IPC Missions conference 2020 February 19-23
God’s Mission to Midsouth Colleges
My dear Friends, One of the great privileges that I have had as an ordained minister has been to serve Reformed University Fellowship. In three different presbyteries, I have served as the chairman of our RUF committee; and since 2011, I have served as vice-chairman or chairman of our regional RUF committee. I have conducted training, raised money, attended meetings, prayed for campus ministers, and recruited and interviewed staff for RUF. Why have I invested so much time, effort, and dollars in RUF? Simply because I believe in God’s mission to our campuses. I believe in what these pastors, campus staff, and interns do on a daily basis—ministering God’s Word to those who have never heard about Jesus, shepherding covenant children and pointing them to God’s grace over and again, and developing future leaders for our PCA churches. This year, we have a rich privilege to know and support our campus ministers and staff from our region, the Midsouth. They are near and dear to my heart—and I trust you will rejoice over how God is using these men and women to advance his cause on Midsouth campuses, reaching your sons, daughters, and grandchildren with the Gospel of Jesus. In the grip of God’s grace,
Dr. Sean Michael Lucas Senior Pastor Independent Presbyterian Church
Guest Speakers Austin Braasch is from Birmingham and graduated from the University of Alabama, where he met his wife, Kristen, and they were involved in campus ministry. After graduating, Austin worked with the youth ministry at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Birmingham and attended seminary at Beeson Divinity School. Austin recently became the RUF campus minister at Arkansas State University. Casey Cockrum, director of RUF female campus staff, is a native Mississippian who now calls Tennessee home. After graduating from Mississippi State, she worked in Memphis as an RUF intern and campus staff. After completing her Masters in Counseling at the University of Memphis, she worked at Independent Presbyterian Church as college and career women’s director. In 2011, Casey became the RUF counselor for interns and campus staff. Casey and her husband, Colton, have two children, Coleman and Callie.
Anthony Forrest, widely recognized by his nickname, Paw, is a Mississippi native and attended the University of Mississippi, also his wife Felicia’s alma mater. They married in 2007 and felt a desire to be involved in campus ministry. Anthony attended Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson and interned at Redeemer Church, PCA. He became the campus minister at Jackson State University in 2019. They have three children: Axayla, Arilyn, and Athan. Dale Hollenbeck was a missionary in Uganda from 2001-2011 and led missionary teams that discipled leaders in various fields, including business, medical missions, education, agriculture, theological education, campus ministry, and tribal reconciliation. He has helped missionaries from nine countries develop cross-cultural ministries within African organizational structures. Dale lives in St. Louis with his wife, Kathy, and they have three sons: Micah, Benjamin, and Zachary.
Brent Corbin has served as the RUF campus minister at the University of Tulsa since 2010. He was born in Duncan, OK, and after graduating from the University of Oklahoma, he worked in commercial banking. He then began an internship with RUF at Vanderbilt University, where he met his wife, Sarah. Brent completed his Master of Divinity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. They have four girls: Nora Kline, Katherine, Mary, and Margaret Charles.
Leslie Janikowsky grew up in a Navy family but always called Maryland home. She graduated from the University of Virginia, where she became involved with RUF. After graduating, Leslie began an internship with RUF at Rhodes College. In 2014, she was called to continue serving with RUF at Rhodes in the role of campus staff. Leslie is finishing her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Memphis.
John Craft grew up in Memphis and graduated from Vanderbilt University. He completed an RUF internship at the University of Georgia, where he met his wife, Leigh. They married and moved to St. Louis to attend Covenant Theological Seminary. After graduating, they worked with RUF at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and are now serving with RUF at Rhodes College. John and Leigh have two children, William and Lizzie.
Brian Sorgenfrei was born in Jackson, MS, and graduated from the University of Mississippi. He attended Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, where he worked with college students at First Presbyterian Church and Millsaps College. Brian was campus minister for RUF at Mississippi State University for eight years, and in 2017, he and his wife, Liza, moved to Oxford to work with RUF Ole Miss. They have three children: Shelby, Annie, and Clark.
John Crosby was born in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Bryan College. He earned a Masters of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, and was ordained at IPC in Memphis, where he served for seven years in student ministry. He then served at Lexington Presbyterian Church in South Carolina. In 2016, John became the RUF campus minister at the University of Memphis. John and Trina have three boys: Charlie, Henry, and Max.
Ro Taylor and his wife, Anna, both grew up in Mississippi, and Ro completed seminary at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson. They served together at Georgia Southern University for six years, where he was the RUF campus minister. In the fall of 2017, Ro became campus minister for RUF at Delta State University in Cleveland. Ro and Anna have three sons: Bo, Griff, and Mack.
Elliott Everitt grew up in Jackson, MS, and graduated from Ole Miss. After graduation, Elliott served as youth director at First Presbyterian in Yazoo City, and he graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson in 2012. Elliott served four years as RUF campus minister at Mercer University in Macon, GA, before moving to Mississippi State where he currently serves. He and Carrie have four children: Thomas, Harris, Graham, and Jerome.
Kevin Teasley is entering his fourth year as the RUF chief advancement officer. Prior to that, he served as RUF campus minister at Wake Forest University for 13 years. Before Wake Forest, he was the RUF campus minister at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. He graduated from Ole Miss and Covenant Theological Seminary. Kevin and his wife, Rosie, have three children: Kennedy, Micah, and Molly Jane.
Schedule of Events Wednesday, February 19
Sunday, February 23
Dinner | 5:30 p.m.
Morning Worship Services
Join us in welcoming our RUF guests with some Memphis soul food: fried catfish with fixings, hush puppies, fries, coleslaw, salad, and banana pudding. $7 adults, $5 children
RUF STUFF | 6:15 p.m.
The Ole Miss Praise Band Meet the Speakers RUF Stories from Casey Cockrum The Rev. Brent Corbin
“The Pillars of RUF: What We’re All About”
Tuesday, February 18 Thursday, February 20 Friday, February 21 Saturday, February 22 Weekday Breakouts & Saturday Homecomings Breakfasts | 6:30 a.m. Lunches | noon Dinners | 6:00 p.m.
Hear from individual RUF ministers and staff in small group gatherings over breakfasts, lunches, and dinners in the homes and offices of IPC members or at IPC. (Attend as many as you’d like.) For registration details and a schedule of speakers and locations, go to ipcmemphis.org or the Missions Conference table in the IPC Rotunda.
8:30 and 11:00 a.m. | Sanctuary The Rev. Brian Sorgenfrei
Sunday School Electives | 9:45 a.m.
The Rev. Austin Braasch | Room 237 “Generation Z: The Loneliness Generation”
The Rev. John Crosby | South Fellowship Hall
“Guess What Parents? What Your Children Are Telling Their Campus Ministers of How You Parented”
The Rev. Elliott Everitt | Room 220
“The Haunting Specter of Pointlessness: What’s Driving This Generation of Students”
The Rev. Anthony Forrest | Chapel
“Gospel Wakefulness at Historically Black Colleges and Universities”
The Rev. Dale Hollenbeck | Room 132
“RUF-International: Engaging the Nations Through the Local College”
The Rev. Ro Taylor | North Fellowship Hall “Thy Kingdom Come: Gen Z & Diversity in the Church”
The Rev. Kevin Teasley | Room 233 “Walking with Jesus for a Lifetime”
Sunday Night Live! | 5:00-7:00 p.m. | Fellowship Hall Dinner and “Love, Tom” Join us for delicious Hattie B’s Nashville chicken and hot biscuits, grilled asparagus, 5-cheese stone-ground grits, and toasted caramel pie; $10 adults. Reservations required, go to ipcmemphis.org. Enjoy songs and stories from Nashville Hall of Fame songwriter Tom Douglas during dinner.
Sunday Evening Homily The Rev. Anthony Forrest
For more information, email Tameria Rackley, trackley@ipcmemphis.org. Sunday night starting at 5:00 p.m. K-5th grade go to Four Corners in the Romper Room (dinner will be provided) Nursery provided for ages 0-JK (please send dinner)
Tom Douglas Tom Douglas, a Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter, has written numerous number one hits, including “The House That Built Me,” “Little Rock,” “Meanwhile, Back at Mama’s,” and “I Run to You,” to name just a few. Although not obvious to some, his lyrics reflect his deep love of the Gospel and the redemption we have in Christ. He says, “Most of my songs start as a reaction to something that’s happened either personally or in the culture, such as the disconnection of teenagers in ‘Love’s the Only House’ and poverty and homelessness of ‘Grown Men Don’t Cry.’ But all the songs hopefully have redemption in the end. I have to write that in every song, because I’ve got to remind myself of that.” “Love, Tom” is an intimate performance Tom delivers with his piano, guitar, harmonica, and stories. A member of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tom is an advocate and supporter of Reformed University Fellowship.
4738 Walnut Grove Road | Memphis, Tennessee 38117 | 901-685-8206 www.ipcmemphis.org