Welcome to Issues and Answers.
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We're very glad
that you joined us today.
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I got a question for you.
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What do you think
about Christian education?
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What do you think about the
cost of Christian education?
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What do you think
about the investment required
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to put your
children in any school
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where they can
learn about the Lord?
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Sometimes you wonder what
will be the result of that
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with the money that it
caused for private education.
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Does Christian
education cost or does it pay?
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Today, we're gonna
talk about this subject
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with Dr. Delbert
Baker and our topic today,
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I don't want to tell
everything about it right now.
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So just follow along
with us but the title is
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"From Student to
President", his story.
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Welcome to the
program, Dr. Baker Delbert.
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Thank you, good to be here.
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So tell me have you
always been a Christian?
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I've been a person who
is raised in the church.
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I've not always been
a Christian admittedly.
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Tell me something about
your background from student
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to becoming a
president of Oakwood College.
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Well, and I think here,
the question you asked about
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have I always been a
Christian is key to who I am.
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And I actually had three
turning points in my experience
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that finally gave me a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.
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I am one of six children.
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My parents had a knowledge
about the Adventist church,
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they were baptized
early before I was born.
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And so we have
the advantage of being
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in a
Seventh-day Adventist church
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but I don't know of it had
to do with my upbringing career
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or maybe the
time I was living in
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but it was about
the law, it really was,
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it was about following
the law, it was the Sabbath,
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it was health
reform, it was address,
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it was no dancing and
no drinking and no smoking.
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That's a wonderful
thing, I'm not knocking that
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but Christ was
not really central
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as I can recall in my
early childhood upbringing.
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I went to school,
I went to a church.
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I had smatterings
of Christian education
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in my early years can often on
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with six kids
living in California.
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I was born in Oakland
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raised in San
Marino, Los Angeles area.
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We didn't have a
lot of money and so--
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we were
somewhat limited in terms
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of how much exposure
we get in the early years.
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But when I was 10 years of age,
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that's my first encounter,
that was my denominational turn
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where as like many
children in my group
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I was baptized into
the Adventist church,
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didn't know much about
Christ as a person savior again.
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Knew a
smattering of the doctrines,
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pretty much had
been raised that way,
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so I did know about them.
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And so that was
my first encounter,
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I was a member of the church,
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my name was on
the membership list,
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the church roll.
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Well, to me that was
good and that it preserved me
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probably from a lot of problems
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I could have
fallen into the community
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and I did had that structure.
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But from another sense
it created some confusion
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because I heard
all these sermons
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and I heard people
giving testimonies about
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what it meant to have a
life of victory in the life of--
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the life of freedom in
Christ, the more abundant life
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but I didn't know it personally.
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And even at that point I
was too young to even realize
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that I didn't know at
10, 11, 12 and so forth
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but as I grow
older I wandered a bit
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and I'm one who-- I don't
mind sharing some of my detours,
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but I'm a little
careful about how much
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we get into and saying,
you know, well, I was this,
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I did one, two,
three, four, five
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and people looking on.
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I think sometimes the
devil can rob our testimony
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and he can try to do
some strange things with that
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as well as you don't want
to put a bad word out there
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and say well, if this
person did that I mean,
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maybe I could do
it and come back in.
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So I do think
testimonies have a place
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and I do think
that we should, we can--
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there is a proper
place to share what we did,
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but I think we
just need to be careful.
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So I'm giving that as
a little caveat out there
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and while I'm
going to all the little,
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trying little details.
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I did wander for a
period of 10 years.
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I went to Jamaica,
West Indies College
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for part of my academy years.
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Actually I was doing
following this period,
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I did some
literature evangelism,
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so I was working
my way through school.
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Again didn't have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ,
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probably the L.A work did more
than anything I can think off
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to kind of soften me
up to my need of Christ,
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you know how I
needed to find him.
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I had to read the
Spirit of Prophecy books.
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I was selling these books
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and I really have
to come to grips with
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what does it mean
to depend on Jesus.
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Now how old were
you about this time?
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15, 16. Okay.
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Here in this area and
that's why I went to Jamaica,
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I went to West Indies
College for about a year
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and I was struggling again
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with the
standards of the church.
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I came back to the U.S.
went to Oakwood College Academy
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and stayed there
for a good period,
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really about a year and a half
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and I was in my senior
year that had my second turn.
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I actually was reading,
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this is where I
would call my knowledge,
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the first one was
the denominational turn
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when I realized I was
baptized into the church.
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This one was one that was more
of a knowledge call or turn.
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Book of Proverbs 1:20
says, "Wisdom crieth without,
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she uttereth her
voice in the streets.
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She crieth in the
chief place of concourse,
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in the openings of
the gates, in the city
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she uttereth her words, saying,
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How long, ye simple
ones, will ye love simplicity?
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And the scorners
delight in their scorning,
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and fools hate knowledge?
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Turn you at my reproof, behold,
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I will pour out
my spirit unto you,
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I will make known
my words unto you.
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I remember doing my senior
year at Oakwood College Academy.
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I was in my room
struggling with some issues
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and these words came to mind.
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And I took my Bible
and I turned to Proverbs
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and I read those
verses and I said, Lord,
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if you can visit him
out there somewhere for me,
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if she's crying
out in the marketplace,
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why can't I meet her,
why can't I come with grips
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what it means to know wisdom?
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And I knew that was about Jesus
and I knew that He was the one
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that was the source of wisdom.
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And I was on my knees
in my room then I said
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that I wanted Jesus to
come and live in my heart
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and I wanted Him to
be my Savior, my Lord.
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And it really did
answered many of my questions
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and I think that
He began to open me
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up to the treasures of wisdom
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that the Bible speaks about
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and having a
personal understanding
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of what it means
to be a Christian?
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What it means to
know Christ as your friend
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and your elder brother and
one who is very close to you?
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And I remember very
clearly, I took all my records,
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all my music,
that wasn't acceptable
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and I broke them off,
I broke all the albums
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I had in the
little 45s and so forth,
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Back in those days.
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Back in those days,
like I mentioned, you know.
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Lot of them don't even know
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what a album was
45 in these days.
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Yeah I know, I know but
that was the thing back then.
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And I remember
some of my wing mates.
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I told them I've
given my heart to Christ
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and they said, man,
don't give away your stuff man,
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I had something
little cool to minister
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we had in those days
that weren't Christian.
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They said give it to me.
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And I said I would
never give it away,
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I would just destroy it
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rather than pass it
on to somebody else,
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so they would have to carry
my weight what I dealt with.
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So that was my
second turning point.
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But still I don't
think I had it all altogether
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and I was missing an element,
I was missing an element
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that was so
vital to my experience.
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I had the baptism
the denominational side
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I had the idea of one in Christ
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in the knowledge
of His word in my life
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and what that meant.
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But I think the turning
point came about a year,
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about year and a half later
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when I was attending
some meetings in California
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and Morris
Venden was the speaker
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and I told Morris
this some years ago,
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I don't think he
knew it for long time
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and I know him personally
and he was speaking in
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and he was talking
about righteous by faith
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and he was talking
about how, you know,
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we can come to
Christ, we can know Him,
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we can know about Him,
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but until we give Him
the burden of our experience,
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until we give the battle to Him
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and understand
that He accepts us
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regardless of what we
do and what we don't do
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and that our
acceptance with Christ
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is not based
upon how good we are.
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I mean, I can't tell you
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what that meant
to me as a young man.
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I mean that was-- I
was about 20 years of age.
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It was so
profoundly moving to me
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when I realize that what I was--
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what I was struggling with
even after my little experience
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when I was a senior
then what I would do
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is I'd go a day or two
and if I could do right
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and not do anything wrong
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or not struggle with this
or not struggle with that.
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I felt I was okay with Christ.
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Things were
okay, I was on the path
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and I was doing okay,
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but when I messed up,
I went down in that pit.
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You know, that Bunyan talks
about in Pilgrim's Progress
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that pit of
despair and I go there,
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and then for day or
a two I struggle again,
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I wouldn't want to pray
and I won't read the Bible
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because I felt
like what you know,
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I've blown it again and this
Christ will live with me in,
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and what is it mean to
really have a relationship
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when I can't
live this perfect life
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that I want to live.
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And the text that
Morris was referring to
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and he was part of his
message was 1 John 5:11-14
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you know it well.
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"This is the record that
God had given to us eternal life
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and His life is in His son,
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He that have the
son have the life
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and He that have not the
son of God have not life.
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These things have
written unto you that
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believe in the
name of the son of God
00:10:04.26\00:10:06.28
and you may know
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that you have eternal
life that you may know it.
00:10:07.60\00:10:09.16
It doesn't say
anything about works in there.
00:10:09.19\00:10:11.42
And I kept saying,
where's the Sabbath
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and where's the
State of the Dead
00:10:12.91\00:10:14.80
and where is what we
do and what we don't do.
00:10:14.83\00:10:17.87
It didn't say it,
is if you have Christ,
00:10:17.90\00:10:19.71
you have eternal life
and that yee may believe
00:10:19.74\00:10:22.66
in the name of
the son of the God
00:10:22.69\00:10:23.72
and this is the
confidence that we have in Him.
00:10:23.75\00:10:28.68
I heard that and I had this
mixture of joy and disbelief.
00:10:28.71\00:10:33.87
So do you mean it is passport
00:10:33.90\00:10:35.20
that if I give my
life fully to Christ
00:10:35.23\00:10:38.02
and I accept Him as my
personal savior like I did
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and I allowed His
righteousness to cover me
00:10:40.71\00:10:42.51
that I have eternal life
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because of my
relationship with Christ.
00:10:44.28\00:10:46.84
And He planted this point in
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and He made it
repeatedly as only He can do
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and in His very
quiet insisted powerful way
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that's more inventive.
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When it was
finished I went up to Him
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and I said but,
you know, I said yeah,
00:10:57.93\00:11:00.26
you say that you can have Christ
00:11:00.29\00:11:02.67
and you know you
cover with His righteousness
00:11:02.70\00:11:05.13
but if you're not
living a good life.
00:11:05.16\00:11:07.56
You know how can you say,
00:11:07.59\00:11:08.63
how can you say
you got it together?
00:11:08.66\00:11:11.43
And he said to me is
that you're not earning
00:11:11.46\00:11:13.39
your salvation by
your good life anyway.
00:11:13.42\00:11:15.54
He said at best, he said at best
00:11:15.57\00:11:18.13
your
righteousness is as filthy rag.
00:11:18.16\00:11:19.88
I said, yeah, but I mean
we're talking about perfection
00:11:19.91\00:11:22.45
and getting into the point
where you can set these things.
00:11:22.48\00:11:23.89
He says, yeah.
00:11:23.92\00:11:24.95
There's a part with
it, surely there is he said
00:11:24.98\00:11:27.26
and the more you know Christ
00:11:27.29\00:11:28.50
and the more you
are in step with Him
00:11:28.53\00:11:30.40
and the longer you walk with Him
00:11:30.43\00:11:32.24
you'll become more
and more like Him he said
00:11:32.27\00:11:33.73
but that's not your salvation
00:11:33.76\00:11:35.94
and it doesn't
determine your salvation
00:11:35.97\00:11:37.81
and you can have that peace
before you get to that point
00:11:37.84\00:11:39.93
that you want to reach.
00:11:39.96\00:11:43.51
And I started to argue with him,
00:11:43.54\00:11:45.51
I argued with him,
I said, no, but I said
00:11:45.54\00:11:48.01
but what if a man goes
out and he has a problem
00:11:48.04\00:11:49.74
when he breaks the Sabbath
00:11:49.77\00:11:50.80
or he doesn't have this
straight path to going up.
00:11:50.83\00:11:54.18
And Morris said
but the Christian
00:11:54.21\00:11:55.45
walketh like
this, like up and down.
00:11:55.48\00:11:57.83
He says you're not
going straight path
00:11:57.86\00:11:59.35
going all the way up
00:11:59.38\00:12:00.46
or going straight to
the top like you want to.
00:12:00.49\00:12:02.46
He said this is
the walk with Christ
00:12:02.49\00:12:04.84
and He sticks
with you all the way.
00:12:04.87\00:12:07.86
Karen I don't think
I've ever, I don't think
00:12:07.89\00:12:09.59
I've ever shared
this experience publicly,
00:12:09.62\00:12:13.46
but I remember it hit me
as something that was true
00:12:13.49\00:12:17.84
but almost too good to be true.
00:12:17.87\00:12:20.42
And I went from
that meeting and I cried
00:12:20.45\00:12:23.44
I just swept like a baby and I--
00:12:23.47\00:12:28.08
I through my
tears, I said, Lord,
00:12:28.11\00:12:32.32
if this is the way
you wanted to do it,
00:12:32.35\00:12:34.65
it means that you're trusting me
00:12:34.68\00:12:36.63
enough to be a
part of your family
00:12:36.66\00:12:38.60
even before I show
all of my good things
00:12:38.63\00:12:43.06
and all of my good merits
00:12:43.09\00:12:44.57
and how good I
think I should be for you.
00:12:44.60\00:12:49.62
When the truth of the
Lord our righteousness hit me
00:12:49.65\00:12:52.74
that He covers me
when I come to Him
00:12:52.77\00:12:54.87
and when I accept
Him as my personal savior
00:12:54.90\00:12:57.29
and He's gonna work with me,
00:12:57.32\00:12:58.36
He's the author and
finisher of my faith.
00:12:58.39\00:13:01.07
He's going to stick
with me all the way through.
00:13:01.10\00:13:04.67
My Lord, I remember
I was so overwhelmed
00:13:04.70\00:13:07.47
and that was the turning point,
that was the turning point
00:13:07.50\00:13:11.70
the once before that
the denominational baptism
00:13:11.73\00:13:14.64
and the knowledge part was
00:13:14.67\00:13:16.83
probably
preparing the way for that,
00:13:16.86\00:13:19.55
but it was when I saw
Christ as the loving savior
00:13:19.58\00:13:22.43
who accepted me as I am as I was
00:13:22.46\00:13:26.08
and He was
willing to work with me
00:13:26.11\00:13:27.51
and stick with me all the way
00:13:27.54\00:13:28.68
through as I
wish, that's the case.
00:13:28.71\00:13:32.13
And then I've got the
chance, I've got some hope here,
00:13:32.16\00:13:34.18
you know, and it
was that infusion
00:13:34.21\00:13:37.10
that knowledge of
Christ as my personal savior
00:13:37.13\00:13:39.75
and my righteousness
00:13:39.78\00:13:41.40
that launched me on
my Christian experience.
00:13:41.43\00:13:44.47
It was the next year after that
00:13:44.50\00:13:46.45
when I was
attending Oakwood College
00:13:46.48\00:13:49.03
that I thought
to call the ministry
00:13:49.06\00:13:51.90
and I felt that
God was calling me
00:13:51.93\00:13:53.31
from my pre law area,
I wanted to be attorney,
00:13:53.34\00:13:56.68
I want to go
argue cases and God said
00:13:56.71\00:14:00.91
that He wanted
me to argue His case
00:14:00.94\00:14:03.32
and I won't go
through all the details,
00:14:03.35\00:14:04.81
but I remember on
the Oakwood campus
00:14:04.84\00:14:06.51
that was surrounded by
a lot of wonderful friends
00:14:06.54\00:14:10.13
and great spiritual
models, spiritual giants
00:14:10.16\00:14:13.43
that I came to grips
with this call to ministry,
00:14:13.46\00:14:16.75
this call to special service
00:14:16.78\00:14:19.49
and I must confess
to you even at that time
00:14:19.52\00:14:22.45
even though I received
following my senior year,
00:14:22.48\00:14:24.98
I received a call into ministry,
00:14:25.01\00:14:26.66
I went to the
Allegheny West Conference.
00:14:26.69\00:14:29.25
I never had the opinion
00:14:29.28\00:14:30.39
that I would only be
in pastoral ministry.
00:14:30.42\00:14:33.50
I never thought that was
the only thing God had for me.
00:14:33.53\00:14:36.37
I see ministry
in a broader scope
00:14:36.40\00:14:38.15
not simply the pastor
in the church or the one
00:14:38.18\00:14:41.06
who is
preaching the word of God.
00:14:41.09\00:14:42.23
I did it for 10 years.
00:14:42.26\00:14:43.71
I did ministry in the pulpit
for 10 years as the pastorate.
00:14:43.74\00:14:47.27
I also did 7 years as an editor,
00:14:47.30\00:14:50.45
the editor of Message magazine.
00:14:50.48\00:14:52.77
And now I've been
10, almost 11 years
00:14:52.80\00:14:55.31
in the education ministry,
each part was in the ministry
00:14:55.34\00:14:58.87
but not specifically ministry
necessarily in the church.
00:14:58.90\00:15:01.96
Well, coming back to
that, it was at Oakwood
00:15:01.99\00:15:03.73
that I received
my call in ministry
00:15:03.76\00:15:05.17
and some marvelous
signs that God gave me
00:15:05.20\00:15:06.97
to substantiate the
fact that He was calling me
00:15:07.00\00:15:09.77
and that He had a
special work for me to do
00:15:09.80\00:15:12.48
and that was the beginning
00:15:12.51\00:15:13.55
of my professional
walk with Jesus Christ
00:15:13.58\00:15:16.42
and it was a
wonderful experience
00:15:16.45\00:15:18.18
and it was really
at Oakwood College
00:15:18.21\00:15:21.75
and with the
wonderful guidance out there.
00:15:21.78\00:15:25.26
I had the privilege of working
00:15:25.29\00:15:27.05
with great people like
C. T. Richards, Eric Ward,
00:15:27.08\00:15:30.82
E.E. Cleveland was a dear friend
00:15:30.85\00:15:32.79
and mentor of
mine, Charles Brookes,
00:15:32.82\00:15:35.85
I worked with
him doing a summary
00:15:35.88\00:15:37.26
in his great meeting
in Chicago, Illinois.
00:15:37.29\00:15:39.74
I worked with E.E. Cleveland
in a meeting in Houston, Texas
00:15:39.77\00:15:43.18
but problem with the
ongoing point was the time
00:15:43.21\00:15:46.19
that I worked with
Calvin Moseley as his reader,
00:15:46.22\00:15:48.58
just working on
the regular basis,
00:15:48.61\00:15:49.64
these were wonderful things,
and Oakwood means a lot to me
00:15:49.67\00:15:53.39
and so lot of my warm memories
tie in with that place as well.
00:15:53.42\00:15:56.79
Well, you know, we
have a little surprise.
00:15:56.82\00:15:58.48
We have a clip
of Oakwood College
00:15:58.51\00:16:00.97
and we like to
show that right know.
00:16:01.00\00:16:02.37
I love to see it.
00:16:02.40\00:16:03.74
In the early 1800s,
00:16:08.33\00:16:11.05
these fields were
part of a slave plantation.
00:16:11.08\00:16:15.16
The famous slave, Dred Scott,
00:16:15.19\00:16:17.76
whose petition
for personal freedom
00:16:17.79\00:16:19.80
captured the
attention of the Supreme Court.
00:16:19.83\00:16:22.85
Lived and labored here.
00:16:22.88\00:16:25.46
His wife is believed buried here
00:16:25.49\00:16:27.90
in this slave's cemetery.
00:16:27.93\00:16:30.78
Selected as a score for
African-American's in 1895,
00:16:30.81\00:16:35.18
this is state consisted of land,
00:16:35.21\00:16:38.19
slave cabins and a
dilapidated manor house.
00:16:38.22\00:16:42.80
From this humble beginning,
God has used the consecrated
00:16:42.83\00:16:46.53
ministry of Oakwood
College to educate, train
00:16:46.56\00:16:49.92
and inspire young men and
women for more than 100 years.
00:16:49.95\00:16:53.57
Three decades
after emancipation,
00:17:03.19\00:17:06.03
African-Americans in the
south were still deprived
00:17:06.06\00:17:08.84
of equal
participation in the economic,
00:17:08.87\00:17:11.37
social and political
life of their communities.
00:17:11.40\00:17:16.07
For more than two decades,
00:17:16.10\00:17:18.02
God had impressed Ellen
White with the great need
00:17:18.05\00:17:20.49
and potential of
people of color in the south.
00:17:20.52\00:17:23.43
Ellen was
convinced that the church
00:17:23.46\00:17:25.66
had an obligation
to preach the gospel
00:17:25.69\00:17:28.26
and to provide educational
opportunities for them.
00:17:28.29\00:17:31.39
There are many,
many places in the south
00:17:31.42\00:17:33.79
in which no
earnest Christian effort
00:17:33.82\00:17:36.65
has been made for
the colored people.
00:17:36.68\00:17:39.51
These unentered fields, in
their unsightly barrenness,
00:17:39.54\00:17:43.26
stand before heaven against
the unfaithfulness of those
00:17:43.29\00:17:47.12
who have had great light.
00:17:47.15\00:17:51.18
In 1893, Ellen White
supported her son Edson
00:17:51.21\00:17:55.09
in building the
Morning Star steamer
00:17:55.12\00:17:57.04
that sailed 1, 500 miles
down the Mississippi River
00:17:57.07\00:18:00.49
to Vicksburg, Mississippi.
00:18:00.52\00:18:03.00
Edson and his
assistants preached the gospel
00:18:03.03\00:18:06.48
and started school
for people of color.
00:18:06.51\00:18:09.32
Their mission was dangerous.
00:18:09.35\00:18:12.18
Each day brought fresh
challenges and difficulties.
00:18:12.21\00:18:16.69
Yet the seed sown
was blessed of God
00:18:16.72\00:18:20.10
and bore abundant fruit.
00:18:20.13\00:18:22.47
In 1895, Edson
White also established
00:18:22.50\00:18:26.02
the Southern Missionary
Society to foster the work
00:18:26.05\00:18:29.11
among
African-Americans in the south.
00:18:29.14\00:18:31.55
It later became the framework
00:18:31.58\00:18:33.25
for the three
regional conferences
00:18:33.28\00:18:34.95
in the Southern Union.
00:18:34.98\00:18:36.62
"The Gospel Herald,"
00:18:36.65\00:18:38.15
first published on
board at the "Morning Star"
00:18:38.18\00:18:40.67
was a forerunner of
the Message Magazine.
00:18:40.70\00:18:46.68
Ellen White's vision of an
educational training center
00:18:46.71\00:18:49.82
for
African-American young people
00:18:49.85\00:18:51.94
was finally realized in 1895.
00:18:51.97\00:18:55.39
General conference
leaders G.A. Irwin, O.A. Olsen
00:18:55.42\00:18:59.61
and Harmon Lindsay purchased
the former Beasley Estate,
00:18:59.64\00:19:03.81
just outside of
Huntsville, Alabama.
00:19:03.84\00:19:06.95
Named for its
beautiful oak trees,
00:19:06.98\00:19:09.19
Oakwood
industrial school opened,
00:19:09.22\00:19:11.38
November 16th, 1896
00:19:11.41\00:19:13.65
with four
teachers and 16 students.
00:19:13.68\00:19:18.14
In regard to the
school at Huntsville,
00:19:18.17\00:19:20.67
I wish to say that for
the past two or three years,
00:19:20.70\00:19:23.75
I have been receiving
instruction regarding it,
00:19:23.78\00:19:27.32
what it should be and what those
00:19:27.35\00:19:29.35
who come here as
students are to become.
00:19:29.38\00:19:33.23
This new school soon
played a key role in the growth
00:19:33.26\00:19:36.14
of the
African-American constituency
00:19:36.17\00:19:38.35
in the Southern Union
and throughout the country.
00:19:38.38\00:19:41.51
One of the
strengths of Oakwood College
00:19:41.54\00:19:44.11
was a godly faculty.
00:19:44.14\00:19:47.24
Men who lived what they
were trying to teach us.
00:19:47.27\00:19:52.10
The curriculum for
the training of ministers,
00:19:52.13\00:19:56.45
we actually left here prepared.
00:19:56.48\00:19:59.67
Doctrinally in
terms of substance,
00:19:59.70\00:20:03.97
we were told how
to be persuasive,
00:20:04.00\00:20:08.23
we were taught the
importance of visitation
00:20:08.26\00:20:13.78
and dealing with people
00:20:13.81\00:20:15.70
where they were rather than
confining ourselves to pulpit
00:20:15.73\00:20:20.62
and preaching at the people
that we did not understand.
00:20:20.65\00:20:24.31
A wave of
student merger evangelist
00:20:24.34\00:20:26.19
from Oakwood College witnessed,
00:20:26.22\00:20:28.42
gave Bible studies
and flooded to south
00:20:28.45\00:20:30.77
with tracks,
magazines and books.
00:20:30.80\00:20:33.81
Many became ministers,
00:20:33.84\00:20:35.44
Bible workers and
church school teachers.
00:20:35.47\00:20:38.02
More than 90% of
Seventh-day Adventist
00:20:38.05\00:20:40.47
African-American
workers received all
00:20:40.50\00:20:42.82
or part of their
training at Oakwood College.
00:20:42.85\00:20:45.72
No one could dream
unless it was the prophet
00:20:45.75\00:20:48.79
who sit on these grounds.
00:20:48.82\00:20:50.71
And indicated that this
school should be put here
00:20:50.74\00:20:54.36
and she didn't go any further.
00:20:54.39\00:20:56.89
So there is no
evidence that anybody dreamed
00:20:56.92\00:20:59.00
that it would become
influential world wide
00:20:59.03\00:21:03.10
with a multiracial,
multinational faculty
00:21:03.13\00:21:07.42
with students from 17 or
18 countries coming here.
00:21:07.45\00:21:15.33
The city fathers are amazed at
00:21:15.36\00:21:19.52
what is
happening on this campus.
00:21:19.55\00:21:21.60
And Oakwood has real
positive influence out there.
00:21:21.63\00:21:25.96
As Oakwood graduated
from a junior college
00:21:25.99\00:21:28.14
to a senior college.
00:21:28.17\00:21:29.69
Its influence on the churches
African-American constituency
00:21:29.72\00:21:32.97
was increasingly
felt in administration,
00:21:33.00\00:21:35.62
evangelism, education,
medicine, public service
00:21:35.65\00:21:39.68
and even the arm forces.
00:21:39.71\00:21:41.71
Oakwood College as do so many
of the schools of the prophets,
00:21:41.74\00:21:47.47
makes a number of
significant contributions
00:21:47.50\00:21:50.97
to society to the world.
00:21:51.00\00:21:53.74
And now I'm
paraphrasing the book
00:21:53.77\00:21:55.34
Education by Ellen White.
00:21:55.37\00:21:57.16
Oakwood first of all
contributes by serving
00:21:57.19\00:22:00.95
as a barrier against
wide spreading corruption.
00:22:00.98\00:22:04.96
When you think
of the backgrounds
00:22:04.99\00:22:06.35
of so many of the
African-Americans students
00:22:06.38\00:22:09.28
coming out of
inner city surroundings.
00:22:09.31\00:22:12.23
Oakwood is an
oasis in the desert.
00:22:12.26\00:22:15.97
I know it was for me.
00:22:16.00\00:22:17.82
Secondly, Oakwood
promotes the mental, physical
00:22:17.85\00:22:22.20
and spiritual
welfare of young people
00:22:22.23\00:22:25.57
and by spiritual welfare,
00:22:25.60\00:22:27.40
it prepares you
not only for this earth
00:22:27.43\00:22:29.97
but for life in
the world to come.
00:22:30.00\00:22:32.48
Third, Oakwood provides
prosperity to the nation
00:22:32.51\00:22:36.66
and to the world by
furnishing it with people
00:22:36.69\00:22:40.36
who are qualified to
act with the fear of God
00:22:40.39\00:22:44.04
as leaders and counselors.
00:22:44.07\00:22:46.42
And my responsibility
as Navy Chief of Chaplains,
00:22:46.45\00:22:49.27
I advice to
secretary of the navy,
00:22:49.30\00:22:51.94
the chief of naval operations,
00:22:51.97\00:22:54.07
the Commandants
of the Marine Corps
00:22:54.10\00:22:56.19
and the Coast Guard.
00:22:56.22\00:22:57.82
Oakwood prepared me to
do that with competence.
00:22:57.85\00:23:03.39
Oakwood College has entered
00:23:03.42\00:23:04.79
its second century of existence.
00:23:04.82\00:23:07.38
Today's beautiful
and spacious campus
00:23:07.41\00:23:09.67
features carefully
maintained historical structures
00:23:09.70\00:23:12.53
and modern buildings
including the recently
00:23:12.56\00:23:15.27
constructed business
and technology complex.
00:23:15.30\00:23:18.32
The Ellen G. White
Estate Oakwood branch office
00:23:18.35\00:23:21.31
provides a research facility
for the Adventist constituency
00:23:21.34\00:23:25.02
of the Southern Union.
00:23:25.05\00:23:26.93
The leadership education
00:23:26.96\00:23:28.23
for the adult
professional degree program
00:23:28.26\00:23:30.56
serves as an
innovative opportunity
00:23:30.59\00:23:32.67
for working
adults over the age of 25
00:23:32.70\00:23:35.30
to receive a college degree.
00:23:35.33\00:23:37.50
Oakwood College today
is technologically driven
00:23:37.53\00:23:40.35
and is included in the U.S. news
00:23:40.38\00:23:42.17
and world reports list
of America's best colleges.
00:23:42.20\00:23:45.60
Computer labs and
equipment provide training
00:23:45.63\00:23:48.10
and the infrastructure necessary
00:23:48.13\00:23:50.16
to ensure state
of the art technology
00:23:50.19\00:23:52.18
in the classroom and
throughout the campus.
00:23:52.21\00:23:55.56
Students are engaged
in areas of research,
00:23:55.59\00:23:58.13
internships, work opportunities
and exchange programs
00:23:58.16\00:24:01.37
partnering with
corporations and agencies
00:24:01.40\00:24:04.14
such as NASA's
Marshall Space Flight Center.
00:24:04.17\00:24:08.75
New generations of
Oakwood College online
00:24:08.78\00:24:11.69
continue to
serve their communities
00:24:11.72\00:24:13.70
and churches to
the glory of God.
00:24:13.73\00:24:16.17
Our students,
whatever field they go into,
00:24:16.20\00:24:22.04
they seem to do well.
00:24:22.07\00:24:23.51
When they go to
advance levels of education
00:24:23.54\00:24:27.20
and when it comes
to the job market,
00:24:27.23\00:24:30.97
our graduates are
very, very popular
00:24:31.00\00:24:33.10
because you know around
here we teach Ten Commandments
00:24:33.13\00:24:36.05
and a businessman
certainly want somebody
00:24:36.08\00:24:38.43
who is handling
his case to be honest
00:24:38.46\00:24:40.40
or at least been
trained to do it honestly.
00:24:40.43\00:24:42.84
But it is a fact of record
00:24:42.87\00:24:45.72
that Oakwood
College students fare well
00:24:45.75\00:24:48.84
in the secular
society and are less likely
00:24:48.87\00:24:53.67
to encounter
certain difficulties
00:24:53.70\00:24:56.58
that some of the people
with some of the habits have
00:24:56.61\00:25:00.65
because we
teach them temperance,
00:25:00.68\00:25:02.41
we teach them not to smoke,
we teach them not to drink,
00:25:02.44\00:25:06.07
we teach them
individual responsibility
00:25:06.10\00:25:08.80
and all that is at a
premium now in today's world.
00:25:08.83\00:25:13.20
There has been laid a foundation
00:25:13.23\00:25:15.89
that will be as
enduring as eternity
00:25:15.92\00:25:19.69
and yet all the
work that has been done
00:25:19.72\00:25:23.56
is only a beginning.
00:25:23.59\00:25:27.23
To its ongoing pursuit of
the vision of its founders,
00:25:27.26\00:25:30.96
Oakwood College remains
a brilliant gem of service
00:25:30.99\00:25:34.09
in the institutional mosaic
00:25:34.12\00:25:35.70
of the
Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:25:35.73\00:25:38.99
The Morning Star
steamer has long vanished.
00:25:39.02\00:25:42.16
However, the bell that announced
00:25:42.19\00:25:43.47
its arrival on
the Mississippi river
00:25:43.50\00:25:44.94
many years ago is
preserved to this day
00:25:44.97\00:25:47.35
on the campus
of Oakwood College.
00:25:47.38\00:25:49.68
This bell symbolizes
00:25:49.71\00:25:50.97
the mission of
this great institution
00:25:51.00\00:25:53.19
education, excellence, eternity.
00:25:53.22\00:25:58.05
Oakwood College is a testament
00:25:58.08\00:25:59.11
to the dedication of
black and white pioneers
00:25:59.14\00:26:01.30
throughout the world
00:26:01.33\00:26:02.48
and of the
explosive transforming power
00:26:02.51\00:26:04.93
of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:26:04.96\00:26:07.20
So now we've seen
00:26:09.28\00:26:10.60
the institution, Oakwood College
00:26:10.63\00:26:12.98
and we've learned
how you were student.
00:26:13.01\00:26:15.23
Now tell us about it,
how it is to be president?
00:26:15.26\00:26:18.23
That's a great honor
and a privilege, Karen
00:26:18.26\00:26:20.87
when I was a
student back in the 70s.
00:26:20.90\00:26:22.43
Now I'm president
starting with 1996 to today
00:26:22.46\00:26:27.55
it's a real honor
that God has given me
00:26:27.58\00:26:29.61
the opportunity
to go back to Oakwood
00:26:29.64\00:26:32.23
and to allow students
to receive the privilege
00:26:32.26\00:26:34.55
of Christian
education like I did.
00:26:34.58\00:26:37.04
It's a great
gift God has given to
00:26:37.07\00:26:40.33
this church,
the Adventist church
00:26:40.36\00:26:41.56
and to the nation at
large and to the world.
00:26:41.59\00:26:44.33
The chance for
young people to come
00:26:44.36\00:26:46.50
and to meet Christ
as a personal savior.
00:26:46.53\00:26:48.98
So you don't have just academics
00:26:49.01\00:26:50.73
but you have a chance to
meet the maker of the universe
00:26:50.76\00:26:54.49
and to really
infuse in your curriculum
00:26:54.52\00:26:57.28
that service
component working for others
00:26:57.31\00:26:59.51
making a
difference in the world.
00:26:59.54\00:27:01.57
And not simply preparing
for the temporal rewards
00:27:01.60\00:27:05.45
that we get in this life
00:27:05.48\00:27:06.66
that a good
education will bring you,
00:27:06.69\00:27:08.36
but also for eternity
00:27:08.39\00:27:09.61
and that's really
what it's all about.
00:27:09.64\00:27:10.98
I mean, I found
my wife at Oakwood.
00:27:11.01\00:27:12.94
I found my calling to ministry,
00:27:12.97\00:27:15.39
my profession as well as
Christ as my personal savior
00:27:15.42\00:27:20.96
and students can receive that.
00:27:20.99\00:27:22.77
Any student who
feels blessed of God
00:27:22.80\00:27:25.87
enough to take advantage
of the opportunity to go
00:27:25.90\00:27:29.01
to one of our
Christian schools as they do it,
00:27:29.04\00:27:31.53
they will never go
wrong what they do,
00:27:31.56\00:27:33.13
that is the most wonderful thing
00:27:33.16\00:27:35.02
that they could ever do.
00:27:35.05\00:27:36.08
So I'm a believer
in Christian education
00:27:36.11\00:27:38.20
because I know
what it did for me
00:27:38.23\00:27:39.61
and I know what
it can do for others.
00:27:39.64\00:27:41.34
I was a student,
now I'm president.
00:27:41.37\00:27:44.68
They can be a
student and God can do
00:27:44.71\00:27:46.30
marvelous things with their life
00:27:46.33\00:27:47.39
whatever that maybe.
00:27:47.42\00:27:49.94
Delbert, thank you so
much for coming on the program
00:27:49.97\00:27:52.06
and sharing your testimony
from student to president
00:27:52.09\00:27:55.17
and I want to
say to our viewers,
00:27:55.20\00:27:56.87
God can do
anything in your life,
00:27:56.90\00:27:59.69
just allow Him to.
00:27:59.72\00:28:00.83