Bethel Magazine Fall/Winter 2018

TRANSFORMING LEADERS HOW DO WE ADDRESS —AND PREVENT— THE MORAL FAILURE OF SPIRITUAL LEADERS?

Winter 2019

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Physician assistant program trains compassionate grads p. 12 College of Arts & Sciences

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Simple steps to funding your college education p. 16

College of Adult & Professional Studies

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Holistic support for students’ wellbeing p. 25 Bethel Seminary

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Graduate School

BETHEL WELCOMES THE CLASS OF

2022

BY THE NUMBERS 2,479 College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) students enrolled | 824 total new CAS students | 28 BUILD students | 119 new PSEO students—the most ever | 1,450 total College of Adult & Professional Studies/ Graduate School students | 570 total seminary students

Check out youtube.com/betheluniversity to watch the Welcome Week 2018 video.

CONTENTS 02 10 12 16 18 21 25 31

UNEWS Bethel University community updates

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SPORTSHORTS Highlights from the best of Royal athletics

THE MIDDLE C The compassion cultivated in Bethel’s physician assistant program leads some graduates back home.

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FINANCIAL AID ROAD MAP ollow these simple steps to help fund F your college education.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM EACH OTHER? In her quest to improve American healthcare, Professor of Nursing Kristin E. Sandau emphasizes collaboration.

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TRANSFORMING LEADERS How do we address and prevent the moral failure of spiritual leaders?

BEING WELL Today’s students have complex and diverse needs, and Bethel offers them holistic support grounded in faith.

ALUMNEWS What’s new with Bethel alumni

Editor Michelle Westlund ’83 Design Darin Jones ’97 Contributors Tim Beasley | Morgan Colby | Kristi Ellison ’10 | Timothy Hammer ’08, S’12 | Paul Hjellming ’13 | Jenny Hudalla ’15 | Katie Johnson ’19 | Anna Kaihoi ’07 | Monique Kleinhuizen ’08, GS’16 | Suzanne McInroy | Jason Schoonover ’09 | Scott Streble | Cherie Suonvieri ’15 | Thomas Vukelich ’82 President James (Jay) H. Barnes III Editorial Offices 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112-6999 | 651.638.6233 | 651.638.6003 (fax) | bethel-magazine@bethel.edu

Winter 2019 Volume 10 Number 1

Address Corrections Office of University Advancement | 651.635.8050 | university-advancement-updates@bethel.edu Bethel Magazine is published two 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 © 2018 Bethel University. All Rights Reserved.

Bethel University is sponsored by the churches of Converge. 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.

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JAYTALKING

A conversation with President Jay Barnes

Hard Questions—and Answers— About Changes at Bethel This fall, as part of a long-term plan to create a more sustainable financial model, Bethel announced a number of changes. (Read more specifics on page 3.) These decisions have left many in our community with questions. We asked President Jay Barnes to address some of them.

Why did Bethel need to cut programs? Is the university having financial trouble?

Higher education across the country is in a time of transition.

Public colleges and universities have seen less money from state legislators. Private schools have had to rely on tuition dollars and endowment funds to cover costs.

Although Bethel remains one of the largest private universities in Minnesota and nationally among Christian universities, we are not immune from these issues. Bethel has a relatively small endowment compared to many schools of our size, which means we rely heavily on student tuition dollars. As the country’s demographics shift and we have fewer college-aged individuals nationwide, that translates to lower enrollment numbers and less revenue from tuition. The downturn in high school graduates is particularly noticeable in the Midwest and the Northeast. We’ve been watching these trends for years and do not expect significant 2

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undergraduate enrollment growth in the future. As a result, we had to find a way to cut operating expenses to keep tuition at a reasonable cost for our students and their families.

Another complicating factor is financial aid. Since the economic downturn in 2008, students and their families have needed increased assistance to attend Bethel.

Financial aid has more than doubled since 2007—last year Bethel gave out $47 million in aid. If we know a student is trying to decide between Bethel and another university, we want to do everything we can to help that student choose Bethel. We can’t change lives for Christ if they aren’t here. And that means making Bethel a financially viable option for our students.

Why are you cutting programs and at the same time adding new ones?

The short answer is student interest and projected job growth. If it’s hard to get a job in a particular field after graduation, then fewer

students are declaring it as their major. For example, the Minnesota Teacher Supply and Demand report for 2017 predicted that in the next five years, special education teacher openings will be difficult to fill. However, that is not the case for physical education and health education openings. In business terms, the market demand is high in some areas and low in others.

On the other hand, market demand for special education is increasing, which is why we will offer it as a new program for undergraduates beginning in 2019.

For almost 30 years we have been growing programs in the post-traditional educational arena.

Working adults have been returning to school to complete a degree or to earn graduate credentials. This,

Making Bethel Affordable and Sustainable too, is part of our strategy to respond to changes in education.

In all of our programs we remain committed to anchoring our curriculum in Christ and in the knowledge and skills needed to lead and serve others.

Faculty and administrators considered all these factors when we made the difficult decisions this fall.

What about theatre and media production?

Why did you make cuts and then add back the theatre arts minor and media production major?

The decisions we made for all areas were not ones we wanted to make. Over the past five months, we used an agreed-upon set of criteria to evaluate all programs in our schools. Based on that information, Bethel’s Cabinet made hard decisions to help make the university’s overall financial model sustainable and keep costs affordable for our students.

In the case of theatre and media production, faculty from each department met with Provost Deb Harless and me to discuss and review proposed alternative methods to achieve the same financial savings. As a result, Cabinet voted to accept their creative proposals and reinstate a theatre arts minor and a media production major.

How does Bethel fund campus renovations like the new Department of Business and Economics space, improvements to Bethel Drive, and renovations at the Anderson Center for Bethel Seminary, but then cut programs and close the Bethel Seminary San Diego campus?

Donations have paid for nearly all our recent campus building and renovation projects except for the Bethel Drive improvements. This project fell into the “necessary deferred maintenance” category, which means the work needed to be done. Crews had to completely excavate and reconstruct the road to make it safer for the community. Savings from the refinance of

To create a more sustainable financial model, Bethel established working groups comprised of faculty, staff, and administrators to review operating expenses and identify areas to save money or increase revenue. They analyzed staffing and program structures and enrollment data to identify reductions and reallocations of funds as well as identify new initiatives to increase enrollment and generate new revenue.

They eventually made recommendations to the President’s Cabinet, which reviewed and modified the recommendations before moving ahead with change:

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Bethel restructured and eliminated staff and administrative positions from the Cabinet level down. Cabinet also announced decisions to discontinue the following majors and minors: (majors) sociology, theatre, independent filmmaking, physical education K-12, and health education 5-12; (minors) film studies, physical education K-12, and health education 5-12. Students in these programs will be able to complete their degrees at Bethel, but the programs will no longer be an option of study for new students beginning fall 2019.

BETHEL SEMINARY Bethel Seminary is adapting to shifting trends in seminary education with a vision to expand online programs. Bethel Seminary is moving its St. Paul base from Bethel’s main campus to the Anderson Center, Bethel’s 200,000-square-foot building at 2 Pine Tree Drive, about a mile from campus, which already houses Bethel’s other adult programs. The university will close the Bethel Seminary San Diego campus and move its students in face-to-face programs to the seminary’s online offerings.

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our previous debt were designated for this project and renovation of older residence halls.

In the last 10 years, all of Bethel’s other major building projects have been funded by donors. We’ve also made sure we’ve secured enough donor funding to finish a project before we even begin, so we do not end up borrowing money. On the other hand, annual expenses for the university—such as salaries, ongoing maintenance, supplies, and utilities—are paid through the university’s operating budget, nearly all of which comes from tuition dollars.

You said one of the reasons for closing Bethel Seminary San Diego was that national trends show seminary education moving online. If that’s the case, why are you renovating new space for Bethel Seminary at the Anderson Center in St. Paul?

While we’re increasing our online program offerings at Bethel Seminary, we have no intention of moving Bethel Seminary completely online. We will still offer face-toface classes in St. Paul.

Moving Bethel Seminary St. Paul from its Lake Valentine location to the Anderson Center fits with the national trend of seminary education moving more online. Most seminarians no longer relocate 4

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to complete full-time, on-campus degrees, but instead take hybrid or completely online programs. Bethel Seminary at Anderson Center has been designed with current students in mind.

Also, moving Bethel Seminary to Anderson Center creates one location to serve all our adult students. In the past few years we’ve linked all administrative support areas for the seminary together with the College of Adult & Professional Studies and the Graduate School.

Areas such as Student Success, enrollment, and deans for all adult programs are now centralized in one shared location.

What can alumni do?

First, we’d appreciate your prayers for our community during this time of transition. Change is hard, and many in our community are experiencing grief, so prayers from our external community are welcomed.

Second, refer a prospective student to Bethel. Tell high school students about the transformational experience you had at Bethel, and suggest they visit our website or campus. In fact, we’ve created a form you can use to refer students.

Visit bethel.edu/refer-a-royal to recommend a future Royal.

Third, consider creating a scholarship or endowing a faculty position. Each endowed faculty

position removes that salary from Bethel’s annual operating budget, which frees up funds to spend in other areas of the university. The same is true for a scholarship. There are many creative ways to support Bethel students and faculty through giving.

What’s ahead for Bethel?

We’re looking for ways to be forward-thinking and innovative.

We’re improving our online Bethel Seminary offerings because we’re seeing seminary education continue to move in that direction.

We’re adding new, in-demand programs like special education and engineering. We also have two groups at the university generating innovative ideas that we will consider and see where they lead.

In the last few months, I’ve been reflecting on Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:7-9: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” We will keep praying for God’s wisdom and strength as we weather each storm.

UNEWS

Updates from the Bethel community

Physics Professor Receives NSF Grant

photo by Scott Streble

After earning a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) grant—Bethel’s sixth, the fifth in physics and engineering—Assistant Professor of Physics Julie Hogan is connecting Bethel students with the global science community. The Research in Undergraduate Institutions grant, totaling $208,260, will fund Hogan’s project, “Digging Deep for New Physics with the CMS Experiment.” She’s furthering an international search for new types of particles using the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), a general-purpose detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland. The LHC aims to reproduce, in a lab setting, conditions that existed picoseconds after the Big Bang. Hogan’s group will analyze collision data from the CMS Experiment for evidence of new particles, using newly developed deep computer learning algorithms.

The opportunity is one that connects the Department of Physics and Engineering with some of the top scientists in the world and elevates the research being done at Bethel. “One of my jobs is to get students excited about physics,” says Hogan. “This is the type of experiment whose impact will last for a really long time. We’re doing fundamental research on the energy frontier, and it could literally shape our understanding of the particles and forces that make up our universe.”

Visit bethel.edu/ undergrad/physics to learn more about the Department of Physics and Engineering.

Bethel Drive Makeover Crews excavated and reconstructed Bethel Drive— the main thoroughfare through campus—over the summer, making it safer and more scenic for pedestrians navigating campus on foot. Work included an updated stormwater drainage system and a subterranean base for a more defined road, safer sidewalks, wider shoulders, and clear wayfinding signage and crosswalks.

Work also included natural boulder retaining walls and a new “hammock hill”—a space with staggered, vertical wooden posts—which gives students a convenient spot to hang hammocks.

Visit bethel.edu/ magazine/campusconstruction for more on summer construction.

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Homecoming 2018

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/ homecoming to learn more.

photos by AJ Barrett ’21

photo by Emma Gottschalk ’21

The Bethel family came together for its annual family reunion as the community celebrated homecoming October 5–7. More than 600 Royals returned to campus for events, and more than 6,000 people attended the homecoming game on October 7. Royals are Royals for life!

Bethel University 2018 Alumni of the Year Wiley Scott ’90 College of Arts & Sciences Raised by a mother and stepfather who struggled with substance abuse, Wiley Scott ’90 and his three siblings grew up in the projects of Bradenton, Florida. Most of his family worked long hours at the local Tropicana Orange Juice factory, and Scott thought he’d do the same—until his high school basketball coach pulled him aside for a five-minute conversation that changed the trajectory of his life. “He told me I had what it takes,” Scott says. That conversation led Scott to enroll at Bethel University. It was his first time living away from home, his first time visiting the northern half of the United States, and his first time in a predominately white community—and it was hard. With help from faculty who would become lifelong mentors, Scott learned to navigate and thrive in new cultural terrain. He became a resident assistant, helped launch the weekly student worship service now known as Vespers, and earned leadership roles in a campus multicultural group and on the basketball team.

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Today as senior vice president of Young Life’s eastern division—and the longest standing senior vice president at Young Life—Scott lives a life very different from the one he left in his hometown.

He oversees about 600 staff and leads a ministry that impacts more than 350,000 adolescents annually. While his face-to-face time with kids has decreased over the years, Scott’s influence on strategy and fundraising allows him to have a greater hand in shaping the direction of the organization. “Every day I’m reminded of how unbelievable it is that I’m here,” he says. “If you truly understood where I come from, it’s an act of God that I sit in this seat.”

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/wiley-scott to watch a brief video interview with Scott.

Heather Flies ’95, S’02 Bethel Seminary As a young, enthusiastic extrovert, Heather (Heinsch) Flies ’95, S’02 welcomed the opportunity to make new friends when she changed schools around junior high age. But she was met with bullying because of her weight, faith, boldness, and strength. Having been raised in an uplifting family that celebrated who she was, Flies found herself caught in a battle over what to believe. “It took quite a bit of wrestling to get to the point where I believed that I was someone made on purpose and with purpose,” she says. “As soon as I claimed that, it changed everything.” Today, Flies is nearing her 22nd year of service as junior high pastor at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, helping students discover who God created them to be and affirming them along the way. During her undergraduate studies, Flies spent her summers working at Trout Lake Camp in Pine River,

Michelle Davenport CAPS’12, GS’15 College of Adult & Professional Studies Michelle (Washington) Davenport CAPS’12, GS’15 remembers sneaking around her elementary school to serve as a sort of nurse to Laura, a girl with a disability.

She sought care for Laura and questioned why her friend and others with disabilities were often separated from other students. “That’s been in me all my life—taking care of someone else who can’t take care of themselves,” says Davenport. She credits her grandmother for instilling in her a spirit to serve the less fortunate—and to value education. “She said, ‘People can take away your car, your house, your food, your money, but they can never take your education away from you,’” Davenport says. But Davenport almost lost everything. Years in an abusive marriage led her to quit a career as a nurse in her native Brooklyn, New York, and abandon plans to become a doctor. She eventually returned to school

Minnesota, which is where she says God began to develop her heart for junior high ministry. Then, in 1998, Flies enrolled in Bethel Seminary to earn her Master of Arts in Theological Studies. “I wanted to be a better junior high pastor because I believe junior highers deserve someone who is knowledgeable…” Flies says.

“It’s also a passion of mine to be an example of somebody who loves who God created her to be so that kids have the freedom to do the same thing.”

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/heather-flies to watch a brief video interview with Flies.

after moving to Minnesota, where she attended Bethel and earned her B.S. and M.S. in nursing. Today as a clinical care supervisor/clinical nurse educator at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis, Davenport strives to help others in honor of those who helped her—from her grandmother and greatgrandmother to her Bethel professors and beyond. “I love being able to encourage this younger generation of nurses because someone took the time for me,” she says.

“So I want to take the time to encourage them, mentor them, guide them.”

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/michelle-davenport to watch a brief video interview with Davenport.

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Bethel will launch a new Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Special Education in 2019, allowing traditional undergraduate students, paraprofessionals, and noncredentialed educators to gain teaching credentials specific to special education. The degree builds on Bethel’s strong Master of Arts (M.A.) in Special Education, which launched in 1991 and has become a standard in the industry for developing excellence in teaching.

High-quality special education programs are one way Bethel is aiming to address a widening gap between the growing number of positions needed to adequately support Minnesota students and the number of qualified teachers who can do so. In the new bachelor’s program, students will complete 120 hours of field experience and 12 weeks of student teaching with established, licensed teachers to

photo by Scott Streble

New Special Education Programs

meet their learning goals. The program offers two tracks to support students in different stages of their careers.

STAY CONNECTED! 8

Winter 2019

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/ new-programs for more.

bethel.edu/news @bethelu

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unfilled special education positions ­— 2017 Minnesota Teacher Supply and Demand Report

betheluniversity betheluniversity

Bethel University Bethel University

Open for Business The Department of Business and Economics’ new 7,000-square-foot home opened this fall, bringing state-of-the-art technology and opportunities for handson, interactive learning and collaboration to the department’s roughly 450 students. “This is an incredible home for us,” says Department Chair and Associate Professor of Business Joyce LeMay. “We’re sending an incredible

message about who we are and how we can serve our students.”

A centerpiece is the hands-on Financial Markets Lab, where students can access real-time financial market data through a digital ticker tracker. Another is a dedicated classroom featuring a Smart Board, whiteboards on all four walls, and computer screens on three walls—all to spark interactive learning for up to 32 students. The space includes gathering places, like the high-energy central area and a quieter lounge area, that feature an array of seating options. Students and faculty can also meet in three huddle rooms. Donors, including

Thrivent Financial, played a vital role in the $4 million project. “It shows both the donors’ and the department’s commitment to constantly improving student and faculty experiences at Bethel,” says Xiaoshuo Liu ’18. “We are grateful to our donors.”

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/business-economics for more about the Department of Business and Economics.

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SPORTSHORTS Highlights from the best of Royal athletics

ACADEMIC – H O N O R R O L L– Bethel’s women’s basketball program is recognized by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association in the 2017–18 Academic Top 25 Honor Rolls. The Royals ranked No. 4 among all NCAA Division III women’s basketball programs with a 3.69 cumulative team GPA.

Senior defensive end Kyle Kilgore is named to 2018 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team, the sixth Bethel player to be chosen for the honor in the past six years.

Odds of selection for this national award are 1 in 70,000.

ALL-AMERICAN SCHOLAR Christine Piwnica ’18 is selected as a Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar. Award criteria are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics, and only 5% of Division III golfers earn this recognition.

Follow the Royals:

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bethelroyals.com

MATCHED

SET

Sisters Maggie and Grace Riermann win the doubles championship at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional, becoming AllAmericans and Bethel’s first-ever national qualifiers.

bethelroyals

photo by AJ Barrett

GOOD WORK!

Bethel’s softball program is honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, ranking No. 9 among all NCAA Division III softball programs with a 3.6 cumulative team GPA.

@bethelroyals

@bethelroyals

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TOP

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IN THE NATION

#30

©Timothy Nwachukwu/NCAA Photos

NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR Annika Halverson ’18, cross country and track and field athlete, is Bethel’s first-ever nominee to advance to the Top 30 for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Selected from 581 nominees from all three NCAA divisions, the top 30 candidates represent the best of the nation’s athletes in academics, athletics, community service, and leadership.

photo by Teresa Brubaker

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Women’s soccer finishes the regular season with the best record in program history. Senior Maggie Sipe ties Bethel’s record with 80 points in her three-year career.

Steve Johnson marks 30 years as Bethel’s head football coach. A six-time MIAC Coach of the Year with a .678 winning percentage, he’s led the Royals to five MIAC championships and two NCAA West Region championships. The team advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs eight times in the last 17 years.

HONORARY

ESPY WINNER

First-year Bethel football and baseball player Ty Koehn receives an honorary ESPY award during an appearance on “Good Morning America” for his act of sportsmanship at the end of a section final baseball game.

Instead of celebrating with his teammates after striking out the final batter—his longtime friend Jack Kocon—he consoled Jack first.

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THE MIDDLE C

Bethel’s rigorous physician assistant program t eaches competence, compassion, and confidence.

A nd it ’s the middle C—compassion—that draws some graduates back home to serve the communities where they grew up.

by Jenny Hudalla ’15

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auren Ducklow GS’17 still remembers spending long afternoons fishing with her father on Minnesota’s Buffalo Lake.

As a child, she would drop her line over the side of the boat and hope for a bite—not because she liked to eat fish, but because she wanted to see what was inside them. It was of little surprise to anyone, then, when she chose a career in medicine.

And it was of little surprise to her professors when she returned to her own community to practice.

“There’s something about being back in my hometown,” says Ducklow, a physician assistant (PA) at Stellis Health Buffalo Clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota. “It means a lot to me to be able to come back and serve the community that served me so well.”

More than a quarter of Bethel’s PA graduates practice in rural areas, and most of those return to the town where they grew up. “It’s indicative of who we are,” says program director Wally Boeve, who has worked in healthcare for almost 25 years. “The PA program prepares you for more than just practice.

It equips you with leadership and life skills to make an impact in your community.”

Compassionate Service Bethel’s PA program was founded on three tenets: competency, compassion, and confidence. Its academic rigor is evidenced by a 100% pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination and a 100% employment rate among graduates, but Boeve is especially proud of the way alumni embody the “middle C.” Compassion, he says, starts in the classroom and extends outward. As a leader of one of the only faith-based PA programs in the nation, Boeve intentionally built a service component into the student experience to help aspiring physician assistants understand the missional nature of their work and connect with local communities.

Since the program launched five years ago, students have distributed water at the Twin Cities Marathon, packed meals at Feed My Starving Children, filled shoeboxes at Samaritan’s Purse, organized a health fair at the Special Olympics, and provided free medical care through local churches.

Many of the program’s alumni also volunteer at Bethel, coming back to speak in classes, facilitate lab

sessions, or interview prospective students. “It’s been a blessing to have them return and help educate the next generation of Bethel grads,” Boeve says. “And it’s been really special to see them return to serve in their hometowns. They have a unique opportunity to give back.”

Treating the Whole Person With a population of about 16,000, the city of Buffalo sits 45 miles northwest of the Twin Cities. It takes Krista Nauman ’12, GS’16 just 10 minutes to drive the length of town. Though she began her physician assistant career in St. Paul, she credits her rotational experience at Stellis Health Buffalo Clinic for her decision to return home. “Everyone I worked with as a student was phenomenal, so I knew I would be well supported,” she says.

“I owe a lot to my community, and I love being able to serve them in this capacity.”

Nauman personally knows about one-third of her patients, and she runs into them everywhere— browsing the aisles at the grocery store, standing at the next gas

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station pump, and eating at local restaurants. “There’s not a day that I don’t want to go to work,” Nauman says. “I love the relationships I form with my patients. To be able to care for them, be trusted by them, and use the gifts I’ve been given is so gratifying.”

But working in the community where she grew up also comes with unique responsibility: to care well for the people she has known since childhood. In Nauman’s view, providers face the challenge of working within a healthcare system that has become more reactive than preventive. The number of prescriptions filled in the United States has increased by 85% in the last two decades alone, according to the clinical research company IQVIA. While strides are being made to improve nationwide, Nauman

Elevating the Quality of Care With more and more physicians entering retirement, a dwindling number of graduates to succeed them, and an aging population of baby boomers, a vacuum has emerged in patient care. According Students in Bethel’s M.S. in Physician Assistant program

Photo submitted by Wally Boeve

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says, her Bethel undergraduate degree in exercise science has helped her address the issue in her daily practice. After studying alongside exercise science faculty in Belize, Nauman adopted a more holistic view of medicine—one that considers diet, activity level, and emotional health. “I’ve been able to incorporate bits and pieces of that experience into my career in Western medicine,” she says. “I want to keep people healthy instead of treating them while they’re sick.”

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to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the shortage of primary care physicians is expected to exceed 124,000 by 2025. It’s particularly problematic in rural and small-town communities, Boeve says, as medical doctors increasingly look for work in higher-paying urban settings.

“There’s a huge need for quality leaders to serve healthcare institutions as they struggle through cutting costs,” Boeve says. Physician assistants are able to perform similar job duties as medical doctors at about two-thirds the salary, making them an affordable and cost effective option for hospitals and clinics in rural areas.

Boeve believes providers like Ducklow and Nauman are especially suited to reduce individual healthcare costs because of the personal connections they have with their patients. When providers understand their patients’ backgrounds and personality traits, they’re able to make decisions based on how likely a patient is to comply with a health plan or be able to afford procedures and prescriptions, thereby elevating the quality of care.

Having practiced for years in rural Michigan, Boeve remembers spending some office visits just talking with patients. They left

without a prescription but feeling better. “There’s that opportunity in underserved areas,” he says. “People just want to know you have time for them and care about them—they just want you to listen to their story.”

Image-bearers of God Boeve continues to model what he calls “the neuroscience of the listening ear” in his classes. Most PA students take 112 credit hours in 27 months, often while balancing family and other commitments. If the expectation is for students to become compassionate providers, Boeve says, they must be trained by compassionate professors. “In our program, we help each other along the way,” he says. “It reflects who we are as Christians and it speaks to the culture of the broader Bethel community.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts physician assistants will be the second-fastest-growing health profession over the next decade, with a 39% projected growth rate. Given ballooning healthcare costs—among other issues—Boeve says it’s more important than ever for ethical, compassionate PAs to enter the field. “We’re caring for people who

are image-bearers of God,” he says.

“You hold their life in your hands.

Sometimes the best cure isn’t drugs or procedures, but just showing them you care.”

Ducklow remembers one elderly patient who was diagnosed with cancer shortly after her husband’s death. Facing surgery and weeks of radiation and chemotherapy, the woman felt defeated and alone. “I told her that if she needed anything—even just to talk—my door is always open,” Ducklow says.

The patient later called the clinic to express how impactful it was to see a provider who cared not just about the health of her body, but about the health of her spirit.

For Boeve, that’s what it’s all about. While he cares deeply about the kind of providers his students become, he cares even more about the kind of people they become. “At Bethel, they’ll learn about medicine, pharmaceuticals, disease states, and treatment options,” he says. “But more than anything, they’ll learn to become great human beings and to be all who God created them to be.” BU

SHAPE THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE Pursue your M.S. in Physician Assistant at Bethel.

Learn to become an ethical, compassionate provider who treats the mind, body, and spirit.

Explore our program and apply: bethel.edu/ graduates/physicianassistant

Start your journey today.

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Financial Aid Road Map

Follow these simple steps to help fund your college education.

1

PREPARE FOR COLLEGE

Start here!

It’s never too early to start a college savings account.

And high school students and their parents should start visiting colleges of interest.

Apply to College

Schedule a Bethel campus visit at bethel.edu/visit.

Spend your senior year of high school at Bethel with the Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program.

It’s just like college, because it is college! Visit bethel.edu/ pseo for details.

3

COMPLETE YOUR FAFSA Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to find out which grants and loans you’re eligible to receive. The FAFSA is your key to need-based aid. You can apply for financial aid the October before college—even if you don’t know where you’ll go to school. Get started at fafsa.ed.gov.

99% of incoming Bethel students receive financial aid.

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APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS Many organizations offer scholarships for deserving students. Think about your unique skills and connections, then check online, your local library, and your high school’s guidance office for scholarship ideas. And check with your chosen college about additional aid.

At Bethel, we simplify the process by including our scholarships in your financial aid package. Visit bethel.edu/ financial-aid to learn more.

Last year, Bethel gave out $47 million in financial aid.

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CONSIDER YOUR FUNDING OPTIONS Students pay for college with a mix of scholarships, payment plans, and loans.

The average cost for a student to attend Bethel hasn’t changed in 10 years! Check out Bethel’s Net Price Calculator at bethel.edu/calculator to learn how different factors could impact your financial aid.

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CHECK OUT STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES Look into what’s covered by your tuition and fees—you might be surprised at the services included. And consider part-time employment or a paid internship to provide income and gain valuable experience.

Bethel tuition and fees cover student support services like tutoring and counseling, and access to our state-of-the-art Wellness Center, among many other things.

On-campus jobs at Bethel pay an average of $1,700 per academic year. And our close proximity to Minneapolis-St. Paul provides hundreds of nearby job and internship possibilities.

Graduate from College

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BEGIN YOUR CAREER

You did it!

Now’s the time to reap the rewards of your college investment.

Bethel grads get hired. 99% of recent graduates are employed or in graduate school.

Bethel alums get lifetime access to career resources. Tools like free networking events and mentoring programs support Bethel alumni for life.

Bethel University

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EACH

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM

In her quest to improve American healthcare, Professor of Nursing Kristin E. Sandau emphasizes collaboration—in her research and in mentoring the next generation of nurses.

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photo by Scott Streble

by Katie Johnson ’19

OTHER? Even a casual visitor to Bethel’s Department of Nursing gets a sense of the collaborative spirit that characterizes this team. Faculty gather in the hallway, discussing their classes, while Professor of Nursing Kristin E. Sandau settles into her office, surrounded by papers, files, research materials—and the low hum of classical music. There, she speaks with animation about two passions: healthcare and collaboration. “There’s so much work to be done in the healthcare field,” she says. “And fortunately, I’ve been surrounded by people who have been great teammates and colleagues.”

A Bethel faculty member since 2006, Sandau also maintains her position as a registered nurse at United Hospital in the Twin Cities area, which creates a direct connection between academia and practice.

And she finds ways to collaborate in both roles. For example, she led a volunteer team of experts from across the country as they worked for the American Heart Association to create the 2017 “Update to Practice Standards for Electrocardiogram (ECG) Monitoring in Hospital Settings.”

ECG is a method to track the electrical activity of a patient’s heartbeat, and this update will influence how doctors and nurses determine when it’s necessary to use continuous ECG monitoring for

improved patient care. Now Sandau is collaborating with a team of nurses, physicians, and information technology partners to implement the updated standards.

In recognition of her leadership in the ECG project, she’s been selected for a prestigious appointment as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, an organization dedicated to improving American healthcare by changing policies and strengthening the nursing and health delivery system. Her expertise has prepared her to make a difference regarding the use of technology in the medical field for the benefit of patients and providers nationwide.

I’ve been surrounded by people who have been great teammates and colleagues.”

—Kristin Sandau

Bethel University

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While recognized for her own leadership in the field, Sandau harbors great respect for other nurse leaders in the Twin Cities area, seeking research collaborations that will directly impact patient care.

To that end, she and a colleague, nurse practitioner Barbara Hoglund ’84, developed the Quality of Life with a Ventricular Assist Device (QOLVAD), a questionnaire to determine quality of life for patients living with a left-ventricular assist device (LVAD). They found that previous methods of measurement were inadequate, so they created a questionnaire that applied directly to LVAD patients. The questionnaire helps the healthcare provider and patient come to a mutual understanding about which aspects of life are important to the patient and how they can improve quality of life together.

Sandau’s collaborative spirit is also evident in her research with

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students like nursing major Karin Canakes ’19, who has worked with Sandau as part of an Edgren Scholarship, given to faculty and student-led research that holds the potential of academic breakthrough.

They’re partnering with clinicians at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, on qualitative analysis of patient transcripts—to understand the quality of life and self-management among patients with an LVAD. “I’ve learned from Kristin that the most important characteristic of a researcher is diligence,” Canakes says. “I was so impressed by Kristin’s ability to keep pressing on through some disappointments and delays during our work last summer. She is uniquely brilliant, but also down to earth and encouraging.”

What’s next for Sandau? At the moment, she’s excited about co-leading an upcoming study abroad trip to Taiwan. “I grew up in Taiwan,” she says. “It’s like going home again.” She looks forward to working with students from diverse fields as they examine wellbeing from a variety of perspectives, including non-healthcare majors as well as Chinese, Taiwanese, and indigenous persons. And she’s pondering the trip’s potential with her characteristic collaborative mindset. “What can we learn from each other?” she wonders. “That’s the liberal arts. That’s a benefit of teaching at Bethel.” BU

TRANSFORMING LEADERS The moral failure of spiritual leaders is a topic of national concern.

How do we address this issue, in our churches, in our leadership training— and in ourselves?

by Michelle Westlund ’83

T

he phrase “Me Too” originated in 2006 with Tarana Burke, a survivor of sexual assault, as a way to help women and girls of color who had survived sexual violence. Her goal was “empowerment through empathy,” demonstrating how pervasive sexual violence is, but also letting survivors know they are not alone.1 In 2017, #MeToo exploded as a social media movement when sexual misconduct allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein were followed in rapid succession by accusations against a number of prominent actors and politicians. Soon an offshoot movement, #ChurchToo, called attention to similar dynamics of sexual harassment and abuse specifically in the church.

How has this difficult conversation affected our churches and their leaders? In a 2018 study by LifeWay Research, 85% of the pastors interviewed say they’ve heard of the #MeToo movement, but half say they lack training in how to address sexual and domestic violence. One in eight Protestant senior pastors say a church staff member has sexually harassed a member of the congregation at some point in the church’s history. One in six pastors say a staff member has been harassed in a church setting. 2 #ChurchToo calls out the truth that broken relationships extend to our churches and their leaders. The church is not always a safe haven— sometimes its policies, congregations, and leaders participate in the victimization of the very people who have trusted it. Recent accusations against some high-profile evangelical pastors have brought the issue even closer to home, forcing concerned Christ-followers to wonder how this can happen, and even more important, how it can be prevented.

THE LURE OF POWER

1

“#MeToo: A timeline of events.” Chicago Tribune, Oct. 5, 2018, chicagotribune.com

2

“The #MeToo Movement Has Educated Pastors. And Left Them with More Questions.” Christianity Today, Sept. 2018, christianitytoday.com

Leadership failure is not a 21st-century problem, says Mark McCloskey, lead faculty in Bethel Seminary’s Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership program. “The personal and spiritual challenges faced today by ministry leaders are perennial, of the ages,” he explains. “And one of those that has special relevance to recent headlines is that leaders are especially susceptible to the siren song of power.”

Leaders—just like the rest of humanity—are fallen people, McCloskey Bethel University

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Leaders are especially susceptible to the siren song of power.”

—Mark McCloskey

continues. They have normal human needs and are vulnerable to base desires that can disrupt their capacity to act wisely. “Given their access to power,” he says, “leaders are especially vulnerable to its seductive lure in a variety of forms—sexual, financial, and emotional.”

Jeannine Brown, interim co-vice president and dean of Bethel Seminary, notes this power dynamic too, and suggests that leaders should be intentional about noticing it themselves. “As the #MeToo movement has impacted church leaders and congregations,” she says, “I’m struck by the challenge it offers ministry leaders to acknowledge the power they wield in the systems they lead. What we are often seeing are examples of abuse of power, so it becomes important for leaders to notice the level of power they hold simply by being in positions of authority, no matter their personal sense of that power.”

THE NECESSITY OF ACCOUNTABILITY

In fact, awareness—specifically self-awareness—is critical. Stephanie Williams O’Brien ’05, S’12, Bethel Seminary adjunct preaching professor, director of Bethel’s Ministry Scholars program, and co-lead pastor of Mill City Church in Minneapolis, says that “leaders can get into a place of self-deception. They may harbor levels of narcissism about their role and the importance of it.” Left unchecked, such self-deception leaves leaders vulnerable to acting in self-serving ways rather than in the larger interests of the organizations they serve. And without appropriate accountability, these self-serving tendencies can escalate into the abuses of power we’re now hearing about with startling frequency.

McCloskey emphasizes the biblical example of accountability. “The Bible knows nothing of the singular, lone leader, who due to their gifting or powerful position 22

Winter 2019

is somehow beyond the corrective oversight of others.

Even King David had the prophet Nathan,” he says.

“Churches need to ensure that leaders have sufficient and effective oversight and accountability.”

O’Brien says shared leadership between men and women provides accountability by removing hierarchy. “Part of the problem is that leadership is not shared between men and women,” she explains. “Women need to be at the table. They need to be able to be honest in every context, not just when there’s a major issue to be addressed.”

Brown also advocates accountability, placing it in the context of community as a leader walks out his or her own journey of self-reflection. “I’ve spent the last 20 years reflecting on the power I have in the education system of which I am a part,” she says. “I’m mistaken if I think I cannot abuse the authority I have in this setting.

An important (and spiritual) practice in this regard is ongoing critical reflection on how I am using and distributing my power as a professor, and this is ideally done in community with my faculty peers.”

O’Brien calls for personal accountability—she calls it “accessibility”—for every leader. “In this #MeToo, #ChurchToo era,” she says, “every leader needs to ask: In this season of my ministry, who has access to my life?” She suggests varying levels of access, from a ministry’s governing body or board, to friends outside one’s ministry context, to colleagues who share ministry responsibilities, to one’s spouse, mentors, and/or therapist. Access should include people who know a leader well enough to notice when something’s off—to see the warning signs—maybe even before the leader does.

HOLISTIC LEADERSHIP TRAINING

More than 20 years ago, Bethel Seminary recognized that leadership training needs to be an integral part of seminary education, and the seminary continues to be an innovator in leadership preparation. In 1996, Bethel created what was then known as the “Three Centers” approach to train graduates to face and overcome the leadership challenges they would inevitably encounter in ministry. The three

centers—biblical and theological foundations, spiritual and personal formation, and transformational leadership—are no longer structured the same way, but their influence permeates the seminary’s curriculum and emphases.

The three centers of emphasis ensure integrated learning and providing a holistic educational experience for each student. “Our desire is to see students engage in a wholeperson educational journey that is transformational at its core,” says Justin Irving, interim co-vice president

SPIRITUAL AND PERSONAL FORMATION

Bethel’s emphasis on spiritual and personal formation hones self-aware, humble leaders of character and depth. Every seminary student is required to complete assessments of his or her personality, emotional intelligence, and conflict style. Each one meets with a therapist to explore family of origin issues and understand their impact. The goal is self-knowledge, the very self-awareness that can help inoculate students

An important (and spiritual) practice is ongoing critical reflection on how we are using and distributing our power.”

—Jeannine Brown

and dean of Bethel Seminary. “When the demands of ministry leadership hit, sound theology and ministry theory matter. Sound spiritual and personal formation also matter. Through our three-centered approach to seminary education, we want students to leave Bethel as whole individuals—head, heart, and hands—ready to soundly lead in ministry over the years and decades to come.”

against the self-deception that is often the first step in a downward spiral of choices that can result in abuses of power. O’Brien says this work is so important that it should be ongoing, continuing into each graduate’s ministry context. “Every pastor on my staff has a Christian therapist,” she says. “Even the best leaders need help navigating the emotional and relational climate of church culture.”

BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS

Andrew Rowell, Bethel Seminary assistant professor of ministry leadership, says that each of Bethel’s three emphases contributes to the process of leadership development in a specific way. The classic academic focus on biblical and theological studies, practiced by seminaries everywhere, is part of an integrated emphasis on leadership preparation at Bethel Seminary. “Some of the high-profile church leaders involved in recent scandals did not have seminary training,” says Rowell.

“Without in-depth study of the Bible and theology, there can be a simplistic reading of Scripture, an oversimplification of biblical principles.” Rowell says this type of error can affect church structure and governance, ultimately leading to a system that lacks accountability.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Leadership training is a distinctive feature of all Bethel’s programs university-wide (see p. 24). The seminary’s leadership emphasis connects naturally to its work on spiritual and personal formation, continuing the work of character formation. “The leader’s moral character is of first and final importance with regard to leadership effectiveness,” says McCloskey.

Bethel Seminary also teaches the “actual skills to navigate organizations and people,” says Rowell. “We are quite strong in practical leadership training, creative and entrepreneurial in our approach.” Students are trained not to solve all conflict, but to mediate it. And they’re encouraged to ask the hard questions in the safe Bethel University

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environment of seminary, before they graduate to become pastors and leaders—who often feel isolated and alone when they’re expected to have all the answers. “Bethel Seminary students are encouraged to be authentic,” says Rowell. “When they graduate, they can lead in a healthier, more authentic way. And healthy, stable leadership leaves healthier, more stable congregations in its wake.”

LEADERSHIP RESOURCES

Written or recommended by Bethel-connected leaders *Learning Leadership in a Changing World by Mark McCloskey *The Art of Virtue-Based Transformational Leadership

by Mark McCloskey and Jim Louwsma *Leading from the Inside Out: The Art of Self-Leadership by Sam Rima *Leadership Beef Jerky: Principles and Practices You Can Chew On

by Greg Bourgond Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Szazzero The Vulnerable Pastor by Mandy Smith A Failure of Nerve by Edwin H. Friedman Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality by Henry Cloud

LEADING BY SERVING

While it’s tempting to point to ministry leaders who’ve experienced highly publicized failures, Brown reminds us that we’d do well to consider our own spheres of influence, with their own potential for the abuse of power. All of us lead in some capacity, whether at home, in the workplace, or in a ministry setting—anywhere that gives us any power of influence over others.

As McCloskey points out, we’re all fallen people who are vulnerable to unwise choices. The principles of accountability, accessibility, shared leadership, self-awareness, and virtue are relevant to us all. “I’d encourage all of us in leadership to consider our own influence and power,” says Brown, “and how we might use it in advocacy for those whose voices are often marginalized.” In doing so, we lead—as Jesus did—by using our power in service to others. BU

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Transforming Leadership by Leighton Ford *Bethel author

LEARN TO LEAD Bethel University offers distinctive, faith-based leadership training in multiple programs.

College of Arts & Sciences Minor in Leadership Studies bethel.edu/undergrad/leadership-studies-minor Adult Undergraduate B.A. in Organizational Leadership bethel.edu/adult-undergrad/organizational-leadership Graduate M.A. in Strategic Leadership bethel.edu/graduate/strategic-leadership Seminary M.A. in Transformational Leadership bethel.edu/seminary/transformational-leadership

WHILE STUDENTS’ NEEDS ARE COMPLEX AND DIVERSE, THE BETHEL COMMUNITY OFFERS HOLISTIC SUPPORT GROUNDED IN FAITH

photo by Scott Streble

by Cherie Suonvieri ’15

Bethel University

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H

er first semester at Bethel, Lizzie Mwende ’20 found herself in the midst of one of the most challenging and defining periods of her life. She struggled with her mental and emotional health. She received grades that would later translate to less than a 2.0 GPA. She had trouble making friends. And as for her faith—she was beginning to question everything she knew. “That was the lowest I’ve been in my entire life,” she says.

Starting college was not the only major transition Mwende had faced. She’d moved from Kenya to Minnesota when she was 15, and gradually adapted to living and learning in the U.S. She found a supportive, tight-knit community at the Christian high school she attended, but leaving that community to attend college was proving to be another difficult transition. Now, she recognized she was in another pivotal life stage, and she decided to reach out for help.

Mwende first contacted Laurel Bunker, vice president for Christian formation and church relations, who helped her begin to construct a support network at Bethel: her resident director, the Academic Enrichment and Support Center (AESC), Counseling Services, and Student Life.

Mwende’s life didn’t change immediately—but the profound transformation astonished her.

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“I look back, and I was literally a completely different person from who I am today,” she says. “If someone would have told me then that I’d become the person I am now, I would have laughed. I’ve just changed so much.

I love meeting new people now, and I especially love making incoming freshmen feel known and loved.”

Mwende’s experience is not an anomaly. The teamwork she witnessed between multiple offices working together to support her is the norm at Bethel. It’s the product of an intentional commitment to see the intrinsic value in every student and provide the means to facilitate their spiritual, personal, emotional, and intellectual growth.

“We want to be ambassadors and co-laborers with Christ in the transformational growth and development of our students,” says William Washington, vice president for student life. At Bethel, holistic student support actively facilitates the process of transformation.

Lizzie Mwende ‘20 (center) is a missional ministries major. Since coming to Bethel in 2016, she has been involved with Welcome Week and United Worship Ministries.

She has also worked as a tour guide for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

HOLISTIC WELLBEING

In fall 2016, Bethel launched the Center for Wellbeing to foster holistic student development. Wellbeing is more than just health, wellness, and inner peace, says Christine Osgood, director of Wellbeing Initiatives.

“We’re advocating for a wellbeing that was intrinsic to the state of shalom found at the time of creation,” Osgood explains. “A state of being where people lived wholly interconnected with God and one another. A state where thriving in multiple aspects of life was a given. A state that could not exist outside of relationship with God.” Through a required Introduction to Wellbeing course, students are encouraged to look at their wellbeing through a comprehensive lens, examining how six elements—spiritual, cognitive, emotional, physical, relational, and meaning—interact to influence how people respond in day-to-day life. “The class helps students see a bigger picture of why they exist in this world and why they would want to tend to their soul to help it be well,” Osgood says.

WELLBEING IN COMMUNITY

But wellbeing isn’t just a course or an initiative. The concept has very real applications to the way life is lived out at Bethel, in a community that cares about and supports its members.

Take sophomore Peyton Gallagher, for example. The baseball pitcher from Wayzata, Minnesota, was drawn to

Bethel after his very first visit as a prospective student.

He decided to become a Royal, but early in his first year of college, a breakup with his girlfriend sent him spiraling into a period of depression.

Gallagher describes it as the worst year of his life— and during that time he leaned on his community for support. “There’s no way I would have been able to go through that alone,” he says, “and that 100% speaks to the community at Bethel.”

Gallagher now serves as director of Bethel Student Government’s student ministries team. He says it’s the little moments that demonstrate the character of a community. He describes “sliding door moments” where a person might walk by someone and see that they’re struggling. The first person has the option to either walk through the door and connect, or walk away and let the door close. “So often at Bethel, people choose to walk through that door, enter into your life, and care about you—whether you’re best friends with them or don’t even know them,” he says. “Even with all the bad days I’ve had, and all the bad days I will have, I know a lot of people here who will choose to walk through that door.”

BUILT UPON FAITH

Wellbeing at Bethel is forged in a supportive community and built upon a firm foundation of faith.

This spiritual component permeates all other elements.

The spiritual interacts with the cognitive. It interacts

It’s about laying out a spiritual map, with the end goal being a robust, passionate relationship with Jesus Christ...”

—Laurel Bunker

Bethel University

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After experiencing the support of the Bethel community firsthand, Lizzie Mwende ’20 (left) and Peyton Gallagher ’21 (in back, second from right) turned around and offered their support to new Bethel students by enthusiastically welcoming them as they moved to campus in August 2018.

Bethel University Support Services Get to know the tangible services that support students’ wellbeing at Bethel

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with the emotional. It interacts with the relational. It interacts with meaning. “We’re in a time where people are longing to create meaning, not only in their own lives but out of the lives of people around them,” says Bunker.

“They’re trying to make meaning out of suffering, out of war, and holistically, out of their lives.”

For students like Mwende, who grew up in the church, finding meaning may mean questioning long-held ways of thinking about the world. In high school, she was regularly involved in her youth group, and when she came to Bethel she thought she had her belief system figured out. But among her mental health, academic, and social challenges, she also found herself asking a lot of questions about her faith—questions she didn’t see her friends asking. “I thought something was wrong with me, so I kind of kept everything to myself,” she says.

But Mwende was not as alone as she thought.

Bunker says students commonly wrestle with questions and comparisons to peers as they grapple with faith, meaning, and identity. In fact, in the 10 years she’s served in a pastoral role on campus, she’s seen an increasing level of inquiry about tough faith issues. “What I see now, more than ever, is a need for

Academic Enrichment and Support Center (AESC) Stop by for one-on-one and small-group tutoring, multilingual academic writing support, individual study skills consultations, online study skills workshops, and coursespecific workshops and support.

Career Development and Calling Career specialists help students explore different majors, write effective resumes and cover letters, learn how to search for internships and jobs, practice for interviews, learn networking strategies, search for graduate school programs, and identify preferences, interests, and strengths through assessments.

Christian Formation and Church Relations This campus ministry team provides students with opportunities to get involved in the faith community through campus worship experiences, mission trips, prayer teams, and community outreach programs. It also provides opportunities for growth through discipleship groups, Sankofa trips, and one-on-one pastoral counseling.

Counseling Services This office provides short-term counseling and consultation options for Bethel students of all ages. For undergraduate students, counseling

photo by Emma Gottschalk ’21

intellectual answers that couple with robust discipleship,” she says. “It’s not enough for most students to simply be given a spiritual kind of experience.”

At Bethel, a particular discipleship journey—with expectations such as Chapel attendance and student ministry participation—isn’t a requirement as it is at some other Christian liberal arts universities. And Gallagher says this is part of what pushed him to dive deeper into his faith. “You can go to Chapel if you want, but you don’t have to. You can go to student ministries events if you want, but you don’t have to,” he explains. “Bethel creates such a great space for you to engage in your faith, but they make you choose that. They always have doors open for you. And I think that’s ultimately what pushed me to step through those doors and actually engage.”

When students are ready to engage, whatever that may look like, Bunker and her team are committed to walking alongside them. “Our work in the Office of Christian Formation and Church Relations is to encourage students that it’s not about comparing your spiritual journey with your roommates’, nor is it about dismissing where you come from,” she says. “It’s about laying out a spiritual map, with the end goal being a robust, passionate relationship with Jesus Christ—one that not only gives spiritual disciplines some place and meaning, but also answers challenging questions.”

Peyton Gallagher ’21 is a business and missional ministries double major. He directs Bethel Student Government’s Student Ministries and plays baseball for the Royals.

A NETWORK OF SUPPORT

Building on this foundation of comprehensive spiritual support, faculty and staff work collaboratively to provide students with other resources they

sessions are free. For all other students, the first six sessions each semester are free.

time nurse practitioner, registered nurses, a nutritionist, and a physical therapist.

Disability Resources and Services Disability specialists ensure all students have equal access to the Bethel student experience. They work with faculty and campus leadership to provide reasonable accommodations and instruction as students develop advocacy skills and make connections with other campus resources.

Intercultural Programs Bethel offers programs and spaces, including the Cultural Connection Center, to eliminate barriers that underrepresented students or students of color may encounter in college life. Students have opportunities to share, integrate, and learn about cultures, race/ethnicity, and social identities, allowing deeper understanding of the holiness and wholeness of themselves and others in the community.

Health Services Students can walk in or make an appointment to utilize the oncampus clinic, staffed by a full-

Wellbeing at Bethel The Center for Wellbeing provides students with resources to pursue holistic growth. Incoming Bethel students take Introduction to Wellbeing, a course that helps them assess how different areas of their life interact to influence intrapersonal wellbeing.

Visit bethel.edu/undergrad/ services to learn more.

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The Cultural Connection Center (CCC) opened its doors in fall 2015. “I consider the CCC a safe space, in the sense that it is a brave space,” Chief Diversity Officer Ruben Rivera said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This is a place where all are welcome to sit down, to get to know one another, and to ask honest questions, but this is also a place to listen and to be open to hear others’ stories.”

need, even as those needs change over time. “Today’s generation of college students definitely has more complexities to navigate,” Washington says. “The sheer volume of information they are exposed to and what they can do with it positively—or sometimes adversely—can in many ways shape the type of worldview they have.”

For example, the Office of Disability Resources and Services has grown to serve more than 300 undergraduate students, half of whom report mental health disabilities, which can include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and others, according to Kara Fifield, director of Disability Resources and Services. “And the needs will just continue to rise,” she says. “Some people question why there are so many students who report disabilities, and one reason is that schools are doing a better job of diagnosing disabilities earlier. Another is that in 2008, the definition of ‘disability’ changed to be much broader.” The office provides note-taking assistance, reduced-distraction testing environments, and other accommodations. It also helps connect students with other Bethel support teams like Counseling Services and the Academic Enrichment and Support Center.

Miriam Hill, director of Counseling Services, also reports an increase in the number of services provided.

During the 2017–2018 academic year, Counseling Services provided 19% more counseling sessions than the previous year, 45% more than two years prior, and 64% more than three years earlier. But rather than indicating an increased level of need, Hill believes the increase could reflect the reduced stigma associated with seeking support. That willingness to seek help, typified by students like Mwende, ultimately contributes to the very sort of holistic wellbeing Bethel so values.

Mwende’s original cry for help—and her resulting

Laurel Bunker (front right), vice president of Christian formation and church relations, welcomes a new student and her family.

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experiences with Bethel’s support network—helped her find her way along a path of transformational growth and change. Now in her third year at Bethel, she’s flourishing with the help of a support system that stretches across campus and encompasses multiple individuals and offices.

And out of her own pursuit for wellbeing, she’s found ways to give back to the community she now calls home.

“I literally moved across the ocean,” she says. “But when I went back to Kenya last summer, it was no longer home as I’d been picturing it. I’ve learned that home is not a physical place. Instead, I’ve found home in this Bethel community. I’ve found so many mother and father figures, and I’ve taken so many little sisters and brothers under my wing. There’s just something really life-giving about this community.” BU

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.”

ALUMNEWS

—John Alexis Edgren, founder

70s Kaye (Thompson, Erickson) Barry ’76 retired from teaching. She most recently taught at PACT Charter School in Ramsey, Minn. She and her husband plan to move to the Loring Park community in Minneapolis.

Jody Dietel ’79 is the chief compliance officer for WageWorks Inc. In June she testified before a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on “Lowering Costs and Expanding Access to Health Care through Consumer-Directed Health Plans.” She resides in Escondido, Calif.

80s Tricia (Stokes) Nichols ’89 retired in December after 28 years as an oncology nurse with Providence Regional Cancer Systems. She accepted a staff position at Care Net Pregnancy Center in Olympia, Wash., where she performs pregnancy tests and STI screenings for a clientele that desperately needs the hope extended by the staff through Jesus.

She and her husband, Doug, were foster parents through Youth for Christ for 10 years and restore antique trucks in their spare time.

00s Justin Speck ’04 is an assistant professor of life science at Concordia University-Wisconsin. He teaches microbiology courses to students majoring in biology and nursing. He resides in Milwaukee, Wis. Peter ’04 and his wife, Amy (Morris) Williams ’07 have relocated with the Army to Washington, D.C., where Peter

serves as the chief of operations and policy for the Special Victims Counsel for the National Guard Bureau. His work shapes policy and practice of military judge advocates across the country who assist military victims of sexual assault.

Births

10s

Louisa Fayth was born in July to Bradley ’06 and Bethany (Anderson) Gerdin ’07.

Maplewood, Minn.

Kasey (Carlson) ’12 and Michael Wade ’10 started a pediatric in-home speech and language company, Family Chatterbox, in January 2017, and serve many alumni families. For more information, visit www.familychatterbox. com. They reside in Eagan, Minn.

M. Patrice Torrez GS’16 has written a self-help book to help teens prepare for college. She wrote Life Skills & College Planning Made Easy: Everything a Teen Needs to Know as she was planning for her daughter to graduate from high school and transition to college, realizing that others could benefit from her experience as a student, mother, educator, and former admissions counselor.

Marriages

Larson Ozzie was born in April to Tyler and Lindsay (Sorensen) Murchie ’06. He joins brothers Soren, 6, and Anders, 4.

Chicago, Ill.

Delaney Joy was born in January to Abbie ’07 and Michael Zoellner ’07.

Frisco, Texas.

Justin Stanley was born in October 2017 to Seth ’09 and Laura Rima ’09. He joins two older siblings. The family moved to Spokane, Wash., in May 2018.

Bethel Magazine includes Alum News from all schools of Bethel University. “S” indicates news from Bethel Seminary alumni, “CAPS” indicates news from the College of Adult & Professional Studies, and “GS” indicates news from Graduate School alumni. All other news is from College of Arts & Sciences alumni.

Laura Ernster ’07 married Jeremy Watson in August. They reside in Roseville, Minn.

While Bethel strives for accuracy in all

Ronnie and Sarah (Helget) Hawley ’07 were married in May. They reside in Owatonna, Minn.

by alumni. The inclusion of news items

Andrew and Alanna (Couillard) Greaves ’18 were married in August. They reside in Pasadena, Calif.

we do, we cannot be responsible for the content of news items submitted here should not be construed as an endorsement of their content by Bethel Magazine or Bethel University. Due to limited space, Bethel Magazine reserves the right to exercise editorial discretion in the publication of alumni news and photos.

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Emmett Paul was born in June to Justine (Petry) ’10 and Nathan Willar ’10. Blaine, Minn.

Evelyn Lois was born to Ben and Lauren (Skalicky) Sietsema ’10 in April. Golden Valley, Minn.

Saylor Joy was born in February to Caitlin (Bouwer) ’11 and Ross French ’12.

She joins brother Summit, 2. Lakeville, Minn.

Isabella Grace was born to David and Lindsay (Probert) Mayer ’12 in June.

Plymouth, Minn.

Rainen Christopher was born to Jonathan and Emma (Stephens) Cramer ’13 in August. Gurnee, Ill.

Rebecca Ruegsegger Baker ’14 (left) led the first all-female goaltending camp in Seoul, South Korea, in summer 2017.

Historic Hockey Team Rebecca Ruegsegger Baker ’14 was among elite competitors from 92

countries at the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. As coach of the decidedly historic unified Korean women’s hockey team, she found herself in the international spotlight with an unprecedented opportunity to influence others with her faith and unifying presence.

According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, South Korea has only 259 registered female hockey players, compared with 73,076 in the U.S., which added an extra layer of purpose to Baker’s job. “For me, it’s a mission field,” says Baker, a former NCAA-championship goalie who transferred to Bethel after a career-ending injury and was among the first to graduate from Bethel’s missional ministries program. “I love getting to know my players and developing them as people, as well as giving women the opportunity to excel in hockey.”

As the world watched the politically charged Games, NBC’s Natalie Morales introduced viewers to the Royal who helped make history on the ice. As Baker told Morales in an interview, she viewed her North Korean and South Korean athletes the same, telling them, “No matter where you’re from, I want to show you love and respect and coach you the best way I can.”

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/ruegsegger-baker-korea to read more.

Maggie Grace was born to Nathaniel and Deanna (Dvorak) Youngquist ’13 in June. St. Paul, Minn.

ROYAL NATION

Celebrating Bethel University Around the Country 2019 EVENTS FEBRUARY: Los Angeles JUNE: Chicago and Milwaukee JULY: New York City and Washington, D.C.

AUGUST: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco Visit bethel.edu/royalnation for more info.

Contact alumni@bethel.edu to register or host an event.

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Winter 2019

Deaths Lucille (Pearson) Eckstrom ’41, age 97, died July 22. She was one of several in her family to attend Bethel, taking courses in a one-year program focused on Christian ministry. A long-time member of Central Baptist Church in Sioux Falls, S.D., she was a student of Scripture, taught Sunday School, and led women’s Bible studies. She is survived by daughters Elizabeth (Eckstrom) Knussman ’71 and Susan Eckstrom; sister Verla Richardson; and numerous nieces and nephews and their children.

Doris (Engwall) Appelquist ’46, age 90, died December 29, 2017. She was a devoted wife to Carl ’46, daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and friend who blessed countless lives with her gentle and kind presence.

Harold Wyman “Bud” Malmsten Jr. ’59, S’63, age 80, died May 2. He was raised on Bethel’s “old campus” as his father, H.W. Malmsten, worked for Bethel from the 1940s to the late 1960s. Bud married Patsy in 1974 and pastored several churches in Oregon. He and Patsy established the Freedom First Counseling Service, and he taught driver’s education, was a chaplain, a substitute teacher, and frequent volunteer. He is survived

by Patsy; two sisters; children Michael (Christy Ann), Terry (Angelina), Brad (Ami), and Sara; six grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Professor of Chemistry Emeritus Dale Stephens, age 76, died October 14 of complications from cancer.

“Dale really defined the personality of our department,” says Professor of Chemistry Ken Rohly. Stephens came to Bethel in 1968. He served as chemistry department chair from 1978 to 2000, helping to grow Bethel’s science departments into nationally recognized programs. When he retired in 2007, he and his wife, Sharon, continued to impact Bethel sciences by donating a matching gift to fund a student-faculty research endowment. “He will be remembered as a leader; mentor of students and

Rhoda (Armstrong) Arntson ’53, age 85, died August 5, 2017, after a battle with cancer. She attended Minnehaha Academy, where she met her husband, Duane, and following in the footsteps of her mother, Merriam Armstrong ’25, received her associate of arts from Bethel College. Rhonda served several churches as a pianist. She is survived by her husband; her children Michael (Ruth Ann), Valerie, and Jennifer (Tobey Berning); her sister Martha; nine grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Glenn E. Ogren ’57, S’60, age 83, died February 28. He served as a missionary to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and as foreign missions secretary with the Baptist General Conference (now Converge).

Ogren pastored BGC churches in Chicago, Ill., and the Twin Cities. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mavis, and sister, Marilyn (Leonard) Johanson. He is survived by children Marsha (Kevin) Bradt CAPS’16, Gail (Bob ’81) Larson ’80, Mark (Charlene) Ogren, and Gina (Ken) Paulsen ’93; 12 grandchildren; and sister Blanche (Robert) Staal.

J. Phillip Dawes ’62 died in November 2017. He served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Korea as a chaplain’s assistant. He later received an M.Div. and pastored a church in Texas through the Southern Baptist Convention. He is survived by his wife, Ardath Meints, and their children.

employees; in my mind the father of the chemistry department; a man of integrity; and a man who modeled a Christ-like life,” says Bill Doyle, former vice president for information technology services.

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/ dale-stephens to read more.

SAVE THE DATE:

2nd Annual Alumni Broomball Tournament February 1, 2019 Round up your Bethel friends, dust off your stick, and join us for snacks, bonfires, and broomball on campus!

Register at bethel.edu/ alumni/events David Andrew Tervonen ’74, age 66, died on April 4 after a difficult battle with Alzheimer’s and Lyme disease. He taught for 22 years at Victory Christian Academy and Hibbing High School, Minn. He was a member of the Staples Men’s Chorus and enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, and all sports. He is survived by his wife, Patty; children Noelle (Mike) Hudalla, Leah (Brian) Wiger, David (Meghan), and Shayna; siblings Ulla (Derek) Smith and Anneli Bakk; and two grandchildren.

Andrew Del Pilar ’10, age 33, died February 6. He is survived by his wife, Betsabe (Briones) ’09, and their son, Ayun; parents Miriam and Freddy; brother Jeremy and sister Ariana. Del Pilar had a passion for the marginalized, proclaiming justice through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

After graduating from Bethel, he earned a master’s from Boston Theological Seminary. “He had a way with words, in his poetry and in his preaching, that captivated people to embody change in their communities and around the world.

The work he started will carry on through the love that he wrote on the hearts of those he touched,” Betsabe writes.

Mikayla Peters ’18 died July 2. She is survived by her parents, Cindy and Bill; siblings Samantha and Ryan; and the family’s church community at Hope Fellowship in Ramsey, Minn.

Bethel University

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This trip helped me in my faith journey— it gave me insight into our Creator and equipped me to go deeper when trying to make sense of my faith in relation to the truth revealed by science.”

BIOLOGY MAJOR SAM HORNER ’19 TOOK THIS PHOTO IN SCHWANGAU, GERMANY, DURING AN INTERIM 2018 “HISTORY OF SCIENCE IN EUROPE” TRIP.