Torch, Spring 2003

4 TORCH / Spring 2003 T he D ixon D ifference ver the years that Dr. Paul Dixon has served at Cedarville University, his influence has permeated the institution in countless ways. Campus facilities are the most tangible aspect of that influence. After all, it is difficult to overlook the more than $100 million of buildings and other campus enhancements that have come about during Dixon’s 25-year tenure as president. But the Dixon legacy is not just in the building programs, facility improvements, and program expansion he has led; it is also, and more importantly, in the lives of the people he has touched. And, that is as it should be, for as II Peter 3:10 tells us, “... the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” That means as appealing, compelling, and crucial as campus facilities are to the Cedarville mission, they will all burn up one day. Only personal relationships and influences on others’ lives will endure through eternity. It would be fruitless to try to enumerate the individuals who have been affected by the life and ministry of Paul Dixon. Rather than enumerate them, this article will focus on the quality of those personal interactions. Above and right: Dr. James T. Jeremiah and Dr. Paul Dixon had an unusually close relationship. For more than 20 years, Dixon relied on the input and advice of the man who preceded him as Cedarville’s president. O