2007 Commencement Ceremonies
Emmanuel School of Religion conferred degrees upon twenty-four students on Sunday, May 20, 2007.

Four Emmanuel graduates received a Master of Arts in Religion (MAR) degree, seventeen students received a Master of Divinity (MDIV) degree, and three graduated with a Doctor of Ministry (DMIN) degree. Receiving their degrees were:

Adrienne Leigh Armes, MAR, will continue working as Church Life Director at Chaparral Christian Church and will be ordained in August. Cameron Ross Lacy, MAR, will continue guest speaking at churches and intends to start a Christian hostel and teach in a Bible college. Cara Rochelle Richards, MAR, will pursue her interests in photography and writing. John Thomas Zizz, MAR, will be interviewing shortly for a position in urban ministry. Travis Michael Armes, MDIV, will continue as youth and young adult minister at Chaparral Christian Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. Daniel Alfred Aviles, MDIV, will pursue a ministry in marriage and family counseling. Nathan Allen Bistis, MDIV, will pursue a preaching ministry. Michael Andrew Carollo, MDIV, will begin as associate minister at First Christian Church in Tallahassee, Florida. David Zimri Cauble IV, MDIV, is seeking a ministry in a local church. He was recently ordained at Lone Oak Christian Church in Johnson City, Tennessee. Nicholas Michael Cox, MDIV, will become Group Life Minister at Community Christian Church in White Marsh, Maryland. Eric Gregory Evans, MDIV, recently became senior minister at Salem Church of Christ, in Salem, Virginia. Caren Melissa Fog, MDIV, plans to pursue doctoral studies in the area of Christian doctrine. Douglas Stewart Fox, MDIV, is currently completing a second master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at ETSU.  Gary Ronald Gilbert, MDIV, will begin a ministry as Chaplain in the Veterans Hospital in Johnson City, Tennessee. Adah Lael Hutchcraft, MDIV, is moving to Temecula, California, where her husband, Jason (MDIV, ’03), will be senior pastor at Southwest Christian Church. Adah will seek a position as hospital chaplain. Adam Vincent Janes, MDIV, will do a brief internship with Hasson Street Christian Church, Rogersville, Tennessee, and then pursue a ministry in west Tennessee or southern Idaho. Billy Wayne Jones, Jr., MDIV, will pursue further graduate studies. Alisha Nicole Paddock, MDIV, will pursue a doctoral program in New Testament Studies. Robert Jefferson Powell IV, MDIV, is in the discernment process for ordination to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. For the coming year he will continue working in Milligan College’s Institute for Servant Leadership. Brian Eugene Solomon, MDIV, has been appointed head volleyball coach at Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina. Seth Daniel Williams, MDIV, is pursuing a youth ministry position. LC Sutton, Jr., DMIN, will begin a ministry with Lincoln Christian College as Professor of Christian Ministries. Thomas Madison Swift IV, DMIN, will continue working as hospice chaplain with Care Partners Hospice & Palliative Care in Asheville, North Carolina. Teresa Diana Welch, DMIN, will continue serving as Director of Children’s and Women’s Ministries at Boulevard Church of Christ in Sylvania, Ohio. Congratulations, job well done!
 

This year’s commencement speaker was Dr. David Eubanks, President, Johnson Bible College, Knoxville, Tennessee. Speaking on the great Biblical message of endurance, he shared many success stories that came through many failures, encouraging each one, graduates and audience alike, to persevere.  Dr. Eubanks has served Johnson Bible College as its President for over 38 years and is retiring in June, six months shy of being the longest serving current college president in America.

David and his wife, Margaret, were honored with The James A. Garfield Award during the commencement service. This is the highest award given by Emmanuel in recognition of outstanding service to the church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The award is named for our nation’s twentieth President, James A. Garfield, the only preacher ever to become President of the United States. President Garfield was a dedicated Christian preacher who served in the nineteenth century among the churches that grew out of the Stone-Campbell Movement.

 Magnificent Facsimile of Biblical Codex Given to Emmanuel

In 1999 the Vatican issued the most faithful facsimile ever produced of the single most important biblical manuscript in existence: the famous Codex Vaticanus B. The original manuscript, copied sometime in the mid-4th century, contained the entire Bible in Greek, along with the Apocrypha. It has resided in the Vatican since at least 1483, having lost portions of both the Old Testament and New Testament texts in its travels.

Renewing God's Call: A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Emmanuel School of Religion’s Institute for Excellence in Ministry is pleased to sponsor "Renewing God’s Call: A Pastoral Pilgrimage to the Holy Land." This pastoral renewal experience is funded and made possible due to a generous grant to Emmanuel School of Religion from the CF Foundation, Inc.