SNU’s Hall of Witnesses Inducts LiveLast Servant-Leaders
The Hall of Witnesses at SNU recognizes clergy and laity who have invested their lives in Christian service, while the nomination scholarships build endowed resources for educating and supporting future generations of Christian servants.
Recently, a luncheon ceremony was held on the campus of SNU for the latest class of inductees. Dr. Keith Newman, President, commended them for being examples of the kind of LiveLast servant leaders Christ called us to be in Mark 9:35 – committed to serving others and building the Kingdom of God.
Inductees were Mr. Tim Brown, Rev. James Robertson, Mr. H.C. and Arlene Rustin, and Mr. Robert C. Worth, Sr.
Tim Brown (’78) was honored by Bethany First Church of the Nazarene for his investment as a member for 40 years, a board member and officer for 7 years, and serving as the full time Business Administrator at BFC for 13 years. Since 1991, he has also served as Treasurer for the Oklahoma District and has been a member of the SNU Board of Trustees since 1997.
Arlington (TX) First Church of the Nazarene nominated Rev. James H. Robertson (’48) to honor 78 years of ministry as a pastor and evangelist. From 1950-1960 he pastored Arlington First and in 1993 he rejoined the staff as Pastor Emeritus. Rev. Robertson pastored 8 churches on four districts and was a full-time evangelist for 18 years. His daughters accepted the honor on his behalf.
Lay leaders of the Durant, OK Church of the Nazarene from 1943 until their passing, H.C. and Arlene Rustin were nominated by their sons, Philip Rustin and Bart Rustin, to honor their lives of service to their church, community and family. Well known in the community for building a successful business based on Christian principles, H.C. Rustin was a member of the church board for 35 years, taught Sunday School for 50 years, and he and Arlene made significant contributions to the development of Camp Bond, the District Campground. H.C. was a member of the SNU Board of Trustees for over 30 years and he and Arlene established multiple endowed scholarships at SNU.
Robert C. Worth, Sr. lived an exemplary life in service to his God, family and church, and was nominated by Zita Worth, and the Worth family, to honor his 60 years of lay leadership in the Corpus Christi (TX) Church of the Nazarene and the Broken Arrow (OK) Church of the Nazarene. Throughout his professional career, Bob generously gave of his time and resources to his church. He served on the local church boards, as a Sunday School teacher and delegate to District and General assemblies.
Since 1996, the Ministerial Internship Program, supported by nomination scholarships to the Hall of Witnesses, has provided practical ministry experience and significant scholarship support to students called to full-time ministry.
To learn more about nominations to the SNU Hall of Witnesses, visit https://www.snu.edu/alumni/events/hall-of-witnesses/. Read more about the Ministerial Internship Program at https://www.snu.edu/ministerial-internship-program/. Visit the Hall of Witnesses display in the Ludwig Religion Building on the campus of Southern Nazarene University.
SNU Launches Inaugural Doctoral Program
A program for professionals with a passion for making a positive impact on their institution, organization or community has been launched at Southern Nazarene University. The Doctor of Education in Administration and Leadership is a cohort-based program of 57 credit hours and takes approximately 32 months to complete.
Focusing on sound leadership principles and based on a Christian worldview, this research-based program encourages practitioners to expand their knowledge base, examine the intricacies of leadership, and contribute to their fields of study while inspiring meaningful change in their environments.
The first cohort of students will begin meeting on the Bethany campus February 27, 2019 with most classes taking place Wednesday evenings, while some sessions will occur on weekends or will be offered in a hybrid structure. Courses will focus on various aspects of leadership, research, collaboration and team building. Portions of the program will also involve the student in strategic planning and develop knowledge and skills in law, technology and administration.
Dr. Stephoni Case, Director of Graduate Programs in Education said, “The launch of the doctorate is a goal we have been working to reach for many years. Within the last two years, we have worked with the Higher Learning Commission for approval and developed the program with the guidance and support of the university. The impact that a terminal degree will have on the learners is far reaching for them as individuals. As a university, the doctorate program will allow us to extend our mission to educators, business leaders and public service professionals across Oklahoma. We are thankful and excited to now live out this dream!”
The inaugural cohorts will meet on the main campus of Southern Nazarene University, and the third cohort will be offered at the Tulsa campus in January 2020. Online cohorts will begin in the summer of 2021.
To learn more about the Doctor of Education degree at SNU, visit https://pgs.snu.edu/doctorate-education or contact Patti Milford at 405-491-6346 or pmilford@snu.edu.
Spring Pastors Forum 2019
Bobby Gruenewald is passionate about exploring new ideas and finding practical ways to leverage them for the global Church. He serves as Pastor, Innovation Leader at Life.Church, a multi-site church based in Oklahoma. Meeting in 28 different physical locations and globally online, the church is devoted to helping people around the world become fully devoted followers of Christ. Gruenewald is also the founder of the YouVersion Bible App, which has been installed on over 300 million devices.
Working with Senior Pastor Craig Groeschel, Gruenewald has helped shape Life.Church’s missional approach to technology, reaching people in every country in the world through initiatives like Church Online, the YouVersion Bible App, and the Bible App for Kids. Rooted in a strong belief that churches can accomplish more working together, Life.Church has created a suite of free tools for church leaders including Open resources, an online library of sermons, ministry resources, and ideas.
As one of the leading voices in the Church on innovation and the use of technology, Gruenewald frequently writes and speaks on the topic, and has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, NBC Nightly News, TechCrunch, CNN, CBS, Stanford Business Magazine, and more. He was also named to Fast Company’s list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. Prior to joining the Life.Church team in 2001, he started and sold two technology companies as well as served in advisory capacities for various startups and venture capital funds. His focus now is completely on Life.Church and the incredible things God is doing in lives of people each day. Gruenewald and his wife, Melissa, live in Edmond, Oklahoma with their four children.