bethel Magazine incorporates Alum News from all schools of Bethel University. (Sem) indicates news from Bethel Seminary alumni and (CAPS/GS) indicates news from College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School alumni. No indication is news from College of Arts & Sciences alumni.

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1980s

2009

For my senior year, I lived in a Heritage apartment

with six girls, but we considered the six girls who lived across the hall from us our honorary roommates—spending as much time in their room as we did in ours. One evening we ended up in my room for a while, watching “The Office.”

Now, because Bethel is a safe place (and we were right across the hall), we’d left the front door unlocked. During a commercial break, my friend Amy wandered across the hall. Thirty seconds later, she reappeared in our doorway and calmly stated, “The door to the toilet room is missing.”

Silence. “What?” Eliza asked. “The door to the toilet room

is missing,” Amy repeated. We looked at each other,

disbelieving, before the eight of us jumped up screaming. We sprinted across the hall and someone had indeed taken the door off by its hinges, leaving an open stall. We immediately knew our culprit. Mike Frederickson, aka, “Freddy.” He’d pulled such a prank when we were freshmen. Plus, we knew he had the right tools.

Nicole Westlund ’09

38 Fall 2009

alum News

39Bethel University

1967lester Fair (sEM) died at age 83 in hastings, minn. he was the founder of haven homes health Care Center and the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, both of hastings. he is survived by wife marie; children Darlene (harley) Stauffer, Jerry (Kris), Daneeta erickson, and Dan (Andrea); eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

1969in June, the Isanti-Chisago County Star featured Dan Johnson. he be-came a single father in 1988 to three daughters, then five, seven, and nine, when his wife died from cancer. Now grown, his girls praised him in the article for his fatherly devotion. they are: Jenny Ober ’03, angie Kuch ’02, and Krista Hoekstra ’01.

1972Fred sweet (sEM M.Div. ’72, Th.M. ’73) served as pastor in four states (1973-1999). he is now director of the library at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, mich., where he lives with his wife marsha.

1974nancy (Meyer) Healy retired after a 35-year career in education, most recently as an administrator at Com-munity of Peace Academy, a charter school in St. Paul, minn. her husband, Dave Healy ’75, is editor of the Park Bugle, a newspaper serving two St. Paul neighborhoods, as well as Falcon heights and lauderdale, minn.

1975marian and Paul Keidel (sEM) are serving in France with the Christian & missionary Alliance (C&mA). Paul lived a second winter in Russia doing train-ing events for Russian pastors. he’s now involved in setting C&mA strategy for France for the next five years.

Terry Olson and his family have em-barked on a 22,000-mile trip around the United States in June. Follow their journey: olsonamerica.com.

1976Cindy (Olseen) Johnson passed away

in June after an eight-month battle with lung cancer. She is survived by her husband Bob; children Jenny, ted, and Willy; parents Axel and Shirley Olseen; and her siblings Rick (Bambi) Olseen and Barbara Olseen.

larry salsburey (sEM) earned a D.min. from Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Ky., in may. he co-pastors Grace Community missionary Church and lives in Bad Axe, mich., with his wife Annette.

1978Kirsten Malcolm Berry presented her artwork at the Basilica of St. mary,

a long wi th seven other women art-ists. Four are Jewish and four Chris-tian; all work

in sacred themes. the show, titled In-terpretations of Faith: Women Artists in the Jewish and Christian Traditions, was may 2-June 28. See her work: kirstenmalcolmberry.com.

Cheryl ann Flaherty died of breast cancer at the age of 53 in July. She is survived by her husband tim; chil-dren, Shannon (Jon) Walsh, Sean, tim (leah), Brendan, Kelsey, and Kevin; and other family and friends.

1980Karen (Erickson) Deschaaf, 51, died of cardiac arrest in march. She is survived by her husband An-drew and their two children, Robert (Stephanie) and Bridget. She is also survived by her mother, Joyce, and five siblings, all of whom attended Bethel. her father, Willard (deceased in 1991), served on the Bethel board of regents.

Kathleen sears Rochelle is the librar-ian at a private Christian school and teaches classes to students from pre-K through fifth grade. She and her husband are deacons in their local Baptist church. they live in hamilton, Va.

1982Reading the last issue of Focus prompted Michael Quesnell to think about his roommates at Bethel, all of whom ended up in professions that

focus on kingdom work. Dave Finley ’82 spent years in relief work around the world, mainly with World Vision and the Peace Corps. Paul lindberg ’81 has been working for decades in europe through various ministries, most recently Agape europe. Frank sanza ’82 has been leading a music ministry for years in California and texas. Quesnell oversees social in-vestments for Nokia.

1986steven norm-ing ton died suddenly in April in Arizo-na. he’s sur-vived by six brothers, three sisters, and many nieces and nephews.

1987Mike Bell was elected vice chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party. he lives in Cheyenne with his wife Amy and their son Jonathan, 2.

After 14 years as head hockey coach at Osseo Senior high School, garret strot has been named head coach of the North iowa Outlaws, a North American hockey league team in mason City, iowa. After 22 years, the Division iii hockey record he set at Bethel for the most consecutive games played (109) was broken in

February by a senior at lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.

1989Ana Paulina was born in November to Nydia DeAlba-Johnson and Paul R. Johnson, who live in mexico City and are directing latin America mission’s short-term program, Spearhead. Ana joins Andres, 5.

1990Doug Beetner married Keri Osborne in her hometown of Sioux City in June 2008. their son Nathaniel Allen was born in April. they celebrated their first anniversary and first Father’s day on the same day.

1991talia Shay and ty James were born in June to Robert and Relina (strot) Malone. they were welcomed by their siblings teagan, 11, Kensie, 7, and James, 4. the malones live in minneapolis.

1992macy lee was born in February to Pe-ter and Christy (Brooks) Buxman. She joins Dane, 4. they live in St. Paul.

Nathan Scott and matthew Scott were born in April to scott gerdes and his wife Becky. they live in Roches-ter and both work for the Rochester School District, where Scott is the district treasurer and Becky is the principal at Bamber Valley elemen-tary School.

Dan and gretchen (Merwin) Twogood ’93 and their family traveled to taiwan to adopt Jack elliot, born in April. Jack joins siblings Jordan, Grant, Audrey, and Ruth in Scottsdale, Ariz.

1993in may 2008, when a tornado struck hugo, minn., steve and sandy an-derson CaPs’08 watched as many of

their neighbors lost everything. t h e y w e r e lucky enough to be spared, and immedi-ately opened

up their home to help their friends in need. their front yard, driveway, and garage became a refuge and supply center, giving those who were hit by the tornado access to basic neces-sities and a shoulder to lean on. As a result, they were awarded the

Red Cross heroes award in April by the twin Cities Area Chapter of the American Red Cross at the annual Red Cross heroes Breakfast. Steve and Sandy are active members of eagle Brook Church.

1994Connie Blackwell (CaPs/gs) was featured in an article in The St. Paul Pioneer Press for her involvement in North metro Pediatrics, a nonprofit pediatric clinic in Coon Rapids, minn. it is one of the few nurse practitioner-operated pediatric clinics in the twin Cities area and the only one in Anoka County that has a sliding-scale fee based on federal poverty level and family-income guidelines.

Chad Kieper married Kris Reynhout in September 2008 in Stillwater, minn. Pastor Trent anderson ’95 of eagle Brook Church performed the ceremony. Kris is the daughter of Bethel Biology Professor emeritus Jim Reynhout and his wife Pat ’95. Chad is the son of Bill and Mae Kieper s’94. Back row: Heather (Heinsch) Flies ’94, Chad Flies, stacey (schirm)

Cummings ’94, Patrick (Brian) Cum-mings ’94, Holly (smith) speratos ’95, Jason speratos ’94, martha hultgren, steve Hultgren ’94. Front row: Jason Coulter ’94, ann (nelson) Pearcy ’93, scott Pearcy ’94, Kris (Reynhout) Kieper ’94, (William) Chad Kieper ’94, Courtney Barker, nathan Barker ’94.

Rudi harlan was born in July to Douglas ’95 and lauralyn (gorham) ninow. Rudi joins Anna, 2. they live in St. louis Park, minn.

1995trevin Peter and logan t h o m a s were born in march to Jason and sarah (stack) Opp. they join hudson, 5, and Ade-

lyn, 3. Sarah is at home with their children as well as being a Close to my heart consultant. Jason is a commercial real estate agent and accounting manager.

Riley was born in march in Yaoundé, Cameron, to efi-Walters and Mindy (lamberty) Tem-bon. She joins Wes-ley, 1. the tembons serve in Cameroon with Wycliffe Bible translators.

1996Jennifer and John Dahlager (sEM) are serving as missionaries in Costa Rica. in August they took a team to Cuba to lead a Pastors’ Kids retreat. For the next 10 years, they will participate in

Roommate ReunionAfter 35 years, some of the women of Townhouse F5 (1973-1974)

got together for a reunion. In the photo: Terri Magnuson Rinke ’77, of Ellsworth, Wis., a veterinarian and mother of three; Marci Wilson Parsons ’77 of Northridge, Calif., a retired homeschooler, Latin teacher, and mother of three; Debra Calain Bestland ’77 of Buffalo, Minn., a retired homeschooler, dance instructor, and mother of four; Judy Helman ’75, of Vail, Colo., a financial executive and execu-tive assistant to a Christian recording artist; Diane Doe-bler Engelstadt ’77, of Pine City, Minn., a junior high school English teacher; and sherry schut yoder ’78, who teaches English at a Beijing University.

upcoming alumni eventsThe Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition hits Minneapolis/St. Paul March 12, 2010, at the Science Museum of Minnesota!Bethel University offers the following corresponding events:

april 20108 Lecture and Q&A by Ron Youngblood, professor emeritus

of Old Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego, and Dan Gurtner, assistant professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary St. Paul

7-9 p.m. Benson Great Hall, St. Paul campus

10 Lecture by Ron Youngblood and Dan Gurtner 9-10:30 a.m. Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul,

Minn.

11 Lecture and Q&A by Ron Youngblood and Dan Gurtner 3-5:30 p.m. Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie, Minn.

For more information about these events or to RSVP, call the alumni office at 651.638.6462, or 800.255.8706, ext. 6462, or email alumni@bethel.edu.

Picture of Recovery After lynn Hansen C’70, s’02 and his

wife were victims of an attempted carjacking in Kenya in 1998, he painted, And Then the Phone Rang.

“I visualized a woman who has been up worrying about someone she loves and then she hears the phone ring,” explains Hansen. “I hope it helps with viewers’ fears as much as it has helped with mine.”

In May, the painting was selected for the Art of Recovery exhibit, sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Another of Hansen’s paintings, Shining Pots, hangs in the main hallway at Bethel Seminary St. Paul.

In addition to painting, he does photography, street theater, freelance graphic art, and mission work. “Virtually everything I

have done in my life since college has been connected in one way or another to people I know and things I have learned from, or as-sociated with, Bethel,” he explains.

In 1993, at the suggestion of a Bethel friend, he and his wife moved to Nairobi, Kenya, where he taught art at Rosslyn Academy, an international Christian school. His wife JoAnn served as the school’s business manager. They returned in 1998 so Lynn could attend Bethel Seminary St. Paul. He now pastors First Baptist Church of Battle Lake, Minn., and is also the director of the North American Committee for the Development of Good News Theologi-cal College & Seminary in Accra, Ghana, West Africa.

No matter what he does, Hansen says he will always be com-mitted to faith and art. “Faith is simply knowing something is true like you know anything else you know for sure,” he explains. “So, my work reflects my life of faith, making visible the deep heart of knowing and yearning to know God more intimately.”

See his work at lynnkhansen.com.

38 Fall 2009

alum News

39Bethel University

1967lester Fair (sEM) died at age 83 in hastings, minn. he was the founder of haven homes health Care Center and the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, both of hastings. he is survived by wife marie; children Darlene (harley) Stauffer, Jerry (Kris), Daneeta erickson, and Dan (Andrea); eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

1969in June, the Isanti-Chisago County Star featured Dan Johnson. he be-came a single father in 1988 to three daughters, then five, seven, and nine, when his wife died from cancer. Now grown, his girls praised him in the article for his fatherly devotion. they are: Jenny Ober ’03, angie Kuch ’02, and Krista Hoekstra ’01.

1972Fred sweet (sEM M.Div. ’72, Th.M. ’73) served as pastor in four states (1973-1999). he is now director of the library at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, mich., where he lives with his wife marsha.

1974nancy (Meyer) Healy retired after a 35-year career in education, most recently as an administrator at Com-munity of Peace Academy, a charter school in St. Paul, minn. her husband, Dave Healy ’75, is editor of the Park Bugle, a newspaper serving two St. Paul neighborhoods, as well as Falcon heights and lauderdale, minn.

1975marian and Paul Keidel (sEM) are serving in France with the Christian & missionary Alliance (C&mA). Paul lived a second winter in Russia doing train-ing events for Russian pastors. he’s now involved in setting C&mA strategy for France for the next five years.

Terry Olson and his family have em-barked on a 22,000-mile trip around the United States in June. Follow their journey: olsonamerica.com.

1976Cindy (Olseen) Johnson passed away

in June after an eight-month battle with lung cancer. She is survived by her husband Bob; children Jenny, ted, and Willy; parents Axel and Shirley Olseen; and her siblings Rick (Bambi) Olseen and Barbara Olseen.

larry salsburey (sEM) earned a D.min. from Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Ky., in may. he co-pastors Grace Community missionary Church and lives in Bad Axe, mich., with his wife Annette.

1978Kirsten Malcolm Berry presented her artwork at the Basilica of St. mary,

a long wi th seven other women art-ists. Four are Jewish and four Chris-tian; all work

in sacred themes. the show, titled In-terpretations of Faith: Women Artists in the Jewish and Christian Traditions, was may 2-June 28. See her work: kirstenmalcolmberry.com.

Cheryl ann Flaherty died of breast cancer at the age of 53 in July. She is survived by her husband tim; chil-dren, Shannon (Jon) Walsh, Sean, tim (leah), Brendan, Kelsey, and Kevin; and other family and friends.

1980Karen (Erickson) Deschaaf, 51, died of cardiac arrest in march. She is survived by her husband An-drew and their two children, Robert (Stephanie) and Bridget. She is also survived by her mother, Joyce, and five siblings, all of whom attended Bethel. her father, Willard (deceased in 1991), served on the Bethel board of regents.

Kathleen sears Rochelle is the librar-ian at a private Christian school and teaches classes to students from pre-K through fifth grade. She and her husband are deacons in their local Baptist church. they live in hamilton, Va.

1982Reading the last issue of Focus prompted Michael Quesnell to think about his roommates at Bethel, all of whom ended up in professions that

focus on kingdom work. Dave Finley ’82 spent years in relief work around the world, mainly with World Vision and the Peace Corps. Paul lindberg ’81 has been working for decades in europe through various ministries, most recently Agape europe. Frank sanza ’82 has been leading a music ministry for years in California and texas. Quesnell oversees social in-vestments for Nokia.

1986steven norm-ing ton died suddenly in April in Arizo-na. he’s sur-vived by six brothers, three sisters, and many nieces and nephews.

1987Mike Bell was elected vice chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party. he lives in Cheyenne with his wife Amy and their son Jonathan, 2.

After 14 years as head hockey coach at Osseo Senior high School, garret strot has been named head coach of the North iowa Outlaws, a North American hockey league team in mason City, iowa. After 22 years, the Division iii hockey record he set at Bethel for the most consecutive games played (109) was broken in

February by a senior at lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.

1989Ana Paulina was born in November to Nydia DeAlba-Johnson and Paul R. Johnson, who live in mexico City and are directing latin America mission’s short-term program, Spearhead. Ana joins Andres, 5.

1990Doug Beetner married Keri Osborne in her hometown of Sioux City in June 2008. their son Nathaniel Allen was born in April. they celebrated their first anniversary and first Father’s day on the same day.

1991talia Shay and ty James were born in June to Robert and Relina (strot) Malone. they were welcomed by their siblings teagan, 11, Kensie, 7, and James, 4. the malones live in minneapolis.

1992macy lee was born in February to Pe-ter and Christy (Brooks) Buxman. She joins Dane, 4. they live in St. Paul.

Nathan Scott and matthew Scott were born in April to scott gerdes and his wife Becky. they live in Roches-ter and both work for the Rochester School District, where Scott is the district treasurer and Becky is the principal at Bamber Valley elemen-tary School.

Dan and gretchen (Merwin) Twogood ’93 and their family traveled to taiwan to adopt Jack elliot, born in April. Jack joins siblings Jordan, Grant, Audrey, and Ruth in Scottsdale, Ariz.

1993in may 2008, when a tornado struck hugo, minn., steve and sandy an-derson CaPs’08 watched as many of

their neighbors lost everything. t h e y w e r e lucky enough to be spared, and immedi-ately opened

up their home to help their friends in need. their front yard, driveway, and garage became a refuge and supply center, giving those who were hit by the tornado access to basic neces-sities and a shoulder to lean on. As a result, they were awarded the

Red Cross heroes award in April by the twin Cities Area Chapter of the American Red Cross at the annual Red Cross heroes Breakfast. Steve and Sandy are active members of eagle Brook Church.

1994Connie Blackwell (CaPs/gs) was featured in an article in The St. Paul Pioneer Press for her involvement in North metro Pediatrics, a nonprofit pediatric clinic in Coon Rapids, minn. it is one of the few nurse practitioner-operated pediatric clinics in the twin Cities area and the only one in Anoka County that has a sliding-scale fee based on federal poverty level and family-income guidelines.

Chad Kieper married Kris Reynhout in September 2008 in Stillwater, minn. Pastor Trent anderson ’95 of eagle Brook Church performed the ceremony. Kris is the daughter of Bethel Biology Professor emeritus Jim Reynhout and his wife Pat ’95. Chad is the son of Bill and Mae Kieper s’94. Back row: Heather (Heinsch) Flies ’94, Chad Flies, stacey (schirm)

Cummings ’94, Patrick (Brian) Cum-mings ’94, Holly (smith) speratos ’95, Jason speratos ’94, martha hultgren, steve Hultgren ’94. Front row: Jason Coulter ’94, ann (nelson) Pearcy ’93, scott Pearcy ’94, Kris (Reynhout) Kieper ’94, (William) Chad Kieper ’94, Courtney Barker, nathan Barker ’94.

Rudi harlan was born in July to Douglas ’95 and lauralyn (gorham) ninow. Rudi joins Anna, 2. they live in St. louis Park, minn.

1995trevin Peter and logan t h o m a s were born in march to Jason and sarah (stack) Opp. they join hudson, 5, and Ade-

lyn, 3. Sarah is at home with their children as well as being a Close to my heart consultant. Jason is a commercial real estate agent and accounting manager.

Riley was born in march in Yaoundé, Cameron, to efi-Walters and Mindy (lamberty) Tem-bon. She joins Wes-ley, 1. the tembons serve in Cameroon with Wycliffe Bible translators.

1996Jennifer and John Dahlager (sEM) are serving as missionaries in Costa Rica. in August they took a team to Cuba to lead a Pastors’ Kids retreat. For the next 10 years, they will participate in

Roommate ReunionAfter 35 years, some of the women of Townhouse F5 (1973-1974)

got together for a reunion. In the photo: Terri Magnuson Rinke ’77, of Ellsworth, Wis., a veterinarian and mother of three; Marci Wilson Parsons ’77 of Northridge, Calif., a retired homeschooler, Latin teacher, and mother of three; Debra Calain Bestland ’77 of Buffalo, Minn., a retired homeschooler, dance instructor, and mother of four; Judy Helman ’75, of Vail, Colo., a financial executive and execu-tive assistant to a Christian recording artist; Diane Doe-bler Engelstadt ’77, of Pine City, Minn., a junior high school English teacher; and sherry schut yoder ’78, who teaches English at a Beijing University.

upcoming alumni eventsThe Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition hits Minneapolis/St. Paul March 12, 2010, at the Science Museum of Minnesota!Bethel University offers the following corresponding events:

april 20108 Lecture and Q&A by Ron Youngblood, professor emeritus

of Old Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego, and Dan Gurtner, assistant professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary St. Paul

7-9 p.m. Benson Great Hall, St. Paul campus

10 Lecture by Ron Youngblood and Dan Gurtner 9-10:30 a.m. Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul,

Minn.

11 Lecture and Q&A by Ron Youngblood and Dan Gurtner 3-5:30 p.m. Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie, Minn.

For more information about these events or to RSVP, call the alumni office at 651.638.6462, or 800.255.8706, ext. 6462, or email alumni@bethel.edu.

Picture of Recovery After lynn Hansen C’70, s’02 and his

wife were victims of an attempted carjacking in Kenya in 1998, he painted, And Then the Phone Rang.

“I visualized a woman who has been up worrying about someone she loves and then she hears the phone ring,” explains Hansen. “I hope it helps with viewers’ fears as much as it has helped with mine.”

In May, the painting was selected for the Art of Recovery exhibit, sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Another of Hansen’s paintings, Shining Pots, hangs in the main hallway at Bethel Seminary St. Paul.

In addition to painting, he does photography, street theater, freelance graphic art, and mission work. “Virtually everything I

have done in my life since college has been connected in one way or another to people I know and things I have learned from, or as-sociated with, Bethel,” he explains.

In 1993, at the suggestion of a Bethel friend, he and his wife moved to Nairobi, Kenya, where he taught art at Rosslyn Academy, an international Christian school. His wife JoAnn served as the school’s business manager. They returned in 1998 so Lynn could attend Bethel Seminary St. Paul. He now pastors First Baptist Church of Battle Lake, Minn., and is also the director of the North American Committee for the Development of Good News Theologi-cal College & Seminary in Accra, Ghana, West Africa.

No matter what he does, Hansen says he will always be com-mitted to faith and art. “Faith is simply knowing something is true like you know anything else you know for sure,” he explains. “So, my work reflects my life of faith, making visible the deep heart of knowing and yearning to know God more intimately.”

See his work at lynnkhansen.com.

40 Fall 2009

alum News

41Bethel University

a major children’s ministry initiative called Un Million de Niños (One mil-lion Children).

Greyson Alexander Vogelaar was born in June to Jody Vogelaar and Janeen Evenson-Vogelaar ’97. they live in toluca lake, Calif.

1997Naomi Sue was born in April to Jason ’06 and Kris (Kraakevik) Hedstrand. She joins henry, 4, Josh, 2, and erik, 1.

1998Christine Ferguson (sEM) is a nurs-ing home chaplain in marlborough, Conn.

1999Bob Chris-tian (sEM) is a volun-teer sher-iff’s chap-l a i n f o r S p o k a n e County in Washington in addition to his pastoral responsibilities at heritage Church in Spokane, Wash. he joins eight other volunteer chaplains.

Alexander Steven was born in march to Chad and stephanie (Malone) gerads. he joins Allison, 6, Skylar, 4, Andrew, 3, and Savannah, 1. Stephanie home schools the children and teaches parenting education and infant massage part time.

John groh was named the president and CeO of the Rockford Area Con-vention & Visitors Bureau after a six-month search and 65 candidates. he also serves on the Bethel University National Alumni Board.

Beth Eiserloh Johnson is the media and publications manager of the North Carolina Symphony. She and her hus-band Wyeth live in Raleigh, N.C.

John a. Kantke joined the law firm of larry K. Houk ’66 in Roseville, minn. the firm specializes in estate planning and elder law.

Holly larsen married Benjamin hilty in July 2008. they live in St. Paul.

Noelle evelyn was born in march to Jeremy and Melissa (Hunst) noble. She joins Joey, 2. melissa teaches english at Jackson middle School in the Anoka-hennepin district. Jeremy is a senior project engineer at Buhler, inc. they live in medina, minn.

2000Bethel sports i n f o r m a t i o n director Dale Eng marr ied Courtney Hoe-hl ’07 in July at Roseville Cov-enant Church. Parents are Jack ’72 and Debbie (Hutchings) Hoehl ’72 and Cliff and Bonnie eng. Bethel alumni involved in the wedding included: Jenny Oester-man ’07, Heather Hoehl ’00, nikki (Murphy) smith ’07, Mary Helen schmidt ’08, Derick lyngholm ’99, Ryan Carlson ’99, Eric Runyan ’99, luke smith ’99, Joshua agrimson ’01, Joe Eckerle ’00, andy Manthei ’01, and Blaine soderholm ’99. Of-ficiating pastor was Bethel Provost David Clark.

Chloe Faith was born in June to Steve and angela (Molitor) landry. She joins Caleb, 5, and Grace, 3. Angie teaches fifth grade at Rum River el-ementary in Andover, minn.

molly Kaylin was born in march to lance and anna (Klett) unger. they live in St. Paul.

Matthew sorensen completed his or-thopedic fellowship in foot and ankle surgery at Ohio State University and joined Summit Orthopedics in Wood-bury, minn. he’s published numerous articles in academic journals and has been a contributing author for Web mD and e-medicine.

2001linda and David Frisbie (sEM) were honored with a distinguished service award for ministry to marriages and families at the Global General Assem-bly of the Nazarene denomination in July. they’ve traveled to all 50 states; nine provinces and two territories of Canada; and 42 nations. they are the authors of 10 books and many articles. in march they were hired by the Naza-rene denomination as coordinators of marriage and family life ministries.

Adelyn taylor was born to Tom and Rebeca Houle in January.

Tracy l. King, formerly tracy Sybesma (CaPs/gs), earned second place and an honorable mention in the 2009 BrainStorm poetry contest sponsored by Open minds Quarterly.

Charlianna marie and S o p h i a Grace were b o r n i n ma r ch t o Steve and stacy (Harrison) simpson. Steve pas-tors an evangelical Free church, and Stacy is a special education teacher. they live in iowa.

2002thaddeus Bryan Scott Bray was born to Jasmine lund in January.

Owen Dan -iel was born in Sep tem-ber to aaron and Karolyn (Wood) Per-

kins. Aaron is a general contractor and owner of Wonderful Roofing and Siding, and Karolyn is a stay-at-home mom. they live in Blaine, minn.

ezra Keith was born in march to lee and Michelle (Dahlsten) Peterson. he was also welcomed by Caleb Axel, 2. they reside in Chaska, minn.

John Charles was born in may to liz and Bjorn Peterson. they live in maplewood, minn., and Bjorn will begin emergency medicine residency training at Regions hospital.

Emelia Wolfgram married Brad Rogers ’01 in 2003. their daughter Aliyah was born in march. emelia is

a liCSW hospital social worker at Gil-lette Children’s hospital in St. Paul.

2003samuel lacy followed his time at Bethel with four years at Princeton theological Seminary. he and his wife Jamie are now in mainz, Germany, where he has a fellowship in the Fulbright Program.

Chloe Rose was born to Scot and Jana (Hamann) Wick in April.

2004ellie Autumn was born in October 2008 to Jenni (Mielke) and Ben Brandt. they live in Cokato, minn., where Ben is a music director at elim mission Church.

Kyle Richard and Jacob Steve were born in June to Jason and Brittany (graves) Dalum.

Coleman James was born in Octo-ber to Ryan and andrea Davis. they live in Des moines, where Ryan is attending medical school at Des moines University.

arleigh (Heeren) Hagberg is a vid-eographer/producer and lives in St. Anthony, minn., with her husband, Jeff.

Melissa Johnson received her mas-ter’s degree in social work from St. Catherine University/University of St. thomas in may. She works for St. Da-vid’s Center, Child and Family Devel-opment, in the Family Place program and lives in St. louis Park, minn.

greg schutte married Shannon tri in July. Greg is an electrical engineer with Great River energy. they live in Blaine, minn.

a Classic Time Nearly 120 golfers, many Bethel alumni, played in Bethel’s annual

Golf Classic on June 23, this year held at StoneRidge Golf Club in Stillwater, Minn. The winning foursome Dan Conrad ’90, Paul schurbring ’92, Jeff smith ’92, and Mark Perunovich ’90, came in 16 under par. Longtime Bethel friends and roommates, the four had not connected in more than 19 years—since college graduation.

Save the Date: 2010’s Golf Classic is Tuesday, June 22.

While Bethel strives for accuracy in all it does, we cannot be responsible for the content of news items submitted by alumni. the inclusion of news items here should not be construed as an endorsement of their content by Bethel Magazine or Bethel University.

lydia Grace was born in April to Adam and Christina (Dunlap) severson. She joins Ayana eileen, 3. they live in Northfield, minn.

Kristin stoneberg is an assistant athletic trainer at the University of St. thomas in St. Paul.

ian David meak was born in Feb-ruary to tony and lauren Hirsbrun-ner sok. they live in Frisco, texas. lauren is a stay-at-home mom while tony works as a hazmat technician at texas instruments.

andrew Vitek is a teacher at Abraham lincoln high School in Denver. he lives in lakewood, Col.

2005adam arnold is adolescent therapist and artistic director of the blank slate theatre in St. Paul (blankslatetheatre.com).

Rebekah Ruth was born in July to emili and nathan Hibbs. they live in long Prairie, minn.

anna Michalko married Evan Miller ’06 in April.

Michael Teeter graduated magna cum laude from the University of St. thom-as School of law in minneapolis.

2006Hannah and J o n a t h a n Kuriscak were featured in Min-nesota Bride (Fall/Winter is-sue). they were married in September 2008.

Melinda Hallstrom and Eric Berg ’05 were married at Calvary Church in Roseville, minn., in November 2008. Bethel participants included: Jaclyn Hallstrom ’08, alissa Hallstrom ’05, Travis Wermedal ’06, Evielyn lar-son ’06, amy Wanggaard ’06, Dave sauer ’06, David Franke ’06, and Doug Kvamme ’05. the Bergs reside in Davenport, iowa, where melinda is a third-year medical student and eric is a middle/high school teacher.

2007Owen Bolt married Karis Krussow ’09 in July. they live in eagan, minn.

Jessica Fletcher is a comedian based in New York City. Check out her stuff on Youtube.

Jonathon svendsen wrote “Narnia and middle-earth: the Stories that meant Something,” a reflective essay on the fantasy worlds of C.S. lewis and J.R.R tolkien featured in Silver Leaves, the journal for the White tree Foundation (an international tolkien society). he is a staff writer and editor for the website NarniaFans.com where he writes “tumnus’s Book Shelf: the

NarniaFans Book Reviews.” he’s also had a number of poems featured in the Minas-Tirith Evening Star, the journal for the American tolkien Society.

2008Meghan Donner taught third grade and worked in the library at the American Christian Academy in Ni-geria for the school year. in July The Clara City Herald included a photo of her with Nigerian soccer players whom she hosted when they came to the United States to play soccer at the Blaine Sports Center.

naomi (Otterness) Pitlick is a su-pervisor at PetSmart hotel and is

The art of sciencePair a theatre minor from Bethel with a doctorate in physics

and what do you get? T. James Belich ’97. The versatile actor and playwright combined his two passions—acting and physics—at the Minnesota Fringe Festival in July and August where he presented 10 performances of his original play, Schrödinger’s Cat Must Die!, to rave reviews.

Part physics lecture and part storytelling, the one-man play tells the story of Dr. Volt, a crazed scientist obsessed with a plan to control the world. But his intentions are thwarted by his ill-fated assistant, who hinders his work at every turn. Worst of all, this assistant hounds his cat and soon plots to destroy it.

The title of Belich’s play is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Schrödinger’s Cat thought experiment, devised by Erwin Schrödinger of Austria in 1935. The physicist was attempting to explain quantum theory by the use of this experiment, which stated that a cat placed inside a box containing radiation could be both dead and alive at the same time…until the box is opened, and the world learned the cat’s final fate. Think philosophy meets science.

As a physics major and theatre minor at Bethel, Belich participated in several theater productions and as an alumnus he returned to act in Measure for Measure, where he met his wife, Kelly (Brookman) ’02. He continues to act and work backstage in numerous productions around the Twin Cities.

When not acting, Belich also works as a playwright, having penned nearly 20 works in various genres that have been performed around the world. Writers such as C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, and Anton Chekhov have influenced him.

As for his latest work, Belich says, “I shared my dual passions of art and science in a way that people really clicked with, which was extremely gratifying.”

Both James and Kelly work for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and live in St. Paul.

contemplating grad school in 2010 to pursue a master’s degree in social work. She and her husband Brad live in Brooklyn Park, minn.

Michelle lydia (Richer) Osborne is a social worker at Children’s inn in Sioux Falls, S.D.

lindsay sterchi (sEM) is the 18 to 20-something ministry director for New hope Church in effingham, ill.

2009lisa alf married trevor Stoneberg in July. they live in Coon Rapids, minn.

Joshua Owen was born to Tammy s. schexnaider (CaPs/gs) and her husband mi-chael Dreher in August. mike is professor and chair of the communi-cation studies department and direc-tor of forensics at Bethel University.

Read stories of alumni Joel Carlson ’93 and Sarah

(Carlson) Wauterlek ’00

40 Fall 2009

alum News

41Bethel University

a major children’s ministry initiative called Un Million de Niños (One mil-lion Children).

Greyson Alexander Vogelaar was born in June to Jody Vogelaar and Janeen Evenson-Vogelaar ’97. they live in toluca lake, Calif.

1997Naomi Sue was born in April to Jason ’06 and Kris (Kraakevik) Hedstrand. She joins henry, 4, Josh, 2, and erik, 1.

1998Christine Ferguson (sEM) is a nurs-ing home chaplain in marlborough, Conn.

1999Bob Chris-tian (sEM) is a volun-teer sher-iff’s chap-l a i n f o r S p o k a n e County in Washington in addition to his pastoral responsibilities at heritage Church in Spokane, Wash. he joins eight other volunteer chaplains.

Alexander Steven was born in march to Chad and stephanie (Malone) gerads. he joins Allison, 6, Skylar, 4, Andrew, 3, and Savannah, 1. Stephanie home schools the children and teaches parenting education and infant massage part time.

John groh was named the president and CeO of the Rockford Area Con-vention & Visitors Bureau after a six-month search and 65 candidates. he also serves on the Bethel University National Alumni Board.

Beth Eiserloh Johnson is the media and publications manager of the North Carolina Symphony. She and her hus-band Wyeth live in Raleigh, N.C.

John a. Kantke joined the law firm of larry K. Houk ’66 in Roseville, minn. the firm specializes in estate planning and elder law.

Holly larsen married Benjamin hilty in July 2008. they live in St. Paul.

Noelle evelyn was born in march to Jeremy and Melissa (Hunst) noble. She joins Joey, 2. melissa teaches english at Jackson middle School in the Anoka-hennepin district. Jeremy is a senior project engineer at Buhler, inc. they live in medina, minn.

2000Bethel sports i n f o r m a t i o n director Dale Eng marr ied Courtney Hoe-hl ’07 in July at Roseville Cov-enant Church. Parents are Jack ’72 and Debbie (Hutchings) Hoehl ’72 and Cliff and Bonnie eng. Bethel alumni involved in the wedding included: Jenny Oester-man ’07, Heather Hoehl ’00, nikki (Murphy) smith ’07, Mary Helen schmidt ’08, Derick lyngholm ’99, Ryan Carlson ’99, Eric Runyan ’99, luke smith ’99, Joshua agrimson ’01, Joe Eckerle ’00, andy Manthei ’01, and Blaine soderholm ’99. Of-ficiating pastor was Bethel Provost David Clark.

Chloe Faith was born in June to Steve and angela (Molitor) landry. She joins Caleb, 5, and Grace, 3. Angie teaches fifth grade at Rum River el-ementary in Andover, minn.

molly Kaylin was born in march to lance and anna (Klett) unger. they live in St. Paul.

Matthew sorensen completed his or-thopedic fellowship in foot and ankle surgery at Ohio State University and joined Summit Orthopedics in Wood-bury, minn. he’s published numerous articles in academic journals and has been a contributing author for Web mD and e-medicine.

2001linda and David Frisbie (sEM) were honored with a distinguished service award for ministry to marriages and families at the Global General Assem-bly of the Nazarene denomination in July. they’ve traveled to all 50 states; nine provinces and two territories of Canada; and 42 nations. they are the authors of 10 books and many articles. in march they were hired by the Naza-rene denomination as coordinators of marriage and family life ministries.

Adelyn taylor was born to Tom and Rebeca Houle in January.

Tracy l. King, formerly tracy Sybesma (CaPs/gs), earned second place and an honorable mention in the 2009 BrainStorm poetry contest sponsored by Open minds Quarterly.

Charlianna marie and S o p h i a Grace were b o r n i n ma r ch t o Steve and stacy (Harrison) simpson. Steve pas-tors an evangelical Free church, and Stacy is a special education teacher. they live in iowa.

2002thaddeus Bryan Scott Bray was born to Jasmine lund in January.

Owen Dan -iel was born in Sep tem-ber to aaron and Karolyn (Wood) Per-

kins. Aaron is a general contractor and owner of Wonderful Roofing and Siding, and Karolyn is a stay-at-home mom. they live in Blaine, minn.

ezra Keith was born in march to lee and Michelle (Dahlsten) Peterson. he was also welcomed by Caleb Axel, 2. they reside in Chaska, minn.

John Charles was born in may to liz and Bjorn Peterson. they live in maplewood, minn., and Bjorn will begin emergency medicine residency training at Regions hospital.

Emelia Wolfgram married Brad Rogers ’01 in 2003. their daughter Aliyah was born in march. emelia is

a liCSW hospital social worker at Gil-lette Children’s hospital in St. Paul.

2003samuel lacy followed his time at Bethel with four years at Princeton theological Seminary. he and his wife Jamie are now in mainz, Germany, where he has a fellowship in the Fulbright Program.

Chloe Rose was born to Scot and Jana (Hamann) Wick in April.

2004ellie Autumn was born in October 2008 to Jenni (Mielke) and Ben Brandt. they live in Cokato, minn., where Ben is a music director at elim mission Church.

Kyle Richard and Jacob Steve were born in June to Jason and Brittany (graves) Dalum.

Coleman James was born in Octo-ber to Ryan and andrea Davis. they live in Des moines, where Ryan is attending medical school at Des moines University.

arleigh (Heeren) Hagberg is a vid-eographer/producer and lives in St. Anthony, minn., with her husband, Jeff.

Melissa Johnson received her mas-ter’s degree in social work from St. Catherine University/University of St. thomas in may. She works for St. Da-vid’s Center, Child and Family Devel-opment, in the Family Place program and lives in St. louis Park, minn.

greg schutte married Shannon tri in July. Greg is an electrical engineer with Great River energy. they live in Blaine, minn.

a Classic Time Nearly 120 golfers, many Bethel alumni, played in Bethel’s annual

Golf Classic on June 23, this year held at StoneRidge Golf Club in Stillwater, Minn. The winning foursome Dan Conrad ’90, Paul schurbring ’92, Jeff smith ’92, and Mark Perunovich ’90, came in 16 under par. Longtime Bethel friends and roommates, the four had not connected in more than 19 years—since college graduation.

Save the Date: 2010’s Golf Classic is Tuesday, June 22.

While Bethel strives for accuracy in all it does, we cannot be responsible for the content of news items submitted by alumni. the inclusion of news items here should not be construed as an endorsement of their content by Bethel Magazine or Bethel University.

lydia Grace was born in April to Adam and Christina (Dunlap) severson. She joins Ayana eileen, 3. they live in Northfield, minn.

Kristin stoneberg is an assistant athletic trainer at the University of St. thomas in St. Paul.

ian David meak was born in Feb-ruary to tony and lauren Hirsbrun-ner sok. they live in Frisco, texas. lauren is a stay-at-home mom while tony works as a hazmat technician at texas instruments.

andrew Vitek is a teacher at Abraham lincoln high School in Denver. he lives in lakewood, Col.

2005adam arnold is adolescent therapist and artistic director of the blank slate theatre in St. Paul (blankslatetheatre.com).

Rebekah Ruth was born in July to emili and nathan Hibbs. they live in long Prairie, minn.

anna Michalko married Evan Miller ’06 in April.

Michael Teeter graduated magna cum laude from the University of St. thom-as School of law in minneapolis.

2006Hannah and J o n a t h a n Kuriscak were featured in Min-nesota Bride (Fall/Winter is-sue). they were married in September 2008.

Melinda Hallstrom and Eric Berg ’05 were married at Calvary Church in Roseville, minn., in November 2008. Bethel participants included: Jaclyn Hallstrom ’08, alissa Hallstrom ’05, Travis Wermedal ’06, Evielyn lar-son ’06, amy Wanggaard ’06, Dave sauer ’06, David Franke ’06, and Doug Kvamme ’05. the Bergs reside in Davenport, iowa, where melinda is a third-year medical student and eric is a middle/high school teacher.

2007Owen Bolt married Karis Krussow ’09 in July. they live in eagan, minn.

Jessica Fletcher is a comedian based in New York City. Check out her stuff on Youtube.

Jonathon svendsen wrote “Narnia and middle-earth: the Stories that meant Something,” a reflective essay on the fantasy worlds of C.S. lewis and J.R.R tolkien featured in Silver Leaves, the journal for the White tree Foundation (an international tolkien society). he is a staff writer and editor for the website NarniaFans.com where he writes “tumnus’s Book Shelf: the

NarniaFans Book Reviews.” he’s also had a number of poems featured in the Minas-Tirith Evening Star, the journal for the American tolkien Society.

2008Meghan Donner taught third grade and worked in the library at the American Christian Academy in Ni-geria for the school year. in July The Clara City Herald included a photo of her with Nigerian soccer players whom she hosted when they came to the United States to play soccer at the Blaine Sports Center.

naomi (Otterness) Pitlick is a su-pervisor at PetSmart hotel and is

The art of sciencePair a theatre minor from Bethel with a doctorate in physics

and what do you get? T. James Belich ’97. The versatile actor and playwright combined his two passions—acting and physics—at the Minnesota Fringe Festival in July and August where he presented 10 performances of his original play, Schrödinger’s Cat Must Die!, to rave reviews.

Part physics lecture and part storytelling, the one-man play tells the story of Dr. Volt, a crazed scientist obsessed with a plan to control the world. But his intentions are thwarted by his ill-fated assistant, who hinders his work at every turn. Worst of all, this assistant hounds his cat and soon plots to destroy it.

The title of Belich’s play is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Schrödinger’s Cat thought experiment, devised by Erwin Schrödinger of Austria in 1935. The physicist was attempting to explain quantum theory by the use of this experiment, which stated that a cat placed inside a box containing radiation could be both dead and alive at the same time…until the box is opened, and the world learned the cat’s final fate. Think philosophy meets science.

As a physics major and theatre minor at Bethel, Belich participated in several theater productions and as an alumnus he returned to act in Measure for Measure, where he met his wife, Kelly (Brookman) ’02. He continues to act and work backstage in numerous productions around the Twin Cities.

When not acting, Belich also works as a playwright, having penned nearly 20 works in various genres that have been performed around the world. Writers such as C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, and Anton Chekhov have influenced him.

As for his latest work, Belich says, “I shared my dual passions of art and science in a way that people really clicked with, which was extremely gratifying.”

Both James and Kelly work for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and live in St. Paul.

contemplating grad school in 2010 to pursue a master’s degree in social work. She and her husband Brad live in Brooklyn Park, minn.

Michelle lydia (Richer) Osborne is a social worker at Children’s inn in Sioux Falls, S.D.

lindsay sterchi (sEM) is the 18 to 20-something ministry director for New hope Church in effingham, ill.

2009lisa alf married trevor Stoneberg in July. they live in Coon Rapids, minn.

Joshua Owen was born to Tammy s. schexnaider (CaPs/gs) and her husband mi-chael Dreher in August. mike is professor and chair of the communi-cation studies department and direc-tor of forensics at Bethel University.

Read stories of alumni Joel Carlson ’93 and Sarah

(Carlson) Wauterlek ’00

Bethel M

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“To me, touching the names on the Birmingham Civil Rights Memorial symbolized a silent sign of respect, as well as a thank you to those who have paved the way for me and many others.”

FIONA RODRIGUeS ’11, AN ORGANIzATIONAL

COMMUNICATIONS MAJOR, WENT ON

THE SPRING BREAK SANKOFA TRIP IN

MARCH 2009. ON THE ANNUAL BETHEL

TRIP, TRAVELERS RIDE A BUS, VISITING

CIVIL RIGHTS LANDMARKS OF THE SOUTH,

INCLUDING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM,

THE ROSA PARKS MUSEUM AND LIBRARY,

AND THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

MEMORIAL, WITH THE GOAL OF HOPEFUL

AND GOD-INTENDED RECONCILIATION.

THE WORD “SANKOFA” COMES FROM THE

ADINKRA LANGUAGE OF THE AKAN PEOPLE

OF GHANA, WEST AFRICA, AND LITERALLY

TRANSLATES “IT IS NOT TABOO TO GO BACK

AND FETCH WHAT YOU FORGOT.”