Inspire, Fall/Winter 2011

Dr. Brown’s Top Picks ■ Book Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus by Kyle Idleman Pastor Idleman describes this as a “define the relationship” conversation about you and Jesus Christ. Challenging, convicting, and enlightening. ■ Website ted.com This site is an amazing array of talks by experts in many areas, including global issues, entertainment, business, and technology. ■ Podcast apple.com/education/itunes-u Take actual college classes from more than 800 universities. Most are free, although not all are for credit. ■ Movie Temple Grandin This movie is the true story of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman in the 1960s — a time when autism in children was misunderstood. Claire Danes won an Emmy for her portrayal of Temple, who, in spite of her autism, became a leader in understanding animal behavior. The perseverance of her family and teachers is the real star of the story. What if ... ? by Dr. Bill Brown As we look back over Cedarville University’s 125-year history, we can see how God has shaped and molded it according to His purposes. While God’s hand is evident in each milestone, humanly speaking we can’t help but wonder “what if?” What if ... Cedarville College had become Cedarville Nazarene College? In the 1940s, Cedarville was struggling to provide a sustainable financial foundation. A number of challenges converged to cause the trustees to borrow heavily to stay afloat. Cedarville first began to consider merging with other colleges and later to shop around for a denomination to take over the school. The board sought help from the Nazarenes, the Southern Baptists, and the Church of God, but there were no takers. We can’t know what may have happened if one of these denominations had agreed to take on Cedarville College, but the school’s history would certainly be different. God’s perfect plan for the College began taking shape in 1953, when Baptist Bible Institute of Cleveland acquired Cedarville College and the school officially became Baptist. What if ... President James T. Jeremiah had given up on attaining accreditation? Dr. Jeremiah had the foresight to recognize that Cedarville College only had a future if it could attain regional accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Not only would this give the school a mark of credibility, but it also provided students access to government financial aid. When Cedarville was rejected for accreditation in 1964, Dr. Jeremiah did not give up. For more than a decade he worked to fund, build, and organize the school into a college that met the high standards of the accrediting association. Finally, in 1975, Cedarville College was officially granted regional accreditation. Most importantly, Cedarville did not sacrifice its mission to achieve accreditation. Dr. Jeremiah stated clearly to the accreditors that the Christ-centered commitment of the school would never be compromised. What if ... President Paul Dixon had not led the way to begin high-level professional programs? Many Christian colleges focus on the less expensive academic programs and leave the more costly professional programs for state schools. Dr. Dixon, always thinking about quality and excellence, encouraged Cedarville to start a nursing program in the early 1980s. A bold move at the time, the nursing program has grown to the largest major on campus. In 1990, Cedarville took another giant leap introducing an engineering program. The Elmer W. Engstrom Department of Engineering, now with three major programs, continues to garner national and international awards. We could ask “what if?” questions all day and wonder what might have been. But our Lord’s guidance and provision is clear. We stand looking excitedly to the future, building on the foundation laid by those before us. No more “what if?” questions. Instead we confidently ask, “what’s next?” 44 FALL/WINTER 2011 pres ident ’s perspect i ve