the
ambassador
SUMMER 2026 Why We're Needed Now More Than Ever p. 4 One Tool at a Time: Could Seminary Be Another Tool for the Toolbox? p. 12 Three Resources to Strengthen You and Your Church p. 24
the magazine of ozark christian college
Contents TO INSPIRE President’s Perspective Matt Proctor Why we are needed now more than ever
Footprints of Faith Matt Proctor
The forgotten gospel partnership that changed the world
Alumni Spotlight: Molly Bunton Lindsey Bell
God rarely reveals the whole path at once
Bible Words Jon Kehrer
An in-depth look at the language of Scripture
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8 12 14
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TO INFORM Heard in Chapel
Overheard recently in OCC’s chapel
The Big Picture
A snapshot of life around campus
Campus News
Recent happenings at OCC
Meet Your OCC Family
Introducing Steve and Rhonda Hayward, Goodman Hall Residence Directors
Coming Soon
Upcoming events at OCC
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18 21 22
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TO CONNECT Here’s an Idea
Three resources to strengthen you and your church
Your Partnership
Legacy, memorial, and tribute gifts from our generous donors
Alumni News
Updates from alumni around the world
One More Thing Amy Storms
A final thought from our editor
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The Ambassador magazine is published three times each year to inspire, inform, and connect the Ozark Christian College family. Design: Lauren White Creative Contributing Editors: Matt Proctor, Amy Storms, Lindsey Bell Photography: Mark Neuenschwander Contact: Ozark Christian College 1111 N. Main Joplin, MO 64801 hello@occ.edu
The vision of Ozark Christian College is to glorify God by evangelizing the lost and edifying Christians worldwide. The mission of Ozark Christian College is to train men and women for Christian service as a degree-granting institution of biblical higher education. Ozark Christian College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), the Association for Biblical Higher Education (abhe.org), and the Association of Theological Schools (ats.edu). Ozark Christian College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Now More Than Ever Matt Proctor
This article is brought to you by the word NOW, and here’s my confession: I am not always a “now” person. I am often a “later” person. Did you know that if you take a few letters out of procrastinator, you get the word Proctor? That’s not good.
My Carpe Diem Moment But at some point, we all face a “Seize the Day” moment, and mine came in November 1991. I was a newlywed, visiting Katie’s family for Thanksgiving, when her three older farmer brothers— big men, burly men, hairy men—decided it was time to teach the new guy how to waterski. Katie and her brothers grew up waterskiing on Missouri’s Lake Stockton. Slalom, barefoot, building skier pyramids—they did it all. I had never waterskied in my life, but at Thanksgiving dinner, they said, “Proctor, it’s time.”
I knew saying yes would be risky and hard. At that time, I might’ve weighed 150 pounds. I was an uncoordinated cornstalk, and I knew that if I did this, I could fall and break myself. And it was November! The water was going to be frigid. I was tempted to say, “Maybe…later.”
But even as a dumb 21-year-old kid, I recognized: this was a strategic moment. If I said yes, I could earn trust. Maybe I could impress these manly men. So I said, “Carpe diem. Let’s go.”
Her brothers took me out in the boat on Lake Stockton. The water was 48 degrees, so they decided to put me in a wetsuit. Do you know how hard it is to wear a heavy, full-body, too-bigfor-you wetsuit when you’re learning to waterski? (It’s an 11 out of 10.)
It’s Totally Worth It Katie’s brothers, of course, were secretly enjoying every sadistic minute of this. I got the wetsuit on, jumped in the water,
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TO INSPIRE
wrangled the skis on, and grabbed hold of the rope. Katie’s oldest brother Marty hollered, “When you’re ready, yell ‘hit it.’ And no matter what happens…do not let go of the rope.” I am not a smart man. I thought, “Okay! No matter what happens, I will not let go of the rope. I will be the world’s expert at not letting go of the rope.” I yelled, “Hit it!” And they did. And then I did. I immediately popped up out of the water, then immediately smacked down on the water, right on my face. But I did not let go of the rope.
I was hanging on for dear life, and my brothers-in-law were not letting off the gas. I was bouncing across the top of the water so fast, I could’ve changed my name to Skip. Finally, I realized I was an idiot, and I let go of the rope. Did you know the human nose can hold two gallons of water when properly inserted? They swung the boat around and had a good laugh. I grabbed the rope, and on my sixth try—I was determined—I finally stayed up. And oh, the thrill! I loved the speed, the feeling of skimming on top of the water, wind whipping through my hair, water spraying, adrenaline rushing. And I’m pretty sure that’s when Katie’s brothers first thought, “Maybe this kid’s alright.” I realized: whatever that moment cost, it was totally worth it.
I was glad I did not say “later.” Shakespeare said, “There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.” Strategic moments must be seized NOW or lost forever. “Make the most of every opportunity” (Colossians 4:5).
Strategic moments must be seized NOW or lost forever.
A Shrinking Ministry Pipeline At Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary, we are standing in a grab-it-now moment.
Here’s why: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:37). More lost souls surround us than ever in history, but the ministry leadership pipeline is shrinking. Every week, I’m contacted by congregations wanting to hire ministry staff, but they tell me the pickings are slim. The data among the independent Christian churches confirms this. First, our current ministry force is aging into retirement. In a recent Christian Standard survey, one-third of our lead ministers are 60 or older, and there are 3.5 times as many lead ministers over 60 years old as under 40 years old. Second, our future ministry recruits are fewer in number. In 2013, our colleges graduated 940 ministry majors. In 2024, they sent out 473. That’s a 50% drop in 11 years. Why this shortage of ministry recruits? Likely multiple factors, but here are at least two reasons: •
•
Several colleges have closed their doors. For years, the independent Christian churches (ICC) enjoyed a multitude of Bible colleges and seminaries training ministers. (Perhaps we thought it would always be so. “They do good work, but I can give later.”) Sadly, several of those schools have now fallen silent. In 2006, we had 25 accredited colleges in the U.S. In the last 20 years, 7 colleges have closed, and Emmanuel Christian Seminary merged with Milligan University. We now have 17 accredited U.S. colleges—a 30% drop.
Several colleges have broadened their focus. Though most of our schools began as traditional Bible colleges—with the majority of graduates going into ministry—many have since broadened their curriculum. At such schools, ministry is one major among others like chemistry or journalism. (And we are grateful for our sister schools—we need chemists and journalists with a biblical worldview!) Of the 17 ICC colleges, 10 are now Christian liberal arts colleges, and 7 are Bible colleges.1
NOW is a moment of great need. Where will we find the men and women in the next generation to lead our churches, preach and teach God’s Word, translate Scripture into other languages, and take the gospel to unreached peoples?
A Flourishing Ministry School At Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary, we just sent out the largest graduating class in our history! As they walked across the stage, I heard each graduate’s plans read aloud: preachers, youth ministers, missionaries, campus ministers, worship ministers, a homeless shelter director, women’s ministers, church planters, and a prison minister. I heard all the places they’d go: Africa, Alaska, Arkansas, Australia, Eastern Europe, England, Florida, Georgia, Greece, Haiti, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ireland, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire,
New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. And I praised the Lord! Since 1942, that’s been OCC’s mission—preparing gospel leaders for the global task. And by God’s grace, we’re in good days: •
• • •
Financially, we’re healthy. We’re in our 16th year debt-free.
Numerically, we’re growing. We’ve had a 41% enrollment increase over the last 8 years. Academically, we’re expanding. Lincoln Seminary and OCC Academy are OCC’s newest opportunities to train men and women for Christian service.
Missionally, we’re on target. 100% of our degrees are Bible/ ministry degrees, as our grads take the gospel to all 50 states and over 100 countries.
OCC is now the largest Bible college in our fellowship, and Lincoln is now our movement’s largest seminary. By God’s grace, we’re flourishing. “On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.” So…now is not the time to maintain the status quo. Now is not the time to shrink back, slow down, or stand still. Now is the time to move forward. We are needed now more than ever.
A Strategic Ministry Moment That’s why I need your help.
We really are standing in a strategic moment. Though Ozark is one of 17 schools, we’re training a disproportionately large number of the vocational kingdom leaders for our brotherhood. (About 35% of today’s ministry graduates are from Ozark.) At last fall’s SpireConference, a third of the speakers on stage were our graduates. More churches than ever look to us for their ministry leadership needs. Q: How do we keep Ozark strong and moving forward? A: With God’s help and your partnership.
Our new capital fundraising campaign—NOW MORE THAN EVER—will fund three initiatives to help us “seize the day”: 1.
SEMINARY BUILDING ($4 million)
In 2024, Lincoln Seminary transferred to Ozark, and the seminary is thriving. Our graduate school enrollment jumped 35%, but the growth creates classroom challenges. During seminary intensive classes, over 20 undergraduate classes must relocate (into every campus crevice and cranny) to make room. The seminary needs its own home, and in the field south of the Seth Wilson Library, this new
1. This is based on each institution’s spring 2024 federally-reported graduate numbers. The US Department of Education gives each type of degree a code—or CIP—and CIP 39 is “Theology and Religious Vocations.” For this article, a college where at least 50% of graduates receive a Bible/ministry degree (CIP 39) is considered a Bible college. Among our 7 Bible colleges, ministry grads range from 70% at some to 100% at others. Among our 10 Christian liberal arts colleges, ministry grads range from 2% at some to 41% at others.
TO INSPIRE
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PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
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building will feature classrooms, offices, a Lincoln history display, the Wayne Shaw Chapel, and a patio of Lincoln alumni bricks and The Divine Servant statue. DORM RENOVATIONS ($4 million)
For 60 years, OCC’s six dorms—three men’s, three women’s—have faithfully housed our students. But they were showing their age, and in 2018, we began the process of refurbishing these six “tired servants.” We’ve renovated four of the six dorms already, and student response has been excited and grateful. This campaign will renovate the final two dorms—Strong Hall for men and Goodman Hall for women— providing plumbing and electrical upgrades, HVAC units, windows, carpet, paint, remodeled bathrooms, a dorm kitchenette, and room furniture (beds, desks, dressers). LIFELONG LEADERS ($400,000)
Preacher Bob Russell shared, “A study by the Center for Church Leadership found that seven out of ten ministers leave the ministry within their first ten years.” One reason the ministry pipeline is shrinking: there’s a leak in the pipe. Isolation and lack of mentoring contribute to ministry burnout, so we want to provide support with a new Lifelong Leaders initiative—coaching cohorts for new ministers. New graduates join a “first ministry cohort” of 6-8 other new ministers, led by a ministry veteran, meeting online and in person for two years of encouragement and training.
So Brandon came to the young adult Bible study. When Lydia and Tristan met Brandon, they discovered: he thought “nondenominational” meant accepting of all religions and affirming of all orientations, because Brandon was also gay. That required a clarifying conversation in which they explained to Brandon their church’s beliefs, including a biblical view of gender and sexuality.
But Brandon was lonely, so he stuck around. Lydia and Tristan weren’t using a particular small-group curriculum. They just put a Bible in everyone’s hand, including Brandon’s, and week by week, they slowly read through the book of Luke together. Brandon had never read the Bible. He didn’t know any Bible stories. As they read through the Christmas story in Luke 1, Brandon was incredulous, “What? She was a virgin?!” He had never heard that before.
But as they kept reading Luke, Brandon started catching on, following the plot of the book, learning about the main characters. In fact, whenever the Pharisees appeared in a passage, Brandon would roll his eyes and say, “Ugh! The real housewives of Jerusalem.” (This is my new favorite label for the Pharisees.) Slowly, story by story, in Luke’s gospel, Brandon began to see God’s love lived out in God’s Son. Brandon saw: Jesus loved tax collectors like him. Jesus loved outcasts like him. Jesus loved sinners like him. And there in God’s Word, Brandon came to love Jesus, and when he decided to follow the Lord, Lydia and Tristan got to baptize Brandon into Christ. Whatever that moment cost, it was totally worth it.
This $8.4 million NOW MORE THAN EVER campaign is That’s why I said yes to NOW MORE THAN EVER and the biggest project I’ve tackled in my 20 years as president. As we why I hope you will too. (See next page.) planned this, I felt like that 21-year-old kid at the Thanksgiving There are a million more Brandons in the world who need table, considering a November to hear the good news of Jesus waterski lesson. I knew saying yes Christ. The enemy will whisper, would be risky and hard. I was There are a million more Brandons in “You can give later.” But we need tempted to say, “Maybe…later.” the world who need to hear the good kingdom leaders now more than But I said, “Carpe diem,” and I’ll news of Jesus Christ. The enemy will ever to tell them. close with a story to tell you why. Help us grab this moment. whisper, “You can give later.” But Please consider partnering It’s Totally Worth It we need kingdom leaders now more with us—individually and as a When my daughter Lydia and church—to send more workers than ever to tell them. her husband Tristan graduated into the harvest field. from Ozark, they served on staff Carpe diem. with a church in Kansas City. They led a young adult small group, most of whom had little background in church, and in this group they met Brandon. Brandon was 6’4”, 120 pounds, and on the autism spectrum. Brandon lived with his older brother, and he worked for the IRS. Brandon had googled “non-denominational churches near me” which brought up the church where Lydia and Tristan were serving.
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Matt Proctor has served as president of Ozark Christian College since 2006.
Would you prayerfully consider a generous commitment—above your regular giving—over the next three years to the NOW MORE THAN EVER campaign?
SEMINARY BUILDING $4.0 MILLION
DORM RENOVATIONS $4.0 MILLION
LIFELONG LEADERS $0.4 MILLION
“I’ve never been a brickand-mortar guy, but my love for OCC and Lincoln Seminary—and the great need for biblical graduate education—trumps that. This cause has my heart, and the new building will be a great blessing.”
“In the years I lived in newly-renovated Alumni Hall, I was shaped by my RAs, roommate, and friends, and God used mundane kitchenette conversations as much as exegetical papers to prepare me for service.”
“A great blessing of my ministry has been a cohort of younger ministers, led by a longtime preacher and OCC trustee. Encouragement, laughter, support, accountability—I can’t imagine the ups and downs of ministry without this group.”
DR. J.K. JONES (LCC 1980)
JOY HALEEM MARZANO (OCC 2024)
BRYCE HOTCHKISS (OCC BA 2012 & MA 2024)
ADJUNCT PROFESSOR LINCOLN SEMINARY AT OCC BLOOMINGTON, IL
EMCEE CHRIST IN YOUTH JOPLIN, MO
LEAD MINISTER SOUTHLAKE CHRISTIAN CHURCH GROVELAND, FL
CAMPAIGN TOTAL $8.4 MILLION
Find out more or donate at occ.edu/now.
FOOTPRINTS OF FAITH But I noticed: the movie left out the person who made it all possible—a countess named Selina. First, the story of the converted actor.
From the Saloon to the Sanctuary The ministry of George Whitefield was an unlikely one. He and his friend/fellow Great Awakening preacher John Wesley were both Church of England ministers, and Wesley’s entrance into ministry was unsurprising. Wesley was, after all, a preacher’s kid. But young George Whitefield, a preacher? People would’ve raised their eyebrows and laughed: • • •
The Countess and the Converted Actor: THE FORGOTTEN GOSPEL PARTNERSHIP THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
Matt Proctor A few months ago, Katie and I went to see A Great Awakening. (Two thumbs up!) The movie tells the remarkable story of George Whitefield: his challenging childhood, his college conversion, his powerful preaching, his surprising friendship with Benjamin Franklin, and his lasting influence on our budding new nation. Whitefield, of course, was a significant religious figure. His preaching stirred the Great Awakening revival that swept across England and the American colonies in the 1700s. Over his thirty-four-year ministry, Whitefield preached over 18,000 sermons (two sermons almost every day!) to an estimated ten million people, and many thousands were converted to Christ.
And as we celebrate America’s 250th, I’ll also mention: George Whitefield was a significant national figure. The movie suggests that Whitefield is, in some ways, our nation’s “Forgotten Founding Father.” He was America’s first celebrity—about eighty percent of colonists heard him preach at least once—and he provided “the first uniquely American collective experience.”1 His preaching helped unify the divided colonies, create an American cultural identity, and lay the groundwork for the Revolution, which is why one Whitefield biography is entitled The Accidental Revolutionary.
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•
Wesley was raised in a loving family, but Whitefield lived under a harsh “scoundrel” of a stepfather, who eventually divorced his mother.
Wesley grew up in a pious minister’s home, but Whitefield grew up in a saloon, surrounded by rowdy bar patrons, doing mocking impressions of preachers.
Wesley flourished with an excellent education (learning eight languages, including Greek and Hebrew), but Whitefield floundered in the classroom and was in and out of school. Wesley followed Christ from his earliest days, but Whitefield was such a rebellious teenager—fighting with his mother, stealing, drinking—that his mother briefly kicked him out of the house.
Young George Whitefield was not headed for the pulpit; he was headed for the stage. London taverns often featured stages for actors, musicians, and entertainers to perform, so in his family’s saloon, Whitefield grew up surrounded by traveling actors. He was an avid reader of plays, a regular theatergoer, and fed his imagination with all the comedies, dramas, romances, and adventures he could attend. Whitefield himself found he had a flair for the dramatic. Blessed with a sharp memory, he could retain vast sections of dialogue, and his mimicry skills drew laughs from the tavern’s patrons. His voice was a powerful instrument which Whitefield could play like a master. (David Garrick, a renowned British actor of the time, would say of Whitefield, “He could make his hearers weep by pronouncing ‘Mesopotamia,’ and I would pay a hundred guineas if I could say ‘Oh!’ like Whitefield.”) The young man set his sights on an acting career. But the Lord had other plans.
George enrolled at Oxford University, paying his tuition as a servant for well-to-do students. There he met John Wesley and
Whitefield, the once-aspiring actor, now said, “The pulpit will be my stage.”
1. Jerome Dean Mahaffey, The Accidental Revolutionary: George Whitefield and the Creation of America (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2011), 58.
the “Holy Club”—a group of devoted Christian young men— and after reading a book they gave him entitled The Life of God in the Soul of Man, Whitefield experienced a radical conversion. He discovered the joy of new birth in Christ…and he also discovered a new calling.
Whitefield, the once-aspiring actor, now said, “The pulpit will be my stage.”
From the Sanctuary to the Streets A traditional pulpit would not be Whitefield’s home for long.
The Church of England was famously formal, stiff, and dry, and her preachers were not known for engaging sermons. (A preacher, showing an empty sanctuary to a visiting friend, was asked, “How many will it seat?” “I don’t know,” replied the preacher, “but it sleeps about 200!”) But when Whitefield began to preach, no one fell asleep. He quickly gained a reputation for passionate sermons. In one, he told a story: The Archbishop of Canterbury once asked a well-known actor, “Tell me, Mr. Butteron, what is the reason you actors on stage can affect your congregations so?” “Why, my lord,” said Butterton, “the reason is very plain. We actors on stage speak of things imaginary as if they were real, and you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary.”
Whitefield deeply believed the biblical truth he proclaimed was real, so he unleashed all his gifts to communicate as effectively as possible. He told stories, used humor, employed energetic gestures and movement, displayed great emotion—laughing, weeping, thundering, pleading—and even created dramatic props. Preaching on the second coming of Christ, Whitefield once hid a trumpeter to suddenly peal forth after the sermon. Thinking it was the final trumpet, the crowd panicked and fell into hysteria! Whitefield’s unconventional but powerful sermons drew great response…and also great criticism. (Whitefield said that, after his first sermon, his fervent preaching was accused of driving fifteen people insane!) The Church of England began excluding him from their pulpits.
But George Whitefield was not deterred. He began preaching in the streets and open fields, and large crowds gathered to hear the expressive young preacher. An evangelist at heart, Whitefield focused on Jesus: “God forbid that I should travel with anybody a quarter of an hour without speaking of Christ to them.” He would not compromise a sermon’s content to appeal to hearers: “I will not be a velvet-mouthed preacher!” But he used every dramatic ability he had to make the sermon’s delivery appeal to all.
From England to the World Whitefield’s evangelistic urgency soon prompted him to take the good news beyond England, preaching in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Netherlands, Gibraltar, and Bermuda. His
most effective ministry, though, may have been in the American colonies. He made seven trips across the Atlantic Ocean—a three-month voyage each way—to preach.
His itinerant ministry had its difficulties. Whitefield would preach a dozen or more times (sometimes forty-plus hours) in a week, and he pushed himself so hard that often afterward he had, in his own words, “a vast discharge from the stomach, usually with a considerable quantity of blood.” He also faced opposition from some in the crowd. On one occasion, preaching outdoors, Whitefield said, “I was honored with having a few stones, dirt, rotten eggs, and pieces of dead cats thrown at me.” But he kept preaching for three hours, and 350 people were converted. Indeed, up and down America’s eastern seaboard, Whitefield’s messages sparked revival. He preached at both Yale and Harvard Universities, and afterward at Harvard, it was reported that “the college is entirely changed. The students are full of God.” His farewell sermon in Boston drew a crowd of 23,000—more than Boston’s entire population—which scholars believe was the largest crowd that had gathered in America at that time. Even Benjamin Franklin, a determinedly irreligious man, was taken by Whitefield’s message. After one of his sermons in Philadelphia, Franklin humorously recounted: I attended one of his sermons, in the course of which, I perceived he intended to finish with a collection [for his orphanage], and I silently resolved that he should get nothing from me. I had in my pocket a handful of pennies, three or four silver dollars, and five gold coins.
As he proceeded, I began to soften, and I concluded to give the pennies. Another stroke of his oratory made me ashamed of that, and I determined to give the silver dollars. And then he finished so admirably that I emptied my pocket wholly into the collector’s dish, gold coins and all! They struck up a friendship, and Whitefield “never stopped seeking to win Franklin to Christ.”2 Though we don’t know if Franklin ever placed his faith in Christ, many others did. Whitefield’s preaching fanned into flame the Great Awakening, which burned across the colonies and throughout Europe.
At Whitefield’s funeral, John Wesley asserted that the converted actor was the greatest evangelist since the apostle Paul: Have we read or heard of any person since the apostles, who testified the gospel of the grace of God, through so widely extended a space, through so large a part of the habitable world? Have we read or heard of any person who called so many thousands, so many myriads of sinners to repentance? Above all, have we read or heard of any who has been a blessed instrument in His hand of bringing so many sinners from darkness to light?
George Whitefield’s ministry would never have happened alone.
2. David L. Larsen, The Company of the Preachers (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998).
But George Whitefield’s ministry would never have happened alone, and though the Great Awakening movie never mentioned her, his gospel partner was a countess named Selina. TO INSPIRE
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FOOTPRINTS OF FAITH The Patron Behind the Preacher
Her Fruit on His Tree
Luke 8:1-3 tells us that Jesus’ ministry was funded by three generous women named Mary, Joanna, and Susanna, and a woman of means named Phoebe assisted Paul and other preachers financially. “Welcome her [Phoebe] in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints…for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well” (Romans 16:2).
But the person Lady Huntingdon came to support most generously was George Whitefield. Moved by his preaching, she opened her huge mansion on Park Street in London for Whitefield to preach to England’s elite who might never darken a church’s door. The Prime Minister of England, members of Parliament, and wealthy royalty attended his sermons there.
Author John Rinehart describes such Christian givers as “gospel patrons.” While societal philanthropists give to good causes, gospel patrons give to eternal causes, and “where philanthropists aim to nourish people’s bodies or train their minds, gospel patrons prioritize people’s souls.”3
When an unfortunate rift with the Wesley brothers drained away supporters of Whitefield’s preaching crusades—threatening the funding that fueled the Great Awakening—in stepped the countess. Selina named Whitefield her “chaplain,” meaning she would privately pay his salary and ministry expenses.
In George Whitefield’s ministry, Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, was the patron behind the preacher.
In George Whitefield’s ministry, Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, was the patron behind the preacher. “Converted as a girl of nine when she saw a corpse her own age,” Selina eventually married Theophilus Hastings, a wealthy English politician and Earl of Huntingdon (the same title Robin Hood once held).4 After her two sons’ deaths from smallpox in 1744 and her husband’s death after a stroke in 1746, she found herself a wealthy widow at the age of thirty-nine.
A “5’6” force of nature,” Selina was “blunt, opinionated, and constantly in motion.” This Lady Huntingdon was “a rare English aristocrat” who “rubbed shoulders with royalty, enjoyed a pinch of snuff, and really believed the Bible.”5 The devout Selina dedicated her fortune and the rest of her life to the advancement of the gospel, writing, “The one thing worth living for must be proclaiming the love of God to man in Jesus Christ.”
She specifically chose the role of “gospel patron” over “societal philanthropist”: “I do pity the poor, and I will give them what I can. But when I gave myself up to the Lord, I likewise devoted all my fortune to Him…Many benevolent persons who have no religion feel for the physical needs of others and help them. But few, even among professing Christians, have a proper concern for perishing souls.” With her fortune, Selina Hastings built 116 churches and started a seminary to train more preachers. She gave support and encouragement to preachers John and Charles Wesley, hymn writer Isaac Watts, composer George Handel (known for his famous “Messiah” oratorio), and preacher John Newton, who wrote “Amazing Grace” and aided William Wilberforce in ending the British slave trade.
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I once heard a donor say, “My fruit grows on other people’s trees,” and as George Whitefield’s world-changing ministry continued, the thousands of new believers were Selina’s fruit growing on Whitefield’s tree. When I noticed the recent Whitefield movie omitted her, I thought of this poem: We salute the frontline soldiers who take the good news to the world.
We praise the fearless preachers who march with gospel flag unfurled. But when good news pierces darkness, someone paid to send that light, Quiet supporters on the homefront, unseen warriors in the fight. Angels sing these unsung heroes who give to see the battle won, And their salute is someday coming, when their Captain says, “Well done.” I was sad the movie failed to mention Lady Huntingdon. But I was not surprised. Before her death, she instructed that no biography be written of her life until 50 years had passed. She would be glad that her part in the great kingdom victories of the 1700s still remains quietly in the background. But “angels sing these unsung heroes,” and perhaps today we should too. Praise God for gospel preachers…and praise God for gospel patrons.
Praise God for gospel preachers…and praise God for gospel patrons.
3. John Rinehart, Gospel Patrons: People Whose Generosity Changed the World (North Charleston, SC: CreateSpace Publishing, 2013), 24. 4. Larsen, The Company. 5. Rinehart, Gospel Patrons, 62.
Why Students Choose a Christian College JM Partner Solutions gathered input from voices across the Christian higher education landscape about how students initially discover colleges and what factors affect their enrollment decisions.1
How Students First Discover Christian Colleges
70%
Approximately of fall 2025 enrolled students first heard about Christian colleges through friends, not formal marketing, and say that person was a peer.
76%
Students Research Alone Vs. Students Research with Parents
75%
of parents and students say they research colleges together.
75%
of students say their parents are influential in where they enroll.
Why Students Choose Biblical Higher Education Faith-based culture and a strong sense of community sit at the heart of why students choose Christian colleges.
61% 35%
Faith‑based culture
Sense of community and belonging
What OCC Students Are Saying This past school year, OCC undergraduate students completed a Student Satisfaction Inventory. Here are some of the results:
Ozark
4-year private institutions
94% vs 78%
90% vs 77%
80% vs 50%
85% vs 64%
86% vs 66%
90% vs 66%
All in all, if you had it to do over again, would you enroll here?
Rate your overall satisfaction with your experience here thus far.
Tuition paid is a worthwhile investment.
The quality of instruction I receive in most of my classes is excellent.
The content of the courses within my major is valuable.
The campus staff are caring and helpful.
1. To read the full report, please visit cccu.org/news-updates/2025-market-research-study-report-released/.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: MOLLY BUNTON
One Tool at a Time: The Ministry of Molly Bunton Lindsey Bell
After graduating from Missouri State University and while on a mission trip to Kenya, Molly Bunton sat across from her campus minister, Dave Embree, wondering what she should do next. She was considering an internship but wasn’t sure which path to take. Dave offered a simple piece of advice: “Whatever you decide, it’s just putting a tool in your toolbox,” he told her. “You don’t know where God’s going to use that down the road.”
At the time, Molly couldn’t have known how often those words would come back to her. Looking back now, she can see that God never wasted a single experience. Each one became another tool God placed in her toolbox.
The First Tools Molly grew up in Lamar, Missouri, with her parents, Mike and Cathy Bunton, and her two siblings. When it came time for college, she headed to Missouri State University, planning to become a book editor. Words mattered to her, so a degree in professional writing seemed like a natural fit.
College, though, had a way of expanding her vision. While studying writing, Molly also became deeply involved in Christian Campus House. She served as a student leader, walked alongside her peers, and began to realize that while she loved writing, she loved ministry even more. Summers were spent at camps like New Life Ranch in Oklahoma and Camp Eagle in Texas. There, Molly gained hands-on ministry experience—leading, mentoring, and building relationships around campfires and long days. Those seasons confirmed what she was beginning to suspect: ministry was where she was meant to be.
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Still, something stirred beneath the surface. Camp ministry was meaningful, but it was short-term. Molly found herself longing for deeper relationships, the kind that grow over years instead of weeks. Without her realizing it, God placed a new tool in her hands: a desire for longer-term ministry.
Learning the Work of Ministry That longing led Molly back to Missouri State, this time to pursue a master’s degree in student affairs in higher education. It was a practical next step that allowed her to continue serving students while gaining the training needed to walk with them more intentionally. After graduation, Molly gladly accepted the role of full-time campus minister for Christian Campus House. For the next eleven years, Molly served at the campus ministry that had been instrumental in her own college experience.
Then, when longtime director of Christian Campus House, Dave Embree, retired, Molly and another colleague stepped into shared leadership, each taking on the responsibilities of lead campus minister.
Despite its name, Christian Campus House is about far more than housing students. The ministry reaches students across multiple local colleges through weekly worship services, small groups, leadership training, mission trips, and countless conversations in the everyday spaces of campus life. Molly’s passion for campus ministry also has deep personal
roots. When her mom was a college student, friends invited her to a campus ministry near Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. There she met Jesus.
Now Molly serves in the very kind of ministry that once shaped her own family’s story. She understands how pivotal the college years can be—a season filled with questions, formation, and life-changing decisions—and she feels deeply called to meet students right in the middle of it.
In her role at Christian Campus House, Molly invests heavily in training student leaders. She also teaches a freshman orientation course at MSU, walking with students during their first weeks of college life.
Some of Molly’s most meaningful moments come in public, embodied expressions of faith—like baptisms held in the university recreation pool, right in the middle of campus life. For her, those moments capture the heart of campus ministry: bringing the gospel into everyday spaces and helping students live it out boldly where they already are.
When Ministry Felt Heavy By the fall of 2021, though, after serving for several years in campus ministry, the weight of the work began to feel heavy. She found herself asking questions like, How do I keep going when ministry feels this hard? What’s next? Because of lifelong ties to Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary, Molly began exploring what further theological education might look like. When she spoke with President Matt Proctor (who also happens to be her uncle), he offered reassurance rather than pressure.
“Jesus didn’t have a seminary degree,” he reminded her. “You’re fine doing ministry without formal ministry training.” Molly had, after all, gotten years of hands-on ministry experience through her work and internships. But President Proctor also challenged her to think about how God might want to use a seminary degree in the future. Could seminary be yet another tool in her toolbox?
Molly remembered Dave’s words and enrolled. “Who knows where God might use this degree down the road?” she thought.
Could seminary be yet another tool in her toolbox?
Adding Another Tool Molly began Lincoln Seminary with some apprehension. She hadn’t attended Bible college as an undergraduate, and she wondered what it would be like to step into a seminary classroom as a single woman without a Bible college undergraduate degree.
Those fears quickly proved unfounded as her professors encouraged her, and her classmates championed one another.
Molly has always been drawn to John 21, where Peter asked Jesus how John’s life was going to unfold, and Jesus basically said, “Don’t worry about John. You just keep following me.” At Lincoln, Molly and her classmates could have compared themselves to one another and wondered how they measured up. Instead, she consistently found the classroom to be a place of shared learning rather than comparison. Studying alongside people serving in churches, nonprofits, and ministries across a wide range of contexts reminded her that “even if our stories are different, we all get to be part of the mission of Christ.” Lincoln became “the right program at the right time,” Molly recalls. “It reminded me that just because life and ministry are hard doesn’t mean we stop.”
Trusting the One Who Equips
Just because life and ministry are hard doesn’t mean we stop.
Years ago in Kenya, Dave Embree told Molly that every step of faith simply adds another tool to the toolbox. At the time, it sounded like practical advice for a young graduate unsure of her next step. Now, she understands it as something more.
God rarely reveals the whole path at once. Instead, he patiently shapes his people through ordinary seasons—classes taken, conversations held, students discipled, and questions wrestled through. One tool at a time, he equips them for the work he has prepared. As Molly Bunton continues her work with students in campus ministry, she trusts that whatever comes next will be another tool God places in her hands.
Lindsey Bell serves as the managing editor of The Ambassador magazine.
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BIBLE WORDS
Bible Words:
NOW Jon Kehrer
In a world where marketers have learned that urgency sells, we are constantly bombarded by frantic messages compelling us to purchase, upgrade, or service now, before it is too late! It is no wonder that we can grow numb to the message of “now.”
In the Old Testament, however, the biblical Hebrew word for “now” (‘attâ) was not a marketing ploy. Unsurprisingly, it almost always occurs in dialogue about the current moment. When the young women tell Saul about Samuel, they note that Samuel has entered the city “now,” so time is of the essence if Saul wants to meet him (1 Samuel 9:12). In Solomon’s prayer, he notes that God has made him king “now” in place of David (1 Kings 3:7). The word ‘attâ is a way of orienting the conversation around the present time; scholars agree that it comes from the biblical Hebrew word for “time” (‘ēt).
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In fact, in almost every use in the Old Testament, the word ‘attâ is about reorientation. Its use suggests that something has to change in light of reality. In Isaiah’s parable of the vineyard (Isaiah 5:3), ‘attâ transitions from the unproductive vineyard to divine judgment: “so now . . . judge between me and my vineyard!” In Isaiah’s words of restoration, ‘attâ helps the people remember the reality of God’s salvation (Isaiah 43:1): “And now, thus says the Lord . . . ‘do not fear, because I have redeemed you!’” The word ‘attâ gives hope for the future (Isaiah 43:19): “Look, I am doing a new thing. Now it is coming up . . . I will set in the wilderness a path, and in the desert, rivers!” God desires that we would live according to his perspective. As believers, may we always allow the word and work of God to reorient our “now.”
Jon Kehrer teaches Hebrew, Old Testament, and hermeneutics at OCC.
HEARD IN CHAPEL Each week during the school year, the OCC family gathers for worship. Here’s a taste of some of last semester’s chapel messages.
“Jesus embodied sin by putting himself on the cross. Why do you keep climbing on it, trying to take his place? That is not where you belong.” DR. BOB WITTE OCC Vice President of Enrollment Management & Professor of Leadership and Old Testament 4/7/26 Encounters with the King
“We don’t build bridges with more arguments. We build bridges with more conversations.”
DR. MIKEL DEL ROSARIO Professor of Bible and Theology at Moody Bible Institute and the “Apologetics Guy” 2/24/26 Forum on Cultural Engagement
“There is nothing that God cannot untwist for you. There is no shattered reflection that God’s love cannot overcome. There is no pain that he cannot heal and redeem.” DANIELLE WHEELER Founder and Director of Spiritual Formation for Velvet Ashes
2/3/26 Discipleship 101
During the school year, join us Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. in person or online at occ.edu/chapellive. Watch previous messages at occ.edu/chapel.
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188
Congratulations to the Class of 2026—the largest graduating class in the history of Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary! In May, 188 graduates (152 undergraduate and 36 seminary) received 192 degrees. We’re proud of all our Ambassadors serving Christ and his church around the world.
CAMPUS NEWS
Personnel Updates: Welcome, Mackenzie Johnson OCC welcomes Mackenzie Johnson to the faculty this year. He will serve as a full-time professor, teaching biblical studies and theology at both the undergraduate and seminary levels. Mac earned a Bachelor of Theology degree from Ozark in 2018. He also holds a Master of Divinity in Biblical Languages from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Master of Theology in Scripture and Theology from Union School of Theology. Welcome, Mac!
Idleman Ministry Center Transition Kevin Greer has concluded his service as the director of the Idleman Ministry Center. He will continue to serve in the classroom and as the student ministry program coordinator. With this transition, Drew Henderson joins OCC as the director of the Idleman Ministry Center. Drew graduated from Ozark in 1997 and holds a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty University.
Donor Operations Transition Bethany Chastain has concluded her service to the college. With her departure, Josiah Coen has accepted the role of director of donor operations. He will also continue to serve as OCC’s cross-country head coach.
New Chapel Minister and Frontline Director After ten years as Ozark’s chapel minister and Frontline director, Isaac Schade has concluded his service at OCC to continue his work in sports media. Watch a video honoring Isaac at occ.edu/isaacschade. Creighton Tamerius, who has been serving at OCC in the Admissions Department as the lead admissions counselor, has accepted the role of chapel minister and Frontline director.
Jerry Stansberry and Paula Stanley Retire After twenty-five years of service in our Physical Plant Department and as our custodial department supervisor, Jerry Stansberry has retired. Watch a video honoring him at occ.edu/ jerrystansberry. Mike White has accepted the role of custodial supervisor following Jerry’s retirement.
Paula Stanley, after twelve years of service, has also retired. With Paula’s retirement, Sarah Jordan has accepted the role of registrar.
Thank you, Clifford Wert! Clifford Wert has been on the OCC Board of Trustees for almost four decades. During his tenure, thousands of men and women were trained for Christian service. This year, after thirty-nine years as a trustee, he has concluded his service on the Board. We are grateful for him and his many years serving OCC.
New OCC Academy Course We all see the world through a lens–a story we tell ourselves about who we are, why we’re here, and how we should live. These stories are called “worldviews” and everyone has one, whether they realize it or not. But what happens when these different worldviews collide? In OCC Academy’s new course, “Stories that Shape Us: Understanding and Responding to Competing Worldviews,” Dr. Chad Ragsdale explores how worldviews drive our faith and culture. Find out more about this new course at occ.edu/academy.
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CAMPUS NEWS
New Book by Dr. Chad Ragsdale We live in a world that promises satisfaction but rarely delivers. Pleasure fades. Work exhausts. Success disappoints. Even the best things can dissolve the moment we try to taste them—like cotton candy. Ecclesiastes calls it hebel: life “under the sun” can feel fleeting, frustrating, and painfully unfair.
Dr. Chad Ragsdale walks us through Ecclesiastes in Cotton Candy World, showing why this “gloomy” Bible book is actually a gift. Each of the ten chapters includes discussion questions to help us wrestle with Ecclesiastes’ biggest themes and apply God’s truth to everyday life. Find out more at occ.edu/press.
High School Students Seeking Dual Enrollment Current high school juniors and seniors may apply to take a limited number of college-level courses at Ozark Christian College while earning both high school and college credit through the Dual Enrollment program. Eligible courses include: •
Introduction to Biblical Studies (3 credit hours)
•
English Composition II (3 credit hours)
• • • •
English Composition I (3 credit hours)
Essentials of Spiritual Formation (2 credit hours) Psychology (3 credit hours)
Select 1000-level courses approved by the Academics Office
Dual enrollment students may take up to six credit hours per semester, with both online and in-person options available. Due to government regulations, dual enrollment students are not eligible for federal financial aid or institutional scholarships. Students must be at least seventeen years old to enroll, though exceptions may be requested for qualified sixteen-year-old juniors. Dual enrollment students are also not eligible to live on campus. To learn more, visit occ.edu/dualenrollment.
Become a Partner High School Ozark Christian College is proud to partner with Christian high schools to make Christ-centered education even more accessible. Graduates from partner high schools automatically receive a designated scholarship and preferred acceptance to OCC. Partner schools also enjoy free enrollment in OCC Academy’s Sent course and customized tours of Ozark’s campus. If you’re a Christian high school administrator interested in joining our partnership program, please contact Chief Academic Officer Dr. Chad Ragsdale. To learn more about partner schools, visit occ.edu/partnerschool.
Partnership with Rapha International Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary are thankful to enter into a partnership with Rapha International. This partnership is an on-campus expansion of Rapha’s Culture of Care program, which empowers church leaders, volunteers, and college students with the training and tools necessary to protect students, honor survivors, and integrate child protection into all aspects of ministry. We’re excited about the alignment of our two missions, as together we prepare the next generation of leaders to create environments of safety and care wherever they go.
Congratulations, Graduates! Congratulations to the class of 2026, the largest graduating class in the history of Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary! In May, 188 graduates (152 undergraduate and 36 seminary) received 192 degrees. Join us in praying for each of these graduates. Watch the 2026 Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary Commencement at occ.edu/commencement.
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CAMPUS NEWS
Recent Event Highlights: 2026 Women’s Event This spring, 640 ladies gathered on the Ozark Christian College campus to hear about “Amazing Faith” encounters in the book of John with speaker Amy Storms, worship leader Carryn Osborn, and emcee Hannah Mouton. All three main sessions from the weekend are available to watch at occ.edu/weplaylist.
2026 Preaching-Teaching Convention We had a great week at the 2026 Preaching-Teaching Convention, “Faithful Where You Are.” Watch the main sessions at occ.edu/ptplaylist.
2026 Summer Events at OCC This summer, over 200 high school students participated in Creative Arts Academy, where they learned how to use their gifts to create Jesus culture in our world. We also had over 250 students in grades 3-12 join us for Ambassador Sports Camps. We’re grateful for the opportunity to have each of these future Ambassadors on campus.
Congratulations to the 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients
Juliet Hardee devoted her life to helping women find freedom and faith through Guiding Light Ministry, a Christ-centered recovery program she founded in Joplin. Her journey— from brokenness and addiction to transformation and ministry—inspired thousands, and her compassion continues to shine through new outreach efforts. Sadly, Juliet passed away after a long battle with cancer in April of this year. Watch Juliet’s story at occ.edu/hardee.
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RoRo and Eline Eustache have spent decades faithfully serving the people of Haiti through Haitian Christian Outreach, a ministry they founded to plant churches, build schools, establish community projects, and open the Peredo Community Hospital, bringing both physical and spiritual healing to thousands. Now celebrating over forty years with HCO, RoRo and Eline continue to empower Haitian leaders to transform their communities for Christ. Watch RoRo and Eline’s story at occ.edu/eustache.
Dr. Barney Wells has served in rural churches, taught generations of ministry students, and shaped the conversation around small-town church revitalization as one of the nation’s foremost voices in rural ministry. His decades of service—as preacher, professor, dean, and now Director of the Fred Craddock Center for Preaching Excellence at Johnson University—reflect a deep love for Christ, the church, and those who serve in humble places. Watch Barney’s story at occ.edu/wells.
MEET YOUR OCC FAMILY
Steve and Rhonda Hayward: Achieving the Purpose When he’s not playing Ultimate Frisbee or sand volleyball with students on campus, he’s consulting with fellow Bible translators around the globe. And she— more introverted by nature—will likely be found painting, reading, sharing a cup of hot tea with the girls in Goodman Hall, and perhaps most often, praying. Steve and Rhonda Hayward first came to Ozark as students in the 1970s. Both graduating in 1979 with a heart for missions, they moved to Texas for postgraduate work. Rhonda earned a certification in literacy and Steve,
a master’s in applied linguistics from the University of Texas at Arlington. In 1982, the Haywards moved to Papua New Guinea, where, with Pioneer Bible Translators (PBT), they served the people of the Tay village and worked to translate the New Testament into the Tay language.
In 2012, Steve and Rhonda moved back to Joplin, where they continue to serve as residence directors in the women’s dorm, Goodman Hall. Steve taught Greek language courses for two years and still travels and consults with PBT. Rhonda, who also works part-time with Pioneer, leads a weekly prayer ministry for women at OCC. In 2014, the Haywards returned
to Papua New Guinea to dedicate the completed translation of the New Testament into the Tay language, and today the people of the mountain village hold God’s Word—translated in their words—in their hands.
Steve and Rhonda received OCC’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 2014, commending their 30+ years of exemplary service in Bible translation and ministry. Today, back at Ozark, where their ministry began nearly 50 years ago, the Haywards know firsthand that God’s Word “will not return to him empty, but will accomplish what he desires and achieve the purpose for which he sends it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).
Steve enjoys all things active: on-campus sports such as pickleball, Ultimate Frisbee, and volleyball, as well as other outdoor activities like hiking and fishing.
Rhonda loves to read, paint, and take walks along Turkey Creek.
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COMING SOON
2026 Fall Teen Events at OCC
Speaker: Dr. Jason Poznich
SEPTEMBER 3-5, 2026 and APRIL 22-24, 2027
Pursue
Register your high school senior or recent graduate for PURSUE, an event for students who want to learn more about training for the kingdom assignment God has for them.
SEPTEMBER 25-26, 2026
Getaway
NOVEMBER 6-7, 2026
The Event
Registration is open for Getaway and The Event. Send your future Ambassadors to Getaway (grades 6-8) or The Event (grades 9-12) to help them answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”
Visit occ.edu/teenevents for more information about these events.
SEPTEMBER 21, 2026
Lynn Laughlin Golf Outing Join us at the Lynn Laughlin Golf Outing on Monday, September 21, 2026, at the Lincoln Elks Golf Club in Lincoln, Illinois. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Lynn R. Laughlin Scholarship at Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Seminary. Last year, because of your participation and generosity, we raised $5,000 for the Lynn Laughlin Endowed Scholarship. Register or learn more at occ.edu/golf.
Stay up to date on all upcoming OCC and Lincoln Seminary events at occ.edu/events.
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COMING SOON
DECEMBER 3-6, 2026
Celebrate Christmas at OCC Last year’s Christmas production was a huge success, with seventy students, faculty, and staff participating and over 1,800 alumni and friends in attendance. We hope you can join us for the 2026 Christmas production at Ozark Christian College on December 3-6, 2026. More information will be available soon at occ.edu/christmas.
Save the Date
New OCC Academy Course Coming Soon
FEBRUARY 15-17, 2027
Preaching-Teaching Convention Save the date for the 2027 Preaching-Teaching Convention on February 15-17, 2027, where we will “Look to Jesus” with speakers Gene Appel, Jodi Hickerson, Dr. Matthew McBirth, Dave Stone, Brad Tate, and Dr. Karl Wendt.
Have you ever been asked a question about your faith that you couldn’t answer? Many Christians feel a tension between what they believe and the tough questions the world asks about science, suffering, and history. Dr. Chad Ragsdale’s new OCC Academy course, “Reasons for Hope: A Practical Guide to Christian Apologetics,” will teach you invaluable tools for apologetics, demonstrating that the Christian faith makes sense. Learn how to build arguments, explore crucial evidence for Christianity, and address common challenges against it. Watch for this new course, coming soon to occ.edu/academy.
APRIL 9-10, 2027
Women’s Event Make plans today to join us at the 2027 Women’s Event on April 9-10, 2027, with speaker Dr. Teresa Roberts.
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HERE’S AN IDEA
Three Resources to Strengthen You and Your Church
1. OCC NextLevel NextLevel is a free, on-demand library of video series taught by Ozark faculty. These studies are a great fit for your Sunday school class, small group, leadership team, or personal devotion. With dozens of series covering Scripture, theology, and ministry topics, NextLevel makes high-quality biblical teaching easily accessible to churches of all sizes.
Looking for biblical, practical, and reliable tools to equip your ministry? OCC Resources trains men and women for Christian service beyond the classroom.
Learn more at occ.edu/nextlevel.
2. OCC Academy For deeper training, OCC Academy offers affordable, flexible, video-based seminars and courses for church volunteers, staff, and individuals pursuing personal growth. OCC Academy provides Bible training for those not yet ready to pursue a Bible degree. Current courses and seminars include: The Stories that Shape Us: Understanding and Responding to Competing Worldviews by Dr. Chad Ragsdale How to Interpret the Bible by Dr. Michael DeFazio
Sent: Called by God into a Life of Vocational Ministry by Jim Dalrymple, Dr. Michael DeFazio, Beth DeFazio, Lane Moss, Jaron Scott, and Dr. Chad Ragsdale
Equipped to Teach: Selecting, Shaping, and Sharing Children’s Ministry Curriculum by Dr. Teresa Roberts
Learn more at occ.edu/academy.
3. OCC Press OCC Press, the publishing imprint of Ozark Christian College, provides biblically grounded resources written in everyday language by current and former faculty. OCC Press exists to equip the church with books that are theologically sound, accessible, and useful for teaching, discipleship, and personal study.
Holy Grit by Dr. Chad Ragsdale
Finish Line Faith by Matt Proctor
Cotton Candy World by Dr. Chad Ragsdale
The Disciple’s Mind by Dr. Chad Ragsdale and Dr. Daniel McCoy
Victorious Forever by Matt Proctor
The Disciple Making Grandparent by David Upchurch and Dr. Daniel McCoy
Learn more at occ.edu/occpress. 24
TO CONNECT
To learn more about any of these resources from Ozark Christian College, contact Justin Dewell, director of OCC Resources, at dewell.justin@occ.edu.
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YOUR PARTNERSHIP
Want to Avoid Taxes on Stocks That Have Increased in Value? Appreciated stocks and mutual funds held for more than one year make excellent gifts to Ozark Christian College. When you donate them to Ozark, you can avoid capital gains taxes and receive an immediate tax deduction. Ask your financial advisor or tax planner for details, or contact Doug Miller at 417.626.1215 or miller.doug@occ.edu with any questions. Doug Miller serves as the attorney and planned giving specialist at OCC.
Tribute Gifts MEMORIAL GIFTS:
Dale Arnold Charles and Deborah Andrews Randal and Joyce Axum Jack and Rowena Holliday Bret and Teresa McCormick Eldon and Bette McCormick Jerry and Beverly Tewell Ralph and Constance Blackwell Blackwell & Associates Land Surveyors (DeLand, Florida) Don Earl and Gail Boatman Patty Roane Sidney Boudreaux Janet Barnett Steve and Jane Jennings Bill and Suzanne Nelson Ruth Bunton Beth and Tyler Branstetter Clarence and Etta Cain Allen and Mary Cain Clint Chaney Parkview Christian Church (Chickasha, Oklahoma) Norm Clatterbuck Kasey McCall Loretta Dobyns Norma Williams Jeanette Edgecomb Deana Bond Faye Elliot Brian and Karma Buck Richard and Susan Lentz Gerald and Jane Meadows New Point Christian Church (Oregon, Missouri) Louis and June Ferguson Dave and Sara Ferguson Dixie Garrison Mike and Mary Nauman
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Glen Graham Blake and Lorri Burns Troy and Shari Buss Lynn and Karen Clements Nate Cruz Janet Gottstine Mike Gower Doug and Jennifer Graham Cher Greving Bob and Sue Jackson Cleo Jansonius Elwynn Jansonius Kimberly and Jason Jansonius Lonnie and Laura Jansonius Makenzie Jansonius Phillip and Liz Jansonius Rodney Jansonius Troy and Gimme Jo Jansonius Velma Jansonius Will Jansonius Zachary Jansonius Michael and Shannon Kats Jean and Randy Kiser Coy and Nathalia Leggett Linda Levin Sandra Preuss Melvin and Verlaine Schooler Steve and Susan Smith Brien and Lynette Stockman B. Sweat Donna Tomlinson Cory and Kristi VanDerVeen Conrad and Barb Van Kooten Jeff Wallace and Family Donna Wilkison and Family
Linnea Klendworth Tom and Diane Hallam
Joe Shryock Susan Shryock
Seth Wilson Jack and Sylvia Bower
Judy Lanham Mark Lanham
Shirley Smith Galord Smith
Tighe Winston Keith and Judy Corum
LaVerne and Helen Leininger Michael and Linda Vernon
Clifford and Deborah Stock Joyce Stock
Henry and Mildred Wood Edith Geurin
Joe and Barbara Taft Tim Taft
LaNita Woodrome Don and Shelley Soard
Kiley Pahdoco Taft Tim Taft
HONOR GIFTS:
Paul Gray Kathy Gray
George Roane Patty Roane
Steven Ingram James Fisher Carla Ingram Muriel Mulligan Cleo and Mildred Jones Dave and Sara Ferguson
Russell Lieb Jeff and Barbara Lieb David Logan Raetta Logan Jim and Wanda Mast David Mast Bobby Mettetal Jody Edwards Justin Miller Barbara Miller Robert Mills James and Donna Harkness Gwen Yee Don and Elsie Moore Randy and Tammy Reed Bernice Nauman Mike and Mary Nauman Jim North Doug and Cindy Logan William C. Peeples William Peeples Jo Percy Will and Karen Pattison Adam Ransom James and Sandra Ransom Thomas Reed Randy and Tammy Reed
Tom Ross Connie Ross Donna Sheffield Fred and Katherine Wooldridge
Sam and Louise Tate Randy and Tammy Reed Diana Thomas Don and Shelley Soard B.J. and Lodi Vernon Michael and Linda Vernon Dallas Vernon Lance and Pam Tamerius Michael and Linda Vernon J.R. Vernon Michael and Linda Vernon Mable Vernon Michael and Linda Vernon Oleta Vernon Michael and Linda Vernon Ward Vernon Michael and Linda Vernon Cynthia Weece Randy and Tammy Reed Don and Jean Weece Randy and Tammy Reed Gene and Donita Weece Randy and Tammy Reed Helen Weece Randy and Tammy Reed Kathy Weece Randy and Tammy Reed Linda Weece Randy and Tammy Reed Roy Weece Randy and Tammy Reed David and Barbara Stone
Julie Ferguson Mary Riddle Monte French Michael and Vicki French Rusty Hedger Tonganoxie Christian Church (Kansas) Douglas Klendworth Tom and Diane Hallam Brian and Sarah Lowery Mike and Mary Nauman Douglas Miller Dennis and Nancy Gariss Rita Hu Chad and Marci Nauman Mike and Mary Nauman Tillia Parrish John Parrish Chad Ragsdale Edward and Cheryl Sanders James Strauss Patrick Monroe Carroll Thomas Don and Shelley Soard Emily and Andrew Trotter Michael and Vicki French Jon Weece David and Barbara Stone Woody and Rose Wilkinson Mike and Mary Nauman Roger Woodrome Don and Shelley Soard
ALUMNI NEWS
Attention Ozark, Midwest, and Lincoln Seminary Graduates! We want to hear from you! Whether you’ve recently moved, started a new ministry, welcomed a child or grandchild, published a book, or experienced a loss, we invite you to share your updates. Your news will be featured in the next issue of The Ambassador. Send your life and ministry updates to alumni@occ.edu or visit occ.edu/alumni.
CONGRATULATIONS Joseph May and Alejandra May (current staff ) welcomed Daniel Grady May on May 22, 2026. Alejandra is the assistant registrar at OCC. Ryan Summerhill (OCC 18) and Marcelene (Taborosi) Summerhill (OCC 21) welcomed their son, Lazarus James Summerhill, on December 17, 2025. Ryan is the children’s minister at First Christian Church in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Timothy Vaipan (OCC 22, current staff ) and Abbey (Goebel) Vaipan (OCC 22) welcomed Mary Helen Vaipan on May 23, 2026. Timothy is a maintenance technician at OCC.
OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY
Please lift in prayer the families of the following alumni.
James “Jim” Bilbro (OCC 91) passed away on February 4, 2026. He and his wife, Rebecca “Becky” (Hall) Bilbro (attended OCC 69-73), made their home in Shelbina, Missouri. James served in ministry for more than four decades—beginning with campus ministry at the University of Missouri and continuing as lead pastor of Shelbina Christian Church for twenty-four years. He retired from ministry in 2019.
Robert “Larry” Blinn (OCC 80) passed away on June 10, 2026. He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Nancy Blinn. Larry worked for many years as a television technician, but his true passion was sharing the love of Jesus. He served in various roles at New Life Church in Lehigh Acres, Florida, and participated in various mission trips throughout his lifetime. Sarah “Sally” (Reynolds) Bolen (attended Lincoln 72-83) passed away on May 14, 2026. She is survived by her husband of nearly fifty-one years, Richard Darryl Bolen (Lincoln 75). Sally served alongside her husband at Greenville First Christian Church in Illinois for forty-four years. She was also a teacher.
Sandra Kay Fishel Brandon (Lincoln 72) passed away on January 16, 2026. During her lifetime, Sandra filled many roles, including minister’s wife, director of Christian education at a couple of different churches, bank teller, library aide, and others. Dr. Harold “Bud” Clapp (OCC 66, former OCC faculty) passed away on April 24, 2026. During his lifetime, Bud served with several churches in Indiana, Oklahoma, and Illinois. He was also on the faculty of OCC and served as a chaplain with Mercy Hospital in Joplin. Zane Darnell (attended OCC 91-94) passed away on March 15, 2026. Zane and his late wife, Lori (Thomas) Darnell, served with White Fields Overseas Evangelism and were members of Villa Heights Christian Church in Joplin.
Sarah (Smelser) Dwyer (OCC 09, Lincoln 14) passed away on January 7, 2026, with her husband, Eric Dwyer (OCC 08, Lincoln 24), and other loved ones by her side. Sarah called many places around the world home over the course of her life, from Missouri, Tennessee, the Philippines, Iowa, and finally, Mountain Home, Arkansas, where she worked in banking and finance. Sarah’s father, Stan Smelser (OCC 85), managed KOBC. William “Jack” Foreman (former OCC Trustee) passed away on February 25, 2026. He lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During his lifetime, he ministered at churches in Idaho and was the principal of the Idaho State School for the Deaf. He also directed the Teacher Training Program for Deaf Education at the University of Tulsa for thirty-three years. Gary Arden Gambill (attended Lincoln 67-69) passed away on May 25, 2026. He is survived by his wife of fifty-six years, Sherri (DeVol) Gambill (attended Lincoln 68-70). Gary retired from Seal Company Enterprises in 2017. After retirement, he worked at Grand Teton National Park. He was active in his church, Southside Christian Church, served on the board of directors for Christ on Campus at the University of Oklahoma, and served on the executive board of North Burma Christian Mission. TO CONNECT
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ALUMNI NEWS Glen Graham (OCC 68) passed away on March 21, 2026. Glen and his wife, Connie (Smith) Graham (attended OCC 64-67), ministered with churches in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri over a span of forty-eight years. Philip Hansen (attended Lincoln 66-77) passed away on January 11, 2026. Phil was preceded in death by his wife, Marie (Fisher) Hansen. During his lifetime, Phil served many churches in Illinois and Indiana.
Juliet Hardee (OCC 11) passed away on April 11, 2026. Juliet was the founder of Guiding Light Ministries, a women’s recovery group, and in recent years began a second ministry called Sewing Kindness in Kenya. She received the Outstanding Alumni Award from OCC in 2026. Watch Juliet’s tribute video at occ.edu/hardee. Kathleen (Bills) Harder (OCC 69) passed away on May 2, 2026. She and her husband, Paul Harder, made their home in Houston, Texas.
John “Jack” Edwin Heath (OCC 79) passed away on March 22, 2026. During his lifetime, John was the executive director of The Ohio Church Development Fund and served as the minister of various churches in Ohio. David Idleman (attended Lincoln 68-69) passed away on April 17, 2026. David was Coordinator of Cardiovascular Surgery at St. John’s/Mercy Hospital in Joplin, where he worked until his retirement. Carroll Kakac (Lincoln 55) passed away on January 13, 2026, at the age of ninety-six. For over seventy years, Carroll, along with his wife of sixty-four years, Karen, ministered in Christian churches in Missouri and Illinois.
Charles Kent (attended OCC 60-63) passed away on January 2, 2026, with his wife of seventy-three years, Ann Kent, by his side. Charles was an electrical engineer and worked at Allgeier, Martin and Associates, Inc. in Joplin. Before settling in Joplin, Charles and Ann served as missionaries in Brazil for eleven years. Jerry Kilson (OCC 61) passed away on May 9, 2026. He is survived by his wife of sixty-nine years, Janice (Graves) Kilson. Jerry served in the United States Army National Guard and was a minister for over sixty-five years. He was also the founder of MOVE, Missouri Operation for Vigorous Evangelism, a churchplanting organization. He was instrumental in planting over thirty churches throughout the state of Missouri. Charlene (Hunter) Kyser (attended OCC 78-80) passed away on March 17, 2026, with her husband, Vincent Kyser, at her side. Charlene and Vincent made their home in Carl Junction, Missouri.
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Karen (Clark) Leeper (attended OCC 72-76) passed away on March 1, 2026, with her husband of nearly fifty-two years, Mark Leeper (attended OCC 72-75), at her side. Mark currently serves at Springville Church of the Nazarene in California. Jeanne (Chambers) (Vestal) Martin (attended OCC 70-71) passed away on December 16, 2025, after time in hospice care. She lived in Casa Grande, Arizona.
Gerald “Jerry” Miller (attended OCC 73-81) passed away on December 25, 2025, with his wife of sixty-two years, Rose Miller (attended OCC 76), by his side. Jerry worked at Schreiber Foods in Carthage, Missouri, for forty-four years and was a longtime member of College Heights Christian Church in Joplin. Justin Miller (OCC 09) passed away on March 4, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer. During his career, he served as a resident director at God’s Resort and later worked for many years as a manager at O’Reilly Auto Parts, where his knowledge and love of cars made him a natural fit. Mary (Lankster) Olson (attended OCC 62-64) passed away on April 2, 2026, at the age of eighty-one. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Olson. During her lifetime, Mary worked for Petroleum Crude in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and also Ares Marketing in Louisville, Kentucky. Risa (Waldridge) Riggs (attended Lincoln 80, 99-00) passed away on June 7, 2026, with her husband, David Riggs (attended Lincoln 97-99), by her side. Risa was a member of Lincoln Christian Church (Indiana), where she served in the children’s ministry for more than twenty years.
James “Jim” Scott (OCC 77) passed away on June 11, 2026. He is survived by his wife of fifty-two years, Jane (Peterson) Scott (OCC 76). During his lifetime, Jim served as a youth minister at Parkview Christian Church, helped create and expand international student programs at the University of Missouri, and was an active member of The Crossing Church. Betty Sills passed away on April 18, 2026. Betty was a devoted member of Countryside Christian Church in Wichita, Kansas, for over sixty years, faithfully serving in countless ways. Her husband, Milton Sills (former OCC trustee), preceded her in death in 2003.
Paul Stamm (Lincoln 91, 06) passed away on January 15, 2026, leaving behind his wife of thirty-six years, Kimberly (Dean) Stamm (attended Lincoln 85-90). During his lifetime, Paul served at various churches in Illinois, as well as Pine Village Christian Church in Indiana, where he faithfully served as senior pastor for thirty-one years until his passing. Barbara (Patchin) Todd (attended OCC 51-52) passed away on February 22, 2026. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, and friend. She lived in Branson, Missouri.
ALUMNI NEWS Bryan Turner (OCC 85) passed away on March 4, 2026, leaving behind his wife of forty-six years, Tina (Wilbur) Turner (OCC 80), and other loved ones. During his lifetime, Bryan faithfully served as a pastor in small church ministries across Missouri, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Indiana. He also dedicated time to several homeless outreach ministries in Indianapolis.
Nancy (Selsor) Vowell (OCC 79) passed away on January 31, 2026, in Owasso, Oklahoma. During her lifetime, Nancy was a teacher in Puerto Rico and a legal assistant at various law firms in Oklahoma, but her greatest joy was being a mother and grandmother. James Waters (former Lincoln faculty) passed away on March 22, 2026. During his career, James served as a business manager at Lincoln Christian College and then became the VP of Teller Services at Busey Bank in Champaign, Illinois.
Dr. Gary Weedman (attended Lincoln 64-65, former Lincoln faculty) passed away on March 22, 2026, with his wife of sixty-three years, Janis (Morgan) Weedman, and other loved ones by his side. During his lifetime, Gary served in various church ministries in Illinois and Indiana and was a lifelong educator, serving as a faculty member at Johnson Bible College, Lincoln Christian College and Seminary, Milligan College, and Palm Beach Atlantic University. He also served as Johnson’s sixth president.
Glen Richard “Rick” Weiss (Lincoln 04) passed away on January 30, 2026, with his wife, Peggy (Carithers), by his side. During his lifetime, Rick faithfully served many churches and worked for more than twenty-five years at McGrawEdison (Cooper Power & Porcelain Products). Doris (Althaus) Willbanks (OCC 64) passed away on February 20, 2026, with her husband of over sixty-two years, Barry Willbanks (OCC 63), at her side. Doris and Barry served side-by-side in ministry and made their home in Redwood City, California.
CLASS NOTES 1960s Gary Shaw (attended OCC 61) retired from the Joplin City Council after serving for twenty-four years, making him the second-longest serving Joplin council member in history. Alton Vance (OCC 69) and Patricia (Martin) Vance (attended OCC 64-69) retired from the ministry on January 31, 2026, after serving at Norco Christian Church in California for fifty years. During Alton and Pat’s Fifty Years of Service Celebration weekend, Dave Sawkins (OCC 68) preached an honorary sermon, and Merle Miller (OCC 70) presented his personal HATS Tour program. Alton and Pat also served at Ridgecrest Christian Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Westside Christian Church in El Paso, Texas, during their more than sixty years of church ministry.
1970s Glen Copple (attended OCC 73-76) has created an online college course entitled Walking With Jesus: A Comprehensive Study of the Life and Teachings of Christ. This course is a unique, in-depth Bible study series that takes you chronologically through the life of Christ as recorded in all four Gospels. Learn more at wwj.bible.
1980s
Congratulations to Glenn Boyes (OCC 81), who was awarded an Honorary Flying Tiger Award. Glenn attends Bethel Baptist Church in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Bill Holley (Lincoln 81, 13), along with his wife, Gretchen Holley (Lincoln 82), completed forty-seven years of ministry this year. Bill also completed over seven years as the senior minister of Creve Coeur Christian Church.
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1990s Stephanie (Schaeffer) Beasley (attended OCC 92-93) was selected by the Arkansas School Nurses Association to be the 2026 School Nurse of the Year for the state of Arkansas. Her husband, Tim Beasley (OCC 96), serves at Central Christian Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Billy Collier (OCC 95) ministers at Newcastle Christian Church in Oklahoma, having been there for twenty-one years at the time of this publication. Ron Eden (OCC 91) celebrated his tenth anniversary with Anthony Christian Church in Anthony, Kansas, in February 2026.
Rob Maupin (OCC 93) accepted the position of executive director of the International Conference on Missions (ICOM). Rob had previously served with the Compass Church in Colleyville, Texas. His wife is Shannon (Daugherty) Maupin (OCC 94).
2000s
PUBLICATIONS Sid Allsbury (OCC 66) authored a memoir, For Your ConSIDeration: Happy on My Way to Heaven: Real Stories of Faith, Resilience, and God’s Provision, with Legacy Book Publishing.
Dr. Chad Ragsdale (Lincoln 04, current full-time faculty) authored Cotton Candy World with OCC Press as part of the Everyday Exposition series.
Justin Coberley (OCC 01) has accepted the lead chaplain position at Integris Hospital in Miami, Oklahoma. Blake Dremann (OCC 03) retired from the U.S. Navy on January 1, 2026, after twenty years of honorable service and resides in Reston, Virginia.
2010s Bethel Grove’s (OCC 14) teen baptism book, Are You Ready to Be Baptized?: A Teen’s Guide to Making the Most Important Decision of Your Life, won the 2026 Gold Medallion Christian Book Award. This book has sold over 1,700 copies since she first self-published it in March 2021. Jeff Spille (OCC 10) serves as vice president of operations at Watered Gardens Ministries in Joplin. Prior to accepting this position, Jeff served in various roles at Southeast Christian Church in Parker, Colorado. His wife, Johanna (Robinson) Spille (OCC 97), serves as the executive director of strategy and sustainability for Covered Colorado.
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Brice Wurdeman (OCC 04, current full-time faculty) and Amanda (Muter) Wurdeman (OCC 03) authored Right Side Up: Reorienting Our Vision of Disability and Community with College Press Publishing.
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ONE MORE THING
A final thought from our editor
Amy Storms serves as OCC’s vice president of marketing and communications, English professor, and general editor of The Ambassador.
Now…and Later Amy Storms Remember the candy called “Now and Later”? I assume they’re still around to purchase, though I can’t say I’ve looked. The Now and Later is a plasticky, fruity blend of taffy-meets-Jolly Rancher-meets-jawbreaker. It’s like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s1 Everlasting Gobstopper come to life. The point is—as you likely guessed—the candy lasts so long you can eat it now… and later. The Old Testament prophets talked about now and later. They had a message for their current day, and they also told what was to come. The New Testament gospels, though, don’t leave much room for later. “You have saved the best till now,” the master of the banquet said in John 2, regarding the new covenant.2 “The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Jesus repeated.3 In other words, “It’s here! Now…not later.”
The older I get, the less later I have. My kids tease me for the “day counter” app on my phone that counts down the days of my average lifespan, one by one. I’m learning to “number my days,”4
as the psalmist said, and not live in yesterday’s nostalgia or tomorrow’s unknowns, but right here. Today. Now.
Living now doesn’t have to mean living at a frenzied pace, never resting. It also doesn’t mean never letting a season end when God says it’s time. To live now means to “live by the Spirit—to keep in step with the Spirit.”5 To live now means to live by faith, because, “Whoever believes in me,” Jesus said, “rivers of living water will flow from within them.”6 In Christ, we can live life to the full7— now!
And later? Well, later’s even greater. Later, every tear will be wiped away. Later, “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,” because Jesus is making everything new.8 Later, we, the Bride of Christ, will celebrate the wedding feast with our Lord. Now, we have Jesus in the Spirit. But later, we’ll see him face to face.9 In our eternal later—as in our now—we’ll have Jesus. The hope and the beauty and the urgency of the gospel is this: We’ll be with our Lord forever, now…and later.
1. Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, 1964). 2. John 2:10 5. Galatians 5:25 6. John 7:38 7. John 10:10 8. Revelation 21:4-5 9. 1 Corinthians 13:12
3. Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15
4. Psalm 90:12