...About Daddy

May was a very emotional month for me.  I spend many long hours going through Mother’s and Daddy’s stuff in their house (they literally saved everything!), deciding what to keep, what to recycle, what to try to sell, what to give away, and what to simply throw away. As I “threw” some of their things in the recycle bin, I felt like I was throwing their lives away.  Of course that’s not true; but never-the-less, that’s how I felt.  I had several meltdowns and even now as I write this, my eyes are filled with tears.  I never imagined going through their things would be so hard. But among all the “stuff” I found some “treasures” including some of Daddy’s sermon notes and outlines.  I shall hang onto those “treasures” as long as I live.  One of them is the 1951 Aletha, the year book for the Colorado Springs Bible College.  I knew Daddy had been an instructor there and looked for his picture among the faculty.  I did not find it and was a bit disappointed.  However, I continued to search and found it on the page following the President’s Message.  I discovered that Daddy had been the Dean of Theology at the college.  We children never knew.  Along with his picture was his message.  And so this week following Father’s Day, I share his picture and message (below) from the 1951 Aletha.  The message still holds true today some 67 years later.  I miss you, Daddy!

DEAN OF THEOLOGY'S MESSAGE

          One of the outstanding needs of this present age is Christian leader-

ship in our national, civil, social, and domestic life. If Christianity is
to triumph and prevail and if democracy is to succeed and remain secure,
then we are confronted with the challenge of producing the leadership that 

will promote Christianity and democracy.

            Secular education has a definite place in our national life and it has
also made a contribution of leadership in many fields such as science,
medicine, industry, and commerce. It also has pioneered in many fields
of research and advancement for which we are indebted. But secular
education has failed to produce the moral and spiritual leadership that
our nation needs. It does seek to check the tides of moral evils and
corruption but in all too many cases has condoned and fostered them.

            Christian education from a definite point of view and presupposition
seeks to produce noble character, moral courage and Christian leader-
ship. It endeavors to equip youth with the essentials needed to labor
effectively for the social, national, and spiritual welfare of their fellow-
men. True Christian education promotes revivals, evangelism, and
prepares our youth to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth proclaim-
ing free salvation from all sin and full salvation for all men.

                                                                       MARION L. WALKER, A.B., B.D.

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