news at free will baptist bible college     Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, TN, has been the official college of the Free Will Baptist Denomination since 1951. To find out more information about the school, visit their website at www.fwbbc.edu.

college Responds to Tennessee Tornadoes

NASHVILLE, TN—Four days after killer tornadoes roared through Middle Tennessee on February 5, students and faculty from Free Will Baptist Bible College volunteered their help in a massive clean-up effort to assist residents affected by storms that left 30 people dead and caused $100 million damage state-wide, according to John Murray, director of Christian Service.

Mr. Murray said, “Twenty-five of us left campus in biting cold temperatures early Saturday morning and drove to Sumner County to a staging area at Gallatin City Hall. We were assigned to Zone One in Castalian Springs, one of the areas hardest hit by the tornadoes. The students jumped in immediately and began moving wood, tin, shingles, and endless piles of debris. Others cranked their chain saws and began cutting broken trees. No one had to tell them what to do.”

The FWBBC students worked almost seven hours in the bracing cold along streets where tornadoes had snapped homes from foundations and smashed them into rubble. They stopped to assist David and Donna Ryman who had gone to a friend’s home for dinner the night of the tornado, and returned to find their doublewide mobile home wrapped around a tree 30 yards away.

Murray expressed his deep pride in the FWBBC students. “I have seen them respond when disasters struck in other places, going to North Carolina, Florida, and Mississippi to help, and now when disaster hit close to home, they stepped up again.”

STUDENTS ELECT 2008-2009 OFFICERS

NASHVILLE, TN—The following five students at Free Will Baptist Bible College were elected to serve as 2008-2009 student body officers:

Brett Inman, junior English major from Phillipsburg, Missouri, was elected president. The vice president is sophomore Kurston Ward, a Teacher Education major from Van Buren, Arkansas. Teddie Collier, a junior music performance major from Springfield, Missouri, will serve as secretary-treasurer.

Sophomore Jason McMillion, a youth ministry major from Aberdeen, Maryland, was elected chaplain and will provide spiritual leadership for the student body. Junior music major Brittany Craft from Pryor, Oklahoma, will serve as worship leader.

PHOTO (L-R): Brittany Craft, Jason McMillion, Kurston Ward, Brett Inman, Teddie Collier.

FWBBC RECEIVES $20,000 GIFT

NASHVILLE, TN—Free Will Baptist Bible College received a gift of common stock for the general fund from Mrs. Sarah K. Newberry of Tallahassee, Florida, according to Tom Sass, vice president for financial affairs. At the time of the gift, the stock was valued at approximately $20,000. This is the fourth gift of common stock in recent years that Mrs. Newberry has made to the college.

President Matt Pinson said, “We are delighted to receive gifts in the form of stock from donors, as well as cash gifts or gifts of property. This is another way the Lord enables our friends to assist the college. We thank God for Sister Newberry and her generous gift.”

The Newberrys became friends with Pinson when he pastored Colquitt Free Will Baptist Church in Georgia before being named FWBBC president. Mrs. Newberry and her late husband Frank were members of New Salem Free Will Baptist Church. She has been active in local, district, and state Women Active for Christ outreach.

“I’m glad I can help support FWBBC,” Mrs. Newberry said. “God makes it possible for me to do this.”
President Pinson said, “Sarah Newberry is a friend and encourager, as well as a committed Christian who faithfully discharges her stewardship responsibilities. I hope her example inspires others to consider new ways they can support FWBBC.”

REID NAMED TO ABHE OFFICE

NASHVILLE, TN—Mrs. Carol Reid, librarian at Free Will Baptist Bible College, was named secretary of the prestigious Commission on Accreditation during the annual meeting of the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) in Orlando, Florida, February 21-23. Both Mrs. Reid and FWBBC’s vice president for institutional planning, Dr. Milton Fields, are members-at-large on the Commission on Accreditation.

ABHE is the accrediting association for Bible colleges in the United States and Canada. The Commission on Accreditation is the accrediting authority within ABHE, and is recognized as such by the Council for Higher Education and the U.S. Department of Education. Mrs. Reid is one of 12 elected Commission members, and also serves on the Committee on Applicant and Candidate Status.

In her role as Commission secretary, she will function as secretary for the meeting of the entire Commission and will be responsible for placing final minutes for all committees and Commission deliberations in the custody of the executive director.

Mrs. Reid said, “I am honored to serve in any way I can. This is an opportunity to learn from other colleges and to better understand the processes involved in accreditation and reputable higher education. The secretary work will be demanding, but I will use the templates of many well-qualified persons who served ahead of me.”

Reid has been a member of the FWBBC faculty since 1988.

REID PRESENTS THEOLOGICAL PAPER

NASHVILLE, TN—Dr. Garnett Reid, Old Testament professor at Free Will Baptist Bible College, read a paper at the Evangelical Theological Society’s Southeast Regional meeting March 14-15 on the campus of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis. This marks the fourth presentation by Dr. Reid to the society’s members.

The 31-page paper was titled “Confirmation and Challenge: Thematic Shading and the Theology of the Chronicler.” After Reid’s presentation to the annual gathering of theologians, he answered questions from the audience.

Dr. Reid said, “Mine was one of nearly 100 papers presented during the fast-paced, two-day meeting. It was a busy session, and I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the group.”

Garnett Reid has been a member of the FWBBC Bible faculty since 1982. His wife Carol is librarian at the college.

PHILLIPS COMPLETES DOCTORATE

NASHVILLE, TN—Mike Phillips, Exercise Science Program Director and Athletic Director at Free Will Baptist Bible College, completed requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree at Middle Tennessee State University in October 2007. The degree will be awarded during graduation ceremonies December 15.

Provost Greg Ketteman said, “We are so pleased for Dr. Phillips and his family. He has worked hard to complete his doctoral studies, while at the same time maintaining his teaching duties at FWBBC, his home responsibilities, and his local church involvement. Mike is such an encouragement and example to our students.”

Dr. Phillips’ degree is in Health and Human Performance with concentrations in Physical Education and Sport Management. The 60-hour Ph.D. degree program included a dissertation titled “Student-Athletes’ Perception of Head Men’s Basketball Coaching Competencies at 15 Selected NCCAA Division II Christian Colleges.”
Mike has been part of the FWBBC faculty since 2002. He is a member of Donelson Free Will Baptist Church in Nashville where he serves on the Global Outreach Committee.

“My major concern now,” Dr. Phillips said, “will be oversight of the Exercise Science Department at FWBBC and strengthening athletics in general at the college.”

FWBBC Students Minister in France, New York

NASHVILLE, TN—Twenty-nine Free Will Baptist Bible College students and their sponsors gave up their 2008 spring break in mid-March to minister and witness in France and New York, according to John Murray, director of Christian Service.  Nineteen students went to New York with team leader Heath Hubbard, FWBBC’s director of recruitment, while 10 students flew to France with team leader John Murray.

The New York team wore distinctive red smocks and stood on city streets asking passersby if they could pray for them.  “We prayed with over 700 people,” Mr. Hubbard said, “and we saw 11 people converted. It was an amazing time that moved us all out of our comfort zones.”

One student said, “We discovered that people are hurting, lonely, and just want to be loved.” Another said, “We noticed that people with needs stopped to pray while others rushed right past us.”

The 10-member France team distributed tracts and performed manual labor at the Nantes Church where Missionaries Tim and Di Keener serve.  They participated in a city-wide meeting of all evangelical churches in Nantes Sunday morning that attracted more than 400 people.

Mr. Murray said, “We attended the English Club in the city of Coueron where French and American foods were served.  Tim and Di Keener sang, as did our students.  Tim then handed the guitar to the only French man there who ‘just happened to be’ a French country music singer who asked if the group knew any gospel songs.  We sang Amazing Grace and many others.  God opened doors of future service for the Keeners.”

The group also visited the St. Sebastian Church and met with Missionaries Dennis and Carol Teague.

Each year during spring break, numerous FWBBC students and faculty/staff forego their time to relax and go home to visit with friends and family. Instead, they raise funds, board airplanes, and travel mission fields around the world in an effort to embrace other cultures with the claims of Christ