Dec. 20, 2015
For Immediate Release
By Joan C. McKinney, news and publications coordinator
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Campbellsville University and the Zion
Baptist District Bible Institute celebrated the achievement of three local
pastors as they received their certificates in Christian ministry recently.
The Rev. Michael
Caldwell, pastor of Pleasant Union Baptist Church in Campbellsville, who serves
as director of the Zion District Bible Institute; the Rev. Ronnie Turner, a
retired pastor of Campbellsville, and the Rev. James Buford, pastor of Fannie Chapel
Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church of Campbellsville, each earned their
27-hour certificate in Christian ministry by taking classes at Jacob Grove
Baptist Church in Summersville, Ky.
Dr. Joseph L. Owens,
pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Lexington, who is entering his fifth term as
chair of Campbellsville University's Board of Trustees, gave words of
encouragement to those attending a luncheon in honor of the recipients.
Owens, who is a 1977
graduate of Campbellsville University, said the Zion District was “nurturing
and precious” to him as a student when he began pastoring. “Jacob Grove has
been my family,” he said.
He told the recipients
their certificates are “valuable” to them and they can proudly say they have
come this far in their educational pursuit. “I'm so proud of each of you,” he
said.
Owens quoted 1 Samuel
7:12 when he told the story of Samuel who took the stone and set it up and
called it Ebenezer and the Lord helped them.
He said the children of Israel learned about
advantage, achievement and acknowledgment.
Owens said the
graduates had struggled to finish their education but their adversity turned
into opportunities. He told them they had to siege their advantages to “soak up
and glean everything they could.”
“Turn your adversities
into opportunities, and you will achieve,” Owens said.
He told them God is a
rock of help, and without Him there is no hope, no salvation and no victory.
Two Zion Baptist
Institute professors, Dr. Twyla Hernandez, associate professor of Christian
ministries at Campbellsville University, and the Rev. Jerry Smith, pastor of
Yuma Baptist Church, congratulated the students.
Hernandez said she
made good friends during the class she taught, and the best time in the class
was when each gave their personal testimonies.
“It was a blessing to
hear how God had worked in their lives and still is,” she said.
Smith said he learned
from his students and was encouraged and inspired by them and hopefully taught
them pastoral ministries. He has served in the ministry 32 years.
Caldwell gave a
history of the Zion District Bible Institute that was organized and funded Jan.
9, 2007. The purpose of the Institute was to provide a continuation of the
Simmons Bible College extension of Central Kentucky that was started in 1992 by
the Zion District Association and Simmons Bible College.
From 1992 until around
2005, the Bible School depended upon Simmons for its professors and curriculum
until Simmons began its college accreditation process which forced them to
close all their extension schools.
Campbellsville
University agreed to begin classes for the 2008-09 academic year, and the
courses have continued with 21 students this past semester.
The late Dr. Walter
Johnson was pastor of Jacob Grove Baptist Church and Zion District moderator
and served as one of the spearhead leaders for the school in its early
beginnings. Dr. David Sandifer was the first instructor for the classes.
For more information
about the certificate in ministry program, contact the Campbellsville
University School of Theology at (270) 789-5029.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed
Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering over
80 programs of study including 24 master's degrees, seven
postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for
complete information is campbellsville.edu.