Cedarville Magazine, Spring 2014

Advancing Cedarville I have spent most of my life in the construction industry. In 1975, I went into business with my dad and my brother, Russ ’73, designing and building churches and Christian schools. Since 1988, Jenkins Restorations has specialized in insurance repair work following property damage by storms, fires, and other disasters. Our mission is “restoring property and lives with a servant’s heart.” This business is built on biblical principles. When I hire people to join our team, I ask, “What does that mission mean to you?” I look for people who understand that, for example, when a client has a complaint, “a soft answer turns away wrath” (Prov. 15:1). We have 12 offices in four states, and every one begins the day with a reading from Our Daily Bread . We share prayer requests. We use our resources to support missions. We aim to put God first, and I believe He has blessed that. When I was young, my father drilled it into me to approach my work with integrity and with a passion for God’s Word. He would say, “I don’t care if nobody’s there beside you; take a stand for what’s right.” I think of Joseph in the Old Testament who took a stand with no one there to support him. One of the great things about the student experience at Cedarville is you’re not on your own. It’s easier to take a stand when you’re surrounded by Josephs, Daniels, and Esthers. Sharpening Iron I came to Cedarville from a public school where I didn’t have many Christian friends. When I arrived in 1968, it was great to be surrounded by 800 students who held biblical convictions. It felt like four years of Christian summer camp. I remember college as a time of rich relationships. Not only did I meet my life’s companion, Ellie (Sommerfeld) ’75, I met people who became some of the best friends of my life. I played soccer at Cedarville, mostly because I was a football guy and Cedarville didn’t have a football team. So I connected with the other “football guys” who wanted to be out chasing a ball once the leaves turned yellow and the air turned crisp. I had never seen a soccer game, but I was an athlete at heart and wanted to play. I made friends with a student fromBrazil who worked withme every day on passing and juggling. It couldn’t snow deep enough and the wind couldn’t blow hard enough to keep us from practicing. By the following year, I was a starter on the varsity team. By my senior year, I was named to the first team in the Mid-Ohio Conference. I was never an honor student. As a freshman, I struggled to choose a major. I remember going forward at one of the missions conferences and praying, “God, whatever You want to do with me, that’s what I want to do. I’ll go where You want me to go.” I declared a communications major, and I discovered that I loved public speaking. I loved my professors. My grades went up. It was a good fit. On November 21, 1972, just months after I graduated, my draft number was among the last to be called. I entered the Army and was sent to serve in Germany, not knowing what was ahead. But I’d had four years of biblical teaching, chapel messages, community with Christian friends, discipline I’d gained as a student-athlete — my college experience could be summarized as iron sharpening iron. I went with confidence, carried by all I had experienced at Cedarville. Building Trust My career in construction began after I left the Army. Excellence matters in my profession because your track record is always on display; you are only as good as your last job. My company’s goal is to be the top contractor doing what we do. Although insurance companies have told us to stop putting tracts in our invoices, the fact remains that customers are drawn to the biblical values on which we’ve built this company. We’ve hosted safety meetings with our employees and with outside companies and field workers that included Bible studies. A Blueprint for Excellence by Warren Jenkins ’72 50 | Cedarville Magazine