Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2020

to eat,” Parker said. “The restaurant wouldn’t serve us because I was black. We went somewhere else.” Although he was welcomed with open arms by most at Cedarville, there were some who questioned a minority student enrolling at the college. Then-President James T. Jeremiah quickly addressed those questions. Students doubting whether Parker should attend had two options: accept it or withdraw. “Dr. Jeremiah made sure I was welcomed with open arms,” Parker said. “I never had a problem during my time at Cedarville. Dr. Jeremiah had a lot to do with that. He was a great man.” But for the most part, Parker found acceptance and encouragement. He was well liked by his classmates, who voted him Vice President of the freshman class and Chaplain during his sophomore year. From those days, Parker has seen progress in race relations. “There were a lot of things done that have been corrected, but there’s still more that needs to be corrected,” he said. “We have to be Christians first, not white or black. And we have to be honest with each other. We’ve been sweeping it under the rug, and that rug is overcrowded and spilling out.” Parker earned a degree in history at Cedarville before embarking on a decades-long career in ministry that included planting churches in Washington, D.C., and Cleveland, Ohio. For the last five years, he has served at Central Baptist Institute in Syracuse, an extension of the ministry of Central Baptist Church, pastored by Parker’s son-in-law, Milton Kornegay. “I feel so undeserving of being honored this way,” Parker said regarding the naming of the residence hall. “I appreciate the courtesy and honor of those who nominated me for this great honor, and I trust I will continue to be a credit to Cedarville.” For current students who will live in the residence hall that bears his name, Parker’s hopes mirror his hopes for the nation. “I hope they develop a love for one another,” he said. “That they’ll learn to listen to each other, and to consider the other person’s viewpoint.” PRAYER SERVICE FOR RACIAL UNITY On August 18, Cedarville faculty, staff, and students humbly sought the Lord together during a prayer service for racial unity. Cedarville President Thomas White began the service, emphasizing there is no place for discrimination or racism of any kind at Cedarville, and the University should strive to continue being a place where “all children of God feel embraced, welcomed, and at home.” The prayer service was organized by the Kingdom Diversity Team, which was formed over the summer. “Biblical diversity is a part of living out our faith, and that’s what Cedarville is preparing students to do,” commented Derrick Green ’98, Chair of the Department of Communication and team chairperson. “The best way for us to start is through prayer.” According to Green, the recent social unrest around the country contributed to the need for this conversation, but it’s a conversation that ultimately is happening because of Cedarville’s core identity. “We can celebrate our differences because the Gospel unifies us as one. We’re all on level ground at the foot of the cross.” As a multiracial man of Caribbean descent whose academic pursuits explore the biblical position on diversity, Mark Owens, Assistant Professor of New Testament Theology, has plenty of interest in the subject. But he is also the father of an adopted multiracial daughter. “I love Cedarville and all of the students here,” Owens commented. “Because I love Cedarville, I’ve tried to do whatever I could to support minority students and international students in and out of the classroom. And I would love for my daughter to be a student here someday, at a place where she is valued, honored, respected, and loved.” The prayer service for racial unity is just the first step in the Kingdom Diversity Team’s efforts to talk about and promote diversity on campus. This team will plan future diversity- related events and recommend policy improvements. “The mission of the Kingdom Diversity Team is to help us live out our theology at Cedarville University,” White said. “We are relying on them for wisdom about how to advance diversity within the mission of the University.” We have to be Christians first, not white or black. And we have to be honest with each other. James D. Parker, Sr. ’64 26 | Cedarville Magazine