Academic News
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Asbury Outpouring: Celebrating God’s Goodness
Reunion guests attended a service in Hughes Auditorium on Saturday evening during Reunion to worship and pray together and to learn more about the Outpouring that happened on campus in February.
Alumni and their families heard first-hand accounts and testimonies, including thoughts from President Dr. Kevin Brown and his wife, Maria, who shared their perspectives of Gen Z encountering God in real and tangible ways during the Outpouring.
“On that very last day of prayer, when 1,500 young adults packed into Hughes, somebody looked at them and said, ’You will not be the generation defined by anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and addiction,’” recalled Brown. “There was a swell from those students that rose up to say, ’We will be free.’ My friend David Thomas said, ’If we had the spiritual eyes to see it, we would have seen an altar filled with loosened chains.’”
After worship, attendees heard from students Jessie Thompson ’24 and Delorges Goncalves ’22, Director of Christian Life Project Jeannie Banter ’06, Gospel choir leader Benjamin Black ’20, and ministry leader Zach Meerkreebs in a discussion led by Vice President for Student Life Rev. Dr. Sarah Thomas ’93 Baldwin.
“My life hasn’t been the same,” said Meerkreebs. “[The Outpouring] is just starting. The 16 days here in February was a flashpoint.”
Baldwin discussed the discerning process of saying ’yes’ to how God was working.
“It was more than we can imagine and more than we could dream,” she said. “One of those first ’yes’ moments was when we were thinking if we should close Hughes at midnight. There are a lot of reasons why you don’t have buildings open all night, but our whole group had the sense of ’Yes, God is doing something, and we want to steward it.’”
While sharing the state of the Outpouring four months later, Brown said, “A fire is hottest when it’s dying down into smoldering embers. Even though it may look like things are dying down, what if it’s just getting hot? Moreover, what if the 284 colleges and universities and 50,000 visitors from other states and countries are now torchbearers? The goal was never to localize anything because it’s not ours to hold. We didn’t create it, and we didn’t stop it.”
Before a time of guided prayer, Banter closed with Habakkuk 1:5: “Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”
To watch the service, visit asbury.edu/reunion/livestreams.
A Gift of Worship: “Impressions of Outpouring”
The day after the Outpouring began, Asbury Academy student* Iannah Jones felt called to join the ongoing worship in Hughes Auditorium in February. As she packed up necessities for the day on campus, the Holy Spirit spoke to her and said, “Bring a canvas.”
“I asked why, and He said, ’To capture the moment,’” said Iannah. This nudge from God was the first step to her painting “Impressions of Outpouring,” an acrylic art piece that Iannah describes as a “gift of worship” for Jesus during her time spent in the balcony of Hughes.
“I may have held the brush, but it really wasn’t me [who painted it],” Iannah explained. “I’ve had family members say that I’m a good artist, but there was a level of expertise that was beyond my abilities at the moment.”
Watch Iannah’s full story
To see her art site or purchase a print, visit art-by-iannah.square.site/
* Asbury Academy is an opportunity for high school students to earn college credit at Asbury while completing high school. For more information, visit asbury.edu/academy.
Asbury Equine Department Celebrates 25 years
As part of Reunion, the Asbury University Equine Department celebrated its 25th year anniversary on Saturday, June 24, at the Equine farm.
“Asbury is fortunate to be located in Central Kentucky, the heart of horse country,” said Asbury University President Dr. Kevin Brown. “As a Christian university that has spent well over a century in this region, we are so thankful to celebrate 25 years of having an equestrian program with world-class staff and faculty on world-class Kentucky bluegrass property.”
New Program: M.S. In Accounting
Asbury continues its tradition of excellence and market relevance with a new Master of Science in Accounting program launching this fall. The program provides students with a direct path to earning the 150 college credit hours required to become a Certified Public Accountant in Kentucky. It also is designed to be a +1 program where students pursuing an undergraduate degree in accounting can seamlessly enter the graduate program.
“Students will exit the program with education that will allow them to not only be excellent accountants who help steward financial resources, but also equipped professionals with a solid foundation to be faith-filled Christian businessmen and women,” said Dr. Alesha Graves, dean of the Dayton School of Business.
SEARCH Symposium Winner
In April, the annual SEARCH Symposium and competition showcased student research in the Walt and Rowena Shaw Collaborative Learning Center to celebrate innovative ideas in art and research through conversation across the liberal arts.
Lillie Lewis ’23 received the SEARCH Symposium Student Scholar of Excellence, for her paper, “Expression of CD56, CD16, and CD19 in Whole Blood Cells of Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease,” with faculty-sponsor Dr. Bruce Branan. The prize included $1,000 cash, an award certificate, and an object of art.
Asbury Scholars Translate and Publish Book about Saint Andrew’s Ministry
Associate Professor of Classical Languages Randy Richardson and Professor of History (Emeritus) Dr. Burnam Reynolds ’70 recently published a book, ’Gregory of Tours: The Book of the Miracles of the Blessed Andrew the Apostle.’
Asbury Math Professors Selected for Leadership Opportunities
Professor and Chair of Mathematics Dr. Cheryll Crowe ’03 Johnson recently received acceptance into the Women’s Leadership Development Institute (WLDI) within the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). This highly competitive, year-long program aims to empower female leaders across CCCU institutions. The leadership development program with the Institute at Cedar Springs includes a tailored shadowing experience with senior- level leaders across CCCU campuses and networking opportunities throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.
Also, the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) recently selected Associate Professor of Mathematics Dr. Ben McLaughlin ’07 as a Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) fellow for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Asbury Science Students Conduct Summer Research
The following students in the Shaw Student Research Internship Program conduct research under the supervision of science professors: Ewing Wiley ’24, Katherine Stanley ’24, and Sara Brewer ’24.
Biology major Ethan Hoogerheide ’24 serves as an intern at the Division of Water in Frankfort, Ky., and chemistry major Rebekah Bogle ’24 works with NASA samples as a senior research aide at the Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source.
Click Here to watch more about Dr. Ruffner’s summer research.