The Bell 2017

President's

Annual

Giving

Report

... TO THE VERY LAST TRIBE

’16–’17

a publication of

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VOL.3

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FROM THE PRESIDENT Honoring the past ... hope for the future

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A CHRISTMAS WISH TMU teams up with 104.7 The Fish to surprise one deserving mom.

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JENNI SHEPARD After the storm, there is always a rainbow. Grab a tissue.

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TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH From North Georgia to Kenya, we stand firm on our mission.

PHILLIP ARTHUR SIMMONS When TMU alumni reach their dreams, it’s music to our ears.

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JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY DOWN IN HER HEART A spotlight on staff member, Ms. Gloria Sutton.

UNVEILING A DREAM: THE GEORGE BLAUROCK STUDENT WELLNESS CENTER How the dream became a reality. To God be the glory!

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OUR ANABAPTIST HERITAGE Radicals. Earth shakers. Truth seekers. We live to share the Gospel with others, just as the Anabaptist heroes who have gone before us.

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E D I T O R I A L S TA F F

PUBLISHER Dr. Gary Jarnagin

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Valarie M. Reeves

EDITOR/WRITER Jenny Gregory

DESIGNER/ PHOTOGRAPHER Adam Roark

PRESIDENT’S ANNUAL GIVING REPORT COVER: The sun sets on the streets of Venice, one of the many locations visited on our journey across Europe. More on page 30.

ABOVE: TMU students, alumni, friends and family celebrate the grand opening of the new student wellness center, a massive milestone in our ever-growing legacy. More on page 16.

BACK: One of the many landmarks we encountered on the Anabaptist Tour was the Prague Astronomical Clock, which is the third oldest astronomical clock in the world.

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CONTRIBUTORS Cassie Abernathy Carson Batye Melanie Beeman Dr. Emir Caner Dr. Maël Disseau Jordan Haney Teresa Haymore Darlene Jarnagin Andee McCall Walker McCrary Ross Mutimer Dr. Brad Reynolds Nathan Welsh

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the data presented. Thank you for your understanding. Email advancement@truett.edu for corrections.

H O N O R I N G T H E H O P E F O R T H E

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P A S T … F U T U R E

Courage. Faithfulness. Boldness. These are just a few of the words that describe our forefathers, the Anabaptists, whose names are found throughout the life and landscape of Truett McConnell University.

From the names of our nine schools, six of which are martyrs and all of which are heroes, to the new George Blaurock Student Wellness Center, these Anabaptists are a beautiful and powerful reminder of what God can do through the simple life of a believer who is fully surrendered to His will (Jude 24).

This summer, I, along with three other TMU professors, was honored to walk the steps of many of these heroes through five European countries: Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic and Germany. The stories of their faith and sacrifice were awe-inspiring, giving us time to appreciate how we stand on the shoulders of giants and allowing us to reflect upon our own lives and how we, too, may shine the light of Christ in a broken world.

As you can imagine, I have hundreds of photos of landmarks, monuments, portraits and the like. Many of these images are seared into my conscience. Each story builds upon the narrative that God is faithful to build His Church (Matt. 16:18) through those willing to sacrifice and suffer (Matt. 10:32–39). Needless to say, the tour was life changing for all who participated.

Reflecting on the two-week tour, there is one glaring absence regarding these landmarks of heroes — few people in Europe care about this history. Most flippantly walk past the monuments, plaques and images, and even fewer know anything about their sacrifice. Moms and

children lay out their blankets near these sites without even the slightest desire to know what is next to them.

The faithful voices of the past have gone unnoticed, silenced by the cultural milieu of secularism.

I wonder how far America is from this same apathy. With churches in decline and the average age of a believer ever increasing, it seems likely that, outside of a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit, America will one day view Christianity as a relic of the past rather than a faith of the present.

But it does not have to be that way. The people of God may rise up and pass down the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Churches may rise up and rejuvenate their congregations by living out the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20) and the Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37–38). Pulpits may once again thunder with the unfettered and unwavering belief in God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16).

This generation needs us — not a few of us, but as many of us as are willing to stand with them, for them and by them. They need your prayers. They need your wisdom. They need your treasure. Let not our country walk the way of apathy, of silence, or else we, too, may see a generation that knows not the heroes of the faith.

Far worse, they will not know the Lord Jesus who loves them, died for them and desires to have a relationship with each one of them. I pray you will join me in raising up a generation that will be a voice in the wilderness to a culture that desperately needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Truth is Immortal.

" T H I S G E N E R AT I O N N E E D S U S — N O T A F E W O F U S , B U T AS M A N Y O F U S AS A R E W I L L I N G TO S TA N D W I T H T H E M , F O R T H E M A N D B Y T H E M . "

Dr. Emir Caner, President

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THE S HEPA RD FA M I LY 3

AFTER EVERY STORM COMES A RAINBOW. This is a sentiment that’s true for Jenni Shepard, TMU Head Women's Softball Coach and Associate Professor of Education, and her husband, Josh.

Shepard, who grew up as the youngest of four siblings, found herself struggling with poor health during a significant part of her childhood. However, even as a youngster, her drive to win was evident. She excelled in karate, on the stage in dance and even on the football field. “I was very active as a child,” Shepard shared.

“When I got into trouble, my mother would make me run laps around the house because she realized that was the best form of discipline for me, and it benefited me to be active.”

Shepard shared, “I grew up in a Christian home attending my mother’s church in the country that met once a month and attending the church where my dad grew up on the other three Sundays.”

Her love for sports was strong, but her love for Jesus outshined any other activity. “I remember the day that I accepted Jesus Christ,” she recalled. “It was [in Vacation Bible School] as a child.

The book of colors was brought to my attention one evening. As the teacher explained each color: black for sin, red for the blood of Jesus, white for the cleansing of salvation, gold for heaven and green for growth, I knew I needed to give my heart to Christ.”

Shepard kept herself busy with a plethora of activities including cheerleading, football, band, girl scouts, basketball and softball.

After high school, Shepard shared that she reaffirmed her faith in the Lord. She was a big part of the Baptist Student Union and really began to share her faith with others throughout her college years.

“After graduation, I was offered a job at the college and was able to really find my calling and passion as a coach. I went on to earn my master’s degree in Early Childhood [Education] and continued to work there as Assistant Softball Coach.”

At the age of 23, Shepard accepted the Lord’s calling to be a part of the faculty and coaching staff at Truett McConnell University.

“Here,” she says, “I have made amazing relationships with the girls that I coach. I am able to not only teach them about the game, but how to work together with teammates, overcome adversity, perform to the best of their abilities and basically, a lot of life lessons.”

“I also get to share my faith, which is very important to me,” Shepard said. “With my testimony, it’s only fitting to share God’s faithfulness, and at Truett, I am able to do that.”

Shepard spent the first couple of years pouring everything she had into the softball program at TMU. “There were tough times, I’m not going to lie. Many prayers were lifted, and many tears 4 | THE B ELL tr uet t. edu

were shed. But we’ve come full circle from where we were, and I am proud of the fundraising, the mission efforts and volunteer work done by previous players and those today. We have worked hard to get to where we are today.”

Shepard shared how her husband, Josh, who is “her complete opposite,” has always stood by her no matter what. “He’s always listening, allowing me to vent and letting me know how proud he is of me.” The two met on her 26th birthday while tubing. They began dating and were married shortly thereafter.

The Storm The moment they found out they were expecting a son was pure bliss. The thought of an energetic little boy who would love sports flooded Shepard’s mind. The thought of the memories they would make, the vacations they would take and the privilege of teaching him to grow up to be a good man, just like his dad, warmed Shepard’s heart. But more than anything, he would have a soft side just for mom.

The gleam of motherhood was fitting to this soon-to-be mom. Family, friends and even the girls on her team were anticipating the arrival of the little one.

As with many pregnancies, slight complications can arise. Early on, Shepard dealt with a blood clot that led to a hospital stay, and doctors had concerns with the uterine fibroids they had noticed. According to Shepard, “The rest of the pregnancy seemed fine. It was more a concern for me than for our son at the time.”

“I was put on blood thinners during the pregnancy, and after doing an [amniocentesis] test to check his lungs, they decided to induce me around 36 weeks so that they could control the birth should any complications arise,” she explained.

The day had finally come for the first-time parents. They found themselves in the delivery room awaiting that first cry from their newborn son.

Family and friends, eager to meet their son, had come prepared to welcome the infant.

and baby’s condition, she could tell the baby was in distress. She paused and then expressed, “I knew something was wrong. I remember pushing and doing all I could do.”

Suddenly, the room seemed to be filled with a thousand people. The image of nurses and doctors flooding the small area to work on the newborn is still etched in her mind. “It’s an image you don’t forget,” she explained. The ecstasy of the day quickly turned into agony as the words, “He didn’t make it,” came from the doctor’s mouth. It was as if someone took her breath away.

Zane Grayson Shepard was born into this world and passed into the arms of Jesus on March 5, 2011.

Through Christ Who Gives Me Strength

“I remember being induced and, sometime after that, my water breaking.” With her husband, mom and mother-in-law in the birthing suite, she remembered shouting out, “Something is happening! Something is happening!”

No books, pamphlets or classes can prepare someone for the heartache of losing a child. A child that was loved deeply from the first moment his parents knew he existed in the womb.

Shepard knew the something she was feeling was not right. As her team of doctors and nurses evaluated the mom

They cleaned the newborn and wrapped him in a blanket before handing him to his mother. His beautiful blonde hair and

T W I N S 5

tiny facial features resembled both his mom and dad. “I held him for six hours and was able to say goodbye,” she said somberly.

And I'll praise You in this storm And I will lift my hands That You are who You are

“About 6 o'clock the next morning,” she said, “I started feeling contractions and felt the need to push. Once I did, the bed was covered in blood.” Doctors rushed her into emergency surgery where she underwent a four-hour hysterectomy to save her life.

No matter where I am And every tear I've cried You hold in Your hand

In gestational surrogacy, the baby is not genetically related to the gestational surrogate. The egg comes from the intended mother, and the sperm comes from the intended father. Using in vitro fertilization (IVF), eggs and sperm are combined and the resulting embryo or embryos are then transferred to the gestational surrogate's uterus.

Baby A and Baby B

You never left my side “It was touch and go for a while,” Shepard remembered. “I was given 12 units of blood and 3 or 4 bags of glucose. But I made it through. I made it through.”

The doctors said that she had a placenta abruption that caused the placenta to tear before he could be delivered. “Part of the problem,” Shepard said, “was the uterine fibroids. He was 6 pounds 14 ounces and the fibroids were even larger, which ultimately suffocated him.”

The family held a small funeral for Zane. Shepard explained how her large family never left her side. They were her shoulder to cry on — her prayer warriors.

“After the funeral, I kept myself busy. I threw myself into my work.”

“I cried every day for the first year.

Everyone at Truett, especially my softball girls, got me through the hard times.” Pointing up at pictures in her office, she explained the effort her players had made to show her compassion. “They painted Z’s on their faces and wore bracelets in memory of Zane,” she said with a smile. “You know, he wasn’t just my baby, he was theirs, too.”

“Most importantly,” she said, “was my faith that got me through the loss.”

Philippians 4:13 had always been significant to the softball coach since she grew up as sort of the ‘underdog.’

But now, the words spoken in the passage provided the answer she needed to get through the loss of her son ­— “through Christ,” the scripture proclaims, “who gives me strength.”

Shepard also shared her favorite song that, even today, brings comfort. The chorus from Casting Crown’s “Praise You in This Storm” reads:

And though my heart is torn I will praise You in this storm

An Act of Kindness “Before they wheeled me back into surgery, I begged the doctor to promise me that they would save my ovaries,” she explained. “I remember lying in the bed after the surgery, sobbing and thinking that I would never be able to have another child.” At that moment, her husband revealed to her the doctors were able to save her ovaries.

For Shepard, saving the ovaries meant hope and reassurance. Although she could not carry a child herself, the possibility of using a gestational surrogate to carry out a pregnancy restored her hope to have children who would carry the same genes as she and her husband.

“I recall my cousin, Jill, calling me and wanting to come and visit. I had just gotten out of the hospital that day, and she and her husband, Kevin, came by to check on me.”

Right there in her living room, Jill offered to carry a child for the couple. She told Shepard she knew that God was calling her to do this for the grieving parents.

“I became so emotional,” Shepard said.

“To see a selfless act done through trusting God says a lot.

“We started the process six weeks after Zane’s passing,” she shared.

Both couples underwent a series of psychological and physical screenings to make sure that the process was going to work.

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“On Father’s Day of the same year, they transferred two embryos. Right around July 4th, we found out we were pregnant with twins,” she shared with excitement, even after many years later.

“There was a part of me that was a little nervous throughout the pregnancy,” Shepard reluctantly shared. “Would she change her mind? Would she grow attached to the babies? But she never did. All she cared about was our happiness and fulfilling what God had laid on her heart.”

Shepard’s cousin would eventually be placed on bedrest at 15 weeks due to some complications. The family kept in touch throughout the whole pregnancy, and Shepard attended every doctor’s appointment she could, up to the delivery at 36 weeks.

“It was exciting because I got to be in the operating room for the delivery,” she shared. The day was overwhelming. She experienced so much joy in preparation of meeting these two precious little humans, anxiety at the thought of beginning this new adventure and even worry and angst at the thought of baby Zane’s birth. The emotions of that day reminded Shepard how precious and fragile life is.

As the doctors proceeded with the cesarean, everyone beamed with excitement as the first baby was delivered. They held up the beautiful baby girl [Baby A, as they called her] under those bright operating room lights, and Shepard smiled as the little one screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Looking back, she has always been the little talkative one. She came into this world wanting to be heard,” Shepard joked.

Nurses quickly took the crying newborn over to be cleaned off while doctors delivered the little boy [Baby B]. Her heart began racing. What seemed to be taking so long? The doctor then called out, “his head seems to be stuck under a rib."

“I was so nervous. I held my breath for what seemed to be forever,” she said.

“After three minutes, the doctor held up Baby B so that we could see him, and he just looked around. It was as if he was just checking things out in this new world.”

“I looked at him and immediately shouted, ‘Is he okay?’ I just needed some sort of reassurance.” About that time, the tiny baby let out a cry, and Shepard, overcome with emotion, was able to breathe.

“Jill and I were taken to separate rooms.

She went to a recovery room, and I and the babies went into another room.”

On February 6, 2011, as Shepard sat on the bed holding her tiny infant twins, Zoe and Jack, her husband opened the door very gently and quietly walked in to see his family. “It was an amazing feeling to watch him see the babies for the first time,” she said. Tears of joy and excitement filled the eyes of the new parents.

“It was a surreal moment,” she said.

“The bright, beautiful rainbow after the storm.”

With tears of happiness gleaming in her eyes after reliving such a joyous memory, she said, “I am forever thankful for what Jill did for me and my family.”

A true bond will forever be shared between the two women.

A Place of Peace On special occasions, or whenever the mood takes them, Shepard, her husband and the twins drive to her parent’s property and make their way into the peaceful wooded area that surrounds the family cemetery. The children usually run ahead—they know the way—exploring the beauty of nature that changes with every season that passes, while mom and dad somberly

stroll to the spot where the body of their son Zane rests.

God’s love and how there are still good and amazing people in this world.”

The headstone is surrounded by colorful flowers the family planted that bloom just as the warm glow of spring shines through the trees. Some days they go just to visit, to say a few words or tend to the memorial. Just this March, after they celebrated what would have been Zane’s 6th birthday, the kids made their way with shovels in hand and dug their very own holes to plant rose bushes in their brother's memory.

She shared how her softball players have all heard her testimony, which is a way for her to teach them that, "You never know when you might have a chance to positively influence someone’s life or share the gospel.

Softball is just a game. God is the victory.”

As March 5 rolls around each year, it can be tough for the family. It is a reminder of how precious life is, how the Father gives and how He takes away. For Shepard, it’s a day to share where this journey has brought her. One year, she wrote to friends and family: “Three years ago, I held you in my arms. I will cherish those moments forever. You made me a better person and a better mother. I strive to never take anything for granted. I may never know why you couldn't stay here with us, but I thank God for the moments we had. Thanks to the doctors who saved me and tried so hard to save you. I think of you all the time. God’s plan is bigger, and I just have to continue to trust in Him. I love you and miss you every day. You will forever be my baby Zane ... ”

“I know I will see my beautiful baby boy again in heaven,” the coach said with reassurance. “The Lord has promised me that. Until then, every unanswered question, doubt and insecurity that comes my way, I find my way back to this life-changing experience, and trusting in God and keeping my faith in Him will get me through every struggle I may face.”

Without a doubt, the smiles on Zoe’s and Jack’s faces in each photo in Shepard’s office are a testament to His faithfulness. God has a reason and a plan for everything. “Sometimes it is hard to see it in the moment,” she said, “but you have to trust that there are bigger and better things ahead.”

“They are my blessings!” she said. “My promise of hope after the storm.”

“The twins, who are four now, still don’t ask a lot of questions,” she said, “but I am sure that is to come.”

Shepard and her husband have been preparing for that day for a long time.

“We never want to lie or be deceptive when sharing with them how they were born.” With the help of Dr. Holly Haynes, Dean of the Leonhard Schiemer School of Psychology and Biblical Counseling and Associate Professor of Behavioral Sciences at TMU, and a student player on her team, they wrote a book that explains just what took place. “I gave it to my children for Christmas last year, and they constantly ask me to read it to them.”

Time Goes On It’s been six years since Zane was called to Heaven. Being rich in church, prayer and faith has brought Shepard out of her darkest hours. “I will always share my story. When people ask me if twins run in my family, I tell them the whole story of

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JENNY GREGORY

JG

“...YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE TO POSITIVELY INFLUENCE SOMEONE’S LIFE OR SHARE THE GOSPEL. SOFTBALL IS JUST A GAME. GOD IS THE VICTORY.”

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KELCIE JOHNSON

For many young sters, childhood role-play i s a par t of g row ing up.

For Kelcie Johnson, her childhood imagination laid the foundation for her calling in life, which led her to choose the Bachelor of Arts in Education degree at Truett McConnell University (TMU), where she graduated in 2015.

"I come from a family of teachers," shared the Gwinnett County native.

“I remember countless summers setting up my aunt’s classroom and pretending I was the teacher.”

Seeing her family positively impact children as educators was incredibly inspiring to Johnson.

F I R ST I M PR E S S I ON S After high school, she knew God called her to the northeast Georgia mountains to pursue a teaching degree at TMU, where she excelled during her undergraduate career.

“At Truett McConnell, I learned that I was getting more than just a degree,” Johnson shared. “Within my four years at TMU, I drew closer

to the Lord than I ever had been.

The Great Commission Minor challenged my faith and truly made me question what I believed and why I believed it. I left TMU knowing that the foundation of my faith was solidified.”

“I S AW T H E C L AS S R O OM AS A M I S S I ON F I E L D. "

Johnson commended the professors who made a difference in her life, challenging her academically and spiritually.

“I will never forget how each professor would open each class with prayer. The relationships that were formed were meaningful. They taught me to do the same in the real world.”

Johnson, who who completed her degree, credits Dr. Julie Lutz, Dean of The Peter and Gredel Walpot

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School of Education and Assistant Professor of Education, for directly mentoring her as she pursued the education field.

“I will never forget the day that I met Dr. Lutz,” she said. “I brought some brownies to the teaching staff and tried to win her over.” Her tone quickly changed as she shared her attempt to befriend the dean.

“She was not taking it!” Johnson said. “In fact, I am pretty sure she hinted that I was a brown-noser.

I walked away thinking this was going to be one tough professor.

However, I learned more from this woman of God than I could have ever imagined. She not only made an impact on me educationally but relationally as well.”

“The time that she takes out of her personal life to pour into others speaks volumes,” she explained.

“She does not simply work a 9 to 5 job each day, she invests her whole life into those who are going through the School of Education at TMU.”

Dr. Lutz continues to provide encouragement to the second-year teacher today.

“Kelcie was in the first class I taught at Truett,” Lutz said. “She was such a blessing to me.

Her compassion for learning about the teaching profession showed me that I made the right decision in coming to Truett McConnell.”

The Dean continued, “Having just finished her second year of teaching this year, I feel that Kelcie is still just as eager today to help her students as she was in that first class.

Her compassion for teaching has not waivered and continues to grow.”

N EW BEGINNINGS Upon graduation, Johnson found herself back in the beloved town of Cleveland, Georgia, teaching first grade at Jack P. Nix Elementary School (JPN).

“I saw the classroom as a mission field,” she declared. “Each student comes from a different walk of life, and I have the opportunity to pour the love of Christ into him or her each day.”

It’s evident by the excitement her first-graders portray in the classroom. The one whom they refer to as “Ms. Kelcie,” clearly provides a nurturing environment to learn, grow and expand their minds.

“I T I S M Y DE S I R E T HAT E AC H ST U DE N T WO U L D L E AV E M Y C L AS S R O OM F E E L I N G LOV E D, PR E PA R E D A N D R E A DY T O TA K E ON T H E C HA L L E N G E S T HAT A R E S ET B E F OR E T H E M .”

“I am truly blessed to work at JPN,” Johnson said.

“There is something about this small town of Cleveland that has stolen my heart.”

M A K I N G E AC H DAY C OU N T Following in the footsteps of her family, Johnson knew first-hand the rewards and challenges that would accompany the profession.

While many teachers play a role in their students’ lives, sharing their faith is prohibitive. For Johnson, she still reveals glimpses of her faith in Jesus by her smile, positivity and daily approach in the classroom.

Mrs. Cheryl Allen, a first-grade teacher at JPN and White County School System veteran of 23 years, commended Johnson, saying, “Kelcie only has kindness in her heart, and I see her sharing that kindness with every child and person she passes by in her life.”

“It is my desire," said Johsnon, "that each student would leave my classroom feeling loved, prepared and ready to take on the challenges that are set before them.”

B EYON D T H E C L AS S R O OM

Johnson plans to continue her schooling by pursing a Master of Education at TMU when the program begins in January of 2018. She also plans to marry her college sweetheart, Jon Luna, the following fall. The two are excited about the upcoming nuptials and look forward to settling down in the Cleveland area where they are actively involved at Cleveland Worship Center as children’s directors.

“Truett prepared me to become the best teacher that I can be,” Johnson added, “but it has also taught me so much more for which I will be forever thankful.”

JENNY GREGORY

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JG

BLES ARE MUSIC MAKER

“I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT MUSIC IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR

SHARING THE GOSPEL."

When watching a favorite movie, we find ourselves connected with the characters, fascinated by the visual effects or even repeating the scripted lines, word for word, after seeing the film a hundred times.

For Phillip Simmons, a 2016 Truett McConnell University graduate, what fascinates him when he watches a move, is the score — the instrumental masterpieces that move the soul without the need for words.

| A SCORE IS COMPOSED Music has been a part of Simmons’ life since early childhood. “My parents started me on private piano lessons when I was three years old,” he said. “I loved playing the piano and listening to music as a child.”

“I remember one evening, when I was five years old, watching Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back for the first time with my family,” he said, replaying that moment in his mind. “What immediately stood out to me, was the music. At that young age, I didn’t quite comprehend the idea of what a composer was, but I knew that I wanted to be able to make sounds like that.”

From then on, it became his passion to create his own music. At age 11, the youngster began composing his first piece, describing the arrangements as “very elementary” due to his lack of training in composition.

During his early teenage years, intrigued by many of the orchestral scores of his favorite composers, the young musician studied the scores and essentially learned how to write efficiently for the orchestra. “Until I came to Truett

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McConnell,” Simmons said, “I was a self-taught composer.”

| COMPOSING IN COLLEGE “When I first started at TMU,” he said, “I was a music major with a concentration in piano.” Simmons had plans to become a music composition major, and, even though the university did not offer this major, he felt God leading him to TMU. “I knew that even with a piano degree, I could work on honing my skills as a composer, and that one day, I could obtain a graduate degree in composition,” he said. “What I didn’t realize, is that God was already working during my first semester.”

To Simmons’ surprise, he was told that the School of Music would soon be hiring a new professor to teach composition.

Manz School of Music and Professor of Music and Fine Arts,” Simmons said, “I learned in order to maintain consistent progress as a musician, it is essential to have a disciplined practice life.”

ESSED E THE IC ERS:

“When I changed to a music composition major,” he added, “it was under the tutelage of Professor Dennis Allen, Assistant Professor of Worship and Church Music.”

PHILLIP SIMMONS

Simmons reflected on his time under Allen as “the most valuable period of musical instruction and camaraderie I have had in my life. Under his direction, I learned many things about composing music for different ensembles, using the voices of the orchestra to speak in their appropriate registers to obtain maximum impact from the orchestra, writing for choirs and how to utilize proper voice leading in a modern setting, approaching multiple styles in composition from jazz, to rock, to classical orchestral styles and everything in between. But above all of the classroom work, was the bond we shared as writers.”

“Even today,” he added, “I can call on him to offer his professional opinion on one of my projects. He is a trusted advisor and friend.”

| ROUND TRIP TO DUBLIN

Simmons, still beaming from this memory, shared, “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My dream of working as a composer in college was going to come true! I was filled with thankfulness at God’s provision and faithfulness. The experience taught me that, even if things don’t seem to be going your way, it is always best to follow God’s direction.”

“After all this time,” the graduate said, “I still believe God’s plan for my life is to have the opportunity to compose music and use it to proclaim His glory.”

| LESSONS LEARNED Simmons credits many of his TMU music professors for teaching him the correct methods needed to enhance his love for orchestral composition. “Under Dr. Becky Lombard, Dean of The Felix

Upon graduation from TMU, Simmons began the process of applying to a graduate school in Dublin, Ireland. “My chosen degree was an M.A. in Scoring for Film and Visual Media,” he shared. “The school accepted me, and I left for Ireland at the end of August [2016].”

He described how God’s provision played a huge role in his ability to study abroad.

“Up to a week before I was supposed to leave the country, I had no way of paying for the year of school and the cost of living in Ireland, but because of God’s provision and the faithfulness of His children, the solution to my every need was provided.”

While in Ireland, Simmons composed music for films, commercials, radio shows and other forms of media. The year-long educational opportunity prepared him to come back home and continue a career as a composer for film and visual media.

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| A BUDDING CAREER Now that his studies in Ireland have come to an end, Simmons plans to start working on Georgia-produced film projects. “I hope to work with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the future to record scores for films. I also plan to establish a studio in the Atlanta area for which I will be able to hire other composers and producers to work on films produced in Georgia.”

With the state of Georgia being highly sought after for producing feature films, Simmons said, “I have built many relationships in the film industry over the past year, and I look forward to working with them in the future.”

Simmons also hopes to “continue working in church music ministry, using my skills to lead musicians and write music for the church.”

| SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE Bach, Handel and Mozart have been characterized not only as being brilliant composers but also with being inspired by deep spiritual convictions that are clearly portrayed in their music.

Likewise, as Simmons steps into the secular world of film and media, his main focus is to continue uplifting the name of Christ in all he does. His composition company, PAS Music, a namesake of the composer (Phillip Arthur Simmons), provides original orchestrations created

by Simmons.

“Music,” he said, “is significant to the believer and the lost alike. By using music, a connection is instantly opened between any group of humans. In my own life, this has made people accessible for me to talk to about their beliefs on the gift of music and whether they see it as a gift from God or a work of their own accord. This presents a perfect opportunity to share the gospel.”

“I strongly believe that music is an effective tool for sharing the gospel,” he said. “Everybody loves music.”

JENNY GREGORY

JG

LEADING BY FAITH: When does a passion for sports ignite?

As a young child playing catch in the front yard with your dad? Attending your first football game in a stadium?

Or putting on that jersey for the first time as you step onto the court? For some, it’s the experience of the game.

For others, it’s in their blood. As John Garvilla, TMU’s new Athletic Director, puts it, “probably around birth. I can’t remember not having a love for sports.”

Garvilla comes from a family that loves sports. His brother played, his cousins (50 plus) played and he can remember his father taking him to New York Giants baseball games as a child. “My family said, as a little kid, I talked in my sleep, and it was always about pro sports teams,” he said.

Growing up, Garvilla shared that he was highly competitive. In fact, he recalled a time that he realized that he needed to take a step back.

Remembering the occasion, he said, “I turned down being captain of my high school soccer team. My teammates were about to vote on me and [the coach] expected me to be the captain.

I was the only four-year varsity player on the team.” He said, “I was too competitive. Sports was my life and that team was my life. It consumed me.” Giving up the position to another player allowed him to still be a leader on the field while allowing someone who was more “even keel” to take on the role as captain.

FAITH VS. SPORTS For Garvilla, the most important part of his life is his relationship with Christ.

In the sports arena, combining the love of sports and the love of Christ can be difficult, especially for those in the spotlight. The Athletic Director explains the relationship as being “easy to combine and tough to live out.”

John Garvilla

Quoting from 2 Timothy 3:16, a favorite verse of Garvilla’s, he said, “I believe the Bible is God-breathed. With that being said,” he said, “God, through the authors of the Bible, refers to the Christian race ten times. He utilizes running the race to completion in His analogies. I believe God loves sports as He also created the human body to play sports.”

As a Christian who is involved in sports, Garvilla explained how at times playing to honor God is not an easy task.

“How does the Christian pro baseball player handle the situation when his opponent throws a baseball near 100 mph at his head?” asked Garvilla. “How does the Christian student-athlete handle what he believes to be a horrible call that ends his season just one point from winning the conference championship?”

“The aforementioned,” he said, “are tremendous challenges faced by the Christian athlete or coach in one of fiercest and most competitive environments in our world. It is difficult to remain steadfast in your faith and not damage your testimony during such tenuous and stressful times.”

CAREER ADVANCES Garvilla graduated from Winthrop University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1984 and a Master of Arts in Teaching in 1989. Since 2009, Garvilla has worked as an Educational Consultant and Co-Owner/Director of Client Relations for John Garvilla LLC & ProServe Property Maintenance in St. Charles, Missouri. While in this role, Garvilla created a comprehensive Athletics Development Plan for Maryville University and raised in excess of $300,000 for Mid-Continent University. Prior to this, Garvilla served as the Director of Athletics at the University of Missouri, and before that, at Belhaven College in Mississippi. He also served as the Director of Sports Promotions at Troy University in Alabama and the Director of the Booster Club at Milligan College in Tennessee.

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According to Garvilla, the move to Truett McConnell University was an easy decision. With the counsel from his wife and the leadership he was introduced to at TMU, his family made the trek to the North Georgia foothills where he began his tenure early this summer. “After meeting Dr. Caner and Dr. Reynolds,” he said, “I felt they would give me the latitude to build something special with our athletics program.”

"The heart of John Garvilla,” said Dr. Emir Caner, TMU President, “is to raise up a generation of believers who will use their talent and gifts to share Christ and serve others."

With the start of his first year as Athletic Director, Garvilla has nothing but excitement and drive for the days ahead.

“I often have no idea where God is taking the ship, but I am just thankful to be able to go along for the ride.”

“For the millions of fans the [TMU] Bears have at this time, I will offer a more traditional response,” said Garvilla. “I do believe in the old adage, ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’”

Garvilla is excited to announce the initial draft finalization of the TMU Athletics Plan for Success or Strategic Plan. “In the plan,” he shares, “I have 13 areas within our program. My goal is to continue to review each area and ensure we are making progress in each.”

Along with his wife, Kim, who is a critical care nurse and administrator, their four children: Samantha, Caleb, twins — Joshua and Daniel, and grandson, Braxton (Rocco), the Garvilla family is excited about the new journey at TMU. In their spare time, the family attends athletic events for their teenage children. Garvilla also enjoys fishing, hunting, boating and his English Mastiff, Rocko.

AA RR EE CC OO RR DD -- BB RR EE AA KK II NN GG YY EE AA RR FF OO RR BB AA SS EE BB AA LL LL The 2017 season was a record-breaking year for the Truett McConnell baseball program, led by Coach Mike Croley, who is in his sixth season with the Bears. Last year alone, Croley coached three AAC Gold Glove Award winners and one National Gold Glove winner. Additionally, his teams, past and present, have made three World Series appearances, were NAIA National Champion Runners-Up and three consecutive Sun Conference Championships. We appreciate Coach Croley’s leadership and dedication to the Lord as well as his investment into the lives of our students.

LAST YEAR, TM BEARS:

BROKE THE SCHOOL RECORD FOR WINS WITH 33, surpassing the record they set last season.

QUALIFIED FOR THE AAC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT SEASON. WENT 3-1 IN THE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT, finishing runner-up in the AAC Tournament.

WAS THE FIRST TEAM SPORT IN THE UNIVERSITY'S HISTORY TO QUALIFY FOR THE NAIA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT, being selected to compete in the 46-team field. They finished third in the Montgomery Bracket.

HAD A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS, such as Chris Carden, who was named First-Team All-Conference as an infielder and Second-Team All-Conference as a pitcher. As the season concluded, Carden signed with the Tampa Bay Rays. Tate Gaines and Gregory Elder, Jr. were named Second-Team All-Conference, and Elder set the school record for strikeouts with 117 in 2017.

FEATURED THREE GOLD GLOVE AWARD WINNERS in Davis Dasher (LF), Andrew Fogarty (RF) and Patrick Overstreet (3B), and four NAIA Scholar-Athletes in Carden, Casey Guilliams, Michael Long and Andrew Fogarty.

EXCELLED IN THE CLASSROOM IN THE SPRING WITH A TEAM GPA OF 3.24.

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THE ROCK: To God Be the Glory By: Dr. Gary Jarnagin, Director of Financial Development

Friday, May 1, 2014 was like any other Friday. The sun came up as people began getting ready for the day’s events. In Cleveland, Georgia, on the campus of then Truett McConnell College, now Truett McConnell University (TMU), the start of the largest capital campaign in the history of the institution was to begin. The day had arrived to officially kick-off the George Blaurock Student Wellness Center (SWC) capital building campaign.

The “Whatever Is True” project was a campaign to radically transform the campus and students of TMU by raising funds to build The Rock: The George Blaurock Student Wellness Center. The SWC is a 69,000 sq. ft. building, the largest footprint on campus. This state-of-the-art facility has expanded fitness and wellness areas, including three intramural basketball courts (featuring men and women's varsity game-day experience seating capacity in excess of 1,200), two racquetball courts, a 9,000 sq. ft. aquatic center, a 6,000 sq. ft. wellness center with

free weights, ellipticals, treadmills, a restaurant facility, locker rooms, a President’s suite and office space for the athletics’ leadership team. There is indeed something for everyone to enjoy in this building.

The planning journey for the SWC campaign actually began on October 1, 2013. I met with President Emir Caner. I knew my first task was to look into the possibility of starting a capital funding campaign for a new student wellness center. After researching the Truett McConnell donor base and historical giving patterns, speaking with other development professionals and alumni and college leaders, I then reported back to Dr. Caner and told him that all the experts in the area of fund-raising suggested TMU not go forward with the project and wait a few years.

Many reasons were given which led to this conclusion, including a questionable economy, small donor base, downturn in student enrollment in institutions of higher learning as a whole and no large donors willing

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to provide the all-important, big lead-gifts. When Dr. Caner asked me how I wanted to proceed, I said, “Let’s do it!”

Dr. Caner probably thought, at that point, he had made a bad hire. He then asked, “Why? How did you arrive at your decision?”

That’s when I informed him that God will get all the glory for this building, not our plans, donors or the economy. I believed God had been in the process of blessing Truett McConnell and did not think this project would be any different.

I remember Dr. Caner smiling, and shortly thereafter, the “Whatever Is True” campaign began.

Since that memorable day in May 2014, many of God’s stewards provided the resources and invested in eternity by investing in this facility.

To date, the capital campaign has 325 donors, providing 1,725 gifts and committing $2,963,443.36 toward this project. While God did indeed raise up the funds necessary to complete this project, we must

keep our focus on our mission, not on brick and mortar, which is to equip students to fulfill the Great Commission by fostering a Christian worldview through a biblically centered education in a family friendly environment.

Within all of our facilities on campus, the academic programs are centered around raising the next generation of Christian leaders to love the Lord, love His Word, love the Church and love the lost. Through our mission, we can affirm whom we have become and share within the community what God is doing in the hearts of our students and on the campus at Truett McConnell University. Praise God, indeed, from whom all blessings flow!

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“He spent every minute spreading love, laughter and happiness wherever he could,” she said proudly. “He would always tell me, ‘It’s not about the struggles you have, because we all have struggles, but how you handle and learn from the struggles you have.’”

For Sunny Nicholson, single mom and caretaker of five children, her wish came true last Christmas: a chance to go to college.

O H UM B L E

Her father taught her the meaning of kindness. “Above all,” she shared, “he is the reason I am always smiling.”

After her father passed, everything in her life changed drastically. Nicholson’s sister did not take the loss well and began going down a path of self-destruction and drug abuse.

B EG INNING S

“My life has been quite a journey to say the least!” Nicholson said as she told her story of struggle, pain and perseverance. At 22, she gave birth to her daughter, Caliyah, who recently turned six years old. “I was terrified to say the least when I found out I was pregnant,” she recalled, “but as always, God knew what He was doing.”

One evening, while visiting family in another state, she received a phone call that her sister was in jail. She was told that her niece and nephews would be going to state custody if the family did not come to get them, so she decided to take them in.

“I felt overwhelmed,” she said after making the decision to take in the children. God knew exactly what He was doing just as He always does.” While going through depression after the loss of her father, she said, “As much as these beautiful children needed me, I needed them even more.”

“She is my bubble of joy,” she said. “She is so very smart and so full of life.

She shows kindness and love wherever she goes and makes me a very proud mom!”

Though Nicholson says she tried to keep the family together, she and Caliyah’s father went their separate ways when Caliyah was just a year old. Although he remaind a part of Caliyah’s life, Nicholson and her daughter moved in with her mom for support.

J UNF O R E SEEN

A few months later, she also took in her newborn niece who was born to her sister while she was in state custody. “When my niece, Dallas, was born, I thought there would be no way I could take on another child, let alone a newborn. But God knew best, and she is one of the biggest blessings ever!”

C IRC U MSTA NCES

Nicholson’s father, who passed away in May 2016, was her “most amazing miracle.” At the age of 37, her father fell off a house, resulting in a broken neck that caused him to be paraplegic. Doctors informed the family that he had a life expectancy of about four years. For nearly 25 years, Nicholson’s father lived to beat all odds.

With five small children, Caliyah (6), Devon (10), Denzel (9), Divine (2) and Dallas (9 months), Nicholson is convinced that God continues to be faithful as He provides the strength she needs to care for each child, even when it seems overwhelming.

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B CH RIS TMA S

B LESSING S

However, this past Christmas, they all had something to smile about.

Nicholson was ecstatic to learn she had been selected to receive the 104.7 The Fish Christmas Wish, comprised of many gifts to help her through the Christmas season, all donated by local businesses.

Through the Christmas Wish, she was awarded a free four-year college tuition scholarship to TMU. “My life was forever changed!” she said with a big smile. “God couldn’t have sent a bigger sign of what I needed to be doing with my life.”

Nicholson knew just what she planned to pursue at

TMU. “I picked nursing because I have been taking care of people all of my life.” When her dad became unable to care for himself, Nicholson, without hesitation, cared for him. “He always wanted me to go to school to be a nurse, and I want to make him proud. I want to help bring joy, love and laughter to everybody,” she said.

M BACK

TO SCHOOL

Nicholson began her four-year journey this past August when she enrolled in several core classes at TMU. “This has and will change my family’s life beyond words,” Nicholson professed. “I want to be the best example I can be for them. Here’s to my next journey in life, and I couldn’t be more excited JG or ready!”

Visit truett.edu/ christmaswish2017 to watch Nicholson receive her Christmas Wish.

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PA U L K I Z I TO : M U S I C , M E D I C I N E A N D FA I T H Born and reared in the small village of Timba in the country of Uganda, TMU Nursing major Paul Kizito described his humble beginnings as growing up with wild animals, dirt roads and no power or running water.

LIFE IN TIMBA As the third child of six, Paul explained how he grew up in a Christian home: “My dad is a pastor, a teacher and a pig farmer. In Uganda, there is a lot of famine. We used to starve a lot,” he recalled. “We did not have money, of course, so going to school was always a struggle. We would walk long distances to go fetch water, and we cooked by an open fire.”

Growing up, Kizito was often ailed with sickness. “Picture ten miles of walking to school in the rain. You get home, and you’ve got a fever. Once I started going to school, I would stay there for two hours, and then come back because I was sick.”

Despite the hardships with school and his poor health, Kizito loved his family and his church. “I’ve been helping in worship at church for as long as I can remember,” he said. "I started getting on stage, singing a little bit, and I was part of a choir in Sunday school.” At the age of five, he began writing his first songs.

For Kizito, music not only provided a way of escape from everyday hardships, but for him, it was also a tool used to preach the gospel. His family listened to a small radio, and interestingly enough, that same station now plays Kizito’s songs regularly. “This lady was sharing the gospel over the radio,” he recalled. “My mom was listening, and I was there. After that, my mom talked to me, and that’s how I finally accepted Jesus Christ into my heart.”

THE AWAKENING OF TALENTS As time passed, Kizito shared, he was enrolled in Kingsway High School. “It was a big school, one of the best schools. I don’t even know how I got accepted. I guess God just got me into that school,”

he laughed, saying. “So, I went to the school, but I got bullied badly.” Soon after, Kizito transferred to Kampala High School, which was a difficult transition and not what he expected.

One day, while feeling down from the move, his father told him something that he would never forget. “When you are walking in the rain, you have a choice to make. Someday, sometime, the rain will stop, and you can keep on going. I listened to his advice, and it helped me through life.”

Despite the difficulties, he stayed at the school, started a Bible study and continued doing things he loved — dancing, acting and singing. He shared how his choir and dance trainer came to him one day and said, “You’re going to America.”

For Kizito, this was huge news. “To Ugandans, America is like Heaven on Earth,” he revealed. “If you happen to go to America, it is a very big deal.” Overjoyed with excitement, Kizito said, “I couldn’t believe he is telling me, the village boy who grew up from nowhere, that I am going to America.”

Kizito called his father to share the exciting news, but immediately his father told him he would not be allowed to go. “My parents are the kind of people that, when they say something, it is final.”

A CLEVER PLAN Then, Kizito explained a twist in his story.

His trainer, the one who had provided the scholarship, allowed him to continue to train.

As time drew closer, he and his trainer tried to convince his parents the benefits a teenager would receive by going to America. With just days left before the visa application deadline, his father relented and allowed him to go.

After arriving in America, Kizito and his choir stayed at Skipstone Academy, owned

by Chip and Shondi Moody. “We stayed in America for four months and did choir recitals.” Before he left, the Moody family spoke with Kizito, telling him they would like to bring him back.

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“I had told them already that I wanted to be a doctor,” he said. “I had this dream, but in Uganda, [I knew] it wouldn’t happen.” After learning of the opportunity for him to study in America, Kizito, believing that his father would approve, accepted the offer.

To his dismay, his father did not.

“I went back to Uganda, and I stayed there two and a half years before I came back. It was years of pulling and pushing to convince my dad.” Again, his father finally agreed. Paul laughed when he remembered the story. “It’s crazy how God worked throughout the whole ordeal.” So, at age 14, Kizito came back to America.

TRUETT MCCONNELL AND BEYOND When asked why he chose Truett McConnell University, Kizito fondly recalled the one visit to the TMU campus that helped seal the deal. “I just felt like it was my home.”

Looking back, Kizito credits his humble beginnings and faith for the success he has accomplished today.

“All I want is to be in the hospital helping people. That was the bottom-line for me.

Whether I went into nutrition or became a physician, I just wanted to be in the medical field helping people and saving lives.”

“I’m going one step at a time,” he said. “I would like to stay in America to work and send money to help the people in Uganda, but I also feel God may call me to live in Uganda. It’s about being willing.”

“My faith is strong, and I am already prepared for whatever is to come in life because I have faith in Jesus Christ. My life’s slogan is, ‘Christ is in me, I am enough.’"

JORDAN HANEY

JH

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Love the Lost Jesus is changing lives everyday on the mission field. For many Truett McConnell University students, the experience opens eyes, softens hearts and allows them to be the hands and feet of Jesus while growing in their own walk with the Lord.

Our goal is to train each student who walks on the TMU campus to love the Lord, love the Word, love the Church and love the lost. One of the ways we do this is by providing global mission experiences to our students, which allows them to step out of their comfort zone and discover what they are capable of doing.

“Some travel the world in order to see other cultures,” said TMU President, Dr. Emir Caner. “Our hope is that students will traverse the globe so that others may see Christ. It is the DNA of Truett McConnell University and the reason why we exist as an institution.”

M I SS I O N -M I N D ED STU D ENTS For Melanie Beeman, a senior Psychology major, her recent trip to India was life-changing in many ways. “I believe that God used my experiences there to help me know how to pray for the people and the missionaries that live there. I believe the Lord also challenges me and reminds me through my experience that there is still a lost world that we must go to and tell the good news and make disciples.”

“One of the most life-changing experiences for me was seeing not only the physical poverty of the country (which is very prominent) but the spiritual poverty,” shared Beeman.

“When I saw the Hindu people of the lower castes and their poverty, both physical and spiritual, my heart was so broken and stirred to share the good news that Jesus died for them and that He loves them more than anyone ever can. I do believe that India will be a vital part of my life whether I live there 21

[as a missionary] or am connected to missionaries who live there.”

Grant Allen, a junior Christian Studies major, shared how his journey to Kenya left him with a life-changing experience as he was able to worship with the Pokot tribe, a group native to the country.

“It was the purest form of worship I've ever experienced,” recalled Allen. “This trip has changed my life by showing the lasting impact that long-term missions has on people. It’s also given me clarity on my calling to missions.”

Kaci Green, a junior World Missions major, shared one of her most unforgettable memories during hut-to-hut evangelism in Randa, which is a village in Tanzania.

“We started off that morning talking to a woman in her home.

Her husband, Paul, rides up on his bicycle and joins the conversation. Paul had not been going to church and did not know how he could be saved. He wanted to please Jesus and have a relationship with Him, but no one he knew could tell him how. Therefore, he was delighted when we told him that was the very reason we had come from America — to share the Good News with him and his family.”

Right: Photo by Swapnil Dwivedi

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TH E H EA RT O F M I SS I O N S AT TM U The goal of the World Missions Center at TMU is to prepare students to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations.

“Not only are we seeking to share the gospel globally,” shared Dr. Ed Pruitt, Director of the World Missions Center and Associate Professor of Missions and Evangelism, “we are also raising up the next generation of missionaries. We now have two graduates and their families living and working in Thailand for the purpose of living out and sharing the good news of Christ.”

“We have a mandate to take the gospel to every corner of the globe,” explained Pruitt. “Preparing students to fulfill the Great Commission in multicultural settings is important because we are assisting them in fulfilling that mandate, just like the two TMU families now serving in Thailand.”

God is doing incredible work through these local and international mission opportunities. From the mountains of North Georgia to the deserts of Rajasthan, India, students are seeking to share the truth with the lost. Eyes are opened.

Passions are ignited. Possibilities are boundless. Lives are transformed.

“Our prayer,” said Caner, “is to raise up a generation that not only is the most qualified in their academic fields but also the most prepared to use such talents in order to exalt Jesus Christ and make Him known.”

JG

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CONTINUING TO SING THOROUGHOUT THE YEARS! Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in my Heart!

Anyone who has walked through the Nix Student Center in the past nine years has probably heard singing. In August 1978, 39 years ago, Gloria Pruitt Sutton, known throughout the campus as Ms. Gloria, began a career at Truett-McConnell College, now Truett McConnell University.

Ms. Gloria and her husband, Phineas “Snap” Sutton, have been married for 51 years. Together, they have one son, Juan Maurice, one stepdaughter, Shirley Annette, and two adopted daughters, Christine and Almah. The couple are also proud grandparents to ten grandchildren, three great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Christine and Almah were actually TMU students, but due to troubling times for their families, both of their mothers came to Ms. Gloria and asked her to adopt the girls and take care of them. She accepted that as a request from God and complied.

When asked to describe her long and distinguished career at TMU, Ms. Gloria said, “Throughout the years, God has been faithful to Truett McConnell.

In spite of our shortcomings and through the prayers of the faithful, He has been faithful. Many times, God has told me to just be still, just trust Me, and He has blessed.

He is an awesome God.”

Speaking of her role at TMU, she said, “I consider myself a servant ­— I copy, answer questions and pray — whatever it takes to get the job done for the students, professors and parents … and I love it.”

Ms. Gloria has held numerous positions at TMU, including assistant to the controller, business office clerk, switchboard operator, safety officer and, since Circa 1980 2008, mailroom and copy center manager. She has lived all her life in the city of Cleveland and has likewise attended the same church, St. John Missionary Baptist Church. There, she and her husband are the longest living members.

Prayer has been such a vitally important part of Ms. Gloria’s life. She recalls a particularly tough relationship on campus was not going well. She committed to pray for one week for this specific person before going to the individual about the situation. Ms. Gloria asked that God would soften the individual’s heart. After the week of

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prayer had been completed, Ms. Gloria approached the individuals, which resulted in many tears.

“I have never seen such a change in anyone,” she explained. “Whatever the problem is, carry it to God because God can carry it out.” With a grateful heart, Ms. Gloria said, “many times we think it takes more than prayer. He is more than prayer. He will resolve the issue.”

Ask anyone if they know Ms. Gloria and you will hear quick and meaningful responses. “Ms. Gloria has been a godsend to TMU for four decades,” stated Dr. Emir Caner, President.

Her life is a beautiful picture of a faithful follower of our Lord.”

Alum Rosalyn Nixon said, “I love Ms. Gloria.

If you are feeling defeated, she prays you through it. If you are hungry, she feeds you.

Anything you need, she’ll take care of it for you. I will forever be grateful for this woman of God!” “I love this sweet woman,” said TMU alum Rebecca Creswell. “She is such a blessing to everyone on campus! No matter what kind of day I was having, whenever I would stop by to see her, I would always leave with a smile on my face.”

This faithful employee is not only an integral part of the TMU experience, but she also impacts the community as the TMU liaison with the White County Kiwanis Club, where she has served for the past 17 years.

Ms. Gloria is not only an integral part of the TMU experience but also impacts the community as the TMU liaison with the White County Kiwanis Club where she has served for the past 17 years.

How would Ms. Gloria describe TMU today? “Here, we have the freedom to display Christ in our lives.

I truly love Dr. Caner because he emphasizes to professors and staff to walk the talk. Christ is first, and we are encouraged to make family a priority.”

Ms. Gloria, indeed, has the joy of Jesus in her heart and has impacted many students, faculty and staff over the years. Be sure to listen when you are 2017 walking through the Nix Student Center. If you listen carefully, you may hear God talking to you through His servant, Ms. Gloria Sutton!

GARY JARNAGIN

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GJ

LOVING SCIENCE, LOVING GOD: DR. ANDREW FABICH

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In some ways, Dr. Andrew Fabich, TMU Associate Professor of Microbiology, is like any other scientist. He spends his time in science labs or publishing his latest article on evolving infectious diseases. But unlike most secular scientists, Fabich credits God for creating the Earth.

Fabich was born and reared in a Roman-Catholic family in Ohio. “We would go to church every week,” he said, “but we really weren’t very religious.”

Although Fabich accepted Christ during middle school, he says, “Essentially, I didn’t grow up in a Christian home and really didn’t grow in my faith until college.”

The professor shared how he met and married his high school sweetheart.

While they were in college, he started visiting his future father-in-law’s church where he was the pastor. “I specifically remember the first service I attended there. He [the pastor] read from Galatians. I remember thinking how refreshing this was to be in a church that really read and focused on the Bible.”

For Fabich, it was a spiritually rich and exciting time as the Bible came to life, teaching him things that he had never known.

It was hard on his mother when he informed her of what God was doing in his life. “It was especially upsetting when I told her I would be getting baptized,” he said. “We still, to this day, don’t talk about it because it is a touchy subject.”

GOD VS. SCIENCE One may ask, how does a scientist determine his calling, his interest or his love for a specific science field? For Fabich, his fascination for DNA began early during his middle school years and then eventually to expanded to an interest in E.coli and the DNA of E.coli.

“Once I started working with it,” he explained, “a passion developed and I began to gain a strong interest in it.”

As he started his college life at The Ohio State University (OSU), Fabich knew he needed to make a decision on what path he was going to take. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go into research or medicine,” he said. “I decided to try volunteering as a candy striper and realized that path was not for me.” The college student then inquired about a research position with a professor at OSU, and he found himself enjoying testing experiments and being in the lab.

While working on research in the lab, Fabich explains how he “was confronted with the fact that most biologists are not Christians. It’s not uncommon for a scientist to say he believes in God and

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evolution,” he added, “but I think that is nonsense.”

“My mentor, at the time, was an atheist along with the post doctorate researcher that was training me. They were the type,” Fabich claimed, “that were unashamed and outspoken on their atheist views.”

“There was a lot of Ozzy Osborne playing,” he joked. “They swore like sailors and made fun of religious people all the time.” He recalled how it was very uncomfortable at times. “I felt like I was in seclusion, like I was in hiding, like I was a secret Christian,” Fabich said.

For Fabich to share the gospel, “it was not just going in there and explaining the ‘Romans road.’ You have got to earn the right to be heard. These were the type of guys who knew and articulated the Christian faith extremely well.”

By no means did the grad student hide his faith, he realized the only way to stay with this team was if he was not very vocal. “If they asked [if I was a Christian],” he assured, “I would obviously say, “yes,” but until they did, I didn’t push the subject. They were really great people,” he added, “but really lost.”

So, Fabich stayed under the radar, hoping that the group of scientists

would “tolerate him” until he earned his degree.

Fabich explained how he eventually took part in the Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) at OSU. The group planned events and provided creative outreach opportunities to share Christ with fellow students. One such opportunity was when the CCC members went around campus using chalk on sidewalks and putting up flyers that stated: “Do you agree with Jared?” Eventually, everyone on campus was saying: “Who is Jared?”

The following week, CCC had Jared come out to proclaim the gospel. They wore red t-shirts that said in big, bold letters, “I agree with Jared”. So people would ask, “Who is Jared?” to which they would explain Jared’s faith.

“It was a really great outreach opportunity,” he said. “But I distinctly remember going to my Chemistry class wearing my ‘I agree with Jared’ shirt and sitting in the front of the classroom. It was a huge lecture hall with hundreds of students in there. And I remember sitting there, in the middle of the lecture, looking behind me, and not seeing a single other shirt that was like mine.

That’s when I realized, this is going to be a lonely trip.”

OKLAHOMA BOUND After Fabich graduated with a molecular biology degree from Ohio State, he and Angela, his high school sweetheart, were married and moved to Oklahoma where he entered into the master’s degree program.

The more time he spent in this field, the more he knew it would be difficult to share his beliefs. At times, he would use subtle ways to plant seeds. Fabich recalled a specific time when he delicately shared his faith with a graduate assistant who was an evolutionist. While in the lab one day, she forwardly came out and asked him, “Andrew, do you believe in evolution?”

He remembered others being in the lab and how it was a great opportunity to share his thoughts. Once again, however, he told her that he didn’t believe evolution could explain everything and that he thought it had some issues. He said, “I wanted to unload on her but I realized that wasn’t the time. For her [and everyone in the lab] to hear that I questioned it was enough for the

moment, and because I wasn’t so overt about it, they let me stay around, and I never lost their respect.”

“This is a very tough crowd. If you give too much at once, they will not listen to anything else you say. I try to plant seeds,” he said. “I have shared more Scripture with evolutionists than they realize. I never stop and say this is from a certain verse of the Bible but share a phrase like ‘you reap what you sow,’ and they are willing to accept it, and you can continue to deliver more.”

“I definitely get lots of flak for presenting the truth as a creation scientist,” he said. “It’s almost like a badge of honor when someone says bad things because that means I know they are reading or listening to it, and regardless of their views, they are taking it in.”

IN THE BEGINNING When he’s not teaching or developing new research, Fabich enjoys spending time with his wife and four children: Micah, Abigail, Hannah and Moriah.

FROM STUDENT TO TEACHER “I knew I wanted to teach in a Christian environment because I didn’t want to have to be quiet anymore,” Fabich shared about his faith. Once he graduated from the doctorate program, he and Angela moved to Tennessee where he began teaching at Tennessee Temple University. From there, the Fabich’s moved to Virginia where he taught molecular biology at Liberty University.

Fabich is taking part in a new and exciting arena, the film industry. The Genesis Movie (genesismovie.com), which is still in the production stages, is the first biblical-themed 3D movie to hit the silver screen. The documentary is made with cutting edge special effects, and with the help of scientific research from leading experts, the film explores the truth of Genesis, verse by verse.

Eventually, Fabich sought to teach in a school where there would be smaller classrooms, a school where he could make closer relationships with students and be an encouragement in their walk with Christ.

“They flew me [along with two other TMU professors] out to the Creation Museum to be interviewed. They asked me a series of questions that dealt with the first chapter of Genesis, and I gave my answers,” he shared. “I'm proud to be in this movie because it is a high-quality film that the Lord can use to reach the lost. It's a great opportunity to also represent Truett McConnell University.”

Fabich began teaching at Truett McConnell University in the fall of 2016. “I get to share the gospel freely in the classroom,” Fabich shared. “I get to know my students on a personal level and find out how they are doing on a regular basis. It’s quite a treat to be here.”

THE CREATION SCIENTIST Even outside of the classroom, Fabich still maintains his research. Although he still maintains a “science language,” he is able to focus on God in all of his research. “I think everything operates within a biblical perspective,” he said.

The scientist spends a lot of his time working on grants to help fund and support his research on E.coli and the effects it has on DNA and to promote creationism in the science world. Fabich has written numerous articles for publications, including Answers in Genesis [answersingenesis.org], an apologetics ministry dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively. He was even featured in one of the Ken Ham (founder of Answers in Genesis) and Bill Nye (American science communicator, television presenter and mechanical engineer) “Creationism vs. Evolution” debates.

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THE WORLD IS OUR PLAYGROUND “One of my heroes in science is Theodor Escherich who discovered Escherichia coli (E. coli) and who was probably the first physical astronomer.”

“He actually broke out in song because he discovered something really cool in science and astronomy. He wrote about it in a notebook, giving glory to God for that new finding. The idea that we ‘explore the world that God created’ really resonates with me, and it’s basically what I do.”

Fabich said, “We have a way, as scientists, to explore the world and try to understand what God created. He gave us a playground, if you will, to actually go and explore.”

JENNY GREGORY

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Anabaptist. An insult worn as a badge of honor by men and women over 500 years ago that continues to inspire Christ followers today. Their display of faith and courage is our heritage. So much so, that we infuse the Anabaptist history through our faculty and staff into our students. So strongly do we adhere to the Anabaptist way, that the new Student Wellness Center and nine schools are all named after these heroes of the faith.

This summer, many of our faculty, staff, students and friends joined Dr. Emir Caner and his family on a tour through Europe, including Zurich, Venice, Vienna, Prague and Bonn. They followed the steps of several martyrs, including Felix Manz, George Blaurock and Balthasar and Elizabeth Hubmaier, to hear how these men and women were martyred while sharing Christ from village to village, over hundreds of miles of mountainous terain. These martyrs endured perfect(ed medieval) torture, often ending in failed attempts to force recantation. Their torturers would tear pieces from flesh, burn men at the stake, stretch them bone from marrow on the rack and cut out the tongues of evangelists. Children were taken from their parents and mass executions filled the cities. Even modern-day Anabaptists were persecuted under Stalin and other communist leaders. Yet faithful believers stood firm through the pain and suffering.

The way of suffering has paved the road of faith for millions. The Anabaptist Tour allowed journey-goers to walk the steps of these men and women, for many their last steps, and to realize that our religious freedom should never be taken for granted because it can be taken away in a moment.

Tour-goers gather at The Tauferhole for a lecture on Anabaptist suffering from Dr. Michael Whitlock.

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This monument is a tribute to the Reformers and their predecessors whose efforts made the Radical Reformation possible.

WO R M S Right: Worms, Germany, where Anabaptists posted their Seven Theses on the front door of the Dominican Church in 1527, challenging Lutheran pastors to a theological debate. Within a month, they were exiled and their leader died of the plague shortly after.

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E M M E NTA L VA L LEY, LU C E R NE

Anabaptist hiding place in a 17th century farmhouse. It was nestled behind a meat drying room.

Right: Located in Switzerland, the Trachselwald Castle was used to imprison and torture Anabaptists from the Emmental Valley. Between 1528–1571, at least 20 were taken to Bern and executed. A faith that's worth living for is a faith that's worth dying for.

S C HL EI TH EI M AN D ZURI CH Schleitheim, Germany, home of only one of four extant originals of Schleitheim Confession (1527), the oldest confession of Anabaptists. The primary author, Michael Sattler, was arrested three months later and brutally executed. Also pictured, President Caner stands at the pulpit in Zurich where Balthasar Hubmaier recanted his recantation and began preaching the gospel and defending believer's baptism. He was subsequently placed on the rack, forcibly recanted and then exiled.

The memorial plaque found in this cave reads: This cave offered persecuted Anabaptists in the 16th century protection for quietness and prayer.

TMU student, Gideon Graffagnino,w reflects beside a plaque honoring Felix Manz, the first Anabaptist martyr in Zurich.

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The group walks through the streets of Chiavenna, Italy. A town in the Grisons where Italian Anabaptism was influential.

Pictured here, a first, as no one has visited this site for Anabaptism, is from Caspano, Italy, home of Camillo Renato, a born again orthodox Anabaptist who ministered here. This church and courtyard held court for discussions on baptism and the Lord's Supper.

TA F E R HO L E T O PA DOVA This cave, known as the Tauferhohle (Baptist Cave), was a secret place of worship where Anabaptists came together to hear the Word, pray, sing and fellowship.

Above: For centuries, Italian Anabaptists were considered antitrinitarian heretics. TMU's own Mael Disseau, a French-Italian, has corrected the record in his 2014 dissertation.

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A castle in Asolo that is over 1,000 years old.

This 16th century chapel might have been the location of theological discussions in the town of Asolo.

ASOL O, CI TAD EL A AN D VEN I CE In the Venetian town of Citadela, Anabaptist pastor and evangelist Agostino Tealdo took a stand against antitrinitarians while also sharing Christ with the lost.

In Venice, heretics of all sorts were executed publicly in San Marcos Square. Anabaptists, though, were executed in secret and would be taken out into the lagoon tied to a board between two boats.

Then, the boats would separate, the board would drop and they would drown. Italian Anabaptists, who were disregarded until now for supposed heresy, met in Asolo, Italy, where in 1545 one Anabaptist leader, Tiziano, who stood firm on biblical doctrine, began a missionary center.

The fortified city of Citadella, known for harboring heretics, was the home of Agostino Tealdo.

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The group visits Venice, one of the gateways of Anabaptism into Italy and the site of an Anabaptist synod in 1550.

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VI E NNA Balthasar Hubmaier, who baptized 6,000–12,000 in Mikulov in 14 months, was imprisoned in Vienna, placed on the torture rack, paraded outside the city walls and burned at the stake. His wife, Elizabeth, was drowned in the Danube River three days later.

Right: The theologians and historians on our tour sit in the reconstructed galley where Anabaptists would have been sentenced to slave labor, usually until their death. The four TMU professors all did their PhD dissertations on Anabaptist studies.

Dr. MaĂŤl Disseau, Dr. Michael Whitlock and Dr. Jason Graffagnino all received their PhDs from Southwestern Theological Seminary.

Dr. Emir Caner received his PhD from University of Texas Arlington.

The ladies on our tour hold a chain in rememberance of the pregnant Anabaptist women who were chained to their homes until the birth of their children after which they were executed for their faith.

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M I KU L OV C AS TLE The nobility in Mikulov, Czech Republic, hosted Balthasar Hubmaier for 14 months. He saw 12,000 converts and published 17 works. Then, Ferdinand became King of Bohemia and demanded Hubmaier's arrest and execution.

Č E R M ÁKOVIC E The oldest Anabaptist settlement in the world, the community of Cermákovice in the Czech Republic, dates to the late 16th century. The buildings, now in disrepair, are mostly original. Included are a prayer room and a chapel (oldest known in the world!) and a bedroom for married couples. The Thirty Years War devastated this community, exiling them to other lands.

Visit truett.edu/ theanabaptistway to learn more about our Anabaptist heritage.

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For many people, a master’s degree from a top university is critical in making a significant career change.

With the addition of four new graduate programs, including the Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Biology, Master of Education and Master of Arts in Professional Counseling, along with the current Master of Arts in Theology program, our goal at Truett McConnell University (TMU) is to help students develop a higher level of knowledge, preparing them to become experts in their chosen fields.

“Once the secret in the North Georgia mountains, Truett McConnell University has matured into a distinctively Christian institution, providing students with a broad platform of biblically centered degree programs, both undergraduate and graduate,” said TMU President, Dr. Emir Caner.

The new degrees represent a natural progression in the university’s academic growth and demand by students interested in pursuing graduate programs related to the industries in which they will serve.

Master of Education (MEd) The new MEd will prepare those in the education field to enhance their training by providing advanced courses in areas of language arts, science, math and social studies, with innovative topics such as multicultural education, reading diagnostics and correction strategies, psychology, assessments and current trends.

In addition to the Christian worldview, the approved degree program will provide continued professional development, a higher level of certification with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GAPSC) and a deeper understanding of content and pedagogy in the classroom.

“All of us can reflect on our education growing up and remember that special teacher who poured himself/ herself into our lives at the precise time we needed it,” said TMU President Dr. Emir Caner.

“This generation desperately needs and deserves that same measure of love and dedication from educators prepared to meet the needs of a new generation, to speak into their minds and hearts during their most developmental years. Our Master of Education degree, taught from a distinctively Christian perspective, prepares educators professionally and biblically to speak love and life into these precious students,” Caner said.

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Master of Science in Biology (MS in Biology) For those seeking to pursue careers in academia through entrance to certain PhD programs, bio-industry and private research, medicine and healthcare, the MS in Biology prepares them.

Dr. Robert S. Bowen, Dean of The Pilgram Marpeck School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Associate Professor of Physiology, said, “I am most excited about the cultural shift and opportunities the MS in Biology will bring to the Biology program and The Pilgram Marpeck School of STEM as a whole.”

“The goal of the coursework,” said Bowen, “is to help students develop a higher level of knowledge within a specific biological field as they prepare to become experts in that area.”

“The additional opportunities available in research and for collaboration between undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty will enhance the scholarly experience for each facet of our academic community,” Bowen said.

Master of Arts in Professional Counseling (MA in Professional Counseling) The new MA in Professional Counseling will open doors to those interested in Professional Counseling with a biblical base.

Dr. Holly Haynes, Dean of The Leonhard Schiemer School of Psychology and Biblical Counseling and Associate Professor of Behavioral Sciences, said, “I am excited about the opportunity to educate the next generation of biblically-based counselors. The counseling field reaches so many people, often at their time of greatest need. We will be able to train young men and women to counsel in a way that will help to truly transform lives.”

The goal for the MA in Professional Counseling degree is to train students to be fully equipped academically, relationally and spiritually in order to minister God’s truth in an effective and grace-filled manner for lasting results.

“Students will also complete an intense internship in their field during their second year of the program. This internship serves to hone students’ counseling skills, and it provides practical experience with various populations,” said Haynes.

P R O G R A M

Master of Business Administration (MBA) With the addition of TMU’s new MBA program, students will now have the opportunity to continue their professional training in a known Christian environment.

Dr. Brad Reynolds, TMU’s Vice President for Academic Services, shared, “The MBA opens the doors for TMU to offer its distinctive ‘from the very first verse to the very last tribe’ educational pillars to the business professional. Unlike most MBAs, TMU has two courses which are foundational to who we are, focusing on the authority of Scripture and the mission field.”

“These foundational courses coupled with the professional content and education of an MBA from a Christian worldview truly prepares the Christian business professional globally,” Reynolds explained. “But the principles of Scripture are not just for the ‘Christian.’ God’s principles, even applied by secular businesses, still provide the ingredients for success.”

Current and prospective TMU students interested in pursuing any of the offered graduate programs can contact Graduate Admissions at graduateadmissions@truett.edu or 706-865-2134, ext. 2131. A complete list of degrees offered at TMU may be found by visiting truett.edu.

Truett McConnell University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Truett McConnell University.

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TMU/FBC ALPHARETTA PARTNERSHIP Truett McConnell has undergone some remarkable changes over the past few years. The institution graduated its first master’s class in May 2016, and last spring, Truett-McConnell College became Truett McConnell University. One of TMU’s most unique achievements is its establishment of an Alpharetta extension center for its master’s program.

CHOOSING THE PERFECT LOCATION

CLASS CONSISTENCY

This additional site, where one can earn a Master of Arts in Theology degree, is located at the First Baptist Church of Alpharetta. Every Monday, TMU professors teach at FBC Alpharetta.

Another goal is to offer consistency between Cleveland and Alpharetta, so currently the professors who teach the master’s classes in Cleveland are the same ones who teach the classes in Alpharetta.

The location proved to be a contributing factor for some students, such as John Pearson, an Alpharetta student who was pleased when TMU offered a classroom within his reasonable driving distance.

“There are no differences in the program itself,” revealed Whitlock.

According to Dr. Michael Whitlock, Degree Coordinator for the Master’s Program and professor, “We want to be able to open our vision up to the churches that are logistically farther away. We want to extend our service to the churches to benefit ministers and laypeople who might not be able to travel to Cleveland.”

Whitlock explained that the greatest difference between the Cleveland campus and the Alpharetta site lies within the students: “Currently, the students in Alpharetta are in a different stage of life.”

He continued, “We see both laypeople and ministers in Alpharetta. As an institution, we’re committed to serving Baptist churches, so by training both ministers and laypeople, we are achieving our goal to help churches.”

It is not just the classes themselves that appeal to students but the interaction with professors and fellow students as well. “The program is about the workload I expected,” said student John Pearson. “I took a light load on purpose as it was the classroom and professor learning experience I desired more than the degree.”

“The students are engaged and have a real desire to learn,” added Whitlock. “They seem grateful to pursue the degree at the extension center. It was a natural development for us to offer our ministerial training degree to the churches.”

Pearson agreed, adding, “Because of my belief in the goals of the university and their dedication to pure Christianity and a Christian worldview, the opportunity to study the topics offered and under the professors that are teaching made the choice easy for me.”

TMU’s Alpharetta site is proving itself to be a safe haven of Christian teaching. The faculty who teach in Alpharetta are truly achieving their goal of training believers to serve their churches and reach the world with the message of Christ.

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OUR BADGE OF HONOR There are many uncertainties in life, but Truett McConnell University is certain of who we are as an institution as well as our mission and vision for the future. We stand firm on religious liberty and the sanctity of life. Our faculty believe that Scripture is true and teach through that lens. We are preparing students for not only a career or a paycheck but for the high calling that God has placed on their lives.

It is our calling to equip our students to fulfill the Great Commission by fostering a Christian worldview through a biblically-centered education in a family-friendly environment. That is our mission. During the 2016–2017 year, it became apparent that who we are should be expressed visually through this new emblem.

THE "SHIELD" DECONSTRUCTED

You may have noticed these icons as you have pulled on to Alumni Drive. Love the Lord, Love the Word, Love the Church and Love the Lost. These are not just new concepts. The four pillars have been the most consistent architectural commonality on our campus since the construction of the “Mountain Manor” (1964–65). More importantly, they symbolize our rallying points for the last decade.

“Mountain preachers” began our school as a place for believers to find refuge, and they aptly chose this location. Mt. Yonah is an unmistakable landmark of White County from which we derive our mascot. Yonah is Cherokee for ‘Bear’ and a sentinel over campus and a connection to our community.

The shield represents the tradition of higher academia and is a callback to instant institutional recognition and our Anabaptist heritage spanning nearly half a millennia. The shield is a symbol of defending the faithful and the faith.

This representation of our four pillars and visual reinforcement of architecture on campus includes a TM as a subtle reminder of the portion of our name that has existed for over 70 years: Truett McConnell.

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PRESIDENT’S ANNUAL GIVING 2016–2017 FISCAL YEAR

REPORT

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS Endowed scholarships and funds require a minimum contribution of $10,000.

Monies added to the corpus for scholarships, funds, and endowments listed below.

Dr. Sami & Hripsime Ammari Scholarship Fund Eberli Bolt Missions Scholarship Psalm 20:5 The Gladys Holcomb and Family Scholarship The Deborah Rose Alvater Endowed Scholarship Fund The Gertie Holmes Layson Endowed Scholarship Rev. Tommy Jones Scholarship Fund John L. & Sara Nix Scholarship Fund White County Baptist Association Scholarship Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship Fund

NEW ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS Bess & Jim Mabry Endowed Scholarship Rev. & Mrs. E. B. Collins Endowed Scholarship

Carolyn W. Kelly Nursing Scholarship Center Baptist Church Scholarship Trust Kenneth Barnes Memorial Scholarship Ragan & Estelle Callaway Scholarship J&J Foods Scholarship Gene T. Bowman Scholarship Rastus Salter Christian Studies Endowment J. Robert Lester Memorial Scholarship John N. White Endowed Scholarship

ENDOWED LECTURESHIPS

ESTATE GIFTS

Endowed lectureships require a minimum contribution of $10,000. Monies added to the copus listed below

Brown Charitable Remainder Trust Brian & Judy Miller Estate

Ray Newman Ethics and Religious Liberty Lecture Series

EXPENDABLE SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS Expendable scholarships & grants are typically awarded in the same fiscal year in which they are received.

They are not invested with the University’s pooled endowment. The scholarships & grants listed are $1000 or more.

Alumni Scholarship Benjamin F. Brady Foundation Grant Carolyn Williams Kelly Nursing Scholarship Fund Carolyn King Ragan Charitable Foundation Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation Georgia Baptist Mission Board

Georgia Department of Revenue Lauren Goforth Funded Scholarship Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship Fund Student Athlete Missions Scholarship Evann Todd Softball Missions Fund

FUNDS AWAITING ENDOWMENT Established scholarships which are not funded at the $10,000 minimum endowment level. (Date established) *Mrs. A. F. Bell Scholarship (1994) Walter E. Boone Scholarship (1985) Dr. Christopher Childs Science and Achievement Scholarship (2002) Melissa Clanton Music Ministry Scholarship (2006) *Linton M. and Josephine H. Collins Memorial Scholarship (2000) *Debbie Holcomb Cox Scholarship (2007) *W. Clyde, W. Matt & J. Adam Dixon Memorial Scholarship (2001) Karen Fricks Scholarship (1986) Ernest W. Glore Ministerial Fund (c. 1947) *Agnes K. Hall Scholarship (1987) Gene Hansard Scholarship (1984) Clara Head Work Scholarship (1986) Patricia McBrayer Heaton Endowment Fund (2001) *Rachel & Walter Higdon Scholarship (2007) *Catherine Logan Memorial Music Scholarship (1987)

Thomas Mauney, Jr., Scholarship (1989) Gloria Paschal Scholarship Fund (1985) Ida Staton Pruitt Scholarship Fund Brittany Reabold Memorial Scholarship (1992) John F. Roach Memorial Scholarship (2002) *Softball Scholarship (2007) Colby Tilley Women’s Basketball Scholarship (2005) Trustee Endowment Scholarship (1999) *Walter Waldon Music Scholarship (2002) Watkinsville Scholarship Endowment Duward Whelchel Scholarship (1997) Julian and Pauline Whelchel Scholarship (1997) Jessie White Scholarship Fund (2013) C. James and Elnora Woods Scholarship (2000)

*Within $3000 of reaching minimum endowment level.

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THE BLUE & GOLD CLUB — UP TO $99 Tom Allen Alvilene P. Anderson ’55 Sally B. Angevine ’74 Brenda Anlauf Kim Applewhite Chris G. Armstrong ’03 Carolyn Ashby Samuell R. Babb John Babb David Baca Melanie M. Beeman Michael G. Beeman G. Duane Bentley Donald Bishop Diane T. Black ’63 Don Blanchard Trista R. Blankenship ’16 Michelle E. Bonner Richard Bowen Bailey Bowline Byron Brackett Philip Bray Aileen Breland Robert T. Bridges Alice Briggs Daniel W. Bright ’73 James W. Brinkley Johnny Brothers Charles D. Brown ’65 John E. Brown Bradley S. Butler Carey Butler Michael A. Callahan Marty Carnes Miguel Caro Nancy A. Carroll ’56 Christopher F. Chitwood Ramona K. Church Jacques Claudon Joy R. Cole Joseph E. Conner ’59 Frances Coons Michele H. Coursey ’96 Dianne Crawford Trigg L. Dalrymple ’62 Donna Darrah Timothy B. Davenport Charles F. Davis Paul Dennis Helen F. Dickerson Michael Dorough Helen H. Dorsey Fletcher A. Dove Paige Echols Laura Eichorn

Kathy Eubanks Chelsea T. Ewton Max Falls V. E. Fenn David H. Fields John S. Fields Milan J. Fischer Andrew Fitzgerald Kasie Freeman Lorrie Freeman Betsy Gagne R. L. Garrard ’62 Deborah C. Garrett Cathy D. Geist ’96 Jannie M. Gilbert ’64 Gayle T. Gill ’57 Dorothy W. Gramling Bryan Grant Ann E. Gray Sandra W. Griffin Tommy Grooms ’71 Susan Haliburton Terry A. Hall Clyde Hampton ’56 Russell Harbin Teresa Hardie Donald W. Harris Melody L. Harris Morgan G. Harris Molly E. Hasty Michael L. Head Robert M. Helton J. T. Hinson Frances Q. Hobgood ’54 David S. Hodges Barbara H. Holland Lydia E. Holloman Kimberly Hood Rachel Hopkins Marguerite H. Huff ’76 Thomas H. Huffman Janice James James R. Johnson William C. Jones Jason Jones Mark Jones Richard Jones Brenda Kendrick Barbara L. Kilgore Donna K. Kirby ’59 Robert E. Klakis Jennifer J. Knox Donna Kopacz James L. Lance Steve Langford

Don Lanier Sarita B. Ledford Patricia Lindsay Gail Machleith Joyce Maddox ’56 Carmen Martin ’61 Andrea McCall Ted A. McElroy Calista J. McGriff ’52 Jeremy N. McKinzey ’01 David R. Meek David L. Miller Loretta R. Miller Yvonne Mooney Daniel P. Moosbrugger Linda R. Mosely ’80 Michael J. Motkowski Benjamin Mundy Janet Nash ’55 Constance M. Nunley John R. Olmstead Paula Palacios Bobby Parks ’53 Danny H. Parris ’67 Dane Parson Kamdun Parson Diane Pendley Robert Pierce Bobby C. Pittman Linda L. Pittman Eleanor S. Pollock Will L. Poole T. W. Postell Jamie Powell G. Kevin Proctor Mary L. Radford ’57 Dorothy Raines Allen Rea Jackie P. Reed George Reese Wayne D. Register James S. Rhame ’63 Alex Riccardi Pauline C. RIchardson ’90 Virginia W. Roberts ’58 Ted Rogers Tracy Roper Dan Rosser James Russell Vicki L. Schemm ’89 Helen J. Schmidt David K. Scott ’91 Janet Shellnutt Mark R. Skeen Barbara R. Smith ’57

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Sherman B. Southern Dale Sprayberry W. Randall Steele Herbert E. Stone Kathy Stubblefield Roger K. Thomas Anna Lee Walker Jerry L. Walker Linda Walterman Kenneth Watkins ’61 Fiorella P. Weaver Jordan E. West ’16 Janet West ’16 Todd West Chelsi White Robert L. Winter Jon Yeh Gregory S. Young Evelyn Yuille ’56 ORGANIZATIONS Albritton Funeral Directors Believer’s Bible Class Darby C. Veazey Insurance Agency Frank Amos Insurance Agency Funk Foods, Inc J. Jarrett Designs Lydia Friendship Bible Class Pelham First Baptist Golden Age SweetThingsOnTheSquare, LLC Transformations Christian Counseling

THE FOUNTAIN CLUB — $100–$249 Marie Abad David Aderhold Eunice L. Allardyce John D. Allen Joseph F. Allen ’58 Robert Allen Jimmy Anderson Joseph C. Arthur V. C. Barrett David Bean T. Michael Beason Paul A. Bennington Ronald J. Bethune Blake Boggs J. B. Bowman ’55 Ryan A. Bowman ’94 Geraldine Brake Mary M. Broadway Cathy Brooks James O. Bryant ’64 John C. Buchanan Wanda W. Cain ’93 Rodney Callahan Justin P. Carnes Phillip E. Carpenter ’64 Kathy Carroll David Castro James E. Chancellor Gilbert C. Chung ’68 James J. Clark Gene Cobb John Cobb Marcus Cobbs Randall N. Cofer Otis Coker Curtis S. Collins Steven E. Collins ’70 Winston C. Collins ’63 Jimmy D. Connell Amy Cook Joseph Q Cook ’17 Nancy C. Copeland Willie Crump Joshua Dailey Jerry Dalton ’62 Rebecca R. Daniel Patricia Darley Hayley Deering Linda Deyton Mael L. Disseau James B. Dollar Jeanette R. Driggers’ 57 Joyce G. Dubois Jennifer N. Duckett John K. Duncan Denice R. Dyer Gene D. Eden Lisa M. Elmore Cindy S. Erbele Nancy B. Fletcher

Jeana Floyd Samuel P. Floyd Willie S. Foles Truitt Franklin Kenneth Gabrielse Susan Gallagher Judy A. Gillentine ’98 Wade Godfrey Jason J. Graffagnino Richard W. Gregson J. Fred Gunter’57 Todd A. Guthrie Sara J. Hale ’58 Elaine Hall Joe Hall Tony R. Hamilton ’76 Leroy Hammett Richard Hammond Bryan K. Hancock ’99 Joy S. Hardin ’94 Albert Hardy Alonza Harris Charls H. Harris ’64 Nancy S. Hastey Robert B. Hatfield ’69 Teresa Haymore Wayne Head Sydney Heusser Lynn T. Hise ’67 Barbara A. Hodgkins ’54 Louise C. Holcomb ’49 Nell G. Hoyle Ronald Hulsey James T. Irvin Lisa K. Johnson Mary Y. Johnston Jackie Jones Michael Justus Donna G. Kinsey Mike Kirkland Kathryn R. Kline Michael Kotowski Cassie L. Laminack Helen H. Lester Justin Lewallen Ronald W. Lewallen Robert E. Loffredo Mark Mabry Ellen Madden Marilyn Majors Harris R. Malcom ’73 Carol A. Martin Cecil C. Martin ’61 Evelynne C. Mashburn Pat Mauldin Kelly McDuffie Darris W. Mealer Darryl Meister Drake Meister Gill E. Mende

Douglas W. Merck ’74 Tracy Mitchell Constance Montgomery Wanda Morgan John P. Morris ’62 Ronald S. Muzzillo Robert N. Nash ’56 Kimberly Nesmith Lynda Noack Keith Norman Jennifer Orear Patrice Parris Paige Patterson Carole L. Paul Mary A. Paulson ’57 Matthew D. Peek Sam Pelletier Ronald J. Petrie April Pruitt Janet Ramser Donald E. Randolph Veronica M. Respress Gregory R. Reynolds M. D. Riggins Ralphy P. Roberts Cathy Rogers Florence D. Rosser Janet Rountree David Sanders June C. Schafer Patricia Segers ’77 Pat Shannon Emma Shurling Bradley R. Simmons James D. Simpson Harbey T. Sizemore Ward Slaton Bailey S. Smith ’11 Tim S. Smith ’82 Donald E. Stanley Lauren M. Stanley Vicki M. Steele Alfred Swope Donald Taylor Lynn Taylor Velia Teague Danny R. Thomas Katie Thompson David Tucker Maurine E. Turner Willaim L. Turner Merrill Vernon Ambrea E. Walker Charles W. Walker Joyce S. Walton Michele O. Weaver ’15 Joseph M. Welborn Julie A. Welsh Richard L. West ’69 Darrell Westmoreland

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Dorris A. White ’57 Carolyn B. Whitmire ’60 Andrew L. Williams ’99 Ezekiel H. Williams Todd Williams Marilyn Williamson Robert E. Williamson Larry A. Wilson ’63 W. H. Wilson Hannah N. Wisdom ’11 Kurt P. Wise Craig Young ORGANIZATIONS AJ&M Holdings LLC Allcove Industries Inc Amazon Smile Area Accents Inc ARI Benning Hills Baptist Center Baptist, Helen Central Baptist, Gainesville Cigna Healthcare Cleveland Diesel Service The Coca-Cola Foundation Habersham EMC Harvest Baptist Tabernacle Harvest Time Church Int’l Hope For Your Future Inc Jeff Sullivan Concrete Services Kenan-Flagler Business School Logan Funeral Home & Chapel Mount Yonah Baptist Northside Baptist NovoLogic, Inc Pardon Ministries INc Parks Lumber & Building Supply Pickens Co. Ministerial Assn.

Precision Kiln S&S Trucking Inc. Shoal Creek Supply Sisters in Faith United Community Bank West Metro Association White County Commissioners

THE MOUNTAINEER CLUB — $250–$499 Michael L. Anchors ’60 Marilyn B. Ashley Russell T. Barker Karen R. Bassett Jana H. Bledsoe Robert S. Bowen Chris Brake Robin Brake Randy Crenshaw Michaela Dickerson ’16 James P. Dunaway Matthew P. Dunaway James Dunnington Rachel Evans John R.Ford Tamara Griffis Joe F. Harris Daniel Hayes Holly A. Haynes

Sydney C. Heindel David Henson James W. Holmes Donald R. Howell ’61 Jaymie Hux Bailey E. Jarnagin ’16 Thomas C. Johnson ’15 John M. Jones Shuford Jones ’59 Janis A. Justus Judy R. Keys Charles R. Kilby Michael Leverett Becky Lombard Jeremiah G. Lukers Walker McCrary Rachael Meggitt James G. & Teresa Y. Merritt ’76 James J. Miles ’91

Jonathan D. Morris ’99 Carlton W. Peeples Greg Pruitt Valarie Reeves Gloria Sutton ’02 Don Tolliver Tim A. Travis Michael M. Tull ’75 Dal F. Turner ’55 Steven S. Tyndall Emily Walton Rebecca Watters Margie A. Webb ’61 Carole S. Wood ’56 Kenneth N. Wright

FineGiftSoaps.com First Baptist, Epworth First Baptist, McDonough First Baptist, Perry Habersham Baptist Association Instep International Patterson Prime Properties Sport Fields Unlimited Inc Sweetwater Baptist Y-12 Federal Credit Union

ORGANIZATIONS Chick-Fil-A, Cleveland Ephesus Baptist

THE DANES CLUB — $500–$999 Clinton G. Adams Evelyn Allen Darrin Anderson Grace L. Aste Amelia R. Beaudry ’17 Lon Bell Betty Bowman Robb Britton J. Allen Carroll Tom S. Carroll D. K. Cassell ’75 Travis A. Cheek ’63 Rhonda Clay Tony Doolittle Cheryl Duke Celeste Dunnington Nancy I. Everard Jay A. Fain

Robert E. Foster T. A. Fowler Victoria Fulgham Makayla N. Garrett Edward H. Gregory B. Miles Hannan Thomas G. Harper William Harrell Gerald Harris John J. Howard Patrice F. Humphrey Dean Hunter Mark Keesee Bianca M. Lohman Douglas T. Mergenthaler Audra M. Minish ’16 Doug Minish Bruce Nicholson

Sylvia B. Palmer ’55 Timothy D. Pollard H. Edward Pruitt Scott T. Roland Emanuel Sabau Christopher Sanchez Bailey E. Smith Martha J. Smith ’70 Ken F. Thigpen Abbey B Thompson Chip Tovey Amber L. Wade Michael K. Watson Col & Mrs. F. O. White ORGANIZATIONS Bartlett Family, Winder, LLC Cofer Brothers Inc

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Cross Road Christian Fellowship First Baptist, Alpharetta First Baptist, Cumming Flat Creek Baptist Focus Design Builders LLC Hardy Surveying Group Johnson Ferry Baptist Kearns Insurance Agency Lanier Outdoor Equipmant Morganton & Mountaintown Assn.

Northeast Church Pickett’s Mill Baptist South State Bank Southstar Energy Services

F E R N A N D O C . M CCO N N E L L S O C I E T Y — $ 1 , 0 0 0 – $ 7, 9 9 9 Tena Andreasen ’17 Adam T. Baker ’01 Jaccquelynne J. Bates John B. Bonner Jerry Brannon Johnny M. Burkett Glenn R. Canup ’96 Donna Caudell Lester R. Charles Donald Colburn Jeanetta Daniel Olivia R. Darley Jerry C. Davis ’63 David Drake Brett Duncan Lee K. Durham Bob & Linda Fenner David C. Grantham James H. Harris ’62 Gary L. Jarnagin Robert P. Jolly Glenn T. Jones ’73

Bucky Kennedy Chad Knott Betty K. Lohman Daniel Loper Roger Mahr M. L. Martin ’62 A. Glenn McCall Robert L. McCollum ’55 Lamar Merritt Jean Middlebrook Billy Minish William R. Mutimer John D. Pearson ’14 Paul W. Quigley Brandon Reddock Brad Reynolds William D. Reynolds William Rogers F. Stuart Sanders Van E. Sanders Rachel S. Shinkle ’17 Granville Shubert ’56

Haley E. Taylor Richard L. Terry Alae Risse Thomas ’56 Jerry R. Thomas ’78 Barry & Kay Thompson ’73 Calvin Thompson Kelly Vaughn Myer C. Westmoreland Arrie Mae Wiley John O. Yarbrough ’69 ORGANIZATIONS Altamaha-New Sunbury Assn.

Bethlehem Baptist, Clarkesville C. L. Burks Construction Committee to Elect Carl Rogers Dairy Queen of Cleveland Eastside Baptist, Claxton First Baptist, Whitsett

First Baptist, Newnan First Touch Consulting First United Methodist, Oakwood Georgia Independent College Assn Greater Georgia Concrete Helen First Baptist Knock Out Anesthesia Services Lakeside Baptist Lebanon Baptist Liberty Baptist Mulberry Baptist Assn Paul Family Charitable Fdn. Regions Bank Trust

Department The Piedmont Bank Turner, Wood & Smith Wood Holdings, LLLP

THE GEORGE W. TRUETT SOCIETY — $8,000–$14,999 Donald M. Cathy E. Wayne Farr Harvard Hopkins Phillip M. Jones Stephen L. Murray Stephen Syfan

D. L. & Lynn M. Waters ’73 ORGANIZATIONS Dewberry Baptist No. 1 GA Baptist Health Care Ministry Fdn. Goforth Pump Services

New Liberty Baptist North Metro of Gwinnett The Thomas T. & Bernice F. Irvin Fdn.

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE — $15,000–$49,999 Keith Kelly Brian & Judy Miller

ORGANIZATIONS Carolyn King Ragan Charitable Fdn. Whitehall Ventures, LLC

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE — $50,000 AND MORE Brown Charitable Remainder Trust Benjamin F. Brady Charitable Foundation Trust Georgia Department of Revenue

Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Victory Processing, LLC

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THE BEAR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL ($2500+) ALL-AMERICAN ($1000+) Marjorie R. Turnbull TEAM CAPTAIN ($500+) Wayne & Judy Granger Stacy W. Hall Bill White ’65 Callaway Security & Sound Jeff C. Reagan Shoal Creek Baptist GOLD LEVEL ($250+) J. Richard Gray Joe D. Taylor Joel K. Murr Matthew P. Dunaway Accel Physical Therapy, Inc. Habersham County Sheriff’s Office Rodney P. Walker Scott McRee Chris Eppling Howard Brothers Inc Jeff Sullivan Concrete Services Paragon General Contractors BLUE LEVEL ($50+) Tommy Stewart White County High School Shawn Blackburn Derrick W. Davis ’89

Granville Shubert ’56 Lauren M. Hammonds Sue Hilton Deborah Walter Tobert T. Bridges Matt C. Brady Marcus L. Cobbs Josie Nelson Shannon D. McCarty Troy Green Bill Ricketts Billy R. Henderson Brad Reynolds Cheryl Duke Gene Hyde Gun Commanders Ltd. Hallco Community Credit Union Igls Resort Villas James P. Dunaway Kelly’s 19th Tee Margaret A. Jackson Mike P. Croley Northside Baptist Riverbend Baptist The Jaeger Company Tom Edge W. Roger Smith Walter Construction Company White Co. Farmers Exchange Andrea Bentley Lynda Noack Annette Jewart

Boyd Taylor Cameron T. Pearson ’14 Connie M. Worrell Dana C. Barnes Donna G. Kinsey Donnie W. Culpepper Doris B. Bishop El Campesino James Guilliams John O. Yarbrough KAM Realty Kenon Smith OTHER DONATIONS Patrick Johnson AJK Bookkeeping & Payroll Service Christa M. Koch Gregory A. Parker J. C. Carlton James Gladden Marguerite Homsher Patricia C. Jones Rebecca A. Jewart John J. Garvilla Linda Deyton

BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS AJ&M Holdings LLC Albritton Funeral Directors, Inc Allcove Industries, Inc Amazon Smile Area Accents, Inc. ARI Bartlett Family Winder, LLC Chick-Fil-A at Cleveland (GA) Cigna Healthcare C. L. Burks Construction Cleveland Diesel Service Cofer Brothers Inc. Committee to Elect Carl Rogers Dairy Queen of Cleveland Darby C Veazey Insurance Agency, Inc FineGiftSoaps.com First Touch Consulting Focus Design Builders, LLC

Frank Amos Insurance Agency Funk Foods Inc Georgia Baptist Mission Board Georgia Department of Revenue Georgia Independent College Assn.

GoForth Pump Services Greater Georgia Concrete, LLC Habersham EMC Hardy Surveying Group, LLC Hope for Your Future, Inc. Instep International Jeff Sullivan Concrete Services J. Jarrett Designs Kearns Insurance Agency Kenan-Flagler Business School Knock Out Anesthesia Services Lanier Outdoor Equipmetn Logan Funeral Home & Chapel

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NovoLogic, Inc Parks Lumber & Building Supply Patterson Prime Properties Precision Kiln S&S Trucking, Inc Shoal Creek Supply, Inc South State Bank Southstar Energy Services, LLC Sports Fields Unlimited, Inc. Sweet Things on the Square, LLC The Piedmont Bank Turner, Wood & Smith United Community Bank Victory Processing LLC White County Commissioners Whitehall Ventures LLC Wood Holdings, LLLP Y-12 Federal Credit Union

CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS Altamaha-New Sunbury Baptist Assn.

Believer’s Bible Class Benning Hills Baptist Church Bethlehem Baptist, Clarkesville Center Baptist, Helen Central Baptist, Gainesville Cross Road Christian Fellowship Dewberry Baptist Church No. 1 Eastside Baptist, Claxton Ephesus Baptist Church First Baptist, Alpharetta First Baptist, Cumming First Baptist, Epworth First Baptist, McDonough First Baptist, Newnan First Baptist, Perry

First Baptist, Whitsett, NC First UMC, Oakwood Flat Creek Baptist Church Habersham Baptist Association Harvest Baptist Tabernacle, Inc. Harvest Time Church International Helen First Baptist Johnson Ferry Baptist Church Lakeside Baptist Lebanon Baptist Liberty Baptist Lydia Friendship Bible Class Morganton & Mountaintown Assn.

Mount Yonah Baptist Church Mulberry Baptist Association New Liberty Baptist Church

NorthMetro FBC of Gwinnett, Inc Northeast Church Northside Baptist Church Pardon Ministries, Inc. Pelham First Baptist Golden Age Pickens County Ministerial Assn Pickett’s Mill Baptist Church Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Sisters in Faith Sweetwater Baptist Church Transformation Christian Counseling West Metro Association

FOUNDATIONS AND TRUSTS Brown Charitable Remainder Trust Benjamin F. Brady Charitable Foundation Trust Carolyn King Ragan Charitable Foundation The Coca-Cola Foundation Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation

Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation, Inc. Paul Family Charitable Foundation Regions Bank Trust Department The Thomas T. & Bernice F. Irvin Foundation, Inc.

TRUETT MCCONNELL UNIVERSITY OFFICERS Dr. Emir F. Caner, President Mr. Chris Eppling, VP for Student Services Dr. Brad Reynolds, VP for Academic Services Dr. Joseph Wiegand, VP for Finance and Operations and General Counsel

SCHOOL DEANS Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Jason Graffagnino, School of Theology and Missions Holly Haynes, School of Psychology & Biblical Counseling Becky Lombard, School of Music Michael T. Justus, School of Humanities Joseph Wiegand, School of Public Service Janet Forney, School of Business

Dr. Robert S. Bowen, School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathmatics Dr. Julie Lutz, School of Education Mrs. Celeste Dunnington, School of Nursing

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the data presented.

Thank you for your understanding.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES Mr. Phillip Jones, Chairman Flowery Branch, Georgia Adam Baker Cartersville, Georgia

Mike Dorough Warner Robins, Georgia

Thomas Hammond Buford, Georgia

Bucky Kennedy Gainesville, Georgia

Bill Bonner Fayetteville, Georgia

Brett Duncan Dawsonville, Georgia

Miles Hannan Valdosta, Georgia

Jamie Powell Perry, Georgia

Johnny Burkett Cleveland, Georgia

Lee Evans Warner Robins, Georgia

Russell Harbin Jefferson, Georgia

Allen Rea Baxley, Georgia

Marty Carnes Thomasville, Georgia

Wayne Farr Norcross, Georgia

David Henson Ellijay, Georgia

Dan Rosser Ellijay, Georgia

Miguel Caro Acworth, Georgia

Robby Foster Valdosta, Georgia

Jim Holmes Helen, Georgia

Richard C. Statham, Sr. McDonough, Georgia

Frank Cox Lawrenceville, Georgia

Jeff Glenn Warner Robins, Georgia

Harvard “Hop” Hopkins Alpharetta, Georgia

JT (Jim) Taylor Dublin, Georgia

Randy Crenshaw Tifton, Georgia

Tony Hamilton Snellville, Georgia

Jason Jones Sylvster, Georgia

Bruce Thompson White, Georgia

Todd West Rutledge, Georgia

BOARD OF VISITORS Ken Hall, President Lyman, South Carolina

Thomas Abernathy Suwannee, GA Chris Anderson Cleveland, GA Jim Beddingfield Cumming, GA Ralph Benton Monroe, GA Glenn Canup Macon, GA Lee Chomskis Vidalia, GA Andrea Clayton LaFayette, GA Al Collier Jonesboro, GA David Collins Gainesville, GA Frank Daws Covington, GA Bob Dixon Vidalia, GA Dean Dyer Cleveland, GA

Paul Eitel Wake Forest, NC Merrill Folsom Villa Rica, GA Jeffery Fuller Dallas, GA Paul Fulton Homerville, GA W. Al Gainey Gainesville, GA John Howard Cleveland, GA Don Howell Cordele, GA Hank Humphrey Fort Oglethorpe, GA Kevin Hurt Mountain City, GA Charles Johnson Lilburn, GA Glenn Jones Clarkesville, GA Randy Kennedy Buford, GA

Sid King Cleveland, GA Chad Knott Cleveland, GA Jeff Langley Blairsville, GA Mark Lhowe Union Point, GA Bill McIver Cumming, GA David McLendon Epwoth, GA Chad Merrill Atlanta, GA Linda Mosely St. Simons Island, GA Mike Nichols Rome, GA Dennis Paschedag Cumming, GA John Pearson Cumming, GA Chris Pittman Clermont, GA

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Keith Porter Cumming, GA Martin Posthauer Marietta, GA H. Edward Pruitt Cleveland, GA Mitch Ralston Gainesville, GA Greg Reabold Athens, GA Shay Runion Canton, GA Christopher Sanchez Hahira, GA F. Stuart Sanders Clarkesville, GA Greg Smith Johns Creek, GA Kim Smith Oakwood, GA Mike Smith Oakwood, GA Timothy Stevens Gibsonville, NC

Charles Thomas McDonough, GA Barry Thompson Lithia Springs, GA Calvin Thompson Dallas, GA Kay Thompson Lithia Springs, GA Travis Turner Cleveland, GA Dane Wallis McDonough, GA Mark Watson Clarkesville, GA Christopher Webb Mt. Airy, GA Donald Yarbrough Locust Grove, GA

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