Summer, 2001 - Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Commencement Weekend Scrapbook, page 4
MOUNT
VERNON
NAZARENE
COLLEGE
S U M M E R
2 0 0 1
V O L.
I S S U E
3 6
I I I
w w w. m v n c . e d u
Spring break around the globe, page 7
MVNC’s 2001 Grads Look to the Future
D
life, there will be
many decisions to
make - roads that
will lead in different directions,
paths that will take
you new places,”
- Dr. Corlis McGee
many decisions to make - roads that
will lead in different directions,
paths that will take you new places.
The right decision won't always be
the upwardly mobile one," she said.
McGee relayed her experiences of
travel and work to the audience,
reminding graduates that much sacrifice on the part of many had gotten them to this special day. Now
the graduates are to take what they
have learned and go out to change
the world. She concluded, "Value is
created by investing time and
resources in solving problems of the
community, country and world."
Value over success, said McGee, is
one of the most important things
anyone can ever realize because success has limited worth while value
has eternal consequences.
MVNC President, Dr. E. LeBron
Fairbanks, was the featured speaker for Friday night's Baccalaureate
service. Fairbanks' message,
Cultivating a Spirit of
Gratefulness, challenged graduates
to give thanks to God in all
circumstances. "An attitude of
gratefulness doesn't come from
joy. Joy comes from a constant
attitude of gratefulness," he stated. Fairbanks also reminded the
audience that God is still God,
throughout the good times as
well as the bad, and he deserves
our praises.
Alumnus Barry Landis(‘73), vice
president and general manager of
the Christian music division of
Atlantic Records, spoke at the
graduation banquet on Friday
evening. Citing Bob Briner’s book
“Roaring Lambs,” he challenged
graduates to take Christianity
into their future workplaces and
relationships in order to be examples for non-Christians.
Visit www.mvnc.edu/news for
photos and a commencement wrapup story.
now
“On the road of
r. Corlis McGee, rector of European
Nazarene College, spoke to 482
graduating students at this year's
32nd Mount Vernon Nazarene
College commencement held
Saturday, May 19.
McGee is no stranger to Nazarene
higher education. Before being elected rector at EuNC, she served as
dean of graduate studies at Point
Loma Nazarene University in San
Diego, Calif., and dean and vice
president for academic affairs at
MidAmerica Nazarene University in
Olathe, Kan.
Before her assignment as vice
president, McGee initiated the master of business administration program at MNU and chaired the division of Business Administration,
drawing upon 13 years of teaching
experience and three years as chair
of the department of Business and
Economics at Trevecca Nazarene
University in Nashville, Tenn.
Over the years, McGee has also
served as a member of the board of
commissioners for the Association
of Collegiate Business Schools and
Programs and continues as a member of the board of directors for
Nazarene Publishing House in
Kansas City, Mo.
McGee holds a doctor of arts
degree in economics from Middle
Tennessee State University, a master
of business administration degree
from the University of Tennessee
and a bachelor of science degree in
business administration from
Trevecca Nazarene University.
In her message to the graduates,
McGee encouraged them to esteem
value over success. She explained
that upon graduating from college,
she never imagined the things she
would do or the places she would
go. McGee compared the journey
through life to a walk on a road
rather than a climb up a ladder.
"On the road of life, there will be
MOUNT VERNON
Golf team travels to nationals, page 6
Cover photo: Graduates of the
class of 2001, Mindy Brown
and Nate Miller. Brown currently serves as an MVNC
Admissions counselor for the
NCO district. (photo by John
Seavolt)
FROM MY CORNER
Looking back with a grateful heart
MOUNT
VERNON
G
now
BY
S U M M E R
DR. E. LEBRON FAIRBANKS
2 0 0 1
President
V O L . 3 6
I S S U E
I I I
PRESIDENT
Dr. E. LeBron Fairbanks
VICE PRESIDENT
FOR INSTITUTIONAL
ADVANCEMENT
Dr. Ron Hyson
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Carrie A. Crouch
STUDENT ASSISTANTS
Sara Bumpus
Rodney J. Wilson
CONTRIBUTORS
Sara Bumpus
Dr. E. LeBron Fairbanks
Dave Parsons
Maria Watkins
Rodney J. Wilson
PHOTOGRAPHY
Sara Bumpus
Carrie A. Crouch
Dave Parsons
John Seavolt
“I thank God continually
for the trustees,
administrators, faculty and
staff who help make
MVNC a very special place
of higher education.”
www.mvnc.edu
Mount Vernon Nazarene
College admits students to
all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally
accorded or made available to
students at the school without
regard to race, color, national
origin, ancestry, sex, age,
physical handicap or socioeconomic status. It does not
discriminate on any of the
above factors in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan
programs, or the athletic or
other school programs.
POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to:
MOUNT VERNON NOW
800 Martinsburg Road
Mount Vernon, Ohio
43050-9500
In May I attended the
Washington Conference sponsored
by Congressman Michael Oxley. In
late April I traveled with Mount
Vernon Mayor Richard Mavis and
Dr. Smith to the nation's capital.
We are seeking Federal funding for
the renovation of Regents/Faculty
Hall and the building of a short
bridge connection from the
Kokosing Gap Trail to the College.
It has been a productive school
year. Four hundred and eighty-two
students graduated in May from
MVNC. We are proud of the staff,
faculty, and administrators, who go
above and beyond the call of duty
to help our students and support
the purpose of our College.
Last, but certainly not least, we
asked for campus-wide feedback
and received excellent input regarding MVNC's vision statement.
Several versions were submitted to
the board of trustees in the May
19, 2001, meeting. The board
adopted the following version:
Mount Vernon Nazarene College:
An Academic Community of Faith,
Shaping Christ-like Leaders for
Lifelong Service.
(Ephesians 4:11-13)
Please continue to pray for our
campus community. Have a safe
and enjoyable summer! We will
look forward to seeing you in
August.
FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS
Wilkes and Lahmon receive top annual awards
Mount Vernon Nazarene
College, a four-year liberal
arts institution, is sponsored
by the Church of the
Nazarene. Published four
times a year (March, June
September, and December,
Mount Vernon Now is
entered as a periodical postage
paid in Mount Vernon, Ohio
43050.
CAMPUS SWITCHBOARD:
740-397-9000
campus. The Blue Ribbon
Commission met and recommended
to the board of trustees that
MVNC become Mount Vernon
Nazarene University effective
August 1, 2002, upon concurrence
by the eight district assemblies in
the East Central Region of the
Church of the Nazarene.
The Estep Prayer Lecture series in
October featured Brennan
Manning. His words touched us
throughout the year as he reminded
us to be aware of God and to ruthlessly trust our Lord and Savior
and to be grateful for all God is
doing. Fall Revival brought
Michael Benson to us. The Hicks
Holiness speaker was Dr. Steve
Green.
In November Dr. Henry Smith,
vice president of Academic Affairs
and academic dean, and I traveled
to Debrecen, Hungary, to conclude
arrangements for MVNC's first
study abroad semester at the
University of Debrecen. The board
of trustees and the campus community mourned the death of Dr.
Bahram Fessehazion, our beloved
trustee who worked with the
Eritrean community at Columbus
First Church of the Nazarene. He
was involved in a fatal auto accident on route to his home in
Columbus following the fall board
meeting. We continue to pray for
his family, and we miss his contribution as a board member.
reetings from the campus of
Mount Vernon Nazarene
College! I look across our
beautiful campus and am grateful
for our facilities and the physical
plant department that does an outstanding job in keeping the grounds
and buildings in excellent condition. As I gaze upon the beauty
God has graced us with, I am
reminded of and grateful for the
many events that MVNC hosted
and the activities and pursuits that
our College was involved in individually and collectively during the
2000-2001 school year. This short
list, that is not in any way inclusive, will perhaps jog your memory
about the events and activities that
were most meaningful to you this
year. I thank God continually for
the trustees, administrators, students, faculty and staff who help
make MVNC a very special place
of higher education. Here are a few
highlights of this historic year:
In September we had the grand
opening of the Jennie K. Moore
Family and Consumer Sciences
Center and began our first year of
the Esther Jetter Preschool. We continued to work on and refine the
campus master plan after much
input from students, staff, and faculty. A task force considered
options for the use of the Upham
House, located on the recently
acquired 122 acres across
Martinsburg Road from the main
DR. DAVID M. WILKES
T
he 2000-2001 President's
Award for Excellence in
Teaching was given to Dr.
David M. Wilkes, professor of
English, during the annual awards
convocation held in the R.R.
Hodges Chapel/Auditorium on
May 9.
“Being an exemplary faculty
member at MVNC includes a number of important dimensions and
qualities,” said Dr. Henry Smith,
vice president for Academic
Affairs. “Dr. Wilkes is unquestionably a very dedicated professor
and meets the criteria for excellence in many essential ways.”
Wilkes is completing his fifth
year at Mount Vernon Nazarene
College. He is respected by his faculty colleagues and serves on various committees. For the past two
years he has chaired the Faculty
Development Committee and this
year became the assistant director
of the Honors Program.
Wilkes is an active member of
the Faith Baptist Church in Mount
Vernon where he is teaches Sunday
School for two- and three-year-old
children. Wilkes has also been a
regular faculty chapel speaker over
the past several years.
Wilkes completed a bachelor's
degree in English, and a master's
degree in English and American literature at the University of
California at Santa Barbara. In
1990 he earned his doctorate in
philosophy in English literature at
the University of Rhode Island.
Before coming to MVNC, he
taught at Westmont College, Roger
Williams University, Polytechnic
Institute in Guarda, Portugal and
the University of Rhode Island.
Smith commented, “As academic
dean, I have had the opportunity
to review Dr. Wilkes’ teaching
effectiveness and have found him
to be consistently among the finest
at the College on multiple dimensions.”
A business administration student wrote about a literature
course with Professor Wilkes, and
said, “He dissects, connects, and
relates the material he is teaching
for the purpose of Christ better
than any person I know. I have
walked away from his class many
times not wishing to leave but to
learn more.”
Another student said, “He challenges us to expand our knowledge
base…and adds everyday life to literature, bringing it to life. He compares the stories to things we students can relate to. Dr. Wilkes is
not only an excellent professor but
he is also a man of God. A combination that can't be ignored!"
Smith concluded, "We admire
David Wilkes for his ability to
bring the content, the ideas, and
the essence of his discipline to life
in the classroom. His love for his
academic discipline is contagious,
his mastery of subject matter
apparent, his integration of faith
and learning intentional, and his
dedication to students obvious.
Dr. David Wilkes is truly a master
teacher.”
The President's Award for
Excellence in Teaching is awarded
at the end of each academic year
through the nominations of the
student body and selection of the
president and cabinet.
on campus, usually 35 to 45 stops
twice a day. He also retrieves and
distributes campus mail to and
from the local post office daily.
The Staff Member of the Year
Award recipient is voted on by the
staff of MVNC, and it goes to candidates who faithfully and diligently serves the college community.
One MVNC staff member commented, "Tim is so pleasant to
work with. He is dependable, and
always willing to do extra to get
things done."
Another staff member wrote, "I
really appreciate Tim's kind spirit
that he displays day after day."
MVNC commends Lahmon for
being an example to all staff members with his daily attitude of service, kindness and professionalism.
A
t the same ceremony, the
2000-2001 Outstanding
Staff Member of the Year
Award was presented to Tim
Lahmon.
Lahmon has been employed at
MVNC for three years and is the
campus postman.
He is responsible for sorting all
incoming mail to faculty, staff and
departments, and delivering mail
TIM LAHMON
FOCUS ON ALUMNI
BY RODNEY J. WILSON
Veaches (‘91): dedicated to helping families
U
sing his education to serve
others, 1991 Mount
Vernon Nazarene College
graduate Paul Veach provides
family counseling for on-campus
youth at the Barium Springs
Home for Children.
"I feel my personal call to the
field is to strengthen families,"
said Veach. He double-majored in
business administration and psychology at MVNC and went on to
earn a master's degree in counseling. Veach embodies MVNC's
motto "To seek to learn is to seek
to serve" as he uses the education
he has received to help others.
Although arranging adoption of
the children at the Barium Springs
Home for Children is ideal, it is
not always easy. "It is difficult to
see so many fathers discounted, so
many mothers overextended, and
so many children left wondering
where their place is in this
world," he said. Veach works
with the families and individuals
to help resolve problems interfering with family reunification or
adoption.
As he works to assist families
and individuals in crisis, Veach
feels blessed by the very people
that come to him for help. "As
many teachers, missionaries, or
ministers would say, the people
they are called to minister to are
often the ones who in return teach
them the most," he said.
For Veach, his rewards come
from seeing individuals come to
understand God's provision. "I
enjoy seeing people reach for
something that can't be seen," he
said, "and watching the Lord
reward their faith and determination with personal victories over
what used to control their lives."
He is also currently working on
a new preventive counseling program for community youth called
Family Solutions Program.
Though Veach spends many
hours working with other people's
children, his own family takes priority in his life. His wife, Ann,
also a 1991 MVNC graduate, is a
preschool teacher for the YMCA
of Mooresville, and also is an inhome childcare provider. Caring
for children from six months to
18 months at the preschool, as
well as in her own home, has
allowed Ann to spend time with
their own children - Dakota, 6,
Caleb, 3, and Jacqueline, 2.
"Balancing family life and a
busy schedule is always a difficult
task for parents," said Ann. "My
husband and I have tried to make
family our main priority. That's
why I have chosen to work mostly
at home taking care of other children in order to be available to
my own children when they need
me."
Veach believes his time at
MVNC prepared him to travel the
path he is on now. "The campus
life gave me the Christian atmosphere that I needed when I was
questioning who or what I was
supposed to be and what I would
be doing with my life."
Ann said that working with the
MVNC traveling singing group
New Covenant had a big impact
on her. "I learned responsibility,
teamwork, leadership skills, communication skills, how to work
MVNC Alumni & Friends
“Lunch on the Road”
WHO AND WHAT
WHERE AND WHEN
You are invited to attend MVNC’s
Morgantown, WV - July 9
“Lunch on the Road” throughout
Columbus, OH - July 10
the summer, an informal time
Charleston, WV - July 10
to gather with local alumni and
Cincinnati, OH - July 11
friends.
Huntington, WV/Ashland, KY - July 11
Marietta, OH/Parkersburg, WV - July 12
CONTACT
Dayton, OH - July 12
For more information or to
Cleveland, OH - July 24
make reservations, contact
Akron/Canton, OH - July 25
Alumni Relations Director
Lima, OH - July 26
Mike Cheek at 1-800-367-9294
Youngstown/Warren, OH - July 26
no later than one week prior.
Toledo, OH - July 27
Wanted: Drama Alumni
Actors, actresses and
crew members are needed for the Alumni One
Acts for Homecoming
2001! If you would like
to be involved, please
contact Brent Fenske at
weir_track@yahoo.com,
or by mail at
P. O. Box 15796,
Pittsburgh, PA 15244.
Hope to see you there!
Gvrainepe
Greg Mason ('76) is the
senior pastor of the First
Church of the Nazarene
in Pekin, Ill. He and his
wife, Elaine, recently welcomed a granddaughter
into their family, Leah,
who was born June 17.
She joins children Chad
and Ryan, students at
Olivet Nazarene
University, and Angela, a
junior in high school.
Besides pastoring, Greg
serves the NWIL District
as Sunday school ministries chairman, finance
chairman and zone facilitator. He is also on the
board of trustees at
Olivet.
The Veach family: Ann with daughter Jacqueline, Paul, sons Caleb
and Dakota. The Veaches now reside in Cornelius, North Carolina.
with others for a long period of
time, and how to present myself
in a large audience or group of
people," said Ann.
The Veach family recently
moved to Cornelius, North
Carolina and currently attends
Grace Covenant Community
Church. Veach anticipates pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology/theology while Ann plans to
return to work in children's ministry after their own children are
in school.
Balancing everything in life isn't
always easy, but Veach holds to
the belief that God will continue
to provide. "God has given each
person their own measure of
strength that must be exercised,"
he said, "and at times he leaves us
a bit short to remind us that he
can provide when things seem out
of reach."
MVNC commends Veach and
his wife for daily living out a
lifestyle of service, and is proud to
highlight them as outstanding
alumni.
Art faculty and students gain
regional recognition
The art department has grown considount Vernon Nazarene College
erably
over the past decade at MVNC.
was well represented at the
57th annual May art show and Donnelly commented, "This growth has
helped provide a healthy level of camacompetition at the Mansfield Art Center
raderie and competition which, in turn,
in Mansfield, Ohio.
produces increased quality of work as
Two professors and four students had
the students push each other to higher
13 pieces exhibited in the show: eight
paintings, one drawing, one etching, one aesthetic and skill levels."
Donnelly was also recently chosen by
mixed media piece, and two sculptures.
the
state of Ohio to receive an Individual
Four of these works earned cash awards.
Artist Grant from the Ohio Arts
Junior Tina Corrigan earned a juror's
Council. This grant is partially funded
mention award, junior Melinda Harter
by the National Endowment for the
received a juror's cash award, MVNC
Arts. These funds will help Donnelly in
professor Don Boyd earned a juror's
the production of his art and during his
cash award, and professor John
sabbatical in th spring of 2002.
Donnelly received a cash award for the
best painting in the show. Danny Butts,
the director of the Mansfield Art Center,
jokingly stated during the award ceremony that "The South is taking us
over," meaning that MVNC had dominated the show this year with the number of entries and acceptances.
MVNC is proud to have such quality
of work representing our school in the
professional world of art. According to
Donnelly, "The work coming from our
students is outstanding. When our students enter professional competitions
and are selected for exhibition by professionals in the field, which is a feat in
itself, this confirms our beliefs of our students’ artistic capabilities." He continued
to explain that the MVNC art professors
try to model for the students the professional artistic life by entering and
exhibiting in gallery competitions them- Professor John Donnelly standing next to his
selves.
award-winning painting “Bella Sigura.”
M
Philip Perry ('79) is pastoring the Indian Head
Church of the Nazarene
on the Washington, D.C.
district. He and his wife,
Susan (Wood '88), have
three sons, Philip, Jr. (10),
Nathan Samuel (4) and
Michael David (22
months). He was just
elected as the Washington
District NYI President.
1 9 8 0
S
Donna (Hiltbrand '84)
Murley and her husband,
Charles (Chuck), would
like to announce the birth
of their second child,
Morgan Nicole. She was
born on Jan. 25, 2001,
weighing 7 lbs., 4 oz. and
was 19 1/2 inches long.
She joins big sister,
Camryn Paige (2 1/2).
Charles is a staff underwriting and pricing manager for State Auto
Insurance Companies and
Donna is a stay-at-home
mom. The family resides
in Dublin, Ohio.
update
ALL LUNCHES ARE FREE AND ARE HELD FROM 12-1 P.M.
2the
2the
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e
Gvine
vine
Brian Deaton ('85) has
recently become the pastor
at Eaton First Church of the
Nazarene. Brian and his wife
Becky moved to Eaton,
Ohio, following 10+ years of
ministry at Salt Lake City
Central Church of the
Nazarene in Salt Lake City,
Utah.
COMMENCEMENT WEEKEND 2001
Below: Rob Childers and Krista DeBoard put
their heads together for a memorable moment.
Right: Commencement speaker, Dr. Corlis
McGee, rector of European Nazarene College.
Proud EXCELL graduates after the commencement ceremony.
Jeffrey ('86) and Carolyn
(Chesshir '86) Thompson
currently manage a camp,
conference and outdoor education center. They have just
welcomed the arrival of their
first child, Greg Alan. He
was born Feb. 6, 2001.
Below: Alumnus Barry Landis (‘73)
speaks to new alumni at the
graduation banquet.
David W. Bennett ('87) is the
senior pastor at Fairlawn
Church of the Nazarene in
Topeka, Kan. He has three
children, Zachary, Bradley
and Garrett.
Douglas Flemming (' 87) has
been a missionary with the
Church of the Nazarene in
the Asia-Pacific Region for
the last eight years. He
serves as the regional communications coordinator,
overseeing radio, literature
and video production for the
region and teaching in the
MA in Christian communications program. He is married to Angela Williams, a
graduate of SNU. They have
been blessed with four children: Ian (8), Taylor (6),
Sierra (5) and Austin (3).
Above: MVNC President Dr. E. LeBron Fairbanks peeks in on
graduate Jeromy
Lewis’s godson.
Graduation weekend got off to a rainy
start with the senior tree planting before
the Baccalaureate service.
Marty McKenzie ('87) is currently teaching computer science at Plymouth High
School and is technology
coordinator for the
Plymouth Shiloh School
District. He also is the assistant boys' basketball coach.
He will be transferring into
administration at the board
of education office as EMIS,
E-Rate, and technology coordinator. His wife Laura is a
teachers' aide at the primary
school. They have four children, Michael (12), Mitchell
(9), Megan (6) and Matthew
(4).
Left: Lindsay Hilkert
shows her appreciation
for her mom.
Above: Amy Wright,
communications major,
holds up her 2001
ribbon after the
traditional ribbon
cutting ceremony.
update
Above: An education major
proudly displays what she hopes
to do with her MVNC education.
Below: Dr. Lincoln Stephens
with Jason Moorman, one of his
philosophy graduates.
Above: Seniors Matt Matheny and Kevin
Bowman are all “thumbs up” before
commencement.
For all the latest MVNC
news and sports
information, visit
www.mvnc.edu/news.
Janelle Dean Shelton, a music graduate, hugs her
guide dog Thatcher.
HONORARY DEGREES
Parry and Prater presented with degrees
M
VNC presented two honorary degrees during the
traditional commencement
ceremonies on May 19. Dr. Stanton
Parry received an honorary doctor of
laws and letters degree and Rev.
David L. Prater received an honorary
doctor of divinity degree.
Dr. Stanton Parry's career in
Nazarene higher education began in
1958, as he served two years as an
assistant professor at Southern
Nazarene University (formerly
Bethany Nazarene College) in
Bethany, Okla., followed by six years
serving as associate professor at the
University of Tennessee. From 196674, he was head of the business
department at Trevecca Nazarene
University in Nashville, Tenn., before
being named Trevecca's academic
dean.
His strong leadership at MVNC as
vice president for Finance and
Management and professor of economics spanned 16 years, from
1974-90. He was also instrumental in
the construction and financing of several major building programs on the
MVNC campus: Cedar, Maplewood
and Elmwood apartment complexes;
cafeteria; maintenance building;
Heritage Bookstore; Regents Hall;
R.R. Hodges Chapel/Auditorium;
and the Free Enterprise Business
Center.
Parry has an undergraduate degree
with distinction from Cornell
University, a master's degree and an
earned doctorate from Michigan
Statue University. He is married to
Loraine Davidson, and they have two
children, David
and Teresa.
Parry and his
wife reside in
Mount Vernon,
Ohio.
Rev. David
L. Prater,
ordained elder
and district
superintendent
of the Eastern
Kentucky
District for the
Church of the
Nazarene, is a
DR. STANTON PARRY
DR. DAVID PRATER
native of Kentucky. He attended the
Kentucky Mountain Bible Institute
(now Kentucky Mountain Bible
College) and did further work at
Morehead State University. His
preaching career began at the age of
17 and continued as he became a
ministerial student, a serviceman in
the Army, an evangelist, and for 31
years, a pastor. He has served in his
current assignment since March
1994.
Prater is married to the former
Martha Wolfe of Findlay, Ohio, and
they are the parents of three daughters, Michelle, Jennifer and Melissa.
All three daughters have graduated
from MVNC where Prater serves as a
trustee. He and his wife currently
reside in Richmond, Ky.
2the
MVNC passed a significant milestone with the May 2001 graduating class. As of this year, more than
100 of our alumni have been
accepted for postgraduate clinical
training to become health care practitioners.
In the class of 2001, there are at
least three future medical doctors (a
fourth may yet be accepted), one
future dentist, one future chiropractor, and two future physical therapists (both accepted to master's programs).
In the college's history, 11 former
students have been accepted to chiropractic school, six to dental
school, 50 to allopathic (MD) medical school, eight to optometry
school, 11 to osteopathic (DO)
school, six to podiatry school, five
to veterinary school, four to physical therapy (MS), and one each to
physicians' assistant and occupational therapy (MS) programs.
Graduates Stull and Manion honored for service
T
ment assistant for two years and
served on the Campus Master Plan
Committee. He has been an active
member of the Academic Council,
the Executive Council for
Community Life, Residence Hall the
Judicial Council, New Covenant,
Alpha Chi National Honor Society
and the Collegians Chorale.
A faculty member stated, "I have
witnessed a life of service being
exemplified by Todd in a variety of
ways. He is always eager to help his
fellow students and his achievements and accomplishments speak
for themselves. As SGA vice president for academic life, he organized
discussions to meaningfully explore
salient issues. He has created and
promoted many significant proposals for consideration by the College.
1 9 9 0
S
Troy Munn ('90) and Kelli
Bowman were married on
May 13, 2000, at First
Church of the Nazarene in
Nashville, Tenn. The
Munns now live in
Winterville, N.C., where
Troy serves as director of
development for the
Medical Foundation of East
Carolina University.
These proposals focused on improving MVNC and the implementation
of its mission."
This professor stated that, "I have
been amazed by his desire to give
himself wholeheartedly in every
assigned situation."
Todd Manion has a very promising future. Last summer, he served
in an internship at Microsoft in
Seattle, Wash. During this experience, he was invited over for a dinner at the home of Bill Gates. Just
recently, he was offered a full time
job at Microsoft to work on a special projects team that is creating
software programs that assist in the
communication between household
appliances. Todd is the son of
Dennis and Kim Manion of
Chester, Va.
Class of 2001 Service Above Self recipients Todd Manion and Jennifer Stull.
Warren Taylor ('92) and his
wife Bethany announce the
birth of their first child,
Samuel Eli, who was born
on October 21, 2000.
Warren is employed as
manager of accounts and
marketing with an aviation
maintenance facility based
in California and recently
completed graduate studies
in aeronautical/aerospace
sciences through EmbryRiddle University this past
fall. The Taylors reside in
Lancaster, Ohio.
Kirk ('93) and Melodee
(Bader '92) Bass would like
to announce the birth of
their first child, Christina
Donnielle, born July 3,
2000. Melodee works in
Springfield as a counselor
and music therapist. Kirk
left a management position
and is a stay-at-home dad.
They currently live in
Xenia, Ohio.
update
completion of student teaching,
Jennifer has shown a willingness to
work extremely hard. By the third
week of her first field experience at
Wiggins Street School, she had
gained the respect of the entire staff.
Her greatest strength relates to the
mission of MVNC where her strong
faith in God is seen by students and
colleagues with whom she works.
She will be a tremendous teacher,
encourager and motivator as she
touches the lives of the young people in the classroom."
What is refreshing about our
female recipient this year is that she
doesn't have to be up front in the
spotlight. She has quietly served as
an accompanist for approximately
500 musical events and practices
and often puts her own work aside
to serve others, like the day she
accompanied 13 different students
for their music scholarship auditions. MVNC knows that as her
future employer, the Highland
school district has hired a gifted
employee who will serve faithfully.
Jennifer is the daughter of Robert
and Ardyth Stull of Wooster, Ohio.
The second recipient of the
Service Above Self Award is TODD
MANION, a computer science major
with a second field in mathematics.
Off campus he has been the president of the local student chapter of
the Association of Computing
Machinery for two years.
On campus, he has made contributions as vice president for academic life, computer science depart-
Connie Berringer (Thornton
'88) and her husband Kevin
would like to announce the
birth of their first child,
Tanner Otto. Tanner was
born on March 23, 2001.
He weighed 10 lbs. And 12
oz. Connie is employed at
Indiana University in
Pennsylvania in the inventory control department.
Kevin is employed with
Krumenacker's Builders
Supply Company. The family resides in Cherry Tree,
Penn.
Melisa (Jones '91) Parker
and her husband Thomas
live in Akron, Ohio, with
their two children, Madison
(5) and Grace (6 months).
SERVICE ABOVE SELF
he Service Above Self Award
is given to the female and
male graduates who exemplify the motto of Mount Vernon
Nazarene College - "To seek to
learn is to seek to serve."
(The following are comments read
at commencement services by Dr.
Eric Forseth, vice president for
Enrollment and Student Services.)
The first recipient is JENNIFER
STULL, an elementary education
major with a music concentration.
She exemplifies service through her
many ministries and areas of
involvement. Off campus she has
been active as an accompanist at
various local churches. She has volunteered at Elmwood Elementary
kindergarten class, been a teacher's
assistant at Care 4 Kids, and served
as a teacher for the inner-city summer day camp at Shepherd
Community Church in Indianapolis,
Ind.
On campus she has been actively
involved as the student director and
leader for the MVNC praise and
worship teams for the past four
years, served as accompanist for private voice lessons, choirs and chapel
services. She has been a member of
the Student Education Association,
Collegians Chorale, College Judicial
Council, Servanthood Ministries,
Alpha Chi Honor Society, Honors
Program, Cougar Concert
Committee, and Who's Who in
American College and Universities.
A faculty member shares, "From
her first education class through
rainepe
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MVNC passes
milestone for
medical grads
2the
MVNC SPORTS
www.mvnc.edu/sports
SPORTS ARTICLES WRITTEN BY
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Lady Cougars close winning season
M
Janet (Brown '93) Hardin
and her husband Rich
would like to announce the
birth of Austin Shea on Jan.
25, 2001. Austin joins their
15-month-old daughter
Makenna. Janet is currently
a stay-at-home mom and
Rich is works in management at The Home Depot.
Brad ('94) and Melissa
(Sexton '93) Kochis would
like to announce the arrival
of their baby girl Rachel
Joy, born January 23, 2001,
at 1:56 p.m. weighing 7
lbs., 9 1/2 oz. and measuring 20 inches long. Their
son, Nathan Bradley, is 3years-old. Brad is currently
the youth pastor at Atlanta
First Church of the
Nazarene and Melissa is a
stay-at-home mom.
Matt ('94) and Natalie
(Simon '94) Sutyak would
like to announce the birth
of their daughter Hailey
Lynnae. She was born on
Feb. 21, 2001, weighing 6
lbs., 12 oz. and was 20
inches long. She joins her
big brother Hunter
Matthew (2). Matt works
as a fifth grade teacher and
Natalie is a stay-at-home
mom and conducts a personalized book business.
The couple resides in
Granville, Ohio.
Todd ('95) and Carletta
(Cumston '99) Feasel would
like to announce the birth
of their son, Jared Andrew
Feasel, on Feb. 10, 2001.
He joins his big sister, Julia
(3). In January, Todd
received his counselor's
license. He is currently
working in the emergency
services department at
Community Counseling
Services located in Bucyrus,
Ohio. Carletta is a stayhome mom.
Kerri (Taylor '95) married
Brian Sox on October 28,
2000, in Marietta, Ga. The
couple resides in Atlanta,
where Brian is a computer
programmer/
web developer and Kerri is
a piano teacher and vocal
coach.
Karen (Theis '95) Swan and
her husband, Dan, just
moved to Huntington,
W.Va., where he is the minister of pastoral care at
First Church of the
Nazarene.
Frank Tremblay ('95)
would like to announce his
engagement to Cindy
Harwood of Columbia,
S.C. They will be married
on September 1 in Toledo,
Ohio, at Trinity Church of
the Nazarene. Frank is currently working at WLMB
TV40 and YES-FM in
Toledo. Cindy is finishing
graduate studies in Bible at
Columbia International
University, located in
Columbia, S.C. After the
wedding, the couple will
reside in Toledo, Ohio.
DAVE PARSONS, SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR
CONGRATULATIONS to the MVNC women’s basketball
team on winning the Division I Tournament championship!
Story available at www.mvnc.edu/news/PressReleases/2000-2001/nccaa.html.
MVNC golf team finishes
12th at NAIA nationals
M
VNC's golf team capped off
one of the best seasons in
school history with a 12thplace finish at the NAIA National
Tournament as the Cougars finished the
year with an overall record of 88-27-2.
After a rigorous conditioning and
weight-lifting program and a fall season
that included a second-place finish at
the National Christian College Athletic
Association National Tournament,
MVNC began 2001 with its annual trip
to Brooksville, Florida, for a week of
practice rounds at the World Woods
Golf Course.
Upon returning north, the Cougars
won the two-day 16-team Glenville
State (W.Va.) College Invitational by firing a total of 604 at the predominantly
NCAA Division II event. Freshman
Nathanael Petry tied for fourth and led
MVNC with a 149 and was named to
the All-Tournament Team.
The Cougars also finished fourth at
the 10-team Malone College
Invitational as MVNC fired a two-day
608 to finish 27 strokes behind the
defending NAIA national champion
Pioneers. Sophomore Chad Gress and
freshman Brian Bumgarner led the team
each shooting 150.
The Cougars placed second (303),
seven shots behind Urbana at the
Shawnee State University Invitational.
Bumgarner and senior Matt Durst each
tied for second place with a 74.
Other tournaments and Cougar
scores:
· Eighth out of 17 at the Southeastern
Kentucky Intercollegiate Invitational
(618) 27 strokes behind tournament
champion Life (Ga.) University.
Bumgarner led the team once again
with a 150.
· Won the nine-team Urbana University
Invitational by 14 strokes with a twoday total of 616. Individually,
Bumgarner was second at 153, Gress
third at 155. Durst and junior Todd
Mazur tied for fourth at 156.
· Second place out of seven teams at
the Walsh University Invitational with a
two-day total of 636 to finish 21 shots
behind the host Cavaliers. Gress shot
the low score for the team (157), while
Durst was right behind at 158.
· Hosted and won the six-team Cougar
invitational by nine strokes over
Shawnee State firing a team-total of
457 over 27 holes in the rain-shortened
event. Gress earned medalist honors
with a one-over-par 109, while Petry
was the runner-up at 114.
· MVNC closed out the regular season
with a second place out of six teams at
the Cedarville University Invitational
with a two-day total of 621 three shots
behind Shawnee State. Gress was third
overall with a 149 that included a twounder-par 70 on the second day.
MVNC began postseason play in the
NAIA Region IX Tournament finishing
third out of ten teams as the Cougars
posted a 54-hole total of 898 to trail
Malone (886) and Walsh (892). Gress
and Mazur each made the American
Mideast Conference Team as they fired
218 and 225 respectively.
Despite not earning an automatic
berth into the NAIA National
Tournament, the Cougars received the
final at-large berth into the 27-team
event at the Isleta Eagle Golf Course in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, MVNC's
second appearance in the tournament as
a team.
The Cougars fired a team-total of
1203 over four rounds to finish in a tie
for 12th place. Oklahoma City
University, the top-ranked team in the
NAIA, won the national title 27 strokes
ahead of MVNC. Individually,
Bumgarner became the first Cougar
golfer to earn NAIA All-American honors as he tied for 13th place at 295.
Gress just missed an NAIA Honorable
Mention All-American tying for 31st
place at 298. Petry's 303, Durst's 314,
and Mazur's 391 rounded out the scoring.
"I am extremely proud of the effort
that this team put forth," said head
coach Mike O'Hara, whose squad averaged a school-record 305.3 strokes per
round average for the year. "The team
also made the most of their opportunities," he said. "After finishing as high
as we did, we have proven that we
[can] compete with the top teams in the
NAIA. That has helped our players
believe that with hard work and continued improvement we can battle for the
national title in the near future."
With all but one player returning
from this year's squad, the future of the
MVNC men's golf program looks
bright and promising.
Brian Bumgarner swings away at
one of the numerous tournaments
played this year.
VNC’s women's fastpitch softball team finished the 2001
season with a 20-18 overall
record. The Lady Cougars also posted
a 12-11 American Mideast Conference
mark and finished eighth in the highlycompetitive 14-team conference race.
Upon returning to Ohio, from the
Orlando Rebel Games in Florida,
MVNC went on a 10-game winning
streak to improve to 12-5 overall
sweeping doubleheaders from Geneva
(Pa.) College, Seton Hill (Pa.) College,
Point Park (Pa.) College, Kenyon
College, and Notre Dame College during this span.
After dropping its next three games,
the team went 4-6 to move its overall
record to 16-14.
For the first time in three years, the
Lady Cougars received a berth in the
National Christian College Athletic
Association National Tournament.
Despite entering the 10-team tourna-
Shelly Aldrich
ment as the ninth seed, MVNC went 22 to finish fifth against very strong
competition.
The Lady Cougars closed out the season by splitting a pair of doubleheaders
against Ohio Dominican College and
Saint Vincent (Pa.) College. The win
over Ohio Dominican forced the Lady
Panthers to share the AMC title, while
MVNC closed out with a win at Saint
Vincent in its final game.
Several players had outstanding seasons. Senior pitcher Tara Hines was
selected as the NCCAA East Region
Player of the Year and NCCAA First
Team All-American after posting a 1211 record with a 1.45 ERA and six
saves. She was also named to the AMC
Second Team.
Junior third baseman Amanda
Schumm was named to the NCCAA
All-American First Team and the
NCCAA East Region Team after batting .357 with 24 RBI and 24 runs
scored. She was also an Honorable
Mention All-AMC pick.
Senior outfielder Natalie Wallace finished an outstanding career with a .352
batting average, 12 doubles, 25 RBI,
and 24 runs scored as she was named
to the NCCAA East Region Team, the
NCCAA Honorable Mention AllAmerican Team, and the AMC
Honorable Mention Team.
Senior second baseman Angie
Svagerko collected NCCAA East
Region Team and AMC Second Team
honors after batting .296 with 10 RBI,
24 runs scored, and a team-high 11
stolen bases.
With ten of the team's sixteen players
not returning next season, Coach Jeana
Howald will spend the summer recruiting in full force to fill out the team's
roster.
MVNC Cougar baseball goes
to NCCAA national semifinals
M
VNC's baseball team finished
another successful campaign
in 2001 posting a 35-16
record for the program's seventh 30win season in the past eight years.
Upon returning north to Ohio from
their annual Florida trip, MVNC
jumped right into the thick of its highly-competitive American Mideast
Conference schedule. The Cougars
won 15 of the next 19 contests to
improve to 26-7 overall and 13-3 in
the AMC.
MVNC closed the regular-season
portion of its schedule by going 5-4 to
stand at 31-11 overall. The Cougars
also finished second in the AMC with
a 16-6 record including doubleheader
splits with the top five teams in the
conference.
Postseason play began with a bestof-three series at Malone College to
determine the NCCAA East Region
title. The Cougars dropped back-toback hard-fought games by 13-8 and
8-5 as Malone claimed the title.
MVNC rebounded to play well at
the NAIA Region IX Tournament as
the second-seeded Cougars defeated
Walsh, Shawnee State University, and
Point Park to be one win away from
winning the region title. However,
Ohio Dominican came out of the
loser's bracket to eliminate the
Cougars.
However, the team received an atlarge berth and the second seed at the
10-team NCCAA National
Tournament in Celina, Ohio. After
rain-outs in the first three days of
action, the tournament switched to a
single-elimination format. MVNC
posted a 3-1 win over Greenville (Ill.)
College to advance to the semifinals.
There, the Cougars dropped a 4-2
decision to East Texas Baptist
University ending the team's season.
"I felt we had a very successful
year," said head coach Keith Veale,
who picked up his 400th career victory in the win over Greenville. "We
always want to play deep into the
postseason and ultimately win some
championships. I really believe that
can happen in the next couple of
years."
Several players had outstanding seasons. Senior outfielder/pitcher Mike
Waddell closed out his career by posting a .436 batting average with a
team-high 12 home runs and 59 RBI.
He also tied the school record with 21
doubles. In addition, he posted a 6-1
record on the mound with a 7.25
earned run average and 44 strikeouts
in 58 1/3 innings. He was named to
the AMC First Team, the NCCAA
East Region Team, and the NCCAA
All-American Team.
Senior outfielder Jeff Wine hit .377
to go along with 11 doubles, a schoolrecord-tying 11 triples, six home runs,
12 stolen bases, and 37 RBI. He also
led the team with 54 runs scored. For
his efforts, Wine was named to the
AMC Second Team, the NCCAA East
Region Team, and the NCCAA
Honorable Mention All-American
Team.
Senior second baseman Jason Hall
wrapped up his stellar career by batting .351 with five doubles, three
triples, 28 RBI, and 51 runs scored.
He was named to the AMC Second
Team and the NCCAA East Region
Team. Senior outfielder Joel Laslo also
closed out his career with a .321 batting average to go along with five doubles, four triples, three home runs, 26
RBI, and 25 runs scored. He was an
AMC and an NCCAA East Region
Honorable Mention selection.
SPRING BREAK TRIPS
BY MARIA WATKINS, MVNC FRESHMAN
Mission teams serve country and world on break
S
ix teams from Mount Vernon
Nazarene College set off to do
missions projects around the
world during this year's spring break.
NEW YORK CITY
A team of 23 students, led by Assistant
Chaplain Joe Noonen, senior Lindsey
Hilkert, and sophomore Sarah
Bumpus, set off for Queens, N.Y., on
March 17, where they would be staying in the Community Church of the
Nazarene, located in a town called Far
Rockaway.
This church, occupied by a Jamaican
congregation, asked the team to
restore their basement. The group
cleared and organized large amounts
of donated infant car seats in the basement. They then engaged in a full
week of mudding and sanding drywall,
then painting the walls with multiple
layers. They also cleaned the church
daily and were able to walk the streets
of the small town, taking in the environment and talking to people about
the purpose of their trip. One of the
team's interesting challenges during the
week was working their schedules
around one shower in the church for
all 23 of them.
Everyday after working, the team
toured Manhattan and took in many
of the famous sites. They visited the
Empire State Building, Times Square,
Central Park, Chinatown, and Little
Italy, among others. They even took a
ride on the Staten Island Ferry and
were able to see a Broadway show of
their choice.
"It doesn't matter what we do in life
if we live in a community of people
with needs," said student leader
Bumpus, referring to the group's exposure to the different environment.
"It was a great experience," commented sophomore Tim Barenscheer.
"I saw the power of God work
through our group to serve the
church."
downtown, Disney World, Church
Street Station, and an Indians’ game.
Sophomore Todd Bowman said, "It
was an awesome opportunity to see
God work. I was stretched both as a
Christian and a person. It was a great
experience."
The Victory Chapel project, led by
David Dooley, MVNC Chaplain Dr.
Gary Sivewright, and MVNC alumnus
Kevin Peterson, took 12 students to a
small church named Evangel Temple
Church of the Nazarene. Two men
who were very helpful leaders,
Michael Crowley and Steve Bellamy,
met the team when they arrived.
Working in a very rough section of the
town, they kept busy by pulling and
cutting trees and bushes, painting,
landscaping, and doing minor roof
current MVNC
students. Their
main focus was to
build the foundation for a new
girls’ orphanage.
They also painted
a church foyer,
part of the guesthouse, and put
finishing touches
on a new home.
Because the group
sang for two
church congregations, they learned
and performed a
song in Creole for
the people as well.
submitted by Rodney J. Wilson
submitted by Melissa Gipson
HAITI
Professor Jim Hendrickx and Resident
Director Kim Sauder directed a group
of seven students to Port-Au-Prince,
Haiti’s capital city. Christina
The team visited the Presidential
Palace, Kyona Beach, the Baptist
Mission and a scenic overlook of the
city. Though they witnessed some
political riots, the group also had fun
new experiences, such as eating
papaya. They also felt God through
their devotional and praise time in the
evenings. Prayer requests were
answered as the team prayed for
much-needed rain during the country's
drought, which miraculously came
while they were there.
"You never know what you have till
it's gone," said freshman Stephanie
Watts. "The trip made me see what I
have because I saw what [the people]
didn't have. It also made me look into
people's eyes and see them for who
they really are, past their color of
skin."
HUNGARY
A team of eight MVNC students, led
by Professors Rosemary and Dr.
Mervin Ziegler, traveled to Földes,
Hungary. They were greeted warmly
by the members of the Földes
Nazarene congregation. This group's
main work assignment was to prepare
the former Communist party headquarters building in Földes to be a vil-
lage museum. This consisted of cleaning, scraping, sanding, and painting
window and door frames.
Besides working with kindergarten
students at two schools, and an adult
English class, the team was treated to
several tours during their stay, assisted
by their hostess and interpreter, Maria
Gutzsin. They ended their week stay
with a celebration, hosted by the
mayor of Földes and given in their
honor. The MVNC group presented
the mayor with gifts, including a small
desk set with an American flag and an
MVNC banner to be displayed in the
new museum.
"As a team, we are hoping that our
work in Földes was a witness to the
village of God's love and grace," said
Rosemary Ziegler. "We are hoping and
praying that the ties that seemed to
form between the mayor of the village
and the church congregation will be
used to further the kingdom of God."
Sophomore Kristen Hershberger said
she had a wonderful experience in
Hungary. "We saw God through the
people and they were very hospitable.
One woman said to us [through the
interpreter], 'I can't speak English but I
can smile in English!' It showed us that
God works in any situation."
submitted by Maria Watkins
Above and left: MVNC student Eric Butler plays with one of the children in the after-school
program in Indianapolis, Ind.
Above: Students who traveled to New York spent time restoring the basement of a church.
Joel and Heather (Sears
'97) Diaz would like to
announce the birth of a
daughter Isabelle Diaz on
March 12, 2001. She
weighed 7 lbs., 8 oz. and
was 20 inches long. The
Diaz family resides in San
Diego, Calif. Joel is international manager for
Cinemastar Theaters and
Heather is a stay-at-home
mom.
Mike ('97) and Jamie
(Weber '97) Sorbin would
like to announce the birth
of a baby boy on
November 15, 2000.
Braden Michael weighed 7
lbs., 6oz. They are currently living in Olathe, Kan.,
where Mike is finishing his
teaching degree and is
assistant coach for baseball
at MidAmerica Nazarene
University. Jamie is working in corporate financial
consulting/construction
lending.
Brian Hawes ('98) graduated in December 2000
with a master's degree in
urban studies from the
University of Akron. He is
employed as an intake specialist with Oriana House,
Inc., an Akron-based substance abuse treatment and
community corrections
organization. His wife,
Lynn (Millham '97), is a
third and fourth grade
teacher at Cornerstone
Community School in
Stow. The couple currently
resides in Cuyahoga Falls,
Ohio.
update
INDIANAPOLIS
Sophomore Nathan Klaiber
headed the team of five students that traveled to
Indianapolis, Ind. This group
stayed at Shepard Community
Church, where part of the
building was a church and the
other part served as a mission.
Though they worked on various painting projects, their
main focus was an after-school
program for elementary students.
Twenty to 30 children participated in this program as the
MVNC team helped them
with homework, played games
and then served them dinner
each night. During their free
time, the team toured downtown Indianapolis, including
the inner-city neighborhood,
submitted by Marcy Yoder
where most of the children
they worked with lived.
Swartzentruber, a
"My favorite part was the uncondistudent at Cedarville
tional love of the kids," said sophoUniversity, joined
more Cassie Dillon. "They all have
their own story, but they still have love the group. Their
theme was "Open
even when other adults don't show it
the eyes of my heart
in return. When they walked through
Lord," as they dove
the door, Jesus walked in with them."
deep into projects
and experienced a
ORLANDO
different world.
Two teams headed south to Orlando,
While in the capiFla., on different missions. The
tal, the team stayed
"Restore Orlando" project, which
at the guesthouse of
involved 14 people, was led by senior
Christian Service
Adam Roberts. "Restore Orlando,"
International, which
explained Roberts, "is an inner city
is managed by the
mission center." During the week, this
parents of Julie and
team did a lot of interior renovation,
Cheryl Benson,
but they were also able to take in
Gvine
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Brad ('96) and Amber
(Boesel '97) Flack currently reside in Temple, Texas.
Brad is the worship leader
at the Temple Church of
the Nazarene and Amber
is a social worker at Scott
Memorial Hospital working with children and families.
Left: Melissa Cangelosi, Tara Koontz, Rebecca
Williams and Ryan Stryker posing with some neighborhood children in Orlando.
Above: Julie Unkefer, Sage Thompson and Stacy
Gilbreth cleaning the outside of the Communist headquarters building in Hungary.
work on the church.
"By the end of the week," said
Dooley, "we really felt that we had
accomplished a lot as a team, working
together for Christ." In their free time
they were able to meet the other
MVNC team for a few nights of hockey and baseball games, shopping, and
rest at Daytona Beach.
2the
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
2the
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Gvine
vine
Nease retires from MVNC, legacy lives on
F J
estival
Of oy
featuring...
DR. WILLIAM GRIFFIN,
Goodwill Ambassador
for MVNC
update
MARTHA REED GARVIN,
host of radio and TV
program Musical Memories
$15 per person
August 24, 2001
10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
on the MVNC campus
Call Trinia Huddleston
at 1-800-367-9294 for
registration information.
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Casey ('00) and Holley
(Benté '99) Tygrett were
married at First Christian
Church of Mount Vernon
on August 12, 2000. The
Tygrett family is now living
in Springfield, Ill. Casey is
a full-time graduate student
at Lincoln Christian
Seminary working on a
master's of divinity degree
and a master's degree in
pastoral care. He is also an
intern at First Church of
the Nazarene in
Springfield. Holley is a
human resources assistant
for Memorial Medical
Center.
8th Annual
Mount Vernon OH
43050
S
PAID
2 0 0 0
I
n a tribute to Dr. Stephen Nease,
The Christian Scholar, news journal of Eastern Nazarene College,
stated "Stephen W. Nease has ENC
in his bones." Nease's father served
as president of ENC during the
1920s and his mother served as an
administrator there as well. Nease
grew up at ENC, and with his own
many years of service there it is easy
to see why the above statement
would be true.
While it is true that Nease has
ENC in his bones, it is also inarguably true that Mount Vernon
Nazarene College has Nease in its
bones. As founding president of
MVNC in 1966, Nease rooted the
MOUNT VERNON NOW
USPS 761-980
MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE COLLEGE
800 Martinsburg Road
Mount Vernon, OH 43050
Clint Mead ('99) is currently stationed at McConnell
Air Force Base in Wichita,
Kan. He has earned a
degree in aerospace propulsion and is working toward
a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from
Wichita State University.
He and his wife, Leah,
have two children, Tiana
and Robert.
Dr. Stephen Nease at this year’s
Fellowship of Magnificent
Concern dinner.
first concepts and gave life to the
dream of MVNC when it was still
dubbed "Zone A Junior College."
The 16th General Assembly of the
Church of the Nazarene fostered the
idea of MVNC in 1964, but they
knew it would take an exceptional
leader to bring it into existence and
maintain its success. The candidate
would need to be experienced in college administration, pastoring,
fundraising, and teaching. Nease
was all of this plus a former resident
of the area in which the college was
to be built.
Previous to his six years as founding president of MVNC, Nease
earned an A.B. from Brown
University in 1945, Th.B. from ENC
in 1947, M.Ed. from Boston
University in 1957, and D.D. from
ENC in 1966.
For three years Nease served as
pastor of East Side Church of the
Nazarene in Newark, Ohio, and
acted as dean of men and instructor
of religion and physical education at
ENC. In 1953 Nease became director of development at ENC where he
served until 1966 when he was
selected to be the founding president
of MVNC.
After seeing MVNC through the
crucial formative years, Nease went
on to become president of Bethany
Nazarene College (now Southern
Nazarene University) in Oklahoma
in 1972, president of Nazarene
Theological Seminary in Missouri in
1976 and president of ENC in 1981.
PERIODICAL
POSTAGE
Clint ('98) and Kendra
(Sinift '98) Kuntz would
like to announce the birth
of their son, Elijah
Christian. He was born on
Feb. 2, 2001. He weighed 5
lbs., 13 oz., and was 18 1/2
inches long. Clint is a systems analyst for FederalMogul in McConnelsville
and Kendra teaches fifth
grade for Morgan Local
School District. The family
resides in Malta, Ohio.
Paul ('98) and Luanna
Smiley would like to
announce the birth of their
third child, Jordan Paul, on
February 6, 2001. He
weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz. and
was 21 1/2 inches long.
The Smiley family resides
in Raleigh, N.C.
BY RODNEY J. WILSON
Fellowship Society.
He later served as commissioner of
The Nease Society is a planned
education for the Church of the
giving program designed to recognize
Nazarnene's International Board of
individuals who give $10,000 or
Education.
more toward endowed scholarships
Nease headed the first efforts
toward building MVNC's campus as while the Fellowship Society recogthe founding president, and returned nizes individuals who give up to
$10,000.
25 years later to begin building
As Nease's time at MVNC ends
MVNC's student body through
and he and his wife Christine settle
endowed scholarships.
in Windham, New Hampshire, it is
Upon returning to MVNC in
clear that Nease truly is in the very
1994, Nease served as executive
bones of MVNC. His leadership
director for capital and endowment
built a campus. His service fostered
development. He founded the
success. His commitment brought
Fellowship of Magnificent Concern
communities of students. And his
in 1996 as a donor appreciation and
drive bore planned giving programs
recognition program.
bringing in much needed funds for
Through the Fellowship, Nease
worked for nearly seven years raising endowed scholarships.
For his indefatigable work on
scholarship money for students who
MVNC’s behalf, we honor and
could not otherwise afford the eduthank him for his many years of
cational costs of a private institution
like MVNC. His personal conviction dedicated service.
and quest to foster endowed
scholarships became
the goal and
vision of
MVNC.
Upon
Nease's
retirement
in February
2001, his
Fellowship
of
Magnificent
Concern became
two giving programs, the Nease
Society and the
Dr. Stephen Nease at his presidential desk in 1968.