A decade ago, concern for students to grasp a biblical, holistic view of the world prompted Belhaven to create its own core curriculum. This August, Belhaven celebrates the 10th birthday of the innovative Worldview Curriculum (WVC), a core curriculum that focuses on the grand narrative of history, with the humanities woven together and taught chronologically from a Christian perspective.

Everyone likes a good story. For centuries, children have sat curled up in bed with wide eyes, listening to fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Today, if “Humpty Dumpty” is mentioned, most adults can recite verbatim, conjuring up images from their own childhood:

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king’s horses,

And all the king’s men,

Couldn’t put Humpty together again.”

But what if parents and schoolteachers began telling this classic rhyme in new ways? What if they kept the same elements, but Humpty Dumpty was retold in whatever order the reader chose? It might sound something like this:

“All the king’s horses,

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

And all the king’s men

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

Couldn’t put Humpty together again.”

Ridiculous? Yes, but this incoherent rhyme is a good metaphor for the fragmented landscape of education today, which stresses the parts over the whole. Take the modern liberal arts core curriculum, for example. Students take their foundational classes in any order, studying ancient Greek civilization side by side with Renaissance literature and 20^th century Modern Art. To add to the incoherency, they are often taught from varying worldview perspectives in each of these classes. Like poor Humpty Dumpty, the pieces are scattered with little hope of ever creating a coherent whole.

A decade ago, concern for students to grasp a biblical, holistic view of the world prompted Belhaven to create its own core curriculum. This August, Belhaven celebrates the 10th birthday of the innovative Worldview Curriculum (WVC), a core curriculum that focuses on the grand narrative of history, with the humanities woven together and taught chronologically from a Christian perspective.

Provost Dr. Dan Fredericks knew that the former approach to education would not prepare Belhaven students as well as a cohesive, interdisciplinary approach could. However, he didn’t see any schools setting an example for Belhaven to follow. He says that, “At best, there is a silo approach among many Christian institutions—each individual department does its best to represent their own discipline from a biblical perspective. This is admirable, but it is not enough.” So, he rolled up his sleeves and went to work designing a core curriculum that harmonized the humanities into a chronological study that hinged on a biblical worldview.

As Belhaven prepared to leave the traditionally accepted path of general education, tough questions awaited: Could a core curriculum have meaning beyond disparate survey courses? Could faculty members work together from across disciplinary lines to form a cohesive, contextual, and chronological curriculum that is centered on the Christian Worldview? In other words…could Humpty Dumpty be put back together again?

After searching the educational landscape and much deliberation with the faculty, Dr. Fredericks knew that Belhaven would need to start from scratch. With a single sheet of paper and pen in hand, he drew 4 columns and placed history, art, literature, and philosophy side by side, so that the story of the world was told from beginning to end. This simple sheet of paper marks the humble beginning of Belhaven’s unique Worldview Curriculum.

The Birth of the WVC

Annie (Roberts) Gundy ’03, Nathan McNeill ’03, and Matt Quarterman ’03 were all freshmen in 1999. They dutifully registered for the cryptic “WVC” classes that had names like Form and Meaning (art and music), Christian Perspective (philosophy), and of course, the familiar subjects of literature and history.

As Matt Quarterman, an English major,  puts it, “It was a really exciting time in the life of the college […] We knew we were the first batch of students to go through [the Worldview Curriculum], so I think it made us all more critical in examining what we were taught and how, but also more open-minded because it was such a big experiment.” Everyone was intrigued to see how this cutting-edge curriculum would affect their college experience, and as the guinea pig class, everyone expected some bumps and surprises along the way.

One such surprise was the way the WVC brought the freshman class together across the typical dividing lines of major, athletics team, or hometown. Since every incoming freshman is required to take the WVC until the close of their sophomore year, students get to know a more diverse group of people. Reminiscing about one of his favorite memories of the WVC, Matt Quarterman remarks: “I love remembering the conversation I had in the dorm at 1 a.m. with a fullback, arguing whether Oedipus’ fate was his own fault or the gods’. That’s the kind of thing you just don’t get outside of WVC, exposing the whole spectrum of the student body to the same high-octane stuff.”

The WVC also contrasted with the general education requirements of peers at other institutions.  Annie Gundy, also an English major, describes her surprise when, “at the same time I was experiencing the WVC at Belhaven, my sister was experiencing a very different education at a large public university.  When we would have conversations, she was in awe of the knowledge that I had obtained in such a small period of time.  Over the course of the two years of WVC, I learned more than she did in all four years of her education—more than just book knowledge.”

One of the strong points of the WVC is the way it puts everything into close proximity.  Nathan McNeill, a philosophy major, reflects, “The WVC doesn’t contextualize your education for you—you still have to be paying attention to get value—but what it does do is put the ideas, events, and artifacts of history in close enough proximity to each other to make the relationships plain. Unless you see two things side by side, you may never recognize that they are the same.”

When Annie, Matt, and Nathan look at how taking part in the inaugural class of the WVC has influenced the way they think today, each of them offers a unique perspective.  McNeill, who works in Product Strategy at Bomgar corporation, says, “Most of the facts, dates, and names are gone, but the thought processes that the WVC encouraged have been very instrumental in my work and in my family. For instance, at the company I work for, we see our work as service to the Lord and service to our employees. We recognize that even though we work in the marketplace, the marketplace has a context. The earth is the Lord’s, and ALL (including our business) it contains. This is the same principle that the WVC taught, just using history and art rather than spreadsheets and websites.”

For Gundy, a full-time mother of two, it’s about everyday living: “It’s fun to see that knowledge [from the WVC] come out when I experience even small things like listening to music on the radio with my kids, or in my small group at church when we talk about the theology of different time periods.”

All would agree that the WVC gave them a foundation to view life with the lens of the Christian worldview. As Quarterman, an Apple Store trainer who also completed a 2nd degree in songwriting, says, “It strengthened my sense that looking at things through this unified lens—making these connections—is a legitimate and necessary way to view our own culture and history.”

With its synchronized schedule across the humanities, The WVC is not an easy curriculum to implement, but professors are passionate about it. All of the professors within the humanities are involved, and many have been involved since its inception. Regular WVC faculty meetings mean that professors dialogue about what they are covering in class. As Dr. Edwin McAllister, Associate Professor of English, says, “I get to find out what Dr. Hause is teaching, how Dr. Kenyon is testing, and when Dr. Hubele is covering the romantics.  The process improves the overall quality of the WVC by ensuring not only that our schedules are synchronized, but also that we are emphasizing many of the same themes and historical processes.”

Dr. Melissa Hause, Associate Professor of Art History and Dean of the Honors College, is passionate about teaching students to look for connections. She sees the WVC as “an opportunity to help students grasp what I believe is the most important thing about history:  that people in previous historical periods who wrote books, set up political and religious systems, built cities, created artifacts, fought wars, settled new territories, etc. were just that:  people, human beings made in the image of God who were faced with the same inescapable questions about the meaning of life that every one of us has to face.”

Dr. Hause emphasizes that the purpose of the WVC is to “enable students to really grasp that things don’t happen in isolation—humans don’t do things in isolation. Political systems, artistic styles, works of literature, family structures, and organizations of society are all interconnected. All of these things are bound up together and fundamentally shaped by basic beliefs about the nature of the world.”

The WVC is about more than just the core curriculum, though. It affects the entire campus. Dr. McAllister describes the WVC as an important foundation to the much larger picture at Belhaven: “As Christians, we believe that every area of life should be under the lordship of Christ; as Christian educators, we are working to develop courses and curricula that encourage students to see their world not as a disparate pile of disconnected factoids, but as a marvelous, integrated part of a beautiful tapestry woven by Christ himself. So if the WVC affects students’ lives, and I think it does, it does so as part of a larger design at work at Belhaven.”

Growth

As with any new program, there are always knots to untie and bumps to smooth out. The WVC has been in a perpetual state of evaluation and reform since its inception. The faculty members meet several times a semester to review all of the works to see how they are fitting together. Each year has seen changes in the structure or syllabi in order to improve the way WVC is taught and structured.

Some aspects of the WVC have presented challenges from the very beginning. In order to synchronize the classes chronologically, most of the WVC classes have been 1 or 2 hour credits. So, for 6 hours of credit a student might have to take 4 classes. This often led to harried students who felt like their workload was too heavy for a 1 or 2 hour credit class. Because of the credit structure, students also have had difficulty transferring their credits to other institutions. 

The course structure has also been a challenge for scheduling students, particularly students in athletics or the arts who have limited availability.

With these challenges in mind, faculty and administration have been working to consolidate the components of the WVC, and changes are in place for this fall. Dr. Randall Smith, Associate Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing program, redesigned the WVC, and he said the goal was “to move the pieces of the WVC around to make the curriculum more user-friendly for students.” Dr. McAllister agrees, and he says the revisions should “make life much easier from the students’ perspective: fewer tests and a simpler weekly schedule.”

Literature and art will be combined into one 3-hour course, and the history and philosophy components will do the same. The revisions to the WVC does mean a heavier workload for the professors as they work closely to combine syllabi and tests, but they seem eager to do what it takes to make Belhaven a great place to learn. All of these changes will take effect for the 2009 incoming freshmen, and Dr. Fredericks hopes that “this will solve the logistical challenge of the students, while staying true to the content and the vision for the Worldview Curriculum.”

10^th Birthday

On the eve of the WVC’s 10^th birthday, everyone who has been involved in creating, teaching, and taking the Worldview Curriculum feels a bit like they are watching their child enter the threshold of adulthood. Members of the faculty and administration have poured nearly a decade into forming a cohesive core curriculum and over two thousand students have experienced the rigors, challenges and joys of the curriculum.

Like their predecessors, current students have been impacted by the WVC. Phillip Holmes, a senior Biblical Studies major from Pickens, Miss., says, “I had no idea what a worldview was when I entered Belhaven. The summer before I came to Belhaven I had a conversation with a very intelligent but misguided unbeliever. He mentioned Deism and other beliefs to describe what he believed, and I had no idea what he was talking about. Because of the Worldview Curriculum I’ve been equipped to participate in discussions like this.” Though the WVC had its challenges for Holmes, who juggled basketball along with the rigorous WVC classes, he says that, “From now on, everything I approach—movies, books, etcetera—I will approach it with Christ in mind and I will look at it from a Christian perspective.”

Sarah Vanbiber is a junior Creative Writing major from Texas. As an Honors College fellow, she says she is trained “to look for connections.” She recalls the first time she really “got” the WVC:

“In the first month of my first semester, we were studying the Greek Empire in Civilization, learning about the Knossos frescoes in Art, and reading Medea in Literature. Suddenly I was able to see the worldview, the cultural practices, and the thought-processes influencing the art, literature, and society of the time. Through the connection I saw between these differing fields within one time period and cultural context, I came to a deeper understanding of the complexity of history and humanity.”

As the updated Worldview curriculum goes forward, future generations of Belhaven students will have the opportunity to see history, art, literature, and philosophy in context with one another and in light of the Christian worldview. With this biblical, holistic view of the world, Belhaven will continue to see graduates who are putting the pieces together and changing the world for Christ—in every sphere of life.

Ten Radically Counter-Cultural Things that You Can Learn at Belhaven that You Won’t Learn at Other Colleges.

Dr. J. Ligon Duncan, III, Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson and member of Belhaven’s Board of Reference, spoke at the Fall Academic Convocation. He contrasted Belhaven’s emphasis on the biblical worldview with 10 “isms” that are at odds with Christianity.

(”Isms” at odds with Christianity listed in gray)

The Blazer baseball and softball teams have experienced their most successful seasons to date, breaking school and national records, receiving NAIA recognition, and watching senior Craig Westcott win Mississippi’s most sought after college baseball award—the Ferriss Trophy.

Before their season even began, the teams were building a strong foundation of teamwork through community service projects across the city. With an eye towards the college motto “to serve, not to be served,” teammates and coaches first found success in breaking ground with shovels—and later breaking records with bats.

Baseball Team: blood, sweat…and books

Since the day after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Belhaven Baseball team has carried on an annual tradition of giving blood. Head Coach Hill Denson says, “We look forward to our blood drive every year. We talk to our guys a lot about how important blood donation is, and I am really proud of our guys this year.” This year the team broke a record with 32 pints of donated blood.

At the Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Day, the baseball team worked together to help New Life Ministries with a number of outdoor projects. Chris Bennett, junior baseball player, says the service day “gives us a chance to come out and serve the community. It’s not about us looking good or helping each other—it’s about helping everyone else around us.”

The Blazers also worked with Read Across America to read aloud to elementary school children. It was a busy year for the Blazers—even before they made it to the baseball diamond.

Baseball Team “Blazes” New Trail

The baseball team’s season was unprecedented. The Blazers won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) Tournament for the first time since 2004 and made it to the championship game of the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round for the first time in the program’s history. To top it off, senior Craig Westcott won the 2009 Cellular South Ferriss Trophy, which recognized him as the top college baseball player in Mississippi!

Belhaven started strong with six wins in their first seven contests, including a victory over Delta State University who was ranked 1st in the NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll at the time. The Blazers’ final record was 43-20 overall, and the regular season closed at 36-18 which included a hard-fought win over Millsaps College who was ranked 1st in NCAA Division III.

The GCAC Tournament was a hard fought battle, as the Blazers had to come up from a third-ranked conference position to pull off a victory. After one win against the University of Mobile, a shutout by pitcher Craig Wescott against LSU-Shreveport, and a second win against LSU-S—Belhaven was vaulted into the championship game. The final showdown was between Mobile and Belhaven, and the Blazers pulled off a last minute GCAC tournament victory.

With the GCAC tournament won, the Blazers moved on to the 2009 NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round. Amidst fiery competition, the Blazers withstood all but the hottest flames—the Lee University Flames. After three wins and one loss, the Blazers fell to Lee University in the championship game. In their ride to the National Championship, the baseball team “blazed” a trail where no other baseball team in college history has traveled.

Another first for the team (and for all small schools) was Westcott’s triumph as the 2009 Cellular South Ferriss Trophy award winner. Westcott also received NAIA recognition as National Pitcher of the Week on March 24, as well as six GCAC Pitcher of the Week Awards.

Six players earned GCAC All-Conference honors for their efforts during the season.  Craig Westcott, Timmy Foster, Lake Eiland, Bryan McCormick, and Kyle Medley were all awarded All-Conference Team recognition for their performance, and Charlie Edwards was the GCAC Gold Glove winner.

“I’m very proud of our team and the effort the players put forward throughout the course of the season,” says Head Coach Hill Denson. “They battled all season long and fortunately for us, the pieces fell into place enabling us to make a strong postseason run. We hope that the momentum and confidence gained during this season will carry on into 2010 as we move forward next year,” adds Denson.

Lady Blazers’ season marked by Service and Success

The Lady Blazers softball team has worked together to serve the community and to achieve a record breaking season. The Lady Blazers volunteered their time to serve as a team, building bonds between teammates and the community. In September, they spent time with mentally disabled adults at The Mustard Seed in Brandon, Miss. They played board games, danced and sang, played softball games, and made it a day to remember for both the team and the residents.

The Lady Blazers softball team has worked together to serve the community and to achieve a record breaking season. The Lady Blazers volunteered their time to serve as a team, building bonds between teammates and the community. In September, they spent time with mentally disabled adults at The Mustard Seed in Brandon, Miss. They played board games, danced and sang, played softball games, and made it a day to remember for both the team and the residents.

They also volunteered for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Day by removing debris and raking leaves at the Perkins Foundation. These service projects set the stage for the necessary teamwork that would culminate in the Lady Blazers’ most victorious season in the softball program’s history!

Smashing Records, Recording Success

The softball team broke 26 various national and school records en route to a 36-19 record. The 36 wins by the Lady Blazers sets a new school record for most victories in a season, and it was the second time in four years that the previous record has been eclipsed.

They started the season with key victories, including one over NCAA Division I Grambling State University. After two losses, they bounced back to win 13 of their next 17 games. With a win over Jackson State they tied the previous school record for most wins in a season—33. The next day Belhaven surpassed the record with a win over Spring Hill College.

They advanced to the GCAC tournament championship contest for the third time in four years, where they fought hard but bowed out to William Carey in the championship game.

Seniors Britney Webb, Mallory Meadows, and Keresa Steichen had solid seasons to complete their Belhaven careers. Webb set a new school record for most runs scored in a season (73), led the nation in triples (9) and stolen bases (55), and broke Belhaven’s single season record with 181 trips to the plate.

Meadows turned in one of the best seasons in school history, as she led the team with a .485 batting average, NAIA best 78 RBI’s, 18 home runs (2^nd nationally), 150 bases (4th nationally), and a total of 80 hits on the year. Meadows holds the Belhaven single season record in each of the aforementioned categories.

Freshman Heather Pace led the NAIA with 24 doubles, which put her at the top of the Belhaven record books for the most in a single season. Pace also broke the NAIA record for 11 RBI’s in a single game!

Players who received conference and national recognition for their efforts in 2009 include: Mallory Meadows, Britney Webb, Heather Pace, Tiffany Ansley, Salina Cervantes, Ashley Mottola, Jessica Eggold, and Keresa Steichen.

“I am very proud of this group for breaking the school record for wins and getting back to the GCAC Championship game after a year lapse,” says Head Coach Rick Fremin. “I also feel that this team has raised the level of play for the program and that the future is bright”.

With such a strong foundation, 2010 looks like a bright year for both teams to “blaze” an even brighter trail, full of service and success.  —KM and MP

For 35 years, Barber Auditorium has been a gathering place for lectures, performances, concerts, meetings, and campus ministries. It was built in honor of Mr. Harold Barber, Board of Trustees member, and his wife Annie Ford Barber, class of 1925 and one of five sisters who attended Belhaven.

In 2007, Barber underwent a complete renovation, and a dedication was held in the fall of 2008 with Barber family members, close friends, and Belhaven representatives in attendance. Along with new foyer furniture, hardwood and carpeted flooring, elegant curtains, and 148 newly re-covered theatre-style seats, the auditorium boasts of an updated audio and visual system with wireless internet, digital projection, two VGA computer inputs in the stage, two wireless microphones, two wired microphones, and a CD/DVD player.

Barber Family and Friends: (L to R) Back row: Ada Brandon, Kathy Hays, H. Barber Boone, Robert Barber, Jr., Walter T. Boone. Middle row: Julie Barber Weaver, Helen Barber Boone, Donna Barber, Allison Boone Ruhl. Front row: Annie Weaver, Helen Weaver, Ella Ruhl, Reese Ruhl, Ainsley Ruhl.

Dr. Parrott, president of the college, reflects on why Belhaven has adopted “Our Standard is Christ” as its new identifier.

“Everyone uses standards, even if their expectations are low, arbitrary, or self-serving. What is missing in our society are standards that require people and institutions to live up to the highest benchmarks of quality and integrity. In this time of misplaced standards, it is crucial to be reminded what standards do and why our standard is Christ.”For 125 years, we have been identifying ourselves as a Christian college, so why is that label no longer enough?
Back at Belhaven’s founding, or even 50 years ago, we were identified as a Christian College, and in those days, that was all the identification we needed.  In that era, to be known as a Christian College made it clear to our constituency that all the faculty and staff were Christians who believed the Bible, were committed to Jesus, and taught and lived accordingly.  No other descriptor was necessary.

But today, to be called a Christian college is generic to some, confusing to others, and misunderstood by many.  Colleges that call themselves Christian represent a wide spectrum from the ultra conservative to the ultra liberal, and that identifier is inadequate to help our friends understand how faith is the foundation for all we do at Belhaven.

Many Christ-centered schools call themselves “evangelical.”  So why don’t we just use that term as our identifier?
At Belhaven, we sometimes call ourselves an evangelical school, but the media has distorted that word for many, and even among the 110 schools of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities there is still wide diversity within that spectrum.

We have those I call, “pray before class” colleges. They hire Christian faculty and staff, have Christian behavioral standards, and they do pray at the start of every class-period.  But they don’t teach much differently from what students would find at a secular university.

Moving along the spectrum, there is a large group of institutions that have a commitment to the integration of faith and learning, and like seasoning a soup, they flavor their instruction in and out of the classroom with Christian thought, although they do not have a comprehensive academic program that prepares students with a Christ-centered worldview.

But then there are a small handful of schools that have gone back to the source, to create curriculum, teach, coach, support, and advise from a solid biblical framework. I’m thankful that Belhaven is a leader among this group.

So to call ourselves a Christian college, and to lump us in with schools that range from those at the  liberal end of the spectrum to those at the legalistic end, is about as adequate as calling Walt Disney World an amusement park.  It is one, but the Disney people don’t want to be identified in that limited way, nor be pooled together with others in that category.

“Our Standard is Christ” is now on the letterhead for the College.  Is this primarily a marketing slogan?
“Our Standard is Christ” is a wonderful way to describe Belhaven College; because Christ is the only standard we want for our students and the faculty and staff.  This phrase identifies who we are, and whose we are, but it is not a marketing slogan—

it is a commitment.

Yes, it may be used in marketing, but its purpose is to define Belhaven College, not make us memorable.  Tag lines are cute for marketing, but what we are talking about with this identifier goes to the very core of our mission and to the heart of our personal relationship with Christ.

Putting it on our web site, in our materials, and on advertisements is the public commitment of our inward desire.  And like announcing to all your friends you’re going on a diet, there is nothing like making it public to help hold ourselves accountable internally.

What other “standards” were considered as the campus and board set this new identifier?
When you boil it all down, there is no other standard for us as a College, or for us as individual followers of Christ.   Jesus set the standard for how we are to live with others, grapple with ideas, understand the world, love and forgive, set personal goals, and focus on what matters in life. Any other standard for Belhaven would be secondary to this high calling for every Christian.

In moving through this discussion about what standards are important to us, you have to ask the question: what other standards could there be?  Any other standard we might consider is insignificant in comparison to “Our Standard is Christ.”

• Our Standard is the accrediting Associations

• Our Standard is XYZ University, Only More Christian

• Our Standard is Being Better Than We Were Last Year

• Our Standard is Gaining in Prestige

• Our Standard is US News and World Report National Rankings

No, the only standard that matters is Christ.

How do you answer those who believe Belhaven cannot be as strong academically if we are going to have a clear Christian focus?
I believe it is just to the contrary!  Because Christ is our Standard, we have no option other than to be academically strong.

If strength is equated only to serving the top tier of IQ students coming out of high schools, we surely wouldn’t fit in that category – and wouldn’t want to.  To me, academic strength is helping every student understand that he or she is uniquely created by God, and then help each discover their unique God given gifts, and push to achieve the Lord’s best for their life.

We have lots of students who can stand up in any national academic competition and other students who are doing their best to get “C’s.”  But God doesn’t call any of us to live lives of failure.  So if we can teach students to use all the gifts God has given them, do what He calls us to do, and not settle for anything less than a life of meaning and purpose – I’d call that excellence.
But it takes an exceptional faculty to teach with this Christ-centered understanding of quality.  In the world of higher education that has eliminated Truth from teaching, holiness from living, and grace from relationships; we need to never waiver from our standard of excellence.

How can Belhaven College measure up to Christ?
That is the key question if this identifier drives to the core of Belhaven and is not simply a slogan for us.  It is a challenging question to ask: how can we be like Jesus, since He was fully God on earth?  Yes, He was, but He was also fully human.  And focusing on those human traits that were God-filled, we have a clear picture of the standard Christ sets for us.

I’ve looked at it from many angles and with many insightful people, and it all comes down to this standard Jesus set for us: He spent time building His inner strength, so that outwardly, He could reveal the nature of God through what He did.

Everything Jesus did with others reflected the nature of God – from the work He did alongside Joseph as a carpenter’s apprentice – to preaching the Sermon on the Mount.  From conversation over a meal, to struggling with fatigue from the business of a day, to the way He developed relationships – it was all about showing others the nature and love of God.

Every outward action in the life of Jesus grew from an inward spiritual strength, and so, for Him and for us, we can’t focus on the outcome without linking it to the indwelling of God in our heart, soul, and mind.

That is the key to a Belhaven education – helping students build God honoring inner character – so they can use their gifts to be people of quality and Christian service in their profession, community, and family – living lives that see, love, and understand the world as God designed it to be.

Specifically, how do you, faculty, staff, coaches and others lead Belhaven College when “Our Standard
is Christ?”
We follow the pattern of Jesus.  And if you look at how he lived his daily life – in the ordinary stuff we all do – I believe there are five characteristics that give us a standard to follow. Each one starts with an inward strength that results in an outward lifestyle pattern from Jesus.

In a nutshell, let me share the five principles I’ve found to be helpful in making Christ my standard.  I’ve written about this in a book I have coming out next fall.

1. Jesus was Prayerful, so He could Live Genuinely

2. Jesus was Compassionate, so He could Love Unconditionally

3. Jesus was Humble, so He could Mentor Deeply

4. Jesus was Confident, so He could Assure Availability

5. Jesus was Focused, so He could Work Purposefully

Our world promotes career advancement, money, and influence as the standards by which we should be measured, so if Christ is the standard, what replaces that?
The world’s standards are wealth and power for selfish desires, while Jesus calls us to serve our world, not to be served by it.  So it is not simply the choice of a vocation that is the standard of commitment to Christ, but rather the motivations behind our “success” that God is measuring.

Jesus understood the importance of his followers being salt and light in the marketplace.  He called his disciples straight out of successful business careers. His teaching attracted huge crowds and influenced the culture at every level.

But the difference is this: Jesus lived in this world just as we do, but his focus was toward another place, not this one.  He had a perspective that allowed him to understand what the new heaven and new earth would be, and so His priorities were eternal, not earthly.

He had been with God and would return there, so He had the assurance of something that takes lots more trust on our part to grasp.  Jesus worked on this earth completely focused toward heaven, because He knew it was as genuine as the ground he walked in Galilee.  Having that same earthly/eternal perspective leads us to the “abundant life” Christ taught us to seek.

If you had to sum it all up in an “15 second elevator speech” how would you describe this new standard for Belhaven College?
Jesus prayed, taught, mentored, and loved in ways that connected eternal life with earthly life.  He made every day count, but He understood the ultimate goals and purpose of life.

That same Christ-centered worldview is what we want Belhaven graduates to treasure as they head into “the world of careers, ideas, and human relationships,” as our mission statement articulates.

Our Standard is Christ.  There is no higher standard we could set as a College – and only with God’s help will Belhaven’s faculty and staff help our students achieve God’s best for their lives.

Zero to sixty in five seconds is fast. But what about zero to sixty majors in the span of just five years?  The Sports Medicine and Exercise Science program started just over five short years ago, and it has quickly accelerated into becoming one of the college’s fastest growing majors.

This is largely due to its dedicated and somewhat non-traditional faculty (think Apollo Space Program). The students in this major are led by two uniquely capable individuals, Dr. Don Berryhill and Dr. Mark Belcher, affectionately known by their students as “Dr. B” and “Dr. M.”

Faculty

Dr. Don Berryhill had already retired twice before accepting his position as Chair of the Belhaven Sports Medicine and Exercise Science program in 2003.  His years in the fields of Sports Medicine and Exercise Science have offered a range of incredible experiences and rich opportunities for working with outstanding individuals in both fields.  Aside from teaching on the faculty at two well-known medical schools, he has had the privilege of working as the Associate Director of Sports Medicine at the Olympic Training Center. He also played a unique role for NASA in the legendary Apollo Space Program. His internationally recognized work for NASA utilized both mathematics and physics to design fitness programs for zero gravity conditions, which had not been faced prior to the Apollo program. At Belhaven, Dr. Berryhill has enjoyed seeing the program grow from 4 students in the major in 2003 to 64 in the fall of 2008.

If Dr. Berryhill is the rock that the program was built upon, then Dr. Mark Belcher would have to be the dynamite that has expedited the building process.  Dr. Belcher, a licensed Physical Therapist (PT), arrived in 2005 with a zeal for injury care and prevention that is contagious. His previous experience includes owning and operating his own PT clinic for 25 years, serving on the faculty for several Mississippi PT programs—and building a castle in Louisiana (ask him about it).  Dr. Berryhill had this to say about Dr. Belcher’s influence on the program: “The addition of Dr. Belcher to our faculty has propelled the major to a new level of preparation, primarily in Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, and Biomechanics.”  Dr. Belcher has added several key components to the program, one of which is the establishment of an Outpatient Teaching Clinic, where students can watch and learn from Dr. Belcher’s tremendous experience.

Facilities

The program has come a long way from two stethoscopes, one scale, and one spirometer. Today, there are two labs filled with cutting-edge equipment that can measure cardiovascular health and provide injury care and prevention techniques. The Cardiopulmonary lab provides the capabilities for performing graded exercise testing, pulmonary efficiency testing, and metabolic testing. The Injury Care and Prevention and Kinesiology lab houses state of the art equipment for assessing biomechanical effectiveness and movement, as well as assessing and managing injuries.
Future

The program’s future looks bright, and if the dynamic duo of “Dr. B” and “Dr. M” keep up their energetic pace and love for teaching, they will continue to attract the right students. As Dr. Belcher stated, “We are about making our students marketable. Our coursework is as tough as any college in the South, and our students graduate with four or five times the clinical hours that students from other universities are required to gain.”

In spite of the difficult coursework and intense clinical hours, students appreciate the strong foundation that is being laid for their future. Demetrius Simmons, a senior Sports Medicine major who plans to attend medical school, says that the Sports Medicine program was a key factor in his decision to transfer to Belhaven last year: “The rigorous program has really prepared me for what medical school entails, and Dr. Berryhill has taken the time to help me get ready for what’s ahead. The clinical hours have given me an opportunity to work in a variety of settings and to see the multiple sides of medicine, whether it’s orthopedic surgery, cardiology, or emergency medicine. This experience has been intense, but it has really tied things together for me.”

This program’s success has only just begun, and with the rising need for healthcare, the future opportunities for students like Demetrius Simmons should be abundant. The future is looking bright—and busy for these professors. With upwards of 130 inquiries from interested prospective students for next fall already, Dr. “B” and Dr. “M” are going to keep doing what they do best—spreading their passion for health, fitness, and well-being.

Belhaven College Sports Medicine FACTS

• Every student in the major has amassed over 200 clinical hours prior to graduation.

• Strong working relationships with the 4 major hospitals in the area, along with over 15 Physical Therapy centers, retirement homes, Occupational Therapy centers equals more opportunities.

• Outpatient teaching clinic gives students a rare opportunity to learn from a professor in real-life consultations.

• Alumni are enrolled in graduate schools across 4 states.

• Breakdown of Majors:

60% pursue Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy

30% pursue Medicine/Nursing/Exercise Physiology/Biomechanics

10% pursue Athletic Training/Strength and Conditioning/Personal Training

• Belhaven students, by invitation, participate in the only nationally funded “Gait Analysis” research project

On October 30^th, Belhaven College students, faculty, and staff had the privilege of hearing from Dr. Billy Jang Hwan Kim, President of the Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) in Korea. Dr. Kim is an international Christian leader known for his commitment to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ across the world. Dr. Kim was joined by the young and talented voices of the FEBC Korea Children’s Choir.

These international visitors were well-received at the Campus Day of Learning. Dr. Kim’s well-pointed Biblical exhortation left everyone with a charge to live a life committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Dr. Kim’s message was emphasized by the presence of the Korea Children’s Choir, whose young voices filled the concert hall with praise songs, hymns, and traditional American folk songs.

Dr. Kim’s Ministry

Dr. Kim travels across the world with his ministry, so Belhaven was honored to host such a prestigious guest for the Campus Day of Learning. His evangelistic ministry began over fifty years ago, and he has accomplished many remarkable things throughout his life. Though his early years saw extreme hardships, including the Korean War, God’s hand was on Dr. Kim’s life from a young age. 

He was able to get work as a house boy for the U.S military, where he met Sgt. Carl Powers, who helped him go to America to complete his education. Sgt. Powers enrolled Dr. Kim at Bob Jones Academy in Greenville, South Carolina, and in August of 1958, Dr. Kim married Trudy, whom he met at Bob Jones Academy. The fearful 17 year old boy who left Korea in 1951 returned with an education, a beautiful wife, and a passion and vision for ministry.

Dr. Kim’s ministry in Korea began small, but it grew exponentially with each passing decade. One instance of his passion for the gospel was the Billy Graham Crusade of 1973, where Dr. Kim translated Dr. Graham’s nightly messages. His interpretive skill was marked by speed, accuracy, and enthusiasm. Each night the crowd grew to the maximum attendance of 1.1 million.

In 1973, Dr. Kim was installed as Director of the Far East Broadcasting Company in Korea, where he has been in leadership for over 3 decades. In 2000, he became the first Asian to be elected as President of the Baptist World Alliance. Continuing an active and broad international ministry, he has become a highly respected leader among government and business leaders, as well as, church leaders around the globe.

Korea Children’s Choir

The Korea Children’s Choir is an outreach ministry of the Far East Broadcasting Company. The choir has travelled extensively, and their stop at Belhaven was one of several stops on their tour of the southern U.S. They captivated the Belhaven audience with their bright voices, colorful costumes, and choreographed dancing. These forty young voices added another dimension of excitement to the Campus Day of Learning.

The International emphasis at this year’s Campus Day of Learning made it a special day for all who attended. At the close of the Korea Children’s Choir performance, Dr. Billy Kim presented Belhaven president Dr. Roger Parrott with a special gift, a traditional inlaid pearl Korean leader’s nameplate. The friendship forged between Dr. Kim and Dr. Parrott is a significant one, forming an even stronger bond with the Korean brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Having Dr. Kim and The FEBC Children’s Choir for our Campus Day of Learning is a significant opportunity, not only for the cross cultural exchange but to also bear witness to the remarkable work that God is doing in Korea through this ministry. For over five decades FEBC’s radio ministry has brought the gospel to Korea, Russia, China, and Mongolia. We are truly fortunate to have them in Jackson, Mississippi for our Campus Day of Learning,” concluded Dr. Parrott.