Seasonal flavors have arrived at the ABC Coffee Shop, located in the 1st floor of the Servant Center on N. Sandbranch Road. Come on in!
ABC News Archive - October 2018
The Greek word "διάκονος" (servant or minister) provides the name for the annual community service project organized by the ABC Student Council. This year's Diakonos project resulted in cleaner roadsides along the Beckley Bypass. Thanks for serving, students!
A longtime champion of Christian education in West Virginia, Dr. Phil Suiter spoke in chapel recently. Listen to his message at abc.edu/chapel.
Pictured with Dr. Suiter and Dr. Anderson is Sarah Denk, this year's recipient of the scholarship given in honor of Dr. Suiter. Sarah is a senior studying Bible/Theology and Elementary Education.
Welcome back, ABC alumni! It's going to be a special weekend of fellowship and celebration.
2018 Servants of the Year: Tim & Renee Barton
Tim and Renee met at a church camp in Ohio before they married in 1985 after his sophomore year at ABC. Renee completed the Advanced Bible Certificate and Tim finished the Th.B. in 1989 with concentrations in Pastoral Studies, Family Counseling, and Youth Ministries. Since their time as students until now they have been dedicated servants through Appalachian Bible College and the churches of our region.
Tim began whitewater guiding for Alpine after his freshman year, in the summer of 1984. This past summer marked a span of 35 years of his ministry through Alpine, most of them as the River Manager and Adventures Director. Many thousands of guests and hundreds of staff and guides have been eternally impacted through Tim’s godly leadership and personal care. Renee has been a faithful partner throughout this ministry in areas such as preparing meals for guests or hosting staff in their home. We thankfully recognize her support and prayer through the long hours and daily risk over these decades of ministry.
Tim and Renee have also made an eternal impact through the ABC Warriors Athletics program. Tim played soccer and basketball as a student and then began as a player/coach in 1988. He joined the staff full-time after his graduation in 1989, serving as Athletic Director, coaching men’s soccer and basketball, and as the River Manager for Alpine. Renee also coached the women’s volleyball team for multiple years, and was Tim’s Athletic Department secretary for close to 15 years.
As with their ministry through Alpine, their influence through Athletics has allowed them to mentor and shape hundreds of students not only in athletics, but especially as young adults searching for godly role models. Tim’s godly approach to athletic competition and mentoring young men is illustrated by the testimony of one of our freshmen, Logan Davidson, who met Coach Barton this summer after a Beckley summer league basketball game. Logan recounts this divine intersection: “After the championship game I spoke to a man named Tim Barton. He asked me if I loved Jesus, and if I wanted to play basketball for him at Appalachian Bible College!” God used those pointed questions to bring Logan to ABC as a freshman this fall, hungry for the Word of God and excited to play for Coach Barton.
Many times through the years, God has used Tim and Renee for life-changing intersections with students. Tim and Renee’s unconventional classroom—on a bus, in a raft, in a locker room, or in their home— has impacted thousands of lives with a model of how to love Christ and each other, and serve him faithfully.
They are faithful in their local church and have served many churches of our region through interim ministry and as pastor.
Tim and Renee, thank you for your special contribution and enduring dedication to the mission of Appalachian Bible College. Your legacy is certainly seen in the programs and facilities of ABC, but most of all, in the countless lives you have impacted for the glory of God.
It is always a blessing to host prospective students and their families. May the Lord guide each one!
2018 Alumni of the Year: Doug & Faith Clark
Doug and Faith Clark were both raised in Christian homes and God saved them early in their lives. Their growing desire to serve Christ full-time led them to Appalachian Bible College where they met as students. They married after they both graduated in 1978. This year marks both their 40th anniversary of graduation and of marriage.
From 1978 to 1985, Doug and Faith served the Lord with the American Mission for Opening Churches in New York. In New York, the Lord blessed them with their daughters Anna and Sara.
In 1985, they moved to Kansas to serve with Bible Impact Ministries where their third daughter, Esther, was born. In 1994, the Lord provided a camp facility for Bible Impact and they relocated to Missouri to develop Whispering Winds Bible Camp. They faithfully served Bible Impact Ministries until 2007. During those 23 years, God used Doug and Faith to impact hundreds of young people with the gospel, many of which are in ministry today.
Doug and Faith enjoy their three daughters and seven grandchildren. Anna is married to Darcy Frederick and have two daughters. Sara is married to Daniel Mauk and they have two girls and two boys. Esther is married to Wes Clancy and they are the parents of one daughter. Esther and Wes also run an outreach called Trail to the Cross, which uses horses and rodeo camps to share the gospel.
In addition to keeping up with children, grandchildren, and grand-horses, Doug and Faith also travel extensively in leadership of their current ministry, the Association of North American Missions. Doug is the Executive Director of ANAM, which serves several mission agencies in North America—from Native American ministries, to literature ministries, to Bible camps. The mission of ANAM is to “assist member organizations in operating with excellence, thereby maximizing their God given ministry effectiveness in reaching the lost and making disciples.” Through this ministry, Doug and Faith provide godly leadership, encouragement, and guidance to parachurch ministries, and through them, impact countless thousands of people across the country. As they faithfully and sacrificially serve the members organizations of ANAM, Doug and Faith exemplify the motto of Appalachian Bible college, "...Because Life is for Service."
Through their 40 years of ministry, Doug and Faith have been known for their hard work and willingness to sacrifice to run ministries on limited resources. Doug is disciplined, genuine, and willing to do the behind-the-scenes work as much as public ministry; he is not interested in attention for himself. Faith is a picture of kindness, grace, and godliness. Through the challenges of four decades of ministry leadership and various health struggles, they have not grown sour, but only sweeter in their love for the Lord.
Doug and Faith Clark are model alumni, faithfully loving Christ and serving him with their whole hearts.
See why thousands of guests come experience our Alpine Adventures every year!
The 1990's were well-represented at Homecoming 2018. Even better, many of these grads have children currently enrolled at ABC.
Back: Dan Best (1994), Vicki (Kohler) Best (1989), Valerie (Detwiler) Wegner (1998), Bill Wegner (1996), Jonathan Rinker (1998), Kevin Gullion (1995), Jeremy Yowell (1995), Jerry Robinson (1993).
Middle: Liz (Lay) White (1996), Sarah (Anderson) Rinker (1998), Melissa (George) Gullion (1996), Melissa (Kofroth) Yowell (1995).
Front: Jody Stevens (1991), Beth (Richardson) Stevens (1991), Lynetta Compston (1996), Mary (Bolton) Robinson (1993).
After playing four years of intercollegiate volleyball together, Kalee, Megan, Maddy, and Kiki will be honored following Saturday's 4:00 PM match. Go Lady Warriors!
Jody Stevens, a 1991 graduate of ABC, received the Honorary Delta Epsilon Chi Award this year, along with Louise (Wegner) Green (in absentia). This award is given to members of the ABC Alumni Association who have demonstrated “outstanding intellectual achievement, Christian character, and leadership ability.” Presenting the award was Dr. Ken Lawson, Vice President for Academics.
Missions Conference begins Monday! All are welcome to join students, staff, and 50+ missionary guests for this special event.
2018 Diakonos Award: Nathan and Elizabeth McGuire
The Diakonos Award is named for the Greek word translated in the New Testament as “servant,” “minister,” or “deacon.” This award is given to dedicated and faithful graduates who serve as laypersons in the church and demonstrate commendable Christian testimony in their family and work.
Nathan grew up as an MK in Africa, and Elizabeth grew up in Ohio. They met at Appalachian Bible College and married in 1997 before they graduated; Nathan graduated in 2004 in Bible/Pastoral Studies, and Beth in 2006 in Bible/Music.
After his graduation Nathan joined the staff of ABC serving in the maintenance department and was a faithful, dependable servant. In 2010, Nathan took a position in Elkhart, Indiana as foreman with Lemaster Steel Erectors where he has an excellent testimony.
While still in West Virginia, their son David was born who is now 18. Their daughter Rachel is 11; Elizabeth has enjoyed being a homeschool mom. The whole family faithfully serves the Lord with Grace Bible Church in Elkhart, Indiana, a church pastored by alumnus Mike Fisher.
Nathan leads the church’s missions committee, which is one of the church’s biggest committees, overseeing missionary relations and support decisions, as well as planning and leading the church’s mission’s conference. Nathan also work with technology in the services. Elizabeth sings in the church choir, and has done a phenomenal job with the drama program during VBS.
Both Nathan and Elizabeth are known as humble servants; quiet, yet strong; they serve with excellence; they’re consistent and reliable. For their faithful testimony as servants of Christ, we are proud to present Nathan and Elizabeth McGuire with the 2018 Diakonos Award, “…Because Life is for Service.”
Missions Conference 2018 has drawn to a close, but the joyous task to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth remains. "Compelled by His Worth, We Proclaim." These pictures capture a few of the special moments during these last three days.
Are you registered for the 4th annual Beautiful Feet this Saturday? This closed-course 5k and 1-mile event is family-friendly and all proceeds support the annual ABC Missions Conference. abc.edu/5k
Several recent graduates returned to participate in this year's Missions Conference. Some are serving in U.S. inner-city ministries; some are raising support to go to foreign fields; others are spending internships honing their ministry skills. It was a joy to have them share their experiences with current students.
These athletes represent the Lord and ABC well. Join us in celebrating them tomorrow.
