Saturday, October 25, 2008
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This will be the final post from this weekend's 40th Anniversary Celebration.
A great number of people contributed to making this a special weekend for more than 400 guests. They won't all be named here, and may not receive earthly reward or recognition, but God knows who they are.
Many of those 400-odd guests constitute some of the the finest servants Maranatha has produced over the last 40 years. You can read some of their stories here, although far too brief. You can read more about them in Rich in Mercy, the 192-page book that both shows and tells the history of the college.
Thanks for reading. We hope you will visit us on campus again soon.
The 40th Anniversary Celebration concluded with Saturday afternoon's football game, a 28-21 loss to Concordia-Chicago.
The Crusaders (0-7, 0-4) were within 21-14 until midway through the fourth quarter, when the Cougars (3-4, 2-2) scored to widen the gap to 28-14. Maranatha charged back with another touchdown, a 28-yard pass from Nathan Chromy to Mike Walton, that made the score 28-21 with 3:53 to play.
Concordia was forced to punt, and Maranatha got the ball back on its 36 with 1:24 remaining. Two plays later, however, a pass interception snuffed out the Crusaders' last hope. The Cougars ran out the final 1:06 to secure the Northern Athletics Conference victory.
The Crusaders continue their season next Saturday, hosting Lakeland.
One of the joys of working at Maranatha is hearing the sounds of singing and instrumental music coming out of Old Main's windows while walking around the building.
Donald DeGraw smiled and admitted looking forward to hearing that sound again Saturday morning. Alumni Hall was jam-packed with 120-to-150 people during most of the Fine Arts Department reunion. The group then broke up for some singing, the former Chamber Singers staying in Alumni Hall and the former Madrigal Choir members adjourning to Burckart Hall.
Soon, the sounds of singing once again reverberated off the walls and around the courtyard on Old Main's west side.
"Every day for 14 years, I was glad to be here," said DeGraw, a member of the music faculty for 14 years (1972-86) and head of the Fine Arts Department when he left. "Why is the music program so popular here? Maybe David Ledgerwood is the reason. Maybe Monty Budahl is the reason. Or, maybe, we've just all been incredibly blessed by what God has done through us."
DeGraw's three children (Daryl, Jeanne, Jannis) all graduated from Maranatha. Two of his grandchildren now attend.
College founder Dr. B. Myron Cedarholm was looking for a music professor for the fall of 1972 after Dr. Don Scovill, a music teacher since the college was founded in 1968, had resigned that spring. He called Dr. Bob Jones Jr.,
who recommended DeGraw. He had been teaching in a public high school in Illinois.
"We were excited to come, and we bought the Scovills' house on Center Street," DeGraw recalled.
One key to the growth of the program, DeGraw said, was the concept of sending out touring musical groups. The musicians not only bonded with each other, but helped cement the school's bond with its constituency.
"When those young people got into the churches and the homes, people outside of Maranatha knew what was happening here," DeGraw said. "They found out what kind of young people we had here. That turned out to be a great thing."
About 20 folks were present for most of the Business Department reunion, including one Krazy lady with an incredible heart for souls.
Kim Marks ('98), who calls herself Krazy Marks (read her blog at http://krazymarks.blogspot.com/), is a missionary to the gypsy people of northwest Romania. She is on furlough in Wisconsin, but will return to Romania in two weeks.
"What I get to witness is extreme conversions," Marks said. "They are most definitely repentant. The culture of the gypsies is so extremely poor and full of crime and sin that they are an ostracized people. The Orthodox church in Romania once taught that gypsies did not have souls. Nobody there has even bothered to try to reach them. They are the new tribe, the one that has not been reached with the Gospel."
The Business Management major worked in management for Target Corporation and Airmark Corporation before being called to the mission field on April 14, 2002. She spent an eight-month short-term missions assignment in Africa with missionaries Mark and Nancy Shepherd before deciding on Salonta, Romania, as her permanent field.
"I work in women's and children's ministries in eight different churches," Marks said. She is also raising funds for a classroom building to be constructed at a church in Ciumeghiu.
It all sounds sane enough. So, why Krazy Marks?
"I can't really tell you who started calling me Krazy Marks," she said. "Everybody just sort of always knew that about me."
About 40 people were present for most of the Bible Department reunion in Room 202 of the Dining Complex. One of them was Ken Marsh ('74), a man who finds himself in much the same position Maranatha founder B. Myron Cedarholm found himself to be in May of 1968.
Marsh (left) is head of the speech and drama department at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College. That school announced this week that it will close Dec. 31. Marsh has been at Pillsbury for six years.
"God is already showing me that he still has my name and address," Marsh said. "I don't know what's next. But I do know there is something God wants me to learn that can only be learned this way."
Marsh's primary concern is for his students, some of whom have already expressed a strong desire to transfer to Maranatha.
"They are like a family, and that family is about to break up," Marsh said. "They are beginning to realize they are doing things for the last time. Our soccer team played its last game the other day, and won big.
"The night after this was announced (Tuesday), I walked by the dating parlor and heard about 40 students in there singing and praising God. I walked by Kerux Auditorium and heard about 50 more singing and praising God. The students have had a remarkably good spirit, a spirit that reminds me of the early days of Maranatha. They did everything they could to make a go of it at Pillsbury."
Marsh will return to Owatonna with sheets of information about Maranatha for Pillsbury's 148 students. That information includes programs to help Pillsbury students complete their degrees at MBBC.
"Our President. Dr. Greg Huffman, said the other day that God will one day tell the people from Pillsbury to all go stand in one corner of heaven and talk about what He did for them after this week," Marsh said. "I'm really looking forward to that."
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Bible Department chair Brian Trainer talked about the Global Encounters missions program, including a DVD presentation compiled from the trips that took place last summer. More than 100 students took part in Global Encounters, and Trainer said 137 have signed up to participate in 2009.
Former chair Dr. Larry Oats will be Dean of Maranatha Baptist Seminary when it opens in the fall of 2009. Oats said the decision to open the seminary was not based on perceived shortcomings of any other seminary. "We're not starting it because of them, but because of us," Oats said. "We've been talking about it with our board for years."
About 20 people were gathered in the Heritage Room of the Cedarholm Library for the reunion of former library employees--including its most long-tenured employee and its First Family, of sorts.
Teresa Herbert ('05), Jodi Herbert ('07), and current student body president John (Chip) Herbert V have all worked at the library. Tricia Herbert is next in line.
Louise Budahl is finishing up her time at the college, the only employee to have worked all 40 years here consecutively. She originally came to Maranatha as secretary to college founder Dr. B. Myron Cedarholm in June of 1968, then switched to full-time library work in the mid-1980s. Her original typewriter can be viewed at the Dining Complex as part of the Memory Lane display.
"I lived in the Pederson Funeral Home when I came," recalled Mrs. Budahl (left, with daughter Hope Robertson). "I would drive over to the Cedarholm's house on West Street and sit at their kitchen table and type. I moved into Century House that fall with three other secretaries, including Linda Carlson. The wood ceiling was so dark ... we eventually got tired of it and just painted it."
She also remembers typing "thousands" of card catalogue entries by hand--so many, in fact, that the college waited until Mrs. Budahl had taken a day off to destroy them after adopting a computerized card-catalogue system. One set of the cards was given to her as a gesture of appreciation for all that typing.
There were about 20 people most of the morning at the athletics reunion, the first gathering of the day (9 a.m.).
We talked to Ben Peterson, wrestling coach at Maranatha for 28 years. He still lives in Watertown and is still involved in wrestling through Camp of Champs. "God blessed me by being able to take my hobby and also make it my ministry and livelihood," Peterson said. He will work with about 500 wrestlers each year through both weekend camps during the school year and week-long camps during the summer.
Peterson will travel to Chico, California, for a weekend camp next month. He recently finished one in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Peterson said he normally stays in the town after a Saturday camp to speak at a Sunday church service. He rents facilities in Medord, Wisconsin, and Juneau, Wisconsin, for the week-long summer camps.
"I miss the personal touch, watching a kid develop day-by-day, but I don't miss the daily grind of coaching," Peterson said.
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Brent Biddle ('90) and wife Diana (McDonald '90) were here for the reunion and to visit with their daughter. Hannah, a freshman, has studied string, piano and harp at Indiana University but is also training for the World Association of Benchers and Dead Lifters Championships weightlifting event in Las Vegas. Hannah has already won weight-class championships in five different organizations, including the WABDL. Brent is conducting a strength clinic tonight at the Fitness Center Gymnasium weight room.
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Jerry Williams is here. He was coach of the 1972 football team that recorded the first victory in school history. He was also coach later that year when, during a road trip to Appleton, Maranatha coaches and players were able to lead 19 people to the Lord and help establish a church there.
"I still have the book where we wrote down all 19 names and addresses," Williams said. "A lot of them were teenagers. I was able to lead the coach of the other team to the Lord as well as the owner of the restaurant we ate at."
Williams was a missionary to Papua, New Guinea, with wife Marilyn (Arrowood '70) for 32 years. They now live in Illinois.
Five different reunions are taking place this morning on campus--athletics, fine arts, library, Bible and business. We'll file a report from each one, and try to talk to at least one interesting person. That will consume most of the morning here, with the football game against Concordia-Chicago beginning at 1 p.m.
Friday, October 24, 2008
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Mrs. Cedarholm's nickname for the college snack shop was the Chat 'N Nibble Inne. There was a lot of chatting and nibbling going on in the Dining Complex on Friday night at the Alumni Reception that followed the Fall Festival concert. We ran into a few (hundred) of your friends there. It was extremely crowded and extremely warm, but the fellowship was a nice way to end a busy and special day on campus.
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I stopped by the Dining Complex around 9 p.m. to check on the status of the Power Point presentation that had been set up by Director of Communications Naomi Ledgerwood. The presentation included pictures of alumni with their families, all identified. A lot of people really seemed to enjoy seeing what the alumni look like today, some even gathering around the screen to watch the entire slide show.
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Perhaps the most popular person on campus so far this weekend has been Charlotte Cedarholm, daughter of college founder B. Myron Cedarholm. She is easy to find because of the near-constant stream of friends huddled around her. Charlotte tends to shun the spotlight, but reliable sources tell us she invited 30 or so former Madrigal Choir members to her house Saturday morning for Swedish pancakes--the same recipe her mother, Thelma, served to Madrigal members for so many years.
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Dan Kowach ('05) and wife Dee were among those taking in the Memory Lane display of memorabilia. The Kowatchs, who reside in Jefferson, are working toward becoming missionaries to South Korea. They have raised approximately 30 percent of their funding over 14 months. Dan Kowach was Maranatha's director of vehicle maintainence from 1997-99.
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Adam Thomas ('02) and wife Katie came from Louisville, Kentucky, for the 40th Anniversary Celebration. Both teach children with learning disabilities in the Jefferson County school district there. "I loved Maranatha; I left a part of my life here," Thomas said. "But my wife had only heard the stories from me. I wanted her to see it." Thomas said one of his fondest memories remains the cheese curds and rhubarb he was served as a guest at the home of Education Department assistant professor Mrs. Marcele Kolwinska.
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Dave ('73) and Sandy ('72) Wredburg are visiting from Georgia. Dave spent 14 years as Maranatha's Dean of Men. Sandy is a teacher and Dave an administrator at Shiloh Hills Christian School in Georgia. All four of their sons attended Maranatha Academy as well as the college.
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Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel sports writer Mark Stewart wrote an accurate and sympathetic article about the plight of Maranatha's football team. The Crusaders host Concordia-Chicago on Saturday afternoon. You can read the article here:
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/statecolleges/33197014.html
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They have just opened the doors for the Friday performance of the Fall Festival concert.
The crowd includes two women instrumental in Maranatha's history: Dorothy Burckart and Elayne Senn.
Mrs. Burckart taught music and piano lessons at the college for 26 years. Burckart Hall is named for Mrs. Burckart and her husband, the late Dr. Ed Burckart, who taught for 25 years. She remains very much alive and full of wit and wisdom at 82.
Mrs. Senn is best known as the woman who called college founder Dr. B. Myron Cedarholm in May of 1968 to tell him Sacred Heart Academy in Watertown was for sale. She has been recovering from a series of strokes.
The gym filled quickly with alumni, guests and the students who did not attend Thursday. It filled so quickly, in fact, that some students were asked to give up their seats and stand in the back of the gymnasium.
Jeremiah Calvino took this picture of the former faculty and staff in Burckart Hall, using a fish-eye lens.
An overflow crowd is gathered in Burckart Hall for this afternoon's special Fine Arts alumni recital. Every chair in the room is 
full, and 20-to-30 more people are standing in the back.
Burckart Hall remains one of the most unique spots on campus, but is badly in need of a facelift. This year's fall development project is to raise funds for the Hall's renovation.
Here is the list of the alumni peforming this afternoon:
Teresa Herbert ('05), assisted by Joelle Isaacs, french horn
Don DeGraw, voice, assisted by Dr. David Ledgerwood. DeGraw was chairman of the Fine Arts Department for 14 years.
Joshua Ledgerwood ('06), piano
Stephen Allen ('77) and Jacqui Allen ('81), assisted by Dr. David Ledgerwood, trumpet and french horn
Paula Herbert ('78), piano
Bob Jones University and Northland Baptist Bible College both sent large flower arrangements to Maranatha on Friday to help add to the celebration of the college's 40th anniversary.
The card from Bob Jones read: "Congratulations on 40 years of Christian Education. Bob Jones University"
The card from Northland read: "Dr. Phelps and Friends at Maranatha: We thank the Lord for your friendship in ministry and rejoice with you on the occasion of your 40th anniversary as a college. We look forward to many more years of serving the Lord together through higher education and the work of the Great Commision. Matt Olson, and Northland Faculty and Staff."
Olson is the Northland President and a longtime friend of Maranatha President Dr. Charles Phelps.
Two alumni have written recently in Teacher Talk, the Education Department's newsletter, about the impact Coach Jerry Terrill had on their lives. You can read their accounts here:
Eddie Washetas: http://www.mbbc.edu/page.aspx?m=3133
Bob Fite: http://www.mbbc.edu/page.aspx?m=2947
Terrill's induction into the Maranatha Athletics Hall of Fame was announced in chapel Friday morning.
Bob Griffin and Wayne Vawter were roommates on Maranatha's first day--although, until 10 p.m., a room was all they had.
"There wasn't a stick of furniture in the dorm area until 10 o'clock at night," said Griffin, who joined wife Teresa (Bohren), Vawter and dozens of others at Burckart Hall on Friday morning for a group picture of students from the college's first two years. "Finally, the rental trucks arrived with the furniture. They backed up across the football field, and we started unloading.
"It was the end of the summer, and it was so hot. There were bunk beds and dressers ... and we had to unload it all and assemble it before we could go to bed."
Griffin and Vawter were two of about 40 men who slept in the area of Old Main now occupied by Alumni Hall and the Business Office. The Brothers of the Holy Cross had left behind some 10-foot high metal lockers, however, that the male students used to divide the room. Griffin and Vawter ended up in the bunk bed near the radiator ... which wasn't a problem until winter.
"People would turn up the radiator, and it would be just stifling in our little area," Vawter said. "So, finally, I took off the knob and the screw so Bob and I wouldn't be so miserable."
Griffin noted that there were few printed rules during the early days of the college, because students transferring from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College simply "knew" what the rules were, and passed them along to their peers.
"We were sitting on the steps of Old Main about 8 p.m. that first week, singing and playing guitar, when we started thinking there should be 'study hours,' " Griffin said. "So, after that, there were study hours."
Vawter (right, with Charlotte Cedarholm) said he and Griffin, Dave Potter and Terry Stevenson would pray together and planned to one day begin a Bible college in Australia. Instead, Potter is a missionary to Hungary, Griffin and Stevenson pastor churches in Wyoming and Vawter is director of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Baptist Churches.
"I'll never forget the first chapel," Griffin said. "It was 100 degrees in here (Burckart Hall). But, when we stood to sing 'To God Be the Glory,' we were so thankful and so full of joy ... you could have scraped us off the ceiling."
Dave Capetz admits to not being a natural choice for one of the lead roles in Maranatha's first dramatic production.
"I had not acted in a play at all, ever," said Capetz, who joined other alumni from the school's first two years at Burckart hall on Friday. "From what I remember, I was probably volunteered. It was a small school."
Capetz played Romeo and Jean Anderson was Juliet on May 8-10, 1969, Maranatha's first spring play.
"It was a challenge," Capetz admitted. "It may have lacked something in interpetation. I did try to say it the way they wanted me to say it. One thing I do remember from trying to learn was that 90 percent of acting is reacting."
Capetz now lives in Forest Lake, Minnesota. He is head of Faith Enterprises, Inc., a group that performs research for Christian institutions.
Sadly, no one seems to know what has become of Anderson.
Capetz claims for himself no undue measure of fame from his historic role in Fine Arts at the college.
"They were just doing the best they could with what they had," Capetz said.
Cheryl (Anderson) Vegter, Maria (Panczenko) Roades and Cheryl (Smith) Capetz, roommates during Maranatha's first year, had not been together in the same room since graduating--until Friday morning. They were among 41 former students and their spouses from Maranatha's first two years who gathered at Burckart Hall for a photograph.
"We lived in a lot of places, but the first place was in the old cloisters," Capetz said. "It was the last room on the right side, the one with the sink. Let's just say we didn't come for the facilities."
What the 1968-69 students were missing in aesthetics, however, they were gaining in both following God's direction for their lives and in pioneer spirit. The lessons they learned in the dorm were not terribly different than those being learned today.
"We just learned to give in--to talk over whose turn it was at the sink or in the shower and go with it," Capetz said.
Barb Kruse was also part of the room during the first semester, but concluded her college studies that December.
Vegter now lives in Watertown, Capetz in Forest Lake, Minnesota, and Roades in South Milwaukee.
"It was like a small family then," Roades said. "It's nice to come back. It's like seeing family."
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Alumni Chapel is packed, and not just from people wanting to come in from out of the rain. Gymnasium czar Larry Carlson tells me there are 1,010 chairs set up for today's session.
Dr. Phelps is asking folks to squeeze together. There is not much more room on this chair, but I'll try.
Dr. Arno Q. Weniger opened the service with a very sincere and moving prayer. Dr. Weniger is 72 now and lives in Illinois. He was President from 1983-98.
The Trumpets of Praise ensemble from 1976 played "There is Power in the Blood." Dr. Jim Harrison, my boss, was certainly oustanding. The other men (Mark Love and Steve Allen) and pianist (Brenda Harvey Love) were pretty good too (ha).
The alumni have been asked to stand. I am going to guess 200 to 250 have stood.
The Athletic Hall of Fame portion of the chapel is now in session. Athletic Director Rob Thompson is talking about the late Jerry Terril, who coached Maranatha's NCCAA Division II national champion men's basketball team in 1990. Coach Terrill's wife and son are accepting the plaque for him.
It is a shame it had to rain today. This day deserved glorious sunshine, it seems. But we all know God knows best--even in matters of the weather.
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Coach Terrill's son Tracy is delivering a very emotional acceptance. His father coached 25 years. Just imagine how many lives he touched in that time.
"My dad loved this place. He loved the classroom. He loved the ball diamond. He loved this gym ... thousands of hours in this gym. He loved coaching. He loved training young coaches-to-be, and all the other young people with whom he worked."
Nov. 14 will be a special reception and reunion for those who played under Coach Terrill.
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The Trumpets of Praise are back on stage, playing "My Hope is in the Lord." Man, these guys are still good. It sounds like they have been practicing every day for the last 32 years.
Mark and Brenda (Harvey) Love are here. Mark is now in Connecticut after previously serving at Camp CoBeAc. Ben Peterson, the former Olympic wrestling champion and Maranatha's coach for 28 years, is also here.
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John Davis is giving out Alumni of the Year Awards. The award for preaching goes to Pastor David and Mrs. Debbie Anderson. He has spent the last 12 years as an assistant pastor in Warren, Michigan. His father, Rod, is a 1975 graduate. Debbie has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She has written a tract entitled "Hope" that includes her testimony.
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The award for Christian Ministry goes to John and Scarlet Steurwald. They have been in Utica, Wisconsin, for 17 years in teaching and youth ministry. Scarlet's mother, Geraldine Ott, died recently. Her parents were long-time missionaries.
The award for a Christian Servant goes to Charlotte Cedarholm. She taught for 21 years in Christian schools, eight in Guam, then established Josephine's, a gift shop in Watertown. Charlotte has been a visible supporter of the college and an invaluable resource for the Maranatha family. She arrived with her parents, college founder Dr. B. Myron Cedarholm and Mrs. Thelma Cedarholm, in 1968.
Dr. Larry Oats is now presenting Rich in Mercy, the book of Maranatha's history now on sale. Its author, Kim Ledgerwood, is receiving a nice round of applause. The ceremonial first copy is being presented to Dr. Phelps.
Hayley McGrail, alumnus and now women's soccer coach, is singing a solo. The song may be "I Will Not Let Thee Go," but I can't confirm that. I can confirm that Hayley can really sing. What a blessing! And, as an aside, her team is a serious contender to claim Maranatha's first-ever NCCAA women's soccer national title.
Dr. Phelps is preaching from Revelation 3:12. He is explaining that the original yellow sign from the college entrance is well-worn, like many alumni, but contains a great reminder of the truths on which the college was founded. Each word in "Maranatha Baptist Bible College" is to be revered. He also mentioned that names, especially where Baptist terminology is concerned, can get you into trouble.
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My daughter Abigail, a sophomore at Maranatha, is sitting next to me. I am so thankful for the opportunity for all three of my children to be able to be in a place like this, studying under godly men and women and listening to sermons like this one today from Dr. Phelps. Most of the students I talk to are really quite happy when they hear Dr. Phelps is going to preach in chapel. His sermons always seem to contain truths both practical and thought-provoking.
Dr. Phelps just related that he picked out a granite sign for the Trinity Baptist Church sign at his pastorate in Concord, New Hampshire, with the idea that it would not be easy to take the word "Baptist" out of the church name, as several Baptist churches in the area had already done.
Dr. Phelps is very diligent about keeping track of the theological pulse of American fundamentalism. "We live in a time when the winds of covenant theology are blowing. The winds of hyper-Calvinism are sweeping through our land. May your allegience be to God's word, not to a theological system."
"You can anchor yourself to your education, your experience, your religion or God's Word. The Word of God is steadfast and sure, and will not pass."
Chapel is over. Next stop--Burckart Hall, where pictures of students and faculty/staff members from 1968 will be taken.
We are live from Friday morning's Alumni Chapel!
Thanks to the magic of the Internet, we will be filing live reports from various campus sites throughout the day, including the Alumni Chapel. Nearly 500 guests are expected in Watertown this weekend. Approximately 175 arrived Thursday, with more pouring in already this morning.
It is a very exciting time to be at Maranatha. I just hope no one sees me typing and thinks I'm doing homework during chapel, because I have not been assessed a demerit since 1984.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
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The Fall Festival concert, "To The Praise of His Glory," came together quite nicely in front of a packed house of students, faculty, staff and alumni Thursday night.
It was no small feat.
The production was a complex one, with four visual elements on stage (three video screens and Vegter's podium) that all needed proper lighting, sound and technical support. In front of the stage were the combined choirs and orchestra.
The program was an intriguing recap of God's provision in establishing Maranatha in 1968 as seen through the eyes of college founder Dr. B. Myron Cedarholm and his notes in a devotional guide written by C.H. Spurgeon.
All of the female choir members were wearing matching black dresses. And, of course, all of their hairstyles were lovely and meticulously arranged. All three choirs had even purchased matching jewelry.
The men were dressed in black suits. Some wore silver ties, others red bow ties and red vests.
The program consumed exactly 2 hours and contained few technical glitches, a considerable feat when one considers that the script had undergone a significant rewrite just two days earlier.
The audience Thursday included about 175 of the nearly 500 alumni and guests expected for the 40th Anniversary Celebration. Most of the remainder are expected to arrive for the Friday night concert, followed by the Alumni Reception.
Dr. Arno Q. Weniger, Maranatha's second President, arrived on campus a few minutes ago. Dr. Weniger was President from 1983-98, and impacted the college in very practical ways by leading it out of rough financial waters and spearheading 39 separate building and improvement projects.
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One of the first people he greeted was former volleyball coach Marsha Jackson, who led the Crusaders to five National Christian College Athletic Association championships while Weniger was President.
We hope to have much more with Dr. Weniger later in the day. He appears to be in good health, with a quick wit and plenty of stories to share. Dr. Weniger (right, with Ben Lavicka at the Welcome Desk) now lives in Illinois.
David Leslie ('70) was among the alumni looking over the Memory Lane display in the Dining Complex. Leslie is now an assistant pastor for his brother, Paul, at Green Corners Baptist Church in Belding, Michigan.
Leslie is also a chaplain at a state prison in Michigan. He teaches a class called "Thinking for a Change" that is required of inmates about to be paroled. "The program allows them to be much more successful in their re-entry to society," Leslie said.
He was the unofficial coach of Maranatha's flag football team that won the Watertown Rec League championship in 1968 and finished second in 1969. "One of the other teams brought in a bunch of ringers (in '69) because they didn't want us to win it again," Leslie said.
The Athletic Department recently unearthed a couple photos of that first flag football team. They are attached here.
Leward Fluty ('87) is here with one of his daughters. He is now a software developer in Michigan, working for a company that provides software to municipalities for maintaining tax records.
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"The buildings have changed, of course, but it's also funny to watch all the students walking around with their cell phones," said Fluty (right, with Andrew Call of the Communications Department).
He estimates having returned to campus "20 times" since his graduation, including to enroll his daughter in the summer Fine Arts camp.
Dr. Ed Caughill and wife Alice are here for the celebration. Dr. Caughill is now Executive Vice President and Dean Emeritus of Tabernacle Baptist Bible College in Virginia Beach. This is his 50th year of full-time ministry.
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Dr. Caughill, Dr. Weeks and Dr. Cedarholm were the three instrumental figures in getting Maranatha off the ground in its early days. Dr. Caughill (left, with Dr. Jim Harrison) served as business manager as well as a Bible faculty member.
Mrs. Caughill marveled at the change in the appearance of the campus over the years. She noted that, when they arrived, there was only Old Main, a garage (now Alumni Services), a maintenance shop and a barn and silo.
We just returned from Thursday morning's history chapel. Dr. Oats, who has seen most of Maranatha's history, joked about Dr. Cedarholm's "10-point outlines," then honored him with one of his own.
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1. Plan of God ... How Oats came to Maranatha from Pillsbury in the fall of 1968.
2. Policies ... Oats noted how few rules existed in 1968, and how many have been added, he joked, "because of the stupidity of the students who have gone before you."
3. Price ... As Dr. Doug Jackson noted before his opening prayer, "600 bucks for a semester. A lot of you pay 600 bucks for books now."
4. Provision from God ... Learning to depend on God for financial support.
5. Pep band and plays ... The opportunity to participate.
6. Special places ... The former confessional booths, where many students conducted private devotions, and a particular pew in Burckart Hall where Oats spent much time in prayer as a student.
7. Preaching ... Many of the most visible figures in Baptist history have spoken from the pulpit here.
8. Primacy of the local church ... Matthew 16:18
9. People ... Cedarholm, Dr. Weeks, Dr. Barnes, Dr. Hollowood
10. Position ... Cedarholm "wanted to make sure people graduating from Maranatha were Baptists."
You can listen to the chapel here:
You can watch it here:
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Most of the nearly 500 guests expected this weekend have not arrived on campus. I did enjoy a brief chat with Paul Phelps. His tale of sliding down the Century House bannister and into the arms of Dr. Cedarholm is one of the best alumni stories in Rich in Mercy, the 192-page story of Maranatha now for sale. Phelps now administers a Christian counseling center in Michigan. His daughter, Marcia Brower, compiles the itinerary for the college's traveling musical groups.
--By Andrew Call, 10-23-08