Torch, Fall 2001

2 TORCH / Fall 2001 Editor Dr. Martin Clark Managing Editor Roger Overturf Associate Editor Kara Steinman Proofreaders Martha Baldwin Monica Bowen Senior Designer Michael Bieniek Photography Scott Huck Cedarville Torch Vol. 23, No. 3, Fall 2001 Published by Cedarville University Dr. Paul Dixon, President NO PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS Cedarville Torch is published for alumni and friends of Cedarville University. Direct comments and requests for extra copies to: Managing Editor Cedarville Torch 251 N. Main St. Cedarville, OH 45314 937-766-7808 pr@cedarville.edu www.cedarville.edu ISSN 1093-4618 Follow the Romans Road to Salvation! Romans 3:10-11 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 10:9-13 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Committing God’s Plan to nytime you belong to a group numbering in the thousands, there are bound to be situations that claim the lives of some close to you. We are not immune to that circumstance of life here. During my tenure, we have lost faculty, staff, and students to tragic circumstances. As the tragedies that struck New York, Washington, and our nation on September 11 reminded us, life is a gift that should not be taken for granted. Losing friends, co-workers, or especially students is never easy. Even for those of us who know an omniscient, omnipotent God, death raises difficult questions. Why? What could he have accomplished if he had lived? What effect on others could she have had if she had not died? What greater purpose is served? Those who choose a sacrificial ministry are sometimes faced with similar questions. Why would you go to live in a primitive culture? What accomplishments could you make if you remained in a more progressive environment? The articles in this issue deal with profoundly different—yet strikingly similar—themes. The differences center on timing. One deals with the end of a family even before it began. The others are about long-term family commitments to ministry together. The similarities are about the decisions these families made. Each was intent on finding, and then carrying out, God’s plan for their family. As you read their stories, consider how you might respond to this question: What is God’s plan for my family? Then, commit to doing it. Only then will you know the kind of joy these families have gained from finding themselves in the epicenter of God’s will. President, Cedarville University A ’s