April 13, 2015

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Mentalist Drew Worsham tells students to use gifts for God

California Baptist University students were captivated April 10 by chapel speaker Drew Worsham, a mentalist and illusionist who entertained students with mental games before sharing his testimony.

Worsham, who is also a pastor at a church in Washington, brought the audience to applause when he appeared to successfully read his participants minds’ by guessing their names or words they were thinking without being told. At one point, he asked a participant to open a book and pick a word. Worsham then wrote the word down before his participant said it. The audience erupted when the participant uttered the word written on the paper by Worsham.

Audience members were quick to voice their fascination and skepticism.

“I have no idea how he was able to do it, but it was fun to watch,” said Brittany Leary, a freshman English major.”I wish I could figure out how he did it

Worsham said he uses illusionism as a platform to share the gospel. He spoke mainly on the point of using skills to glorify Christ.

“If I can take this random gift and use it to get your attention for just a moment, then I want to share with you the one thing that has changed my life,” Worsham said. “Whatever it is you do, do it all to point to and champion Jesus. Every one of you has been blessed with gifts and abilities. I believe that God has called you to use this to point to Jesus.”

 

Divinity school dean speaks about Martin Luther at CBU

The founding dean of Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., talked about the life and impact of theologian Martin Luther during a visit to California Baptist University on April 9.

Dr. Timothy George, who is also a professor of divinity history and doctrine, spoke to faculty and students from the CBU School of Christian Ministries and area pastors.

In two years, it will be the 500^th anniversary of when Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of a church on Oct. 31, 1517, marking the Protestant Reformation. George talked about the events in Luther’s life that led up to that action and what happened afterward.

Luther became a monk and then a professor of theology. He fasted and lashed himself, trying to make himself acceptable to God. He was always asking if he was good enough, George said. When he became a professor, he intensely studied the Bible to understand it and teach it. As a result, he became a great reformer, George said.

“He didn’t start out that way, to sort of shake the foundations of the church,” George said. “He started out by studying the word of God and pouring his life into becoming a teacher of theology.”

Luther wrote the 95 theses in response to the indulgences that people could buy from the Catholic Church to get forgiveness from sins. He did not intend the theses to be an earth-shaking event; they were for discussion, George said.

Thesis No. 1 said: “When our Lord and master Jesus Christ said repent, he meant for the whole life to be one of repentance.”

Luther realized that repentance “is not a commodity, it’s a change of heart,” George said. “It means to be transformed, to turn around. Luther is getting beyond the externalities of the religion to the thing that really counts — the heart and one’s standing before God.”

Luther came to believe that one is made right with God by faith, George said. One of the principles of the Reformation is “justification by faith alone.” Luther faced excommunicated and possible death unless he recanted. He did not and was excommunicated from the church.

“Do you believe in anything deep enough, strong enough, hard enough, long enough that if necessary you would be willing to give your life for it?” George asked. “Luther said there are some things more important than holding on to your mortal life. Before he died, he wrote six words on a piece of paper. ‘We are beggars. This is true.’

“We’re beggars because when we stand before God, we bring nothing to offer to him that can redeem ourselves,” George said, explaining what Luther wrote. “We know this is true because of who God is and what he has said and done in the person of his son, Jesus Christ.”

George also spoke at the Evangelical Theological Society, Far West Region Meeting being held at CBU April 10.

 

CBU cheer wins third straight national title

Heading into finals Friday evening, California Baptist University knew it needed to focus if it was going to take home its third championship trophy. As soon as the Lancers took the stage, one thing clear: they were there to compete.

CBU was the last All-Girl Division II squad to compete after scoring the highest Thursday, saving the best for last. The Lancers wanted to clean up their timing and execution from the preliminary round and did just that. CBU finished with a 94.58, more than two points ahead of runner-up University of Central Oklahoma.

Despite some nerves leading up to performance time, the Lancers shook them off and focused on themselves and executed their jumps, baskets and pyramid with precision.

Head coach Tami Fleming had warned the girls before the performance that if they hit their pyramid, the routine wasn’t over since there was still a dance section that needed to be done. The Lancers finished their routine with high energy, leaving everything they had on the floor.

The third-straight National Cheerleaders Associaiton title puts CBU down as the first All-Girl Division II team to accomplish the feat and keeps the Lancers undefeated since 2012.

 

CBU Army ROTC Color Guard claims drill competition trophy

California Baptist University Army ROTC presented a trophy from the John J. Pershing Memorial Drill Competition to Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, on April 8.

Two teams from CBU’s Army ROTC competed in the event last month in Richmond, Va. The CBU Army ROTC won The National Society of Pershing Rifles Best Company Award, while the male team placed third in the color guard competition. Cadet Kendall Morris also placed third in the Drill & Ceremony Knockout competition.

“It shows the discipline, and it shows the dedication that the cadets have to the program,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jason Winkle, military science instructor.

The male team consisted of cadets Caleb Fink, Joshua Fink, Kendall Morris and Joel Powell. It was Powell’s second year on the team. Last year’s first place team recognized its strengths and weaknesses and this year’s team learned from that.

“What we did this year was really focus on picking out those weaknesses and learning from, say, our mistakes and learning from our strengths,” Powell said. “We had a little bit more time this year to really focus on the little details.”

Cadet Nathan Shimabukuro had previously competed and this year coached the teams.

“It was good to be able to mentor and then teach everything that I learned,” he said. “I tried my best to instill in the younger cadets to always desire improvement. Practice was never a waste of time and I found that, at every practice, there was always something that could be changed for the better.”

Shimabukuro also worked on building cohesion within the teams.

“No matter how knowledgeable or experienced any one person is, we all are still able to learn from one another,” he said. “The most important mindset to have is one that puts others before one’s self. Without the proper cohesion and dynamic, the team is unable to function and improve.”

More than 400 college ROTC and high school JROTC cadets from across the nation attended the competition. Pershing Rifles drill teams compete in several categories, including squad regulation drill, platoon exhibition drill, individual drill and color guard.

Pershing Rifles is an ROTC related organization that was started by Lt. John J. Pershing in 1894 when he was the professor of military science at the University of Nebraska.

 

CBU Theatre presents “Phantom” as spring season finale

California Baptist University’s season-ending production of “Phantom” began a two-week, seven-performance run April 10.

Written by by Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston, the play is based on the 1910 novel “The Phantom of the Opera” by Gaston Leroux.  However, CBU’s production is different from Frank Lloyd Webber’s musical adaptation of the book. While the overall story is still about a phantom who lives under the Paris Opera House, there are differences, said director Debbie Prutsman.

“There are many small, fine details that are different and that add so much to the story line,” she said. “I think the Yeston/Kopit version brings much more humanity to the character of the Phantom.”

Prutsman is married to Dan Robinson, CBU’s theatre technical director. She has worked professionally in musical theater for more than 30 years as an actor and director, and once the CBU theatre program booked the show, Prutsman was asked to direct.

There are challenges to telling this story, from space to the music to the number of performers, Prutsman said, but each challenge was overcome.

Lee Lyons, professor of theatre, created a second level on stage, to provide actors multiple levels in the story-telling. He also incorporated the use of video projections, Prutsman said.

The production’s music features a distinct, classical sound while incorporating the story-telling. Dr. Angela Brand, associate professor of music, effectively blended the two styles, Prutsman said.

The cast consists of 24 CBU students, one music faculty member and six dancers from The Redlands Festival Ballet Company.

“It is nothing short of miraculous to find college students who have the theatrical prowess and technical know-how to pull off these characters,” Prutsman said. “Those who see the show will be amazed by the skill and heart of the performers.”

Ethan Park, a theatre senior, plays the title role of The Phantom.

“I am so excited for audiences to see this show. It will be grandiose, quite a spectacle to see and hear, but I hope they can take away something much deeper,” he said. “This show is about love, about sacrifice, about appearances and judgment, and I hope they see the beauty in all the nuances.”

Gabrielle Green, a theatre junior, plays the female lead, Christine. Green said her greatest challenge in preparing for the production was understanding the character who is soft spoken and naïve. Her biggest reward, Green said, is being able to sing the beautiful songs.

“I hope audiences love watching it as much as we love performing it,” she said. “I hope that the audience really grasps the story for what it really is — a tale about forgiveness and acceptance.”

Performances will resume Thursday, April 16 through Saturday, April 18, with performances each evening at 7:30 p.m. and a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, April 19. General admission tickets are $15, with discounts offered for matinees, senior citizens and CBU students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Click here to purchase tickets online. For more information or to purchase tickets by telephone, call the Wallace Theatre box office at 951-343-4319.

 

‘Bow Tie Tuesday’ a result of challenge by ASCBU president

Trent Ward, executive president of the Associated Students of California Baptist University, struck a deal with Dr. Ronald L. Ellis during the student reception last November that marked his 20 years as president at CBU.

Ward said he would wear a bow tie every Tuesday until April, if Ellis would wear one on the first Tuesday of April.

“I thought it would be a fun challenge,” Ward said. “I thought it might be a fun way to let students see just how relatable he is. After all, part of my goal as student body president, is to be a bridge from administration to the student body.”

So every Tuesday, Ward donned a bow tie. He said he received comments throughout the day and noted that some of his fellow students also started wearing bow ties on Tuesday.

“Not many students take the extra step to really clean up and dress nicely for the day, and the bow tie is a great symbol of professionalism and class,” Ward said.

When the appointed day arrived, Ward and Ellis posed together for a photograph to mark the occasion, with both wearing bow ties.

“Eventually, it would be great to associate a cause with wearing a bow tie on Tuesday,” Ward said. “But for now it might be something as simple as a call for action to guys to be a gentleman.”

 

CBU wins gold in Higher Education Advertising Awards

California Baptist University’s Marketing and Communication has won a gold award in the 30^th annual Higher Education Advertising Awards.

The division won in the category of Total Advertising Campaign for the fall 2014 campaign that featured alumni who are living their purpose in a variety of professions, including two entrepreneurs, a professional athlete, a broadcast news anchor and an environmental science researcher. The division and agency partner RHB also won a silver award in the New Media category for RHB’s video series for the Collinsworth School of Music.

“The marketing and communication team that shares credit for this campaign wasn’t working to win a prize,” said Dr. Mark A. Wyatt, vice president for marketing and communication. “We just wanted to tell compelling stories about successful California Baptist University alumni who personify the tagline, ‘Live Your Purpose.’ That we also achieved positive recognition for CBU by receiving this gold award is both affirming and gratifying.”

In addition to this year’s awards, the division has won two golds and four silvers in the Higher Education Advertising Awards over the past six years, including a gold for one of CBU’s first Live Your Purpose print ads.

The awards, sponsored by the High Education Marketing Report, are the largest educational advertising awards competition in the country. This year, more than 2,000 entries were submitted in 27 categories from more than 1,000 colleges, universities and secondary schools from all 50 states and several foreign countries.

A national panel of higher education marketers, advertising creative directors, marketing and advertising professionals and the editorial board of Higher Education Marketing Report reviews each piece, judging creativity, marketing execution and message impact. Award certificates are given to those entrants whose programs and materials display exceptional quality, creativity and message effectiveness.

CBU’s winning campaign include these videos: https://vimeo.com/112958798; https://vimeo.com/108804771; https://vimeo.com/108294900

 

Family Updates

Dr. Andrew Herrity, professor of business and entrepreneurship, published a paper titled A Theory for Preparing Students to Maintain Integration of Christian Faith and Business While Starting Careers in the spring 2015 issue of Christian Business Academy Review.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jong-Wha Bai, associate professor of civil engineering, made a poster presentation titled Probabilistic Loss Estimation for Concrete Buildings Subject to Seismic Events in the Central U.S. at the 2015 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s annual meeting, which met in Boston March 31-April 3. In addition, he conducted a seminar on seismic vulnerability and loss estimation of concrete structures for civil engineering students at Worcester (Mass.) Polytechnic Institute on April 3.

 

 

Dr. Anthony Chute, professor of church history, serves as vice-president of the Far West Region of the Evangelical Theological Society, which met on CBU’s campus April 10. The conference theme was Reformation in the Wings since 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of Luther’s 95 theses sparking the Protestant Reformation. CBU faculty who presented papers included:

• Matthew Barrett, assistant professor of Christian studies for Online and Professional Studies, The Holy Spirit is No Skeptic: Retrieving the Clarity of Scripture from a Forgotten Reformation Debate

• Jeff Cate, professor of Christian studies, Martin Luther and Sola Scriptura: Canon, Manuscripts and Translation

• Amanda Jenkins, adjunct instructor of Christian studies, Beauty in the Thought of Jonathan Edwards

• Jeff Mooney, associate professor of Christian studies, The Reformed in Need of Reformation: Reading the Plain Sense of Old Testament Justice Passages for a Thorough Ecclesiology

• Joe Slunaker, adjunct instructor of Christian studies, Evangelical Hermeneutics and the Old Testament: Authority, Altruism, Anathema

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Studies, spoke on the topic Research Planning Implementation and Evaluation for Success in PR April 1 at the University of La Verne’s Leo PR Club.

 

 

 

 

Shawn Wilhite, adjunct professor of Christian studies, presented research titled Atonement in the Heavenly Holy of Holies: Early Reception of Hebrews and Atonement in Origen of Alexandria at the Evangelical Theological Society Midwest Regional Meeting, which was hosted by the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Ill. April 10-11.

 

Dr. Douglas Barnett, adjunct professor of business for Online and Professional Studies, presented a session titled An Overview of Africa and its Information Economy at the Africa and the Information Society symposium on April 7, which was sponsored by the African studies department and the Walker Institute of the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

 

Brooke Gorman, financial aid technician, and husband Chris Gorman (’10) welcomed their first child, Colin Maverick Gorman, on March 30 at 10:42 p.m. at Kaiser Permanente in Riverside. The baby weighed 6 lbs. 2 ozs. and measured 19 inches long.

 

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates