Updates, Events, and Publications
Dr. John Oswalt to Serve as Interim President of Wesley Biblical Seminary
Asbury Seminary congratulates Dr. John Oswalt, Visiting Distinguished Professor of Old Testament, on his role as interim president of Wesley Biblical Seminary, where he served as Professor of Old Testament from 1999-2009. Dr. Oswalt will serve for a term of 13 months or until a new president is found.
“Our hearts grieve for the sudden loss of my good friend and colleague President John Neihof at Wesley Biblical Seminary, and we extend our prayers and deepest sympathy to the seminary and the Neihof family,” Dr. Timothy Tennent, President of Asbury Seminary, said. “John Oswalt is a true statesman and leader in the church and is the perfect choice for this interim role as Wesley Biblical conducts a careful search for their next leader. We will miss his temporary absence from Asbury, but our earnest prayers will be with him as he assumes this vital and strategic role.”
Dr. Oswalt has served as the Visiting Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Asbury Seminary since 2009. He served as Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages from 1970-1982 and as Professor of Old Testament from 1989-1999. He has also served as president of Asbury College from 1983 to 1986 and a member of the faculty of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Ill., from 1986 to 1989.
Asbury Seminary Extends Condolences to the Gustin and Brooks Families
Asbury Seminary extends condolences to the families of Paige Gustin and Christopher Kirksey-Brooks, who passed away recently. Paige was an online student. Christopher was the son of current D.Min. student, Chris Brooks. As a community, please be in prayer for these families.
Completing the Circle
On March 15, Rev. Debra Dague and Sarah Allen officiated the wedding of Sarah’s mother and stepfather. The two became acquainted when Sarah was a student at West Liberty University in 2007, and Debra’s mentorship helped Sarah discover her call through the United Methodist Church.
“Over the course of five years of campus ministry internship, Debra helped to shape my understand of faith through a Wesleyan perspective and walked me through what it meant to be a United Methodist,” Sarah said. “I became a United Methodist through campus ministry. She helped me to discern my call and begin the candidacy process in the Northern District. Deb has been with me and my family though some of the hardest times, the dark nights of the soul moments.”
The relationship continued through Sarah’s years at Asbury Theological Seminary and into the candidacy process, where Sarah has been recommended for provisional membership as an elder at the 2019 Annual Conference.
“My very first student when I came into campus ministry was this lady, Sarah Allen,” Debra wrote on the WLU Fusion Campus Ministry Facebook page. “This, my friends, is a testimony to campus ministry at its best!”
We celebrate the many ways West Virginia United Methodists discover, develop, and deploy passionate spiritual leaders who make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!
Bush Pilot in God’s Hands
Don’s stories take us on breathtaking, dangerous and exciting flights into the mountains and jungles of Guatemala and a stint in Ecuador. As a missionary bush pilot, his duties included rescuing injured villagers, flying missionaries to safety from guerillas, transporting church officials to meetings and an American Ambassador to a top-secret rendezvous. God’s Hand is evident as He leads Don and other pilots through tragedies, miraculous rescues, bullets piercing the plane, as well as some often-humorous human interventions. Amidst it all, Don presents God’s story through chalk-talks on his TV show and at churches and tent meetings where he preaches. These are stories of lives that were touched for eternity! It’s an inspirational legacy for youth still dreaming of future careers, young adults looking for a more challenging career, pilots in training and missionaries in the making. And it’s just a great, exciting read for anyone.
Bush pilot DON DONALDSON flew for 49 years in Guatemala through accidents, attacks by insurgents, daring rescues, through treacherous mountains, narrow canyons and dense clouds.
Don attended Asbury College and Asbury Seminary. He founded AGAPE Guatemala aviation mission 45 years ago, flying with them, MAF in Ecuador, and the government after the devastating 1976 Guatemala earthquake. He drew the Gospel on his chalk-talk TV program. You will hurt with him as he honestly shares lessons learned from mistakes and rejoice with him over a lifetime of God’s miraculous interventions.
Chiqui, the love of his life, supported him through it all.
**Don Donaldson has a heart that has burned with love and compassion for Christ and His people for a long time. Only eternity will reveal the lives that have been touched and changed through the ministry of Don and Chiqui Donaldson. Rev LeRoy V. Jones,
President of LeRoy Jones Evangelistic Ministry, Inc.
**As a little boy I saw Bro. Don’s TV chalk-talk about Christmas. Sixty years later I still remember the picture he drew. What a powerful ministry I’ve witnessed over the years. I remember more pictures, personal stories, and teachings that have blessed my life.
Rev Jose Ordonez, Sinai Church in Monterrey, Mexico, radio host of “Eleva tu Visión” aired twice weekly in northern Mexico.
**As a filmmaker, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing Donaldson on two occasions and am very fascinated by this man’s life and the Guatemalan history he lived through and had a hand in shaping. His engaging personality draws you in and the way he crafts the stories of his life keeps you wanting to know more.
Tony Cece, Features Producer, Trinity Broadcasting Networks
His book is available paperback or Kindle here.
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