“I am profoundly grateful to Kentucky Wesleyan, where I grew up, formed lifelong friendships and received intellectual training that prepared me well for seminary and my career as a minister. My horizons expanded at KWC, and I learned who I was. I want to give back to my alma mater to help ensure that today’s students have the same quality education and formation I did.
“I encourage my fellow alumni to think back to their own KWC experiences with an attitude of gratitude and express that gratitude by giving back.”
Education
Major at KWC – Religion and philosophy.
Master’s degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Ill.
Career
Retired from United Methodist parish ministry in 2010 and from hospital chaplaincy in 2019, both in Indiana; certified in Spiritual Formation by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church and endorsed and certified as a United Methodist chaplain.
Why did you decide to attend KWC?
“I visited several United Methodist institutions in Indiana and then Kentucky Wesleyan, where I met Dr. Ed Beavin and sat in on one of his classes. The experience with Dr. Beavin (professor of Old Testament) made it clear to me that KWC was where I wanted to go.”
Tell us about your life as a student at KWC.
“I did not grow up with a solid Christian background. My church involvement had been off and on all my life until my junior year in high school, when I became very involved in United Methodist Youth Fellowship. I listened to scripture readings and as I became more involved, I realized the Word of God was my foundation.
“I knew when I came to KWC that I wanted to go into the ministry. Dr. Beavin’s focus on aspects of the College seal (Science, Literature, Morality and Religion and “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”) made a huge difference in my life. When I went to seminary, I did well in Hebrew exegesis, thanks to Dr. Beavin. Dr. Tom Rogers (professor of New Testament) was also a phenomenal influence.
“I was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, which I found to be a brotherhood and a family. I learned how to relate to other people in the fraternity and although I made mistakes, I learned about leadership and raising money for important causes. “Our campus was rocked by the tragic death of Cochran Dorsey ’73 in September 1971. Several busloads of students traveled together to Danville attend his funeral. We sang the old hymn, ‘This is My Father’s World’ at the service, and these words became the truth of my life:
O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong
God is the Ruler yet.
“This was a foundational moment for me.”
Tell us about your family.
“I played violin in the Kokomo Symphony Orchestra and got to know a fellow member who had a daughter named Ginny, a beautiful musician who played the flute. Our first date was in 1979, and we married in 1980. We have two children, Michael and Erin, and we live on her family farm near Frankfort, Ind., in a house built in the 1890s. She is still beautiful. I cannot imagine my life without her.”
Is there anything else you would like to share?
“I didn’t even know what was happening at the time, but while I was a student at KWC, I was being formed by my professors, my friends, my fraternity and the close-knit culture of the College. All these years later, I am still grateful that KWC shaped me.”