News from the Western Front
On the evening of October 6, 2011, Dr. Bob Jones III spoke to a crowd of more than a hundred at the Creation Museum in Santee, Calif., about the history and mission of Bob Jones University and how the Science & Engineering Endowment Fund has assisted BJU in its pursuit of excellence in science education. BJU alumni in the area—especially David Cantor, Steve Rohrer and Don Rohrer and their spouses—and BJU Advancement Office’s West Coast representative, Bob Jorgensen, were so effective in promoting the event that we were unable to accommodate everyone who wanted to come! The crowd included many headmasters of area Christian schools who were not familiar with BJU or the S&E as well as alumni from the 50s, 60s and 70s who had not been at a BJU event in many years. In addition, there were many young families thinking ahead about college for their children.
Following Dr. Bob, I gave a personal testimony about the University’s strategic shaping of my theology of creation during my undergraduate training. I also emphasized the strength and biblical soundness of BJU’s programs in science and engineering. Thankfully, the Science & Engineering Endowment Fund has enabled us to create an innovative, biblically permeated curriculum and has helped us to train teachers who are effective in engaging students in transformational thinking.
The Summer Institute in Teaching Science has been the catalyst for this recent emphasis, and we are so grateful to the S&E Endowment for enabling SITS to be a part of our summer work. It was neat to share how BJU’s graduates are missionaries in the staunchly pagan wastelands of science, medicine and engineering, where faith in evolution and in human ingenuity reign.
Overall, the time together was encouraging and uplifting and I trust many will catch a glimpse of what we are doing. With your help, the S&E Endowment can continue to assist programs like those at BJU—where science is taught from a thoroughly biblical worldview and professors seek to assist their students not only to learn about science, but more importantly, use the sciences as a means to glorify the One True God.
The Advancement Office is seeking additional locations to hold similar meetings in private homes around the country. If you are interested in hosting a home meeting, please contact the Advancement Office at 888-252-6363 or email them.
Mike Gray
Dir. of Summer Institute in Teaching Science
Bob Jones University