THE EVIDENCE IS IN CHANGED LIVES!

Greetings from the Hill!

Over the past six years one of the most popular TV shows had been CSI-Crime Scene Investigation. This past spring, the season finale “10-7” was watched by approximately 20.5 million viewers, convincingly taking number one in its timeslot, over NBC’s Medium, which only had 11.9 million viewers. The show is produced by renown Hollywood producer, Jerry Bruckheimer who originally pitched the show to ABC, but after being turned down took it to CBS. Series creator Anthony E Zuiker says that one core reason CSI has seen so much success is “the story rarely, if ever, lacks a compelling and meaningful plot.”

If CSI ever ventured to do a show on the success of the mission of CCU, they would only need to look at lives such as Ralph Dornette and see his stories in ministry certainly “…rarely if ever, lack a compelling and meaningful plot.”

This past week during the North American Christian Convention in Corona, California, Dave Faust, Mark Koerner, and I had lunch with Ralph, who graduated from CCU in 1948. Ralph held several successful ministries in Kentucky and Oklahoma. In 1969 he was called to become the full time executive Director of Church Development Fund. Under his leadership, CDF grew from a fledgling fund of $750,000 to nearly $70 million in total assets. He led in the funding of over 300 loans for more than $60 million dollars. More importantly, however, the impact Ralph had on the churches of California in evangelism, leadership development, stewardship training and unity will be felt for decades. Ralph is also responsible for establishing the Ralph Dornette perpetual gifts fund, which continues to fund new church plants throughout the US.

Dave, Mark and I paid close attention as Ralph told us story after story about helping churches finance new buildings which were a catalyst to their growth, preaching across the Midwest and some of his fondest memories from Seminary. I looked at my watch and couldn’t believe how fast the time had gone. Alumni Director Mark Koerner commented “I was into his stories so much, I had absolutely no idea we had been there for three hours.”

Ralph Dornette’s ministry is not necessarily a story as much as it is an epic. Ralph and the lives changed by his ministry are evidence that our mission at CCU has always been to build Christian leaders one person at a time to serve the church and shape the world.

Ralph with current CEO of Provision Ministry Group, Larry Winger on the company’s 50th anniversary

 

 

Ryan McCarty
Development Representative
ryan.mccarty@CCUniversity.edu