Torch, Fall 2003

Fall 2003 / TORCH 13 program is designed to give high school and college students tools to defend their Christian faith and the free enterprise system from attacks that are likely on secular campuses. In 2002, with the support of friends in the Chattanooga area, the College introduced the Center for Law and American Government, headed by a lawyer who serves as a Tennessee state senator. During the fall, when the legislature is not in session, Sen. David Fowler teaches a class on the origins and foundations of American government. One weekend he hosts a conference at Bryan for state legislators to meet with Christian scholars to discuss the biblical and legal foundations for our form of government and our economic system. As the College announced creation of the Center for Law and American Government, a federal judge ruled unconstitutional a program of more than 50 years duration which allowed Bryan students to teach Bible survey classes in area elementary schools. While the community overwhelmingly voiced disapproval of the decision — and the local school board voted to appeal the ruling — Dr. Brown’s response was one of disappointment, but also of commitment for the College to remain engaged in the community as much as possible. Bryan’s worldview emphasis, including a requirement that all new students take an introductory worldview class, led to several invitations for Dr. Brown to travel to the former Soviet Union to instruct teachers there how to teach ethics in their schools. This, in turn, led to an exchange program with Russia’s Open University in Moscow to send a number of Russian students and faculty to Bryan for three weeks, as well as for Bryan students to visit Russia. During Dr. Brown’s administration, Bryan maintained an aggressive technology program for students as well as the community. Thanks to the efforts of Chancellor Kenneth G. Hanna and others, the College established an Educational Technology Training Center and a Rural Information Service Center, computer facilities for training education students, in-service teachers, and individuals from the community in computer technology applications. While the fire of 2000 destroyed those two computer labs, the new Administration Building and the new library boast three instructional labs and a self- contained computer science classroom/lab, and the College continues to offer technology instruction to the community. Dr. Brown also exhibited a commitment to college life outside the classroom. The week before the fire, he met with a donor who gave a gift to revive the baseball program and underwrite significant improvements to the athletics program. After announcing his decision to accept the presidency at Cedarville, he challenged the Bryan community to complete fundraising for a new athletics and fitness center. Work continues toward that goal. Dr. Kenneth G. Hanna, Bryan’s fifth president, said when he announced Dr. Brown would succeed him, “God has gifted and prepared Bill Brown for leadership. Bill has an exciting vision for Bryan’s future. He has already helped sharpen the focus and improve the quality of education here.” At the same time, Dr. Brown said, “By and large, [the presidency of Bryan College] is not something I aspired to. This time last year I would not have been interested at all. If I weren’t convinced of God’s hand in all of this, I wouldn’t consider it.” T (Clockwise from top left) Bryan College Administration Building, Latimer Student Center (begun before the fire and completed afterward), and the campus library continued from page 5 The Record Book of a Visionary