Bethel Magazine Winter 2019

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CHRIST CENTERED UNIVERSITY

What does this actually look like?

We asked the Bethel community.

This is what they said.

Winter 2020

p. 25

Check out our campus visit checklist! p. 16 College of Arts & Sciences

Bethel athlete pays it forward by coaching others p. 18

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College of Adult & Professional Studies

Meet six Bethel world-changers p. 12 and p. 21

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Bethel Seminary

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Graduate School

Put Your Hands Together for Homecoming!

Royals fans proudly show their support and display their connections to Bethel football during the Homecoming game on October 5.

CONTENTS 02 10 12 16 18 21 25 30

UNEWS Bethel University community updates

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SPORTSHORTS Highlights from the best of Royal athletics

AND THE DISCIPLES MULTIPLIED Act Six empowers young urban leaders. Meet three Bethel Act Six Scholars.

CAMPUS VISIT CHECKLIST

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Planning a college visit? Check out our checklist!

GIVING HIS GIFTS AWAY Bethel football helped change his life. Now Brady Bomsta ’19 is helping young people change theirs.

THE POWER OF ONE Three Bethel alumni demonstrate the power of one life surrendered to God’s purposes.

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CENTERED ON JESUS We asked the Bethel community what it actually means to be a university centered on Jesus Christ. This is what they said.

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 | Jenny Hudalla ’15 | Katie Johnson ’19 | Aiyanna Klaphake ‘20 | Monique Kleinhuizen ’08, GS’16 | Suzanne McInroy | J.D. O’Brien | Jason Schoonover ’09 | Scott Streble | Cherie Suonvieri ’15 | Thomas Vukelich ’82 | Ty Walls ’18 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 2020 Volume 11 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 © 2019 Bethel University. All Rights Reserved.

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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

Who Are We? Bethel University has always had a clear sense of mission and purpose. From the time of our founding, we’ve been rooted in faith and committed to excellence with the goal of producing mature, passionate world-changers. Our steadfast desire is to be a university centered on Jesus Christ.

This fall, we hosted a visit from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)—an independent accreditor of colleges and universities. Their thorough evaluation and 10-year review confirmed our commitment to our mission. While the full report is still being developed, their preliminary Through our thoughts, words, observations indicated that Bethel has a and actions, we’ll very clear sense of demonstrate what mission and purpose, which is embraced by it means for a our community and integrated into all university to be we do. centered on This is good news Jesus Christ. for Bethel! We work rigorously to integrate our stated vision into the everyday fabric of life in our community, —from the and it’s nice to know Bethel University that our efforts are Vision Statement affirmed by an objective team of experienced evaluators. Even more important, it’s good to know that our mission and vision are embraced in such observable ways by our community members. Our faculty and staff members are engaged with students and care deeply about our mission, and our students speak highly of their experience here. This 2

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is evident across all our programs, in interviews with online and face-to-face students alike.

The daily experience of living out—and living in—Bethel’s mission offers an opportunity for our community members to engage with ideas, activities, and relationships that can be life-changing. The intentional integration of faith in Jesus and significant learning experiences provides an environment conducive to growth, change, and transformation.

Our goal is for Bethel to be a safe place for students to wrestle with challenging ideas, knowing that here we love Jesus and are committed to helping them develop a robust, authentic faith in Him that will weather any storms they will face in their lifetimes. Rigorously trained and well prepared, Bethel graduates bring a mature intellect and storm-hardy faith to the world’s most challenging issues, for God’s glory and our neighbors’ good.

Read the words of Bethel community members as they reflect on what it means to be a university centered on Jesus (p. 25).

UNEWS

Updates from the Bethel community

photo by Nathan Klok ’17

photo by Nathan Klok ’17

Homecoming 2019

There was something for everyone at Homecoming, October 4-6. From the cheer competition to family-friendly activities and sports, the Bethel family celebrated in style!

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/homecoming to see a photo gallery.

Serving Those Who Served in its mission to recruit and serve students connected to the military. The Office of Military and Veteran Services will synchronize all of Bethel’s resources to ensure a veteran-friendly campus. “From their first inquiry to their first job,” says Morris, “we are these students’ biggest supporter.”

photo by Scott Streble

John Morris S’86, executive director of Bethel’s new Office of Military and Veteran Services, says his transformative Bethel Seminary experience grounded him in faith and provided him with solid academic preparation. Now he’s striving to bring that experience to other military-affiliated students. His goal is that these well-prepared, missiondriven students will graduate to become “champions for Bethel University and transformative leaders in the marketplace.” Morris, a retired U.S. Army chaplain and 2014 Bethel Seminary Alumnus of the Year, returns to Bethel with impeccable credentials to lead the new office Visit bethel.edu/magazine/ military for more.

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Presidential Medal Recipients

Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr. Jenkins has a long association with Bethel as a former Board of Trustees member, and with Converge— Bethel’s sponsoring denomination—as former vice president of national ministries. Since he became senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Washington, D.C., church membership has grown from 500 to more than 10,000 disciples, with over 45,000 others regularly connecting online. The church’s many ministries provide

clothing, food, education, and other resources to over 11,000 people in greater Washington, D.C. And Jenkins’ reach extends far beyond his congregation. With a heart for biblical reconciliation and bridge building, he shepherded First Baptist Church of Glenarden and other African American churches into Converge. He is also the newly elected board chair of the National Association of Evangelicals.

photo by Scott Streble

photo by AJ Barrett ’21

President Jay Barnes recognized two longtime Bethel supporters with one of the university’s highest distinctions—the Presidential Medal of Honor. The latest recipients were just the fourth and fifth honorees in the history of the award.

Donald E. Benson All Bethel students know Benson’s name thanks to his namesake Donald E. Benson Great Hall. But Benson’s contributions extend far beyond his leadership and support when the renowned concert hall was built in the late 1980s and early 1990s. When the Bethel University Foundation

formed in 1971, Benson became one of its first members and chaired its Board of Governors for 28 years before recently retiring. Benson, who worked closely with the late Minnesota Twins owner Carl R. Pohlad as an executive vice president and board member for Marquette Financial Companies, brought vital business experience to the Foundation. With an eye toward economic trends, Benson and the Foundation’s Board of Governors provided insight as Bethel expanded its program offerings in fields like business and the sciences with outcomes and careers in mind. Benson’s ties to Bethel grew as his daughters, Linda and Nancy, both attended Bethel, as did his granddaughter Laura and her husband.

Read more at bethel.edu/ magazine/jenkins and bethel/edu/magazine/benson

Bethel’s newest club is taking launch—literally. The Bethel Rocket Club held its first official launch after students designed and built its first competition rocket, the Toy Story-themed “Ad Infinitum,” in Bethel’s newand-improved machine shop. The club is a spin-off of Bethel’s involvement with the NASA-sponsored Minnesota Space Grant Consortium. Members put their engineering and science skills to work as they built the rocket by trial and error, piecing together self-fabricated parts with components bought online.

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/rockets for more.

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photo by Kallai Hokanson ’20

Blasting Off

New Programs Mechanical Engineering In fall 2019, Bethel launched a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mechanical Engineering program based on the strength of its physics department and success of its dual-degree engineering program, where students attend Bethel for three years and then transfer to complete their degree. Mechanical engineering students will prepare for a broad and rapidly growing field without leaving Bethel, and graduates will embody Bethel’s mission of Christcentered excellence, impacting several industries with an ethical approach to creating new design solutions. The program joins computer engineering, electrical engineering, and software engineering as programs designed to be completed in as few as four years. “As we consider our responsibilities as Christ-followers who are concerned about the world God has given us, the people we design for, and the legacy we leave for future generations, we are in a great position to create products from an ethical perspective,” Associate Professor of Engineering Karen Rogers says.

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/mechanical-engineering for more.

Post-Baccalaureate Nursing Launching in summer 2020, Bethel’s post-baccalaureate nursing program will provide a pathway for students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field to make a career change to nursing. In as little as 15 months, they’ll be prepared for registered nurse licensure and entry-level professional nursing positions in all types of healthcare agencies, ready to impact the wellbeing of diverse individuals, families, and communities. The distinct program will utilize hybrid delivery, which means that about 75% of the coursework will be completed online, supplemented by hands-on training and clinical experiences essential to nursing. “[This program] is designed specifically for adult students and will equip them to become the nurses our world needs,” says Program Director Kristi Gustafson.

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/nursing for more.

Online Marital and Family Therapy Starting in fall 2020, a hybrid track of the M.A. in Marital and Family Therapy program will provide flexibility and accessibility to students nationwide as it prepares therapists who walk alongside others in a journey toward healing and wholeness. The hybrid program adds to a well-established M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy program offered in a mostly face-to-face format. In the hybrid format, students will complete most coursework online, with on-site practicum courses and one intensive residency. The program blends clinical practice and theory with Christian theology as it equips students with the skills, wisdom, and compassion to help people resolve conflict, work through interpersonal issues, and overcome mental and emotional disorders. The required coursework meets all academic requirements for licensure as a marital and family therapist in most states.

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/mft-hybrid for more.

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Lakeside Center The former Bethel Seminary complex on the north end of the 3900 Bethel Drive campus is taking on a new name and a new purpose. The newly named Lakeside Center is now the site for the preparation of future generations of teachers. After updating the location for today’s students, the former seminary space now houses faculty in the undergraduate Department of Education, along with two cutting-edge teaching labs that were created using grant funding. The two labs are flexible—with seating of different heights and materials that can be

pulled together for discussion groups or moved around the room—and include extra storage so that teaching materials are easier to access. “Early childhood and kindergarten children need to be able to move, and we need to allow our college students to move, too. Having this kind of space inspires students to want to teach that way,” says Associate Professor Jolene Pearson, director of Bethel’s early childhood program.

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/ lakeside-center for more.

Bethel Debuts in National Rankings In this year’s U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings, Bethel University moved from a Midwest regional grouping to the national university list. Bethel is the third-highest ranking Minnesota university and one of the highest ranking schools in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Among CCCU schools, Bethel was the second-highest member school, with Biola University in California only a few spots higher.

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/us-news for more.

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Joy in the Journey After her mother was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, Cassidy Abbott ’20, a business major and member of Bethel’s softball team, experienced an outpouring of support from Bethel friends, professors, teammates, and even top administrators. In turn, Abbott used her passion for design to share a message of hope, creating and distributing custom bracelets bearing Proverbs 3:5-8 and the phrases “Joy in the Journey” and “Even If.” Within a month, more than 100 community members sported the red and pink bracelets around campus. “The message doesn’t tie back to cancer—it ties back to Jesus,” says Abbott. “We all experience uncertainty, and the best thing we can do is depend on Jesus because He’s already won the battle.” During the softball team’s annual spring break trip to compete in Florida, President Jay Barnes, his wife Barb, and Chief Advancement Officer Jim Bender offered Abbott their prayers and support.

Bender then ordered “Joy in the Journey” bracelets for his entire office, and Abbott was invited to share her story at the Royal Heritage Society dinner—an event meant to thank Bethel’s most significant donors. Bender also purchased bracelets for every person in attendance.

“We are called to more at Bethel,” he says. “We truly are a family, and if someone in the family is suffering,

we’re going to be there for them.” President Barnes also wears a bracelet and has repeatedly shared how the Abbott family’s faith has impacted him. “Looking back on my time here, I’m without a doubt going to be able to say Bethel had my back,” Abbott says. “You can look at the values and the mission statement, you can listen to admissions counselors talk about community, but it’s not until you experience all of it firsthand that you really see how Bethel stands apart. I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else but here.”

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/journey for more.

Science Scholar Wins Trip to Nobel Week Aaron Coe ’19 became Bethel’s 13th recipient of the prestigious Swedish Council of America’s Glenn T. Seaborg Science Scholarship.

It includes an all-expenses-paid trip to Sweden for the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar, an intense week of presentations, lectures by Swedish scientists, and likely meetings with international Nobel Laureates.

The week culminates with the students participating in the Nobel Ceremony and Banquet, a once-ina-lifetime opportunity. Coe, who

graduated with degrees in physics and computer science and a minor in mathematics, is pursuing a Ph.D. in physics at Harvard University.

Visit bethel.edu/ magazine/coe for more.

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Munching Up Research

Seminary Debuts Podcast While some things are new at Bethel Seminary—like Dean Peter Vogt and its space at Bethel’s Anderson Center—its mission and vision remain unchanged. But a new tool is helping share the seminary’s mission to “develop and equip whole and holy persons to serve and lead”—a podcast, aptly named “Whole & Holy.”

Drawing on the expertise of Bethel Seminary faculty with help from alumni, outside experts, and the larger Bethel community, “Whole & Holy” aims to be a brand pastors and ministry leaders recognize as trustworthy and biblically based. “We hope it benefits our students, alumni, and local pastors who know us, but also that we can serve and equip the larger church and ministry leaders. That’s part of our mission, too,” Vogt says. He recalls his own time as a pastor, when he faced issues and decisions that weren’t always covered in seminary.

“Things like finances for pastors, human resources issues in church administration, or even responding to a shooting in the local community—these are issues faced by pastors where we can provide some counsel,” he explains. The podcast centers on current and biblical issues, and has tackled topics like social media and relationship health; children’s ministry in the church; what’s new in New Testament studies; and evangelical leaders questioning their faith. Every episode provides “show notes” highlighting resources for listeners who want to do a deeper dive.

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Visit bethel.edu/magazine/seminary-podcast for more.

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Herds of goats were brought to campus the last two summers for “mob grazing,” a natural method of brush control aimed at Bethel’s pesky buckthorn, an invasive plant. But Bethel faculty and students saw another benefit to their stay: The goats provided interesting topics for student research. Jessica Lillie ’18 and Lilee Donahue ’20 spent summer 2018 studying the goats’ impact on various species of vegetation, and Hannah Van Sickle ’20 continued the research in summer 2019.

Joshua Turek ’19, a biology major, asked other important research questions: Does goat grazing simply delay the inevitable spread of buckthorn? Do goat droppings contain germinable buckthorn seeds? Along with the research, the effort is a long-term labor of love aimed at more than scientific results. “We’re called to be Christfollowers and to love our neighbors,” says Professor of Biology Sara Wyse. “Keeping our buckthorn under control is an opportunity to be a good steward and neighbor to our surrounding community. We want to handle what we’ve been given here, above and beyond the scientific ramifications of this work, because we do exist in community…everything we do is a way to live out the love of Christ.”

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/goats for more.

BUILDing Support With 30 or so students, Bethel’s BUILD program makes up only a small fraction of the student body, but its ripple effects are widespread.

In the program, students with intellectual disabilities live and study alongside other Royals.

They participate in clubs and activities, live in residence halls, do internships, go to class, and are a vital part of the lives of other Bethel students, staff, and faculty.

Other Bethel students fill about 130

BUILD mentor positions, working directly with the students to ensure their safety and success. Relational communication major Brady Tongen ’20 is one of them. He loves supporting members of the Bethel community, from the time they begin the application process to when they’re full-fledged Royals attending the many events on campus. “When you think of the ministry Jesus did, you realize He always walked alongside those who were different from Him,” Tongen says. “He befriended people who were not typical in society, and made them feel so known and so loved. Individuals with disabilities face discrimination, things that others don’t go through.

I want to love them so well and show them that Jesus loves them, whether or not they have a disability. We’re all loved by the Lord!”

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/build for more.

Professor Researches Rare Condition Associate Professor of Psychology Sherryse Corrow’s efforts to study and help those with prosopagnosia—often referred to as face blindness— is placing Bethel in rare territory. With her work, Bethel becomes one of four universities nationally— the others are Harvard, Dartmouth, and Boston University—that are testing training protocols that can help the brain recognize and distinguish faces.

Prosopagnosia affects about 2% of the population, causing them difficulty distinguishing facial features from one person to the next. Corrow is starting a Bethel training program to help the brain better recognize and distinguish faces. A September 17 front-page Minneapolis Star Tribune article highlighted Corrow’s research.

HEARD ON CAMPUS

We need to live in such a way as to honor and respect each other. When that’s applied to the study of the environment, you start to see we’re all interdependent. My choices impact my neighbor...and maybe someone who is not my neighbor, who is thousands of miles away.

— Associate Professor of Chemistry Brandon Winters, who uses 3D printing and Skype to make sharing his love of science, Ecuador, and the Galápagos accessible to more students in more places.

Visit bethel.edu/ magazine/virtual-trips to read the story.

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/corrow for more.

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SPORTSHORTS Highlights from the best of Royal athletics

MIAC CHAMPIONS CHAMPIONS. Bethel’s women’s golf team wins the program’s first-ever MIAC Championship title with a program-best 941 over the 54-hole event. After sending individuals the past two seasons, the Royals earn the league’s automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship May 12–15 at the PGA National Resort-Palmer Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

O-LINE

Senior Connor Nelson nets his first career hat trick—and the Royals’ first since 2008—on September 21, scoring Bethel’s first three goals in a 4-3 victory over Concordia.

photo by Nathan Klok ’17

ALLOWS

Bethel is the only team in NCAA football that has not allowed a sack so far this season.

HAT TRICK!

Follow the Royals:

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Winter 2020

bethelroyals.com

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SEEING DOUBLES

After becoming the Bethel women’s tennis team’s first All-Americans in 2018, Grace and Maggie Riermann repeat as ITA Midwest Regional Doubles champions, claiming back-to-back All-American honors. Grace Riermann earns additional All-American honors, winning the ITA Midwest Regional Singles competition as the No. 2 seed out of 96 individuals.

Senior offensive lineman Danny Munoz becomes Bethel’s seventh consecutive member of the prestigious Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, Bethel’s 13th overall selection. Only Georgia (20), Nebraska (15), and Kentucky (15) have more selections than Bethel.

Seven consecutive selections is the nation’s thirdlongest streak.

photo by Carl Schmuland

IN COMPANY

photo by Teresa Brubaker

UNITED & UNIFIED Under first-year head coach Ben Linder, the Bethel women’s soccer team kicks off one of its best starts in program history, leading the MIAC in every major offensive statistical category and ranking in the top five for NCAA Division III.

START

Tyler Sarff BUILD’19 is selected to the Unified Soccer Team for Minnesota United FC, one of 16 athletes with and without disabilities who were chosen by tryout.

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AND THE DISCIPLES MULTIPLIED Built on the biblical story in Acts 6, the national Act Six program empowers young Christian leaders from urban communities that are often underrepresented on college campuses.

Five years after Act Six began at Bethel through a partnership with local affiliate Urban Ventures, seven students have graduated and 40 more are enrolled. Each of their stories represents struggles, hope, and audacious dreams for a better future.

by Monique Kleinhuizen ’08, GS’16 with Jenny Hudalla ’15

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cts 6 begins with a dilemma: Things are going well for the majority, the Hebraic Jews. But among them, a group of Hellenistic widows are going hungry. Jesus’ disciples don’t jump in and fix the situation. Instead, they ask the Hellenists to identify the most promising and faith-filled leaders from among them. The disciples lay hands on those leaders, covering them with prayer, equipping and empowering them to take responsibility for the situation in their community. The chosen leaders take their social connections and their cultural and vocational skill sets and—empowered with the resources and trust of a sponsoring body—bring about change. “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem…” (v. 7).

It’s a story of representation and empowerment within a rigid social structure, and it illustrates how a strategic and countercultural move from the disciples brought about big things for the kingdom of God. “It’s essentially the disciples saying, ‘You know what’s best for you. You pick who you trust, who’s full of the Spirit and wisdom,’” says Associate Director of Intercultural Engagement Pang Moua. “They’re opening up leadership, vision, and responsibility to those who didn’t historically have it, but who had the potential to make the most difference.”

That’s exactly the vision for Act Six, a national scholarship program that connects emerging urban leaders to Christian college campuses where they’ll be equipped and empowered to bring about lasting change in their communities. “The inner cities are often looked at as places of blight and problems, but that’s where the best assets for fixing those problems are!” says Chief Diversity Officer Ruben Rivera. He explains how the local nonprofit Urban Ventures works with Bethel and other Twin Cities colleges to find, fund, and retain promising young leaders who are passionate about their communities and have a vision for using their college degrees to bring about a better future.

The goal is to create lasting change, but a welcome side effect has been added diversity and stronger leadership within Bethel’s undergraduate student body. During the

years since Act Six launched, the percent of students of color within the College of Arts & Sciences has increased from 11% to 18%. That growth has been attributed in part to the Act Six scholarships; the “halo effect” of quality applicants deciding to enroll even if they’re not awarded the scholarship; and intentional support of diverse students once they’re on campus.

Since the launch of Act Six at Bethel in fall 2014, a cadre of seven to 10 scholars has enrolled each year. Most are first-generation college students and students of color who maintain a strong commitment to the communities in which they grew up. Here are a few of their stories.

“Act Six gave Bethel a mechanism for recruiting and supporting underrepresented students that we simply never had before. As an Act Six member school, Bethel gives these students an opportunity to cultivate what God called them to in the first place—regardless of their family’s ability to pay for college tuition.”

—Chief Diversity Officer Ruben Rivera

Tu Lor Eh Paw ’22

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Major: Business (Marketing)

u Lor Eh Paw ’22 isn’t new to adversity. She’s the youngest of nine. Her mother died when she was 2, and three siblings died before age 18. As subsistence farmers living in political unrest and violence between their Karen people group and insurgents, the family struggled to put food on the table, until in 2011— desperate for a better life—her father took Paw and three of her siblings to America.

“Not knowing the language was really hard. It was hard to make friends. We have a different alphabet, different everything,” Paw says. Near the end of high school, she visited Bethel and was in awe of the beautiful campus and tight-knit community. She knew she wanted to attend someday, but wasn’t sure how she’d make the finances work. Then she found out about the Act Six scholarship program. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, it’s been laid out for me,’” Paw says. “My dad sacrificed everything he had in order for my siblings and I to go to school. I feel like I owe it to him to do well. And also to excel in my community, to help those who are in need.”

Her required first-year Inquiry Seminar course focused on diversity, and her class watched the TED Talk “The Danger of a Single Story” from African novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. As they discussed the value in diverse voices and related issues like mass incarceration, immigration, and refugees, Paw had a Bethel University

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much different reaction than her other, mostly white, classmates. Though it wasn’t easy, Paw realized the power in sharing her story in that class, and even agreed to testify about her refugee experience before the Minnesota State Senate.

In many ways, Paw lives concurrently in several different worlds. At Bethel, she’s a confident scholar who connects easily with students who look like her and those who don’t. At home in St. Paul, she speaks the Sgaw Karen dialect and eats dakabaw congee soup. But her true home—rural Myanmar, a spot without electricity that’s hard to even locate on a map—is where her heart and extended family remain. And it’s there that she and her siblings dream of starting a school someday.

Read more at bethel.edu/magazine/paw

Lizzie Sanchez ’21 Major: Community Health

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ong before Lizzie Sanchez ’21 became an Act Six Scholar, she was a child without health insurance.

Her parents wrestled with simple healthcare decisions— did a swollen eye warrant a trip to the doctor? What about a persistent cough? When the answer was yes, Sanchez remembers going to free clinics, which were often overcrowded and under-resourced. “I knew from then on that I wanted to work in the health field,” says Sanchez. “I want to use my voice and be a resource for underrepresented communities that lack quality healthcare.”

Hailing from a family of first-generation Mexican immigrants, Sanchez dreams of starting a support center for refugees, single mothers, and other vulnerable populations as they navigate pregnancy, mental health issues, and financial challenges. “I know what it’s like when money is tight and options are limited,” she says.

“I’ve had moments in my life when food was something we had to prioritize over other things. I would love to use my own experience, together with my education, to implement change in low-income communities.”

Determined not to waste a single moment, Sanchez is heavily involved on campus as a leader in student ministry programs and cultural organizations. She mentors freshman girls as they adjust to life at Bethel, welcomes prospective students to campus, and leads her peers as they explore and celebrate what it means to be Latino and Latina.

Since attending Urbana—an international missions conference—with other Bethel students, Sanchez’s vision for her future has grown even larger. She’s now considering a master’s degree in global health and plans to enroll in the New York City Semester program, a partnership between Bethel and The King’s College that will allow her to learn more about the business behind launching a nonprofit. “When you look at a sunset, you can see the horizon but not where it ends,” she says. “We are called to learn, explore, and be the difference in our communities, close to home and across the world.”

Read more at bethel.edu/magazine/sanchez

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Sam Nguyen ’22

Major: Biokinetics (Pre-med)

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rowing up in the ethnically diverse Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul, Sam Nguyen ’22 became used to living in a multicultural environment where all kinds of backgrounds were celebrated. His parents and extended family immigrated from Vietnam, his dad “one of the boat people” who escaped the aftermath of the Vietnam War as a teenager, he explains.

As they got established in a new country, Nguyen’s parents worked a lot, so his maternal grandmother took over teaching him the Vietnamese culture and language. She got the family connected to a Vietnamese Catholic church, where they maintained strong ties to their faith and the growing local population of refugees from Southeast Asia. But during the week, Nguyen went to Crossroads Elementary School in St. Paul, which had an incredibly multiethnic student body. “I had friends of all backgrounds. I never felt that I didn’t fit in,” he says.

Then he enrolled at an all-boys, military college prep school in a Twin Cities suburb, which had decidedly differently demographics. “The expectations and culture, especially, were the hardest part of the adjustment,” he says. And when two close friends decided to go to Bethel, which would mean yet another major cultural adjustment if he went along, Nguyen proposed every other option he could think of. He calls that year of decision-making his “Saul-to-Paul story.”

“After doing more research, I found that Bethel was the place where I was best going to grow holistically,” Nguyen says. “The landscape is what first caught my eye.

It’s such a beautiful campus that, even today, I am still exploring. However, the thing that really sealed the deal is the community. Both the faculty and peers here have helped me build meaningful relationships, grow in my faith, and challenged me to succeed academically.” He’s found the academic challenge particularly helpful in supporting his goal of becoming a physician in the armed forces.

Nguyen has received support from the cohesive Act Six community, both on campus and across the Twin Cities. Just like in his community growing up, he’s found camaraderie among students who have very different but parallel life stories. “Even though we come from different walks of life and have our own goals in life, we still find similarities,” he says. “We find ways to stay connected and be there for each other when we need it.”

During the years since Act Six launched, the percent of students of color within the College of Arts & Sciences has increased from 11% to 18%.

Visit bethel.edu/act-six to learn more about the Act Six program.

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CAMPUS VISIT CHECKLIST Choosing a college can be challenging—but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! The best way to find your place? Experience it all up close and in person. At a campus visit, you can ask all your questions, meet students and faculty, and walk the halls of what could be your future home.

Make the most of your next campus visit with this checklist.

by Cherie Suonvieri ’15 design by Kristi Ellison ’10

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BEFORE YOU GO Prepare a list of questions.

Do some research online.

Campus tours at Bethel are led by Bethel students, so this is your chance to hear about the college experience firsthand!

Ask to sit in on a class that interests you.

Schedule a meeting with a professor or coach.

See if it’s possible to stay overnight in a residence hall.

Bring something to take notes!

Did you know Bethel hosts a special Admitted Student Overnight event? After students are accepted to Bethel, they have the opportunity to spend nearly 24 hours on campus for an in-depth preview of life as a Bethel student.

ONCE YOU’RE ON CAMPUS Take an official campus tour.

Browse flyers to get a sense of what’s happening on campus.

Eat lunch in the campus dining center.

Hint: If you’re visiting Bethel, check out the stairwells!

This is where clubs and organizations post information about upcoming events.

Talk to current students and ask what they think of their classes, professors, and college life.

Look for opportunities to grow in your faith.

Learn about student support services like the career center, tutoring, accessibility resources, and health and counseling services.

From Chapel and Vespers to small groups and mentoring, Bethel offers a variety of ways you can prioritize your spiritual development.

Check out student publications to get a feel for what students are thinking, saying, and doing.

After your guided tour, take some time to sit in areas where students tend to gather. At Bethel, you can grab a coffee from Royal Grounds, pick up the latest copy of The Clarion student newspaper, and find a comfy chair in Brushaber Commons.

Explore the campus on your own.

AFTER YOUR VISIT As you leave, drive around the community surrounding campus.

Talk about your campus visit with your family and friends.

Review any notes you took.

What did you like about the college?

Was there anything missing? Do some verbal processing!

Email your admissions counselor with any follow-up questions.

Find your college on social media to stay in touch.

Instagram: @bethelumn Facebook: Bethel University Twitter: @BethelU

Interested in Bethel? Go to bethel.edu/visit to schedule your campus visit today!

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GIVING AWAY HIS GIFTS

by Jason Schoonover ’09

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Winter 2020

As a Bethel football player, Brady Bomsta ’19 received coaching and mentoring that transformed his life. Now a teacher and coach himself, he’s passing on what he learned, striving to help his students and players grow into men and women of depth and character who can overcome adversity—just like he did.

H

is first game as a high school football coach did not go exactly as Brady Bomsta ‘19 expected. After a promising training camp, the Polars of North St. Paul High School, Minnesota, struggled to run the ball in a 43-13 loss. His players took defeat hard, and one running back nearly left the field in frustration. But Bomsta—the running backs coach and special teams coordinator— pulled the player aside to tell him there are bigger things than football. “This is nothing compared to what you’re going to face in the world,” he told his player. “This doesn’t show who you are as a person.” Football should be fun, he told the player, and urged him to find joy, even in tough times.

The moment reflects Bomsta’s goal of seeking something bigger than wins in his coaching. “The goal is to make them great young men,” he says. “If we go 0-8 every year for the next 15 years, but we have a perfect graduation rate on the football team, everyone’s getting a job out of high school or going to college, and everyone’s starting a family and being good husbands—I’ll take that any day of the week.”

That wasn’t always Bomsta’s priority. As a star running back at Waseca Senior High in Waseca, Minnesota, he admits football was his life, his identity.

He came to Bethel with one goal: to play football. But the depth of Bethel’s Christian culture surprised him. “Their goal was actually to be great men and women of Christ,”

he says. At the time, he did not have a strong personal faith, and he struggled with doubts about his self-worth after hardships early in life. As a teenager and young man, he drank to escape his struggles with depression.

Early at Bethel, he didn’t apply himself to his studies and considered leaving school.

“THE GOAL IS TO MAKE THEM GREAT YOUNG MEN.” But he stayed and settled into the Bethel community and the football team, where Bethel football culture taught him that Christian men can be tough but also love one another like brothers. The teaching and coaching he experienced under Head Coach Steve Johnson resonated with him, and Bomsta began to embrace the idea, he says, of being “great for God and then football will come next.”

Bomsta’s priorities would soon be tested. Just as he was establishing himself on the football team, he broke Bethel University

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his leg, an injury that would previously have crushed him. But this time it didn’t. “When that happened and football was taken away from me, I was still genuinely happy because of the relationships I’d built at Bethel, because of the community there. Everyone at Bethel was so supportive,” he says. He remembers his roommate hugging him and saying he was there for him. “I want to be like that,” Bomsta remembers thinking. “I want to live a life in Christ.”

Johnson says he witnessed Bomsta’s change after he surrendered his heart to God. And when Bomsta broke the same leg again his junior and senior seasons, limiting his time on the field, he grew into a leader on the sidelines instead. “He probably became a better leader for us than he could have if he was the star running back—and he could have been the star running back,” Johnson says. Bomsta credits Bethel and Bethel football for helping redirect his life, but Johnson notes the experience was mutual. “He had the same effect on us,” Johnson says.

As a senior, Bomsta recovered in time to help the team reach the third round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

He returned as a fullback who, in Johnson’s words, “gave his gifts away for free” by blocking and helping younger running backs gain yards and big stat lines—a role Bomsta loved. “He became a servant in the best way,” Johnson says.

The experience deepened Bomsta’s character—and his desire to invest in others. Now Bomsta, who earned a math degree with an education 5-12 licensure, brings that same drive to his algebra and geometry classrooms at North St. Paul High School. As a public school teacher, Bomsta strives to demonstrate his faith through his actions. “I’m hoping that just how I am as a joyful person makes students see that something’s different about me,” he says.

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While he brings great joy to his teaching and coaching, Bomsta is committed to authenticity with his students.

He says his past adversity helps him see things through a student’s lens, and he realizes many of them face difficult challenges at home. “I don’t know what you’re going through,” he tells them, “but I’ve had some bad stuff happen and you know what, you’ve got to work hard, but it’s possible to get out of it.”

Bomsta is no stranger to hard work. After neglecting his studies early at Bethel, he applied himself diligently.

That drive served him well as he began his teaching and coaching career. Before the season, he sought coaching advice from Johnson.

“I’M HOPING THAT JUST HOW I AM AS A JOYFUL PERSON MAKES STUDENTS SEE THAT SOMETHING’S DIFFERENT ABOUT ME.” “The best thing he told me is that the first year is going to be rough,” Bomsta says. “That’s just the way it is. It’s going to be hard, but you’ve got to stay in the fight, and you’ve got to still believe in those kids.” As predicted, Bomsta had to work hard as he transitioned to a new football program, formed his first lesson plans, and invested in his players and students to earn their trust.

But he found he loves the work—and the results—so much that he now plans to coach other sports in addition to football.

Bomsta is excited for the future of North St. Paul’s football program, especially since he coaches alongside several former Bethel players, including close friend Kyle Kilgore ’19. “We’re trying to bring a little piece of Bethel to that coaching staff,” Bomsta says. Kilgore sees Bomsta doing that in the way he gets to know the players, while also sharing laughs, jokes, and the occasional dance moves at practice. “His biggest strength is that he cares about our players far beyond the football field,” says Kilgore. “He wants them to succeed in life.”

THE POWER OF

ne

by Jenny Hudalla ’15 with Jason Schoonover ’09 and Michelle Westlund ’83

At Bethel University, we measure our performance in a unique way.

It’s not about what we do or even what our graduates do—it’s about what God does through our graduates. Right now, approximately 50,000 Bethel alumni serve on six continents, transforming culture and living out biblical truth in a multitude of fields. Their paths are rich and varied, but there’s something that draws them together: a sense of calling, a commitment to shared values, and a deep desire to fulfill a greater purpose.

While they were called to serve different people, in different places, in different ministries, three Bethel graduates have committed their lives to addressing the world’s needs. Their stories demonstrate the power of one life surrendered to God’s purposes.

Meet our 2019 Alumni of the Year.

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SEEING THE WORLD’S FORGOTTEN Katie Toop was traveling down a bumpy road in Sri Lanka when the ground exploded in front of her. If her car had been a few yards closer, she probably would have become yet another casualty in the country’s decades-long civil war.

It was a curious place to find herself, considering Toop had always known exactly what she didn’t want to do with her life: international ministry work. She grew up with family who lived overseas and she thought someone ought to stay stateside, get a stable job, and make a decent wage. But God had other plans. “The Lord made it really clear that He wanted me to go, and I thought it was better to be uncomfortable than disobedient,” Toop says. “Since that first assignment in Sri Lanka, it’s been one step of faith after another into the next adventure.”

Since graduating from Bethel with a physics degree in 2000, Toop has worked in some of the most unstable parts of the world, including South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Kenya.

She’s slept underneath bug nets, cooked over charcoal, and lived without electricity—all while helping

architect initiatives to bring clean water, education, and sustainable food sources to underserved communities. Now the director of transformational development for World Concern, Toop casts a strategic vision for the global relief agency’s community development work.

While she has borne witness to much of the world’s injustice and oppression, Toop has also seen narratives of hope and redemption—and one moment in particular has shaped her life and ministry. Toop had traveled several hours into the Afghan desert to administer a water treatment training. As she wrote down the names of those in attendance, an older woman grabbed Toop’s hand and asked if she could write down the name of her daughter, who had recently died.

“It was such a defining moment for me,” Toop says, “because I realized

“One of the most significant things I can do is to see people, know their names...and let them know there is a God who sees them and knows their name.”

that one of the most significant things I can do is to see people, know their names, and let them know that there is a God who sees them and knows their name.” It’s a truth Toop repeats to herself often, even as

the fragmented nature of nomadic life has acquainted her with a certain kind of loneliness. Her work can be painful and costly, but the community she has cultivated across the globe encourages her to keep her eyes trained on a higher purpose.

“I fall in love with people wherever I go,” Toop says. “I can envision myself in so many different corners of the world, sitting with people who won’t be known and celebrated on a grand scale but who are precious and priceless in the eyes of the Lord.”

Visit bethel.edu/ magazine/toop to hear Toop’s story in her own words.

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RESHAPING SEMINARY EDUCATION As a boy, Leland Eliason remembers turning to his father and saying, “Dad, if Jesus loved everybody so much that He died for them, why doesn’t everybody believe in Him?” When his father explained that some had never heard the gospel, Eliason said matter-of-factly, “When I get big, I’m gonna tell them.”

Eliason has gotten big. A 1962 graduate of Bethel University and a 1966 graduate of Bethel Seminary, he holds master’s and doctoral degrees in theology and pastoral psychology. He has pastored diverse churches, served in leadership roles at Bethel Seminary, and—in a career that has spanned six decades— followed through on his childhood promise to tell the masses about God’s sacrificial love.

During his years as a pastor, Eliason shepherded congregations across the country. When he returned to Bethel Seminary to become executive vice president and dean in 1994, then-President George Brushaber remarked that Eliason “still had the smell of sheep on him.”

And in that era, those sheep were increasingly experiencing pastoral leadership failures.

“How are we going to prepare the next generation of leaders for the ministry demands they are facing in the current culture?”

“The question for seminaries became, ‘How are we going to prepare the next generation of leaders for the ministry demands they are facing in the current culture?’” Eliason says. He grappled with that question for months before waking up one morning with an idea—one that would change the culture of Bethel Seminary and lead it into the next century.

Eliason’s idea became known as the Three Centers approach to ministry preparation. Students were required to take courses from each of the Three Centers, balancing their biblical and theological studies with leadership training, personal formation, and spiritual growth. The seminary devised ways of helping students measure that growth, and spiritual formation courses began to show significant impact.

But Eliason’s vision grew even bigger. His commitment to diversity had far-reaching effects on the seminary’s ethos, helping equip women and people of color for ministry leadership at every level.

“The gospel is all about breaking down walls,” he says. “Diversity is messy—it takes courage and honesty and transparency. But the result is a fellowship that’s rich, because we are doing it together.”

Retired since 2009, Eliason has continued to be an influential voice in theological education, tirelessly serving, leading, and consulting.

Though he doesn’t think much about his legacy, those close to him point to the compassion, vision, and humble leadership that seem rooted in the heart of that 6-year-old boy who just wanted to tell other people about Jesus. “When I stand before the Lord someday, I hope there will be people from tribes and nations I don’t know about who are going to say, ‘Because you did that, we’re here,’” he says. “If that happens, that will be the best legacy I can imagine.”

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/ eliason to hear Eliason’s story in his own words.

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SEIZING A SECOND CHANCE Teresa Forliti doesn’t hide from her past. She returns to do outreach in the neighborhoods where she lived during her time in “the life”—a term she uses to describe the years of substance abuse, homelessness, and crime that cost her a stable job and custody of her children.

She sees many people she knew.

Most are happy to visit with Forliti, who broke free from “the life” almost two decades ago. Some even urge her to leave before she’s tempted again. But Forliti credits her faith for getting her where she is today. “I do believe I was called to the exact job God wanted me to have because of my experiences,’” she says. “And what a great opportunity that is.”

Now the executive director of Breaking Free—a St. Paul nonprofit that helps high-risk women escape systems of exploitation—Forliti leads with the compassion and understanding of someone who has experienced the very trauma she hopes to help others overcome. Until she was 15 years old, Forliti says she had “a good life.” Then her 28-yearold boss raped her. Soon after, a close friend was struck and killed by a

car, and then her parents divorced.

Reeling, Forliti turned to drugs to help numb the pain.

She spiraled for years before she was arrested during a theft attempt.

In jail, at age 41, Forliti learned she was pregnant. She began to remember Bible verses she’d memorized during a previous rehab stint and believed, for the first time in years, that her future held promise. She recalls praying, “In the name of Jesus, I just want out. Father God, I think there’s a chance.”

And there was— Forliti got clean, moved into Breaking Free housing, and eventually enrolled in Bethel’s adult undergraduate organizational leadership program, where her classmates treated her with dignity and respect. “I could feel the hand of God throughout the whole process,” says Forliti, who

“I believe I was called to the exact job God wanted me to have because of my experiences. And what a great opportunity that is.”

graduated in 2005 and now helps other women find their own second chances.

According to Forliti, affordable housing is the biggest barrier that prevents women from escaping

exploitation. Breaking Free runs three 18-unit apartment buildings, offers social and educational services—and recently launched a recovery program for men who have purchased or trafficked women. “The bottom line is keeping people safe,” says Forliti, who now speaks and advocates across the nation. “Our hearts need to be open to receive people no matter where they’re at, no matter how hard it is, no matter how frustrating.”

Visit bethel.edu/magazine/forliti to hear Forliti’s story in her own words.

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Winter 2020

IT’S A RATHER BOLD VISION. Rooted in faith.

Committed to excellence. Bethel will become the leader in Christian higher education by building stronger communities, equipping confident leaders and gracious servants, and preparing passionate world-changers.

Through our thoughts, words, and actions, we’ll demonstrate what it means for a university to be centered on Jesus Christ.

So, how is this vision—this bold and lofty vision— lived out in real life, in real time, in the Bethel community?

How is Jesus at the center of what we do here?

by Michelle Westlund ’83

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We asked Bethel community members to tell us: In your own words and lived experience, what does it mean for Bethel to be a Christ-centered university?

THIS IS WHAT THEY SAID.

As a student at both Bethel University and Bethel Seminary, I learned about Jesus from an academic perspective, from a theological perspective, and also from a deeply relational perspective. At Bethel, Jesus is not taught as merely a religious figure, but as an invitation to a life-changing relationship. This emphasis invites Bethel graduates and Bethel as an organization to press into the heart of God and what God cares about.”

Stephanie Williams O’Brien ’05, S’12 Pastor, Mill City Church and Adjunct Professor, Bethel Seminary

“Jesus is central to the community that exists here at Bethel in how students, faculty, and staff seek to support one another—not just in academic pursuits, but also in personal, professional, and spiritual development.”

Steven Anderson S’21 M.Div. program Bethel Seminary

“The integration of faith and learning is such an important distinctive of Bethel University. My faith is the motivation for my passion and commitment to my position and to the potential of post-secondary education as a transformative experience. I believe that an education will change students, and God will use those students to change families, communities, and the world.”

Jessica R. Tangen Daniels GS’06, ’08 Program Director, Doctor of EducationLeadership in Higher Education

“When studying philosophy at Bethel University, we pursue truth for the sake of ‘God’s glory and our neighbors’ good.’

This means we seek to have good reasons for what we believe, and we seek to have empathy and understanding for those who have different perspectives. We learn to ask good questions, pursue solid answers, and apply those answers to serving God well in everything we do.”

Sara L. H. Shady Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy

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“As Christ-followers, we’re called to serve with excellence, humility, and love. We accomplish this by creating community that fosters transformation in the lives of our students.”

To be a university centered on Jesus means we have an opportunity in all facets of our community— whether it’s in our learning, our engagement, our scholarship, our relationships—to direct our attention to Jesus and His teachings.

We don’t hit the mark every day, but we endeavor to live out Jesus’ greatest commandments, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength…and your neighbor as yourself’ (Mt. 22:37-40) in every aspect of life at Bethel.”

Pamela J. Erwin Professor of Biblical Studies

William Washington Vice President for Student Life Bethel parent

Bethel creates an environment in and outside the classroom that allows students to grow into effective Christ-followers. I think of my own life: The environment at Bethel when I was a student in the ’90s allowed me to wrestle with my faith, learn from faculty who loved Jesus, and search the Scriptures to find God’s path for my life. God began something in me when I was 18 years old—a spiritual foundation was built at Bethel, and it set me on a course to follow Christ throughout my adult life. Now, as Bethel’s director of alumni and family relations and a longtime adjunct faculty member, I get a front-row seat in seeing how a Bethel education helped shape thousands of alumni in looking more like Christ. I’m grateful that Bethel continues to be a place where faculty love Jesus and invest in students to help them find their place in God’s world.”

Jennifer Scott ’95, S’02 Director of Alumni and Family Relations and Adjunct Instructor

“Bethel has challenged me to think critically in the context of science and faith, so that I can take and apply this knowledge to the traditionally secular scientific field beyond Bethel. I don’t say this lightly, but Bethel has one of the best and most rigorous science programs of any Christian university.”

Bethel takes the pursuit of truth and academic rigor seriously. Because we’re a Christ-centered university, we’re motivated to pursue truth not for ourselves, but because our Lord is the Author of truth. As a Christian, I don’t study politics just because it’s fun (though it really is), but also because God has called us to understand truth in His creation, including political truth. He’s also called His church to be an agent of redemption in the world, and we need to understand politics to live out that calling.

Chris Moore Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science

Joshua Turek ’19 Biology major

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“As an employee within BUILD, I see Jesus on a daily basis. I see Him in how my students show me kindness and grace in unique ways I can only attribute to Christ in them. I witness undergraduate students relating with their friends in BUILD in such meaningful, genuine ways. Jesus was and is the great celebrator of all kinds of diversity! The fact that Bethel understands the value of welcoming our students on campus and in our classrooms is a testament to the desire to live like Jesus lived—in community with people who were different from Him.” Lisa Bjork ’86, GS’94 Assistant Director of BUILD

Having attended Bethel a long time ago, I’m very pleased to see how those in leadership have held fast to biblical truth and values in a rapidly changing and uncertain time, even for people who follow Jesus. Having had three children attend Bethel, we’ve been able to witness firsthand the high quality of their experience—academically, socially, athletically, musically, and spiritually. As a physician who deals with difficult medical and ethical issues daily as I train young doctors, it’s been encouraging for my wife and me to have our children go through this vital life stage in a place where their biblical faith is not mocked and disregarded, but promoted and pursued.”

Mitch W. Duininck ’81, M.D. President/CEO of In His Image Family Medicine Bethel parent and supporter

“In our many years of association with Bethel, we’ve seen changes in the culture around us, and we’ve seen Bethel adapt to those changes with integrity. So many institutions drift from their mission, but Bethel has maintained its emphasis on integrating faith and academics.

The focus on community and spiritual life, in addition to academic life, helps people grow as whole Christian beings. God is at work at Bethel.”

Gwen (Peterson) Larson ’72 Retired educator Bethel parent and supporter

“For me, Bethel is three distinct cords woven together to build strong women and men: cords of academic quality; a holistic approach to development; and a deep and rich theology that believes the Bible is truth and Christ is our Savior.”

Julie Blomquist White ’76 Chair Bethel Board of Trustees

“To be a university centered on Christ, you can’t just talk like Him—you have to live like Him. Every day, our students, faculty, and staff work to live like Jesus.

Our faith in Christ is central to everything we teach, learn, and do. We believe that merging our faith in Jesus with significant learning experiences creates unique graduates—smart Christians who have a storm-hardy faith and the intellectual capacity to tackle some of the world’s most challenging problems.”

Michael Vedders ’04, GS’07 Chief Enrollment and Marketing Officer

There’s an additional layer to everything Bethel does and teaches. As a business major, classes emphasize ethical decision-making. Professors push students to not only think about how they will act as professionals in their future workplace, but how they will act as Christians.”

Aiyanna Klaphake ’20 Business major

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“We have a passion to graduate people who will make a difference in the world. Our students can engage almost any issue as long as they know that we love Jesus and have high regard for the Bible. We give them a safe place to explore, even as we care deeply that they come to a more robust and storm-hardy faith.”

Jay Barnes President

“Our graduate physician assistant students experience the centrality of Jesus at Bethel from day one in our program. They feel compassion and mentorship from faculty who see them as unique image bearers of our Creator, and they see how faculty are more concerned about who students are becoming, not just what they are learning—a truly transformative experience.”

Wallace Boeve Program Director Physician Assistant Program

“I’ve learned more about my faith since coming to Bethel and specifically studying relational communication.

One of my spiritual pathways is relational, so in learning more about people and relationships as a whole, I have a better understanding of how Jesus calls us to Christian community. The professors at Bethel have taught me skills and helped me analyze relationships better to glorify God and truly love others.”

Brady Tongen ’20 Communication Studies major

I see the Bethel classroom as a context within which the historic Christian worldview and a vibrant faith in Jesus are integrated with a wide variety of scholarly disciplines. In community life, I’ve witnessed the difference a Jesus-centered vision of life makes for everything from student relationships, to studentfaculty interactions, to the way in which our campus ministries team consistently nurtures and challenges students to press into their Christian faith more intentionally.”

Paul Eddy ’83, S’91 Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies

“Archbishop Desmond Tutu reminds us that ‘the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned with the whole person.’ I strive to model that truth, and to provide academic and relational environments for students to ask, ‘What is the gospel in this situation?’

I encourage students to be open to seeing the world from a different perspective and to stay in the tension of the difficult questions with no easy answers. If every time we interact with others or wrestle with difficult ideas, we measure ourselves against Micah 6:8 (‘And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’), we’re integrating Jesus into every area and living a Jesuscentered life.”

Cristina Plaza Ruiz Adjunct Assistant Professor M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy Bethel Seminary Languages, Cultures, & Reconciliation Studies Department Bethel University

My experiences at Bethel have prepared me really well for life after graduation. I’ve seen myself grow in my faith. I’ve developed relationships with people who are really good leaders, people who are really good contributors to God’s kingdom and to the world. People here really do show up for what they say they will, and that’s the most influential part of my leadership experience at Bethel.”

Kennadie Anderson ’20 Biology major Student Body President

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ALUMNEWS Measure our performance by what God accomplishes through our graduates after they have been prepared at Bethel to go out into the world to serve.”

—John Alexis Edgren, founder

70s

90s

Ray Smith ’72 is retired from his position with Federal Health Visual Communications. Ontario, Calif.

Steven Guest S’95 joins the faculty at the Converge Seminary, Cebu Graduate School of Theology in Cebu, Philippines, after nearly 10 years on the graduate faculty at the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies in Bengaluru, India.

Bonita (Boni) Hamilton ’73 published a second edition of her book, Integrating Technology in the Classroom: Digital Tools for Every Student. Hamilton has an Ed.D. from the University of Northern Colorado (2011) and recently completed her Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Denver (2018). She was also a keynote speaker for an EdTech conference in Moscow in October 2018. She resides in Centennial, Colo.

Wade Anderson ’79 is the principal attorney and chair of Gray Plant Mooty’s Real Estate Law Practice Group, Minneapolis. He has been re-elected to the firm’s board of directors.

80s Steven Blomberg ’86 published Lessons from Landon: Through the Seasons of Life, a collection of stories and lessons gained from his special-needs son over the course of 19 years. He is a first grade teacher at Rib Lake Elementary and resides in Ogema, Wis. Thomas Solhjem S’88 was promoted to Major General and became the Army’s 25th Chief of Chaplains. He serves at the Pentagon.

Christopher Jahraus ’95 is a Fellow of the American College of Radiation Oncology. He works for Generations Radiotherapy & Oncology PC and resides in Chelsea, Ala. Jami Staples ’99 is CEO of The Truth Collective, a Christian ministry she founded in 2018 designed to inspire Christian women to pursue and share truth with Muslims. Fort Mill, S.C.

00s Becca (Kruger) Erickson ’01 is the founder and executive director of nonprofit Emerge Mothers Academy, a 2018 recipient of Minneapolis-based Allianz Life grant funding. Erickson’s charity startup aims to help motherheaded households gain stability and independence, subsequently altering the course of multiple generations. Grant funding is distributed to local nonprofits making strides in financial literacy for Twin Cities families. Visit emergeTwinCities.org for more info.

Presidential Retirement Events You’re invited to these special events honoring President Jay and Barb Barnes for their 25 years of dedicated service to the Bethel community.

President’s Pick: Fernando Ortega in Concert

Friday, February 28, 2020 7:30 p.m. | Benson Great Hall $20 tickets available through the Bethel Ticket Office

Chapel: A Fond Farewell Friday, May 1, 2020 10:15–11 a.m. | Benson Great Hall No tickets needed

Presidential Retirement Celebration

Thursday, May 28, 2020 6 p.m. reception | 6:45 p.m. dinner and program Quincy Hall, Minneapolis $50 tickets available February 1, 2020 Visit bethel.edu/president/retirement for a complete list of events and details.

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Robert Budahl CAPS’05 completed a counterintelligence certificate program from American Military University, graduating with a 3.78 GPA and Omicron Sigma Sigma. He resides in Sioux Falls, S.D. Lindsey (Farris) McCormick ’06 was promoted to full-time faculty in the communication department of the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. She resides in Monument, Colo.

Nathan Thompson ’06 joined Moss & Barnett as a tax lawyer assisting numerous of the firm’s teams. He brings experience working as a manager for a national CPA firm and as an auditor for the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

Minneapolis, Minn.

David Carlson ’09 is a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He received the Bernard J. Couillaud Prize, a merit-based award of $25,000, from the OSA Foundation and Coherent, Inc., to support research concerning nonlinear integrated photonics technology.

Erica Pitt ’09 is the head athletic trainer at Union University, Jackson, Tenn. She previously served eight years in athletic training positions at the University of Pikeville, Ky., where she earned the MidSouth Conference Above and Beyond Award in Athletic Training twice, served as chair of the Champions of Character Committee, and was elected as the secretary of the Mid-South Conference Champions of Character Committee in 2019.

Taylor Boyd ’08 is the vice president of private client services and leads the business development team for Burnham Gibson Wealth Advisors. He has been named an official partner of the business. Irvine, Calif.

Marriages Callie (Schmidt) ’18 and Luke (Thompson) ’18 were married in May. Both changed their last names to “Evergreen” to symbolize God’s faithfulness and their commitment to each other. The wedding party included Abby Petersen ’18 and Josh Towner ’20.

Edina, Minn.

Births Juliana Marie was born in June to Dianne (Cotten) ’98 and Andrew DeKoning GS’16. She joins Jackson, 5, and Jacoby, 3. Eden Prairie, Minn.

Carly and Donovan were born to Heather (Yue) ’01 and Ryan Conover ’02 in April. The twin siblings join Evelyn, 5.

Crystal, Minn.

Elizabeth Clara was born in March to Ericka (Johnson) ’06 and Tim Hammer ’08, S’12. She joins Everion, 8, and Ezhanna, 7. Circle Pines, Minn.

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.

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

A Moving Story. These five longtime friends all lived at Bethel’s former Snelling Avenue location before graduating in 1968. More than 50 years later, they returned to Bethel for Homecoming 2019 and experienced the current campus for the very first time. From left, they are Connie (Majeske) Danielson, Bev (Rempel) Graham, Gail (Mitchell) Berg, Judy (Glewwe) Horn, and Marlys (Seiffert) Bickett.

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Lucy Ruth was born in October 2018 to Amy (Morris) ’07 and Peter Williams ’00. She joins Elsie, 5, and Clara, 3.

Fort Belvoir, Va. Elliot Ian was born in February to Kristin (Shindelar) ’12 and Ian Vanbiesbrouck ’11. Spring Lake, Mich.

Zella Hope was born in June to Amy ’13 and Gary Baumetz ’12. Three Lakes, Wis. Harrison Gerald was born in January to Nicholas and Erin (Wallin) Gee ’17.

Chaska, Minn.

Deaths Frances Dao ’57 died June 6.

Joan Dallaire, wife of Leo Dallaire ’61, S’65, died November 27, 2018. She resided in Washburn, Wis.

Dennis Johnson ’63, age 78, died March 11 after battling the challenges of Primary Progressive Aphasia for several years. Johnson taught at Iowa State University for 34 years after obtaining his doctorate in electroanalytical chemistry from the University of Minnesota in 1968. He lectured around the world, provided leadership to graduate students, and developed a commercially applied method of detecting proteins and carbohydrates and a process to electrochemically incinerate hazardous materials. He received numerous awards for teaching, advising, and research in chromatography and electroanalytical chemistry, including the Governor’s Science Medal for the State of Iowa. He was recognized as Bethel’s 1994 Alumnus of the Year and as a Distinguished Professor at Iowa State. After retiring in 2002, Johnson, a talented singer and organist, was active in church worship music. He is survived by wife Doris (Swanson).

SAVE THE DATE

3rd Annual Alumni Broomball Tournament and Winter Social January 31, 2020 Catch up with fellow Bethel alums as you compete for the championship! Round up a team of at least six players, bring your sticks, and show up to win or just to drink hot cocoa!

Register at bethel.edu/alumnibroomball

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Winter 2020

Sharon (Eisfeld) Goding ’72, age 68, died March 14. After graduating from Bethel with a degree in social work, she focused her life on connecting with others through discipleship and counseling. She is survived by her husband Jim; sons JD (Candace), Seth (Cindy), and Judson (Jen); brother Larry (Sandy); and numerous nieces, nephews, and grandchildren.

Grant Johnson ’80, age 61, died January 14. Johnson was severely disabled in 1981 due to an accidentrelated traumatic brain injury but was able to profess his love for Jesus throughout his life. He is survived by parents Quentin and Leola Johnson; sisters Rebecca, Lisa, Roberta, and LeAnn; five nephews, and many friends.

Robert Reider S’89 died April 22. He resided in Omaha, Neb. Levi Bauer ’18, age 24, died March 12 of pneumonia. Bauer was diagnosed at birth with X-linked myotubular myopathy, a rare genetic neuromuscular disorder. After graduating from Apple Valley High School in 2013, Bauer pursued a business degree at Bethel where he was active and well-known in the community. He is survived by his parents, stepfather Scott Bauer, brother Alex (Stewart) Bauer, sister Isabella Stewart, grandparents John and Virginia Schultz, and many relatives and friends.

Anthony Nelson ’20, age 22, of Blooming Prairie, Minn., died July 29 in a vehicle crash. He was a senior accounting and finance and business double major, and was a member of Bethel’s football and basketball teams. He is survived by his parents, Brian and Lois Nelson, and two sisters.

Former Bethel professor Mary Julia (Winsley) Hammond, age 81, died May 20. Hammond received her B.S. from Malone College in Canton, Ohio (1970), her M.Ed. from Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio (1973), and her Ph.D. from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (2002). From 1966 to 1971, she and husband Ralph Emmanuel Hammond founded and served Grace Community Church. In 1993, she began teaching in Bethel’s education department. She is survived by siblings Willie James Winsley (Lois), George Winsley (Luphelia), Annie Dallas (Larry), Thelma

Billups, and Jemmie Dillard (Willie); children Ralph Emmanuel Jr., Timothy Russell (Deb), David Michael (Angie), and Gladys Thomas; numerous grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other family members, friends, and students.

Wanda Faye Nelson, age 76, died April 30. Nelson was Bethel’s bookstore manager for 38 years. She was preceded in death by her husband Craig, her parents, and two sisters. She is survived by her children and their spouses Jody ’87 and Jim Ternes, Tammy Jo and Robert Eddleston, and Todd and Kimberly Nelson; 10 grandchildren; one great grandchild; and dear sister in Christ Sharyn Olson. Daughter Jody comments that when her mother was widowed at age 28, she had no career training and three young children to raise: “Bethel provided her not only the financial means to care for her family, but also a supportive environment to spend her work day. She served Bethel faithfully for 38 years, and God blessed her through Bethel.”

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Goetzman Family, June 2019

That’s Not Normal—That’s Bethel The Goetzman family’s ties to Bethel go back decades. Dan ’89 and Jennifer (Johnson) Goetzman ’91 met while attending Bethel, and all four of their children—Ike ’19, Anna ’20, Abigail ’21, and Julia ’22— are current students. Through the years, the family maintained close connections with other Bethel alumni and frequently returned to campus to attend football games and other events. However, it wasn’t until Ike faced life-threatening complications during an open-heart surgery in March 2017 that the Goetzmans experienced the true depth of the Bethel community’s support.

While Ike was in the hospital in critical condition, he and the family received an outpouring of prayers, emails, and visits from professors, classmates, and his Bethel baseball teammates. After Ike returned to school, friends carried his books to and from his classes each day. Reflecting on the experience, Dan quotes a phrase he once heard about Dan ’89 and Jennifer Goetzman ’91 maintained close Bethel: “‘That’s not normal— ties to Bethel and frequently visited campus with their that’s Bethel,’” he says. “That’s children—Anna ’20, Ike’19, Julia ’22, and Abigail ’21. the family of God, that’s This 2007 photo was taken at a Royals football game. community, that’s relationship, and we were recipients of that.

And we’re grateful.”

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3900 Bethel Drive St. Paul, MN 55112-6999 Electronic Service Requested

GRANT BULLERT ’19, NOW WORKING AS A CINEMATOGRAPHER AND VIDEOGRAPHER, TOOK THIS PHOTO DURING A SEMESTER STUDYING CINEMATOGRAPHY AND SCREENWRITING AT THE LOS ANGELES FILM STUDIES CENTER.

My time studying in Los Angeles helped me to see that every community has people who are hurting and people who are helping. It’s opened my eyes to the lives of more people, so that I might understand them better and be able to love them more authentically.”

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