Selah Yearbook 1991-92

Poggemiller Respects LBTS Faculty

By Genie Poggemiller Dwight Poggemiller, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary student body president, is a good example of the Liberty system of education.

Dwight graduated from L U with a 4.0 G P A and decided to enter L B T S to further his education for the purpose of Christian ministry. H e prayed about where he was to attend graduate school and felt God's leading in his life to attend LBTS. This w a s cemented by the job he was offered at Liberty Broadcasting Network.

H e found the school to be good economically, it was close to home, and he w a s impressed by the caliber of the faculty. Dwight has great respect for the professors in the seminary.

"The real strength of L B T S is its faculty," he said.

"There is not one professor w h o m I studied under that did not challenge m e , through their knowledge and walk with God, to strive for excellence in ministry and m y o w n personal relationship with Jesus Christ."

Dwight became active in seminary leadership w h e n he was elected president of the seminary graduate student body. It w a s his duty to represent the needs of the students and the school to the faculty and administration. In this, he helped to keep tuition increases d o w n and introduced n e w agreements between students and faculty.

Other duties included planning fun activities, as a diversion from the seminary mental and physical workload, and the planning of seminary chapel programs. Dwight thanks God, his family, and L U for helping shape his life's goal into what it is today - to live for God's glory.

Dwight's future plans include pursuing a post in short-term missions after his graduation from semin a r y — perhaps somewhere in Eastern Europe, South Photo by Vangie America or "wherever G o d wills." H e later plans to go on to further study to prepare him to teach and preach ministry training. Practicums would offer seminary students a great opportunity to gain experience by God's Word.

H e feels the seminary has been a great help in prepar- ministering in area churches.

Dwight believes this training is necessary for future ing him for future ministry. The curriculum offers to pastors to meet the needs and challenges of the next students a chance to really grow and study God's W o r d to, in turn, minister to others. Dwight found his homi- generation. H e emphasized h o w great the wealth of letics class one of the most helpful courses of all because opportunity for worldwide missions is, as w e n o w see it instructs future pastors in the correct manner in the eastern bloc opening u p and religious oppression which to impress upon others the vast importance of defeated. " W h e n w e see the vast challenges of misthe Gospel and the Christian life. H e also emphasized sions," he said," those willing to minister in this w a y are h o w useful his Hebrew and Greek classes have already comparatively few."

Worldwide missions is an issue that every Christian become in studying for ministry. should address, and pray to G o d to send more workers Missions and church planting were also high on Dwight'slistof seminary benefits. "I'm really pleased for the harvest. "At the same time w e must be meeting with the strong emphasis on church planting," he said, the needs of our o w n nation and neighbors," Dwight "but there also needs to be more emphasis on practical added, "such as family breakdowns, degenerating moral standards, substance abuse, and challenges of dealing ministry experience in local churches."

Dwight would like to see practicums required for all with A I D S in a Christ-like manner."

"Christians need to look for ways to get the Gospel graduating seminary students, because he feels semiout as quickly and effectively as possible," he explained. nary training is incomplete without practical hands-on