S U M M E R 1 9 9 6

April ?3 If. 1991

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Great Themes from the Book of JobPepperf

title I

The 53rd A

/JlCon/rontmg the Whirlwind at the Pepperdine Lectures • See Cover Story on page 4

NEWSPreachers Begin New Ministries

Rick Nease, Roseburg, Oregon

T wo preachers are beginning theirministry for congregations in the

western states. On June 1, Rick Neasebegan working with the Garden ValleyChurch of Christ in Roseburg, Oregon.Nease takes the pulpit after the long andsuccessful ministry of John York who hasretired. Nease has moved from the ApacheJunction Church of Christ in Arizonawhere he has preached for ten years. He isa graduate of the Whites Ferry RoadSchool of Biblical Studies; he has a B.A. inguidance and counseling and an M.S. inministry from Pepperdine. He and hiswife, Jo, have two grown daughters:Kimberly, 24, who is married and lives inPhoenix, and Kristin, 19, who works with acomputer company in Apache Junction.

Steve Kay, his wife Debbie, and theirdaughter Brit tany, 11, will move toRedlands to work with the RedlandsChurch of Christ on August 1. The Kayshave worked with the 100-member SantaPaula Church of Christ for 11 years. Beforemoving to Santa Paula, Steve preached forthe Palomar Street Church of Christ inChula Vista, California, and thecongregation in Chowchilla. He earned aB.S. in religious education from OklahomaChristian and an M.A. in religion fromPepperdine. The Kay's daughter, Kristen,

Steve Kay, Redlands, California

died of cancer in 1994, and since thenSteve has become a Nationally CertifiedBereavement Facilitator. He has alsodeveloped the chaplaincy program for theSanta Paula Fire Department and will be aspeaker for the Fire Chaplains NationalConference in Louisville, Kentucky, for1997. He recently was chosen as one of 12chaplains who ministered at the one-yearmemorial service for the Oklahomabombing in Oklahoma City. The Redlandscongregation is lead by eight elders and has260 members.

Pacific Church News

congratulates the

Southside Church of Christ

Los Angeles, California

on their

40th Anniversary

June 30, 1996And we honor

Dr. Carl C. Baccus

who has been the faithful

preacher for this church

throughout its 40-year history.

PACIFIC CHURCH NEWSVolume XIV Number 4

PACIFIC CHURCH NEWS ispublished periodically by theDepartment of Church Relationsat Pepperdine University. Send allcorrespondence to PepperdineUniversity, Malibu, CA 90263.

EDITOR

Jerry Rushford

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Bill HenegarEmily Y. Lemley

CONTRIBUTING REPORTERS

Garth Black, Bakersfield, CALarry Cain, Yuba City, CAKelly Carter, Victoria, BC

Kelly Deatherage, Portland, ORWalt Fennel, Sacramento, CARich Griffin, San Diego, CAMilton Jones, Seattle, WA

Billie Silvey, Los Angeles, CAMel Weldon, Longview, WAEdwin White, Phoenix, AZ

Bud Worsham, Long Beach, CAJohn York, Roseburg, OR

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

University Publications

COVER PHOTO

All of the photos of the PepperdineBible Lectures in this issue weretaken by the Pepperdine Universityphotographer, Ron Hall.

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EVANGELISMSharing The Gospel With The Speed Of Light

by Emily Y. Lemley

I n the "good old days," Jake Coppingerwould have been called a "spark plug,"

but in today's language, Jake is a laserbeam. His high energy and focusedenthusiasm is strategically aimed towardevangelism, and he seems to ignite thosearound him with a love for people who donot know Christ.

At 78, Coppinger could step back andenjoy the fruit of his lifelong dedication toevangelism and, particularly, his 16 years asdirector of the largest Bible Schoolevangelism program in the Churches ofChrist, World Bible School. But, Jake doesnot rest on the past because he is speedingahead to provide rice and the gospel toLiberian refugees in Ghana and tocoordinate this summer's World BibleSchool gospel meeting project. WorldBible School has set up 600 simultaneousgospel meetings, which will be held inGhana, Nigeria , Malawi , Zambia ,Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and India duringthe week of July 14-21. Each meeting willbe conducted by local preachers andteachers. Coppinger estimates that 1,000people at each of these 600 meetings willtake a World Bible School course homewith them. "We fully expect to receivemore than a half mill ion studentsrequesting lessons by September," hereported.

When a lesson is completed by astudent, he or she mails it to a nearby WBSoffice, which forwards it on to offices in theUnited States. These lessons are thenmailed to American Christians whorespond to them personally. Supported byCalifornia congregations in Orangevale,Richmond, Fairfield, Visalia, and Tulare,World Bible School has produced 600,000lessons to be distributed during thesemeetings. Approximately 300 otherChurches of Christ have donated $36,000,$60 for each of these 600 meetings, to payfor the lessons to be sent to each of themeeting locations. Coppinger reported thateverything is "in place" for the Ju ly

Jake, talking to street kids, asks, "Would you liketo study the Bible with us?"

Jake Coppinger and a new convert prepare tohand out leaflets.

••••1Jake Coppinger baptizing a man at the NsawamRoad Church of Christ in Accra.

Jake Coppinger (second row, right of bride) performs a wedding ceremony in Dunkwa-On-Offin for thisChristian couple, Comfort and Stephen Adu. Stephen was the son of the tribal chief (front row, secondfrom right). Out of respect for Jake, the chief gave his son to Jake, consequently, Jake had to pay for thewedding. It cost $300. This couple now have a little boy who is named after his grandfather, JakeCoppinger.

meetings.The planning for these meetings would

overwhelm most people, but just as theWBS lessons were being mailed overseas,Coppinger discovered another equallycomplex "opportunity." He heard about the

recent internat ional emergency thatinvolved 3,000 to 4,000 Liberian refugeesstranded on a ship that could find no port.Then he learned that they were finally

— Continued on page 14

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BIBLE LECTURESReality Comes To Paradise

by Bill Henegar

A s the week came to a close, manywondered aloud, "Was it

coincidence, careful planning, or the workof God?" They were talking about thecurious theme and subsequent remarkableproceedings of the 53rd AnnualPepperdine Bible Lectures.

Malibu lived up to its reputation withwarm weather, clear days, and lush flowersand foliage—a California seaside paradise.And April 23 through 26 found recordcrowds thronging the Pepperdine campus,many people streaming in as pilgrimsdespite the somewhat disconcerting (atfirst blush) theme of "Out of theWhirlwind: Great Themes from the Bookof Job." But by the end of the week, theywere pondering the question—what reallydid happen at Mal ibu? To be sure,something wonderful happened—it was inthe air, in the worship experiences, in theclasses, in the smiles, embraces, prayers.

Some came as old-timers, like theminister from San Diego who wrote,"Congratulations on the best lectureshipever. I attended the first one held at thepresent campus and have been to most ofthem since. I don't remember seeing moreenthusiasm, better crowds, being moreencouraged or uplifted." Others were first-timers to Malibu, like the minister fromthe state of Washington who wrote, "1found that the Lectures lived up to theirreputation as a fine quality program! I wasimpressed not only by the speakers andteachers, but by the spirit conveyed in theassemblies and the excellent 'behind thescenes' organizational work. I found theprogram spiritually enriching as well asprofessionally helpful to me as a minister."

One man wrote, "Even though I haveto travel from Sydney, Australia, I amcommitted to try and come each year andbring someone with me. It is easily worthevery penny it costs us. The work inAustralia is nourished by the fruit of yourefforts. See you in April 1997!" And fromOshkosh, Wisconsin, came, "The

Pepperdine Lectures have become abeacon for our movement. Theillumination is spreading across our goodland. The 15, 000 tapes purchased duringthe week will find their way into the handsof Christian servants, and the benefits ofthe Lectures will be felt for months andyears to come."

Perhaps the best description of theLectures was virtually ethereal—it flewthrough the air electronically on e-mail toa Texan's mailing list. It said, "As always,the week was about as near heaven as ispossible on earth. [Being] physicallysituated on the top of a stunningly floweredmountain at Mal ibu, overlooking the.Pacific Ocean, helps set the stage. To that,add the best of congregational singing,God-centered worship assemblies,st imulating and inspirational plenarylectures twice daily, hundreds of classes(sometimes 16 simultaneously), and fourdays of loving fellowship, and you get thesense. The project culminates a year's workby Dr. Jerry Rushford, whose skill is surelyunsurpassed." A fellow Texan wrote, "[theLectures were] the richest and mostproductive week I've ever spent at anylecture or brotherhood program."

Jeff Walling electrified the openingnight assembly with a description of Jobthat propelled everyone from laughter totears. Jim McGuiggan touched ananguished yet victorious chord thatreverberated throughout the Wednesdayevening crowd. Through his own agonies,Mike Cope brought the Thursday eveningassembly to its feet with the vision of ourbeautiful and awesome God. And TimWoodroof concluded Friday evening's finallecture by interjecting into the drama themost profound news Job, or anyone else,could ever hear: "Mr. Job, meet Jesus!"Equally powerful messages came frommorning speakers Ronnie Norman, MarkFrost and Bill Love.

Over and over many attendeesexperienced a common reaction. Although

they did not anticipate such an emotionalresponse, they confessed, "It came at a timein my life when I really needed the messageof Job." From Nashville, someone wrote,"The theme was bold—and a blessing! Notonly am I in the midst of the battle withbone cancer, but we were able to squeeze inthe Lectures just before our beloveddaughter-in-law had a mastectomy onApril 29." Remarkably, the Bible Lecturestheme seem to minister to PepperdineUniversity itself, as the Malibu Churchminister, a beloved professor, twowonderful administrators, and otherPepperdine loved ones struggled with life-threatening illnesses and challenges.

A Christian publishing executive fromLouisiana articulated this summary: "ThePepperdine Lectures are vital to the growthof the church. The rich teachings andexperiences at this event help shape theyear for many congregations. Decisions areinfluenced, ideas are born, relationships arerenewed, and faith is refreshed." He isright. Every year, hundreds come seeking aword, a thought, a scripture, anencouraging encounter that will energize

Final lecturer Tim Woodroof

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them for the road ahead. And this year, theroad ahead seemed fraught with pitfalls anddangers.

Many of our loved ones, and even weourselves, are at risk today. Together, inthis precious Malibu forum, we prepared tomeet the challenges of life in a fallenworld. We tucked away into our hearts thereality lessons of Job. We inspired oneanother to a conquering faith. And we leftwith the echoes of an evening song inFirestone Fieldhouse ringing in our ears:"You are beautiful beyond description, toomarvelous for words, Too wonderful forcomprehension, like nothing ever seen orheard. Who can grasp Your infinitewisdom, who can fathom the depths ofYour love? You are beautiful beyond

description, majesty enthroned above. AndI stand, I stand in awe of You, I stand, Istand in awe of You; Holy God, to whomall praise is due, I stand in awe of You."

Every year at Malibu, the PepperdineBible Lectures are special. But this year,reality—and awe—came to paradise.

Large and enthusiastic crowds were in attendance at the main Lectures in Firestone Fieldhouse throughout the week.

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TRIBUTEHonors Given With Love At the Pepperdine Lectures

by Emily Y. Lemley

T he warm welcome of friends andbrothers and sisters in Christ extends

throughout the four days of the PepperdineLectures. The recent 1996 Lectures heldmany warm moments, but several of themsurrounded the giving of Christian ServiceAwards to 11 honorees. In addition tothese awards, three of the Christianpublications gave awards for journalism.

On opening night, the AssociatedWomen for Pepperdine honored MartiO'Rear, Christian Education minister atthe Highland Church in Abilene, Texas,for her creative and humble leadership.O'Rear, a graduate of Pepperdine and arecipient of AWP scholarship funds, isknown for her children's musicals as wellas her training of teachers in creativity andproblem-solving.

At the two men's dinners on openingnight, Pepperdine University honored DonKern, from Parkway Church of Christ inSacramento, California, for his years ofpreaching and his encouragement to youngpreachers. His influence has positivelyaffected the Church of Christ in NorthernCalifornia. Wesley and Beverly Jones fromNashville, Tennessee, were also honoredfor their mission efforts in Canada andRussia as well as for their dedicated workwith World Christian Broadcasting.

Image magazine gave its award forleadership to Marvin Phillips from Tulsa,Oklahoma. Image cited the impact ofPhillips' preaching in Tulsa and around theworld and his leadership of the TulsaWorkshop. His encouragement of everygood work reflects the image of Christ.

At the annual Appreciation Dinner onWednesday evening, Pepperdine honoredHarold Hazelip, president of DavidLipscomb University, Nashville,Tennessee. In addition to his 11 yeartenure as president of Lipscomb, Hazelip'sexample and encouragement to hundredsof young preachers during his 21 years ofpreaching for the Herald of Truth radio and

television programs and his 15 years asdean of the Harding Graduate School ofReligion has strengthened the church.

Bud and Charlene Watson from SanDiego, California, were honored for theirlifetime of service to Churches of Christ in

Emily and Steve Lemley

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Dan AndersBeverly and Wesley Jones

Harold Hazelip (left)

Charlene and Bud Watson

Jim McGuiggan

California. The Watsons haveenthusiastically worked with churches inSan Diego County for more than 60 years,and they have planted several of thecounty's congregations.

On Wednesday night, Pepperdinehonored Jim and Ethel McGuiggan fromBelfast, Northern Ireland. McGuiggan hasworked with Northern Ireland BibleSchool, Sunset School of Preaching, and isnow in his 14th year of preaching for theHolywood Church of Christ in Belfast.

The Christian Chronicle honored Steve

and Emily Lemley for their work inChristian journalism, editing the dailydevotional guide Power for Today for over26 years. Their writing and editing hasheld up Christ and has emphasized theinner life.

Billie Silvey from Culver City,California, was given the ChristianLeadership award by the 21st CenturyChristian Publishing Company. Silvey's 24years as editor, writer, and planner hasraised the standards of professionaljournalism throughout the brotherhood.

Stanley and Marie Shipp fromBrentwood, Missouri, were honored withthe Pepperdine Christian Service awardfor their dedication to training people forministry, especially in missions. Their workwith the Mid-County Church of Christspreads the boundaries of the kingdom.

Wineskins magazine gave their award toDan Anders, minister for the MalibuChurch of Christ, for his excellence inChristian journalism. Ander's clear,inspirational writing sets a high standardfor all Christian writers.

Pepperdine honored Bethel Smith,from Los Angeles, California, for her longyears of work in helping edit the ChristianEcho and for her involvement inencouraging Christian education. She hasbeen particularly influential in helpingSouthwestern Christian College andPepperdine University.

Garth and Doris Black were honoredfor their many years of service in ministry.Recently retired after 18 years of ministryat the Westside Church of Christ inBakersfield, California, the Blacks havegiven long-term service to two otherchurches, one in Silver Spring, Maryland,and the other in Rome, New York.

The Friends of Pepperdine Dinner wasthe stage for honoring Glover Shipp, whohas been the managing editor of theChristian Chronicle for the past eight years.His dedication to Christian journalism iscomplemented by his and his wife Marge's18 years of mission work in Brazil.

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SCENES FROM PEPPERDINFS

A Biblical Drama Reveals the Courage of Esther

Rho Parking Lot Becomes a Temporary RV Village During Bible Lectures Week

Debbie Ganus Affirms the Purposes of God Rick Marrs Examines the Book of Job Alice Harris Shares Her Dream for Children

The Exhibit Hall in the Oasis Draws All Ages to the Book Tables Randy Lowry Moderates a Panel Discussion on Change in the Church

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53RD ANNUAL BIBLE LECTURES

Listeners Respond With Rapt Attention Bill Love Confronts the Whirlwind

Jeff Walling Reinacts the Timeless Story of Job

David Davenport Defines the Role of the Christian in an Election Year

An Exuberant Ken Young Leads Joyful Singing Rubel Shelly Explores "The Gift of a Difficult Life" in a daily class in Smothers Theatre

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HERITAGEA Pioneer Preacher In The American West

by Jerry Rushford

E arly and unexpected death was acommon tragedy faced by California

immigrants in the nineteenth century. Butfor Martin and Elizabeth Henderson,members of the Davis Creek Church ofChrist in Modoc County, it was almostmore than they could bear in October1885.

Their 25-year-old married daughter,Belle Mulkey, died at their home onOctober 7th, and on the following daytheir 36-year-old son, Decatur, also died.Five hours before the death of Decatur, hislittle four-year-old daughter, Amney, hadpreceded her father in death. She wasplaced in the same coffin with her father,lying on his right arm. Three deaths in onefamily in the space of 24 hours.

The Hendersons sent word to their dearfriend and fa i thful preacher, JohnSutherland, who lived a few miles away onthe shores of Goose Lake. Once again, ashe had done so many times in the past,Sutherland carefully packed his largefamily Bible in the wagon and prepared tooffer comfort to Christian friends andgrieving neighbors. Later, in a report sentto John F. Rowe's American ChristianReview in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sutherlanddescribed the scene at Davis Creek:

Brother Decatur and his littledaughter were both brought to thehouse of Brother Martin Henderson,the father of these beloved dead.Sister Belle had been at her father'sduring a long illness, and now infather and mother's yard stood some200 people to witness one of themost impressive and solemn scenesthat the writer has ever Witnessed.There were present all of thebrothers and sisters of the deceasedexcept one sister, who lived inOregon. When these three beautiful,cold forms were presented to the gazeof the audience and family for a fewmoments, the shock was fearful, and

John and Nancy Sutherland

the groaning, sobs and crying werewith difficulty suppressed, though ina few moments all was calm, and theservice began by reading a song inmemory of each; also a Scripturereading as the last tribute of respectfor each. For Brother Decatur,Galatians vi; for Sister Belle,Hebrews vi. 18-20; in memory oflittle Amney, Matthew xviii. 15-17.After a short talk in presenting sometraits of Christian character, we alltook the last look, with the fondhope that erelong we will meetwhere parting will never be known,and tears of grief will never dampenour checks. Brethren, let us labor toenter into that rest.

Whether conducting funerals,performing marriages, preaching in gospelmeetings, or baptizing converts, JohnSutherland was indefatigable in hisdevotion to the cause of Christ. But hisboundless energy found expression in manyarenas beyond the spiritual.

In addition to serving variouscommunities as a gospel preacher,Sutherland was a skilled carpenter and

wagonmaker who constructed severalchurch buildings. In his multi-faceted life,he pursued ranching and farming interests,ran a large country store, served aspostmaster, road supervisor, Justice of thePeace, and member of the school board,and taught music. As a teenager, he hadserved briefly as a Union soldier in theCivil War until he was wounded. As anadult, he was politically involved in theprohibitionist crusade and ran for staterepresentative on the Populist Party ticketin 1896.

John Sutherland was born in NewtonCounty, Missouri, on December 27, 1846,and was reared in a Christian home thathonored preachers. "My father and motherwere both staunch members of the Churchof Christ," he recalled, "and trained uptheir children to believe in, and obey thesavior." His maternal grandmother was asister to the Wright brothers of Indiana(Joshua, Levi, Peter, Amos, and John) whowere all noted gospel preachers in theChurch of Christ. John Sutherland wasbaptized into Christ just prior to his 14thbirthday, and he began preaching at theage of 17.

When he was just 19 years old, Johnmarried 16 year-old Nancy Bowring. Heand Nancy would eventual ly raise 12children during a marriage that spannedmore than half a century. In the spring of1872, John and Nancy left their nativeMissouri and migrated by wagon train toNorthern California. For the remaining 46years of their life together, they would livein various communities in the AmericanWest.

While living at Willow Ranch,California, on the shores of Goose Lake inthe 1880s, John was a c i rcu i t - r id ingpreacher who served the needs of sixisolated congregations of the Church ofChrist in Modoc and Shasta counties. Thecongregations at New Pine Creek andDavis Creek in Goose Lake Valley wereclosest to his home, but he also assisted the

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churches at Adin and Lookout in BigValley, and the churches at Burgettvilleand Burney Falls in Fall River Valley.

In summarizing his frequent preachingactivities for 1887, Sutherland wrote: "Lastyear I spent 140 days preaching; got a trifleover fifty cents per day. Will preach all Ican this year." John Sutherland rarelyaccepted money for his preaching.However, his grateful congregations wouldoften send him home with a slab of baconor a sack of potatoes or some other usefulcommodity.

By the close of 1887, John's preachingcircuit had widened to includesoutheastern Oregon. "I had a call fromKlamath County, Oregon," he reported, "towhich I responded in person. Preachedtwelve discourses and baptized fourpersons—one a leading man, who givesevidence of future usefulness. They haveno preacher, and prevailed on me to holdthem another meeting in May." In a letterdated February 28, 1888, John wroteenthusiastically: "I have some preachinghelp now. Brother Keathley Bailes hasbought land, and is settled among us. He isa good man, and also a good preacher,thoroughly honest and sound to the coreon the ancient order of things."

Portrait of a pioneer family in the American West: John and Nancy Sutherland (seated in front)surrounded by their family in front of their home on the shores of Goose Lake.

John was a frequent correspondent tochurch periodicals like American ChristianReview, Christian Leader, Pacific ChristianMessenger, and Firm Foundation. In atypical report in the Christian Leader datedNovember 20, 1889, he wrote: "I recentlyassisted the church in Fall River Valley in aprotracted meeting. Twenty-five additions,two of whom were Baptist ministers.Preached nearly one month. We hope thegood seed will yet bring forth fruit to God'sglory and honor." In another report in the

Christian Leader dated June 5, 1891, hewrote: "Left home May 14; went toKlamath County, Oregon; preached atHaynesville five sermons; baptized two;thence to Pine Grove, near Linkville;preached five sermons. Thence toBonanza; preached four times; left for

— Continued on page 12

Below: The clean, white church building setagainst the rugged landscape around the

little village of New Pine Creek on theCalifornia-Oregon border is one of

several that John Sutherlandbuilt during his lifetime.

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NEWSFiesta Kicks Off Summer Outreach Strategy At Culver Palms Church

I magine an eight-foot Moses, standingbeside a burning bush that's almost as

tall. The bush has circles cut in it, and inthe course of two days, 500 children throwbeanbags through the small holes,receiving small prizes for their efforts.

Meanwhile, 200 of their parents receivematerials on the church, programs forchildren, upcoming Vacation Bible School,and a tutoring program—together with "31Things To Do With Your Kids to MakeSummer Fun."

Thirty-two members of the CulverPalms Church of Christ in Los Angeleshelped prepare and staff a booth at Culver

•nurch ot

City's annual "Fiesta La Ballona," a familyfun festival held May 18-19 in Veteran'sPark, just a few blocks from the churchbuilding.

Fiesta was the first link in a three-linkchain—a summer strategy of outreach tochildren and their parents. It 's anopportunity to involve Culver members inoutreach to community families.

The second link is the annual one-dayBible extravaganza, formerly VBS. "TheAdventures of Moses" features drama, arts,crafts, food and fun around the theme ofbuilding the tabernacle. Besides serving asa second opportunity for outreach and

(Left) A presenceat the Culver Citycommunity festivalis only one ofseveral ways theCulver Palms Churchof Christ is involvedwith the neighborhood.Sandy Hughes (left)and Billie Silvey helpedrun the booth.

involvement, it allows the church tocement relationships and provideinstruction for the children contacted atFiesta.

The third link, the summer readingprogram, kicks off immediately after VBS.It provides weekly contact with children asthey come to the church building to hearbooks read and to borrow books from thenewly-decorated children's library. Thesummer reading program is yet anotheropportunity for outreach and cementingrelationships, as well as a chance to enrollchildren in Bible classes and their parentsin care groups.

A Pioneer Preacher In TheAmerican West

—Continued from page 11

home via Haynesville. Would have stayedtwo weeks longer; word from homeannounced sickness; hence closed."

When the Sutherlands moved to thearea around London, Oregon, in thesummer of 1891, John's preaching foraystook him into new fields. In a notice in theChristian Leader on New Year's Day, 1894,he said:

I have just returned from a tripover to Douglass County, Oregon,in company with Isham Burnett, arelative of the old pioneer preacherof Oregon, G.O. Burnett. Wecontinued preaching for thirteen

days, having two sermons each daymost of the time. Organized achurch of thirteen members in thebeginning of the meeting; receivedeight more by confession andbaptism. Six of these were youngmen who all came at the sameinvitation at the afternoon serviceon Christmas Day, and werebaptized on the following day bythe writer.

When a visiting evangelist, Felix G.Speck, preached in London in the summerof 1906, he reported: "This is the home ofbrother John Sutherland who is a man ofGod and is doing more preaching than anyloyal preacher I have met on this coast.This is one of the strongest congregationsin Oregon." He didn't mention that Johnhad also constructed the church building inLondon.

The Sutherlands moved from theLondon area to Gillespie Corners,southwest of Eugene, in 1907. Before long,John began hauling lumber for a newchurch building which was completed in1908. It was here at Central View Churchof Christ that John performed his lastweddings, conducted his last funerals, andpreached his last sermons. He died onJanuary 9, 1918, and he was laid to rest innearby McCulloch Cemetery. Nancyoutlived John by twenty years and wasburied beside him in 1938.

Soldier, crusader, public servant,rancher, craftsman, builder . . . JohnSutherland was a man of great talent andenergy. And yet, he would most want to beremembered as a pioneer preacher. For inpreaching, he shaped not timber, norenterprises, nor even public policy, buthuman hearts.

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PEPPERDINE PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

by Tara Morrow

Gary Bailey, assistant professor ofcommunication, along with his wife, Janet,wil l be presenting a paper entitled"Generation X and the SocializationProcess at Church" at the ChristianScholars' Conference in Nashvil le ,Tennessee, at David Lipscomb University,July 18-20.

Sheila Bost, executive director of theVolunteer Center, and her husband Tom,Chair of the Board of Regents, spoke forthe Family Life Conference in Malibu,California, on June 13.

Professor of Communications and equalopportunity officer Calvin Bowers willteach a five-day class for counselors at theNational Youth Conference to be held atAbilene Christian University beginningAugust 4-

Royce Clark, professor of religion, willread a paper entitled "Ethical Dilemmas inTeaching Religious Studies: Limitations ofObjectivity and Subjectivity," at theChristian Scholars' Conference at DavidLipscomb University, July 18-20. He willalso read two other papers: "When DoMinority Religions Get Justice From theSupreme Court?" and "The SupremeCourt's Changing Ethical Foundation forthe Exclusionary Rule" at the "And Justicefor All" Conference at the University ofNebraska at Omaha, September 5-7.

Rich Dawson, director of InternationalStudent Services, preached for theWestchester Church of Christ on April 21and for the Westside Church of Christ inLas Vegas on June 23.

Terry Giboney, senior advancementofficer, and Susan Giboney, coordinatorand teacher of elementary education,taught at the Family Life Conference inMalibu, California, June 13-14. Terry willbe preaching and teaching a class at theCosta Mesa Church of Christ, July 7. Theywill both be conducting the sessions at afamily retreat in Morro Bay, California,September 7-8.

Lajuana Gill, and Scott Lambert,

campus ministers, will speak at theNational Campus Ministry Conference,August 6-9, 1996, at Florida StateUniversity in Tallahassee.

Randy Gill, associate director ofchurch relations, spoke at the ChristianLeadership Conference at Pepperdine,June 9. He led singing at the Blue RidgeFamily Encampment in Ashville, NorthCarolina, June 17-21. He also spoke at theMission Viejo Youth Rally in California,June 28-30. He will be the Choir Directorat the International Acappella ChristianMusic Festival in Paris, Tennessee, July 8-12. His new Summer Musical, "PromiseLand" will be presented at the MissionViejo Church of Christ on August 8-10.

Professor of psychology and interimchair of social science Clarence Hibbspreached at the Hilltop CommunityChurch of Christ May 19.

Woody Hughes, professor at thegraduate school of education andpsychology, will present a workshop/paperentit led "Dialogic Reflection andLearning" at the Christian Scholars'Conference at David Lipscomb Universityin Nashville, Tennessee, July 17-20.

Associate director of church relationsEmily Y. Lemley was one of the speakersfor the Oceanside Ladies' Day on June 8.She wil l be the main speaker for theYucaipa Ladies' Day on September 7, andwill also speak for the Madera Women'sRetreat at Yosemite on September 13,14and 15. Lemley also speaks for theDaybreak Encampment sponsored by theAntioch Church of Christ September 27-29.

Stuart Love, professor of religion, andD'Esta Love, dean of students, will teach aclass at the Glendale Church of Christ'sworkshop on spirituality, "On BendedKnee," September 28.

Dennis Lowe, professor of psychology,and Emily Scott'Lowe, coordinator of theStudent Counseling Services, spoke forthe Turnpike Road Church of Christ inSanta Barbara, California on May 31,entitled, "The Eight Hot Potatoes in

Marriage." On June 14, they presented"Help and Hope for Families in Crisis," forthe Pepperdine Family MinistryConference. They spoke on "IncreasingCooperation in Children," and"Encouraging Self Discipline in Children"at the 37th and Atlantic Church of Christin Long Beach on June 23 and 30.

Randy Lowry, director of the Institutefor Dispute Resolution, and his wife,Rhonda, spoke on the Family LifeConference program in Malibu, Californiaon June 13.

Chair of the Religion Division RickMarrs will teach a class at the GlendaleChurch of Christ workshop on spirituality,"On Bended Knee," September 28.

Jerry Rushford, associate professor ofreligion, spoke for the Oregon ChristianConvention in Turner, Oregon, June 28-30.On September 7-8, he will speak on "TheHistory of Churches of Christ on the WestCoast" for the Church of Christ inCaldwell, Idaho. He will also speak on"The History of Churches of Christ inVentura County," on September 22 at thecounty-wide meeting at the Santa PaulaChurch of Christ. He will teach a class atthe Harding Bible Lectureship in Searcy,Arkansas on September 30.

Claudette Wilson, coordinator ofsecondary education humanities/teachereducation, will be a speaker/teacher onwomen in the Bible at the MalibuCommunity Center July 2.

Summer Religion Courses

Dr. Thomas RobinsonNew York City, New York

New Testament Seminar:The Gospel of Luke

July 8-19

Dr. Timothy WillisNewbury Park, California

Old Testament HistoryJuly 22'August 2

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NEWS

Sharing the Gospel with theSpeed of Light

—Continued from page 3

allowed to disembark in Ghana near arefugee camp where World Bible Schoolhas been working to feed and to teach. Jakeimmediately contacted Glenn Boyd ofAfrican Christian Hospitals in Searcy,Arkansas, to arrange for medicines to besent to the camp, and he worked withother agencies to get rice delivered. Hemade sure that each bag of rice, which ismeasured to feed a family of five, alsocontained some eternal food—he put aWorld Bible School lesson into every bag.Jake is very enthusiastic about this newproject because the WBS workers inGhana are well trained in evangelism andrelief. No other group is ready so quicklyfor this emergency. As Coppinger said,"This is a problem that is 'no problem' withthe Lord's help."

Early in his life, Jake showed his God-given gifts of enthusiasm and hard work.As a boy, he sold candies on his schoolplayground, Nehi soda pop at aconstruction site, and newspapers on thestreet corner. Even on his wedding day,December 14,1936, he was working for theWestside Grocery in Pecos, Texas. He tookoff his apron and walked to his boss'apartment where the wedding was to takeplace. He and Wilma Moore were marriedin a brief ceremony, and Jake walked backto the store, put on his apron and finishedhis day's work.

In 1945, after sales jobs in New Mexicoand Texas, Jake and Wilma moved theiryoung family of three children to Tulare,California. By 1956, Jake's enthusiasticinvolvement in "church work" turned topreaching. He was the part-time ministerfor the Tulare congregation while theysearched for a new minister. But, theynever found one, and Jake found his truecalling. He preached for Tulare for 11 years.Intense about evangelism, Jake starteddoor-to-door canvassing, "cottage"meetings, and filmstrip studies. He directedthe Campaign for Christ in 1965, with

Jimmy Allen as the speaker, and 50 SanJoaquin Valley congregations participated.They had a record attendance of 3,500 andmany were baptized, restored, andencouraged.

Coppinger continued working withcampaigns for several years, as he movedfrom Tulare to Modesto and then to Lodito preach. He expanded his love forevangelism to the "Joy Bus" ministry. Heconducted "Joy Bus" workshops throughoutCalifornia. When he returned to Tulare topreach for two more years, thecongregation grew because of the "Joy Bus"outreach. They needed four buses, and theyexpanded to double services, even onWednesday evenings. This outreachinvolved 164 of the Tulare members.

But, in 1978, all of these significantoutreach ministries took a back seat whenJake fell in love with World Bible School.He learned about WBS at the YosemiteEncampment when he visited with Clydeand Lucille Martin from Santa Maria. TheMartins were giving all of their time intheir retirement years to grade lessons andcorrespond with students all over the worldwho were learning about Christ. WhenJake returned home, he called JimmieLovell, who founded and directed WorldBible School, and asked for 500 names ofpeople who wanted to take the WBScorrespondence course. "Jimmie sent me500 unopened letters from Ghana, WestAfrica," Jake said. At that time, WBS wasoffering a free Bible to everyone who wouldsend in the names of 50 of their friends. "Iopened the letters, and each one had 50names. Overnight, I was up to my ears in anew ministry with 25,000 people who werewaiting for the gospel through the mail,"Jake remembered. Jake took 102 of thesenames himself, and, as he responded totheir lessons, he gathered more names oftheir friends who wanted to study. His 102grew to 1000 names. More than one-thirdof these 1000 Ghana students wereconverted. During the early days ofCoppinger's WBS connection, he waspreaching for the Lincoln-Tunnel Churchof Christ in Santa Maria, so he asked themto help him take on some of these students.

They helped hundreds of students, andthey allowed Jake to travel to many othercongregations to seek teachers and tospread the word about WBS.

The next year, 1979, at the invitation ofSamuel Obeng, president of Ghana BibleCollege, Jake decided to go visit the workin Ghana. He was surprised when several ofthe Santa Maria members were determinedto accompany him. They arrived in Ghanaduring an insurrection, so they were held atthe border, then stopped by soldiers severaltimes on the way to the capital city ofAccra. "Soldiers were racing all over thecity, shooting their guns in the air," Jakeremembered. But the WBS group was notdeterred from their mission. They taughtand preached for 30 days and baptized 317people.

Coppinger continued these campaignsyearly, including preachers and teachersfrom across the United States in the WBSwork. In 1981, Coppinger reported that thecampaign workers baptized 1,355 people.When he returned home from this "bigevent," Coppinger met with Jimmie Lovellabout WBS. Lovell asked him to assumemore leadership and give it his full time.Jake's response was typical ly swift , "Iimmediately returned to Santa Maria, gavethem my resignation and within a month Iwas settled upstairs in a class room todevote the rest of my life to this excitingwork."

After 16 years of full time work andcampaigns to many third world countries,Jake Coppinger is still vibrant andvocal about sharing the gospel throughWorld Bible School. Recently, Jakeenthusiastically initated a WBS newsletterwhich he hopes will provide bettercommunication among the hundreds ofpeople who grade and respond to the WBSstudents; characteristic of Jake's energy, it iscalled, Speed the Light. Jake dependsincreasingly on his able associate, PaulWatson, for extensive travel and speaking.But Jake Coppinger's hand is still on theplow, and he is not turning back.

Editor's note: If you would like moreinformation about how you can helpWorld Bible School, call (209) 739-7349.

PCN14

NEWSSeventeenth Annual Green Lectures Feature Jack P. Lewis

D r. Jack P. Lewis, Professor of Bible atHarding Graduate School of Religion

in Memphis, Tennessee will deliver theseventeenth annual William M. GreenLectures at Pepperdine University, October28-29.

Dr. Lewis is a graduate of AbileneChristian University (B.A.), Sam HoustonState University (M.A.), Harvard DivinitySchool (S.T.B.), Harvard Universi ty(Ph.D.), and Hebrew Union College(Ph.D.). He is now an elder of the WhiteStation Church of Christ in Memphis,Tennessee, and he is honorary dean of theJapanese School of Evangelism.

Dr. Lewis is on the editorial board ofRestoration Quarterly and Journal of HebraicStudies. He is the author of severalscholarly volumes including Commentaryon the Gospel of Matthew, Archaeology andthe Bible, The Minor Prophets, The EnglishBible from KJV to NIV, Leadership QuestionsConfronting the Church, and Exegesis ofDifficult Passages.

The Green Lectures honor the memoryof William McAllen Green (1897-1979),who was Professor of Classics at the

Jack P. Lewis, Memphis, Tennessee

University of California, Berkeley, from1927 to 1962, and Professor of AncientChristian Li terature at PepperdineUniversity from 1962 to 1974. The lecturesare open to the general public, and theevening lectures are scheduled at 7:30 inSmothers Theatre. For further information,call Tara Morrow (310) 456-4270.

Portland Expositor's Seminar

T he Westside Church of Christ inBeaverton, Oregon wil l host the

fourth annual Northwest Expositor'sSeminar August 26-28.

Featured presentations include:'"Fulfilled in Your Hearing' Preaching/Teaching Luke's Gospel," by John O. York,Nashville, Tennessee; "The Commerce ofConversion' Faithfully Handing NarrativeTexts," by Bill Love, Houston, Texas;'"While Their Hearts are Far From Me1

The Message of Eighth Century Prophets,"by Mark Love, Gresham, Oregon; and"The Kingdom of God is Like . . .'Preaching/Teaching Metaphor" by TimWoodroof, Beaverton, Oregon.

The seminar will also feature a nightlysymposium entitled "'He Set Me ApartBefore I was Born' The Calling of thePreacher." The program wil l begin onMonday at 6:00 p.m. and will concludeafter Wednesday evening worship. The costof the seminar is $50/person.

For more information contact MarkLove at 24275 SE Stark, Gresham, Oregon97030 or call (503) 666-8485. The e-mailaddress is lovemin@aol.com.

The Woodward Park Church of Christ in Fresno dedicated their new facility on July 6 and 7. The Grand Opening ceremonies featured Walt Fennel,who was Palm Avenue's minister for 18 years, Dr. Kenneth O'Brien, deacon and long-time member, and Stan Williams, current minister. Thisbeautiful new building has 28,000 square feet and is designed for use as an auditorium, with seating for 700, or for large fellowship meals and forclassroom space for 1,000. The Arlington Heights Church of Christ and the Palm Avenue Church of Christ both sold their buildings and joined handsto build this new building in north Fresno, a new and growing part of the city. They have chosen the name Woodward Park Church of Christ, and theyare committed to evangelism as their central mission. Woodward Park has hired Ron Bamburg as minister of evangelism. Bamburg joins Stan Williams,preaching minister, Greg Bell, youth minister, Athel Hefley, full-time elder, and Elsie Clay, secretary.

PCN15

Pepperdine Thanksgiving Youthfest '96for high school students, grades 9-12

November 29-December 1featuring special speakers, activities, & new musical sensation "Won by One"

II I I 1 II I I

Release to the Captives-Luke 4:18, 19Look for details to come to your congregation soon!

Pepperdine UniversityDepartment of Church Relations24255 Pacific Coast HighwayMalibu, California 90263-4270

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPepperdine University