ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND A SUCCESS

Approximately 500 alumni gathered on September 23 and 24 to renew friendships and connect with their alma mater during Alumni Reunion Weekend. Many had not retuned to the CCU campus for a number of years. There were numerous comments about how beautiful the campus looked, how impressive the new Worship and Ministry building is and how wonderful the new drive is from Glenway Avenue to the center of campus.

The new chapel was a perfect venue for the Friday evening worship service and concert. A newly formed contemporary band called Xtremity provided prelude music. The fabulous CCU Concert Choir under the direction of Brenda Lang performed a medley of Rich Mullins songs arranged by Ken Read just for the event. There was a special video message from David Mullins about the Rich Mullins Scholarship and a new dynamic video about the Music and Worship Department and the Mission of CCU. Dr. Faust recognized the alumni classes and shared his vision for CCU. This was the first time or the first time in a long time for many to catch a glimpse of the excitement and vision of our University. Kelly St. James from WAKW, a Christian radio station in Cincinnati, introduced the featured artist, Mitch McVicker and his band. The evening concluded with the singing of the recently revised Alma Mater (same tune) and a prayer by Howard Dobbs, President of the class of 1955.

RICH MULLINS SCHOLARSHIP ESTABLISHED
The Rich Mullins Music and Worship Scholarship began with a special offering of $5250 given on Alumni Reunion Weekend. This amount is being doubled through the generosity of the Mullins family from the foundation established after Rich’s death. For an endowed scholarship to be effective, $25,000 is needed. Perhaps you would like to help us reach our goal by contributing to the Mullins Scholarship fund in order to perpetuate his legacy. Please send your gift to CCU, 2700 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45204 marked Mullins Scholarship.

STORY TIME ON ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND
One of the activities for Saturday on Alumni Reunion Weekend was “Story Time”. For over an hour, alumni briefly shared one story after another about their experiences on the hill. All who participated in telling a story received a special edition shirt commemorating the weekend.

Ron Henderson (’59), Betty Morgan (’55), Bop Tinsky (’50), Earl Sims (’50), Mary Jane (Pollard) Curie (’58), Delmar Rogers (’50), Norma Thurman (’51) and Bill Gaslin (’50), all told stories having to do with R.C. Foster and some embarrassing incident which occurred in his class. Peggy Heilman (’55) told about how the ‘Railroad Club” came to be and Rick Beyer (’90) shared the story of when a uniformed police officer came to Dr. Hooks class with a warrant to arrest Mark Angel for indecent exposure –

from the neck up. Stan Kirtland (’85) talked about sitting next to Rich Mullins in Acts class and trying to sleep in the old white administration building but being afraid to go to sleep because of the rats. Gerri Henderson (’61) told about the time Rich Mullins came to her house with a number of other students and began playing their piano with everyone joining in singing with him. Wayne Spangler (’50) recalled a number stories about his escapades with Bill Gaslin in the old green dorm and Gene Kearns (’55) remembered being carried in a casket to Pomp and Circumstance as the Master of Ceremonies for “Class Night”.

Ray L. Jones (’50) recalled revivals held by the three Ray Jones’s - Ray “Cotton” Jones, Ray S. Jones (’47) and himself. They were described in a Chicago paper as a ministerial “Triple Threat”. Ray was voted most inspirational because of the way he described the three times in recent years he has “re-focused” his ministry. He has transitioned from Senior Minister to Associate, from ministering to many to ministering to just his wife from 2002 until her death last February and now is re-focusing as a single adult continuing to minister. His testimony about how grateful he is of having God’s Word instilled in him through CCU and how amazingly well he is doing because he has always trusted in God’s promises was an inspiration to all present.

Look for more of these stories in the next CCU 514 Alumni Section. Story time ended with everyone singing “I love to tell the story”.

Mark Koerner
Director of Alumni Ministries
mark.koerner@CCUniversity.edu