2 BETHELUNIVERSITY.EDU/MAGAZINE A PUBLICATION OF BETHEL UNIVERSITY, IND. VOLUME 36, ISSUE 1 A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Alumni and Friends, One year ago, we had just gone through a lengthy discernment process and I was confirmed as Bethel University’s ninth president. Genuinely, a dream come true! My family and I packed up our lives in Minnesota and moved across the Midwest back to our Indiana home. Shortly after, we literally moved onto Bethel’s campus. As we’ve settled into life here, we love being together, doing life with the students, faculty and staff. Together is more than a theme; it’s our shared story at Bethel. Together — alumni, donors, prospective students and families — God is shaping a community whose learning and living point to His faithfulness. Across campus this year, we’ve seen what together can do. In classrooms, students have pressed into primary texts and real-world projects until understanding became conviction. In chapel, worship and prayer have ignited fresh callings. In residence halls, late-night conversations have knit acquaintances into lifelong friends. On our athletic fields, teams have trained with discipline and joy — character first, victory a byproduct. We remain unapologetically committed to our mission: a Christ-centered university under the authority of Scripture, forming servant leaders through rigorous scholarship. Head and heart are not rivals here; they are companions. We study deeply so we can love well. We serve humbly so we can lead boldly. A visible sign of this momentum is our new turf soccer field (read more on p. 19). This is an investment in the whole student and a declaration that excellence matters in mind, body and spirit. Like the sail rising on a ship, it signals readiness, renewal and resolve to move forward with momentum and wind in our sails! Your prayers, generosity and belief in our mission made this possible — and it is already blessing students. To our alumni: thank you for carrying Bethel into every vocation and neighborhood. To our donors: your partnership fuels transformation of lives. To prospective students and families: you have to come see what God is doing here and imagine your place in it. We believe the same faithful God who carried Bethel through 78 years will continue to guide, provide and empower us for what lies ahead. As we honor the past and look to the future in this issue, we do so believing, “He who began a good work … will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). This is the time, now is the place, and you are the one to help us move forward — Together, With Christ at the Helm! The Bethel Magazine is published each year for alumni and friends of the university. Please send correspondence and address changes to the editor. BETHEL MAGAZINE 1001 Bethel Circle Mishawaka, IN 46545 Email: Lissa.Diaz@BethelUniversity.edu Phone: 574.807.7384 Website: BethelUniversity.edu/Magazine Founded in 1947 by the Missionary Church, Bethel University is an accredited Christian university offering associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees with 120+ programs. At Bethel you will find a community of nearly 1,140 learners. Our mission is to challenge the mind, enlarge the vision and equip students for lifeong service. To learn more, visit BethelUniversity.edu. PRESIDENT Dee McDonald, Ph.D. VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Abson Joseph, Ph.D. VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE & OPERATIONS, CFO Adam Banter, MBA VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Joel K. Johnson, Ph.D. VICE PRESIDENT FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE & UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS Shawn Holtgren '95, '97, Ph.D. VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT & SUCCESS Julie Beam, Ph.D. EDITOR Lissa (Grashorn) Diaz '07 ASSITANT COPY EDITORS Erin J. Hollister '07 Emma Hogarth '24 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lissa (Grashorn) Diaz '07 Ken Fox Melyssa Geever ’23 Alexis Wildrick GRAPHIC DESIGNER Leena Thomas ‘25 PHOTOGRAPHERS Ana Sofia Duarte Mary Fashbaugh-Bean Szilvia Ferenczy GG Kokonaing Christi Nelson Mark Ridley Peter Ringenberg '03 Emily (Rodgers) Sherwood '99 Alexis Wildrick Josiah Young COVER PHOTO Peter Ringenberg ‘03 With gratitude and great expectation, Dr. Dee McDonald President The McDonald family: Maelee, Dee, Amanda and Ell.
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