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March 15, 2010 - Dr. Lockwood, President of Multnomah University frequently writes letters to alumni, donors and friends of the school. Here’s his latest.
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The “new year” is not simply upon us; it’s in the middle of its third month!  As we in Portland are grateful for a fairly mild winter, we at Multnomah are encouraged by the things God is doing during the first two and one-half months of our spring semester.  Let me give a few updates.

Enrollment

Our total enrollment for the spring semester stood at 844 students (headcount) when registration was complete.  We have 629 students in the college and 215 in the seminary, just two off from last spring.  Our two Portland campus programs are about on pace from last spring, but our university master’s programs show a significant increase (61).  At our off-site locations, we have 17 collegians and five seminarians taking classes in Reno, and five seminarians registered in Anchorage.  We praise the Lord for these students; Multnomah continues to impact students with God’s Word.  These numbers also represent a stability in tuition revenues—an encouraging sign in a continuing tight economy.

New Seminary Faculty

At the seminary, under Dr. Redman’s leadership, we have developed a new paradigm to fill faculty vacancies.  Three faculty members have been appointed as “regular part-time” faculty in pastoral ministry.  This means they will continue to lead their local churches while teaching a half-time load at the seminary.  What is unique is this: they will be active participants in faculty discussions with full “voice and vote.”  In this way, they will provide valuable expertise for fashioning a pastoral ministry curriculum for the next generation.  Our regular full time faculty members can anticipate a multi-dimensional team of colleagues with a hearty esprit d’corps.  Our three appointees for the next academic year are:

• Dr. Gene Curtis, D.Min, pastor of Meadow Springs Community Church, Multnomah Biblical Seminary graduate.  He will teach homiletics.
• Dr. Rick McKinley, D.Min, founding pastor of Portland’s Imago Dei, a Multnomah Bible College graduate.  He will teach in the area of biblical leadership.
• Prof. Tom Schiave, D.Min (cand.), pastor of Gateway Baptist Church.  He will teach in the areas of spiritual formation and communication.

Global Ministries Conference

Multnomah held its annual Global Ministries Conference the last week of this month.  With its “Harvesting the Desert” theme, this year’s emphasis was God’s work in the Middle East.  Twenty-five mission agencies and 68 missionaries were on Multnomah’s campus.  [Name Witheld], who works with Arab believers through [Ministry Organization Name Witheld], and Sarah Perlman, who works with Jews for Jesus, served as plenary speakers.  They provided complementary—and controversial—perspectives on Middle Eastern ministry.  Multnomah continues to send a significant number of students into global ministry opportunities each year, and this conference again was a catalyst for God’s Spirit to nudge open hearts.

[Names witheld above for security reasons]

Regional accreditation (NWCCU)

Accreditation is always on our horizon, but now more than ever.  Last summer, we were informed that NWCCU was revising its accrediting standards, and that Multnomah University would be up for a full self-study visit in April 2011.  That’s just a little over a year from now!  Dr. Wayne Strickland, who will lead this effort, is already hard at work in responding to these new standards.  We are being asked to evaluate our institution according to basic themes, such as knowing God’s Word, thinking critically, growing in Christ-likeness, and engaging our culture.  Please pray for us as we embark on this important self-assessment.

Online technology

Technology supports Multnomah’s mission more than ever before, and we are grateful for our professional IT staff.  Several new things are happening.  First, our Promotions & Communications department is in the process of thoroughly redesigning our website.  This is extremely important since more and more students learn about—and apply to—Multnomah through this online portal.  In fact, January saw an unprecedented spike in online applications for this coming fall.  Working for over a year, we anticipate the official launch this spring. 

Second, our Career Development Department, which now serves the entire university under Jim Saemenes’ direction, uses the Ministry Web Directory.  This amazing tool connects students with ministries and marketplace opportunities.  Already, prospective students are drawn to Multnomah because of such vocational opportunities when they graduate.

Financial support

The Lord has favored our advancement department, under Paul’s Griffin’s oversight, with wonderful success.  Of course, the development staff has worked extremely hard during this economic recession, too.  For example, the team is on track to hit its financial targets for the last eight months, largely, I believe, by cultivating personal relationships with people like you.  They also did a terrific job in planning, organizing, and pulling off our largest Student Aid Banquet event on the Saturday of March 6^th.  Over 450 attended to hear wonderful testimonies from students and alumni of what God is doing in them because of Multnomah.  Many, many people gave.  They remembered what Jesus said, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9).

Thank You

Thanks you so much for your faithful prayer support of Multnomah’s vital ministry.  I cannot tell you what this means to our faculty, staff, and students. Your prayers have a way of saying to faculty and staff, “You’re not alone in this ministry.  The Lord is confirming the work you do.”  Your support speaks clearly to students that the Lord will provide in many ways—including through gifts from supporters they may never meet.  These serious-minded men and women are empowered to study deeply the Word of God at Multnomah and to pursue wholeheartedly their dreams of being equipped for the vocation God has chosen for them. 

Longing for the eternal dwellings, 

Daniel R. Lockwood
President

February 28, 2008. This is a one of the near-monthly letters Dr. Lockwood sends to donors and alumni. See more archives here.
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Throughout my twenty-eight years at Multnomah, one thing always inspires wonder: that the Word of God—living, active, sharper than a double-edged sword—shapes and sharpens lives in miraculous ways.

Just Ask Bruce

In fact, that is why students enroll here. Just ask Bruce, one of my students in Grad Theology. Retired, an empty nester, and a committed churchman, Bruce, along with his wife Cathy, travelled to Multnomah from Paradise, California. “For years, I’ve known Multnomah’s reputation for teaching the Bible,” Bruce says to me, “and that is why I’m here.”

Bruce is a man of deep, genuine faith who served in his local church in many ways. But, approaching sixty years of age, Bruce discovered something was missing. “In a nutshell,” he admits, “I realized I was biblically illiterate! Sure, I knew enough of the basic doctrines of the Bible to function, but I hungered to know the deeper things of the Word, to wrestle with the great issues of the faith, and to forge my own positions as a result of personal study.”

Into Leadership With No Training

Perhaps what alarmed Bruce most was that he—and scores of others like him—are thrust into positions of leadership without really understanding the fundamental things of God. So, he seized the opportunity to study at Multnomah to fill this spiritual void. “For years, I’ve been told what to believe,” he remembers. “Now, for the first time, I am beginning to discover what I really believe and why.”

By his own admission, Bruce, in the first year of a two-year MAPS program, will never be the same. And it is Multnomah’s unique blend of biblical knowledge applied to the spiritual issues of life that drives this. “Multnomah’s professors push me to ask the tough spiritual questions,” Bruce explains, “like ‘What is the condition of your soul?’ For decades, I have longed for this direction!”

There is nothing more exciting—and rewarding—that this: to see how the Word of God transforms minds and hearts of men and women who will, in turn, change the world.

Rejoicing in life-change,

Daniel R. Lockwood
President

Christmas is a time for giving. It is also a season for reflecting on the gracious generosity God displayed in sending the gift of Jesus to a darkened world.

Generosity

One Christmas became memorable for me precisely because of a stranger’s simple, generous invitation.

In December of 1977, my wife Jani and I were living in Dallas, Texas, where I was in the middle of doctoral studies. Since Jani’s brother Albert was studying at the University of Guadalajara, we decided as a family to rendezvous in Mexico to celebrate Christmas south of the border. So, as soon as my last blue book exam was submitted, Mom and Dad Iguchi joined us in Dallas. Together we flew to Mexico City for a few days of sightseeing before winging to Guadalajara to spend Christmas with Albert.

The sights of Mexico City were intriguing. We climbed the Aztec Teotihuacan Pyramids and watched a bullfight. Ole! Then we headed to Guadalajara, one of Portland’s sister cities. Because Albert was involved deeply with a Mennonite church in the city, we were invited by “Heddy,” a Canadian missionary, to stay at her apartment over Christmas. She was planning on being out of town and graciously made her home available to us.

An Unusual Invitation

We had an incredible time celebrating Christmas together, but what I remember most is the serenity and graciousness of many people, from our host herself to a man joyfully shining shoes on Christmas day in the city’s piazza. But most memorable was an unusual invitation. We drove Heddy around the city as she completed errands before her departure. Stopping at her bank, she introduced us to the bank manager. This man, who had never laid eyes on us before, greeted us and immediately invited us to his home. “No one should be alone at Christmas,” he said simply.

Though we declined because we had other plans, the sincerity of his generous offer struck me in a way I’ll never forget. I could not help but think of the gift of God who graciously sent His Son to earth on that first Christmas centuries ago, making it possible that our joy might be full. I was reminded that Christ came to all people, regardless of class, socio-economic status, education, vocation, nationality, ethnicity, or gender. I was convicted that I needed to show greater generosity to others, not just at Christmas but all year round, as an expression of my gratitude for God’s gracious gift.

God’s Grace and Multnomah Students

God continues to be gracious to our students at Multnomah, too. One of my Grad students, Annet Kyomugisha, tells a remarkable story of how the generosity of God’s people made it possible for her to study at Multnomah. She, her husband Fred, and their daughter Deborah travelled to Portland from Rwanda in the fall of 2008. Fred, one of my theology students last year, is now in his second year at Multnomah pursuing his MAPS.

Annet desperately wanted to enroll in seminary, too. She realized how important her education would be for their work in Rwanda. From a human standpoint, the financial need seemed impossibly great. Yet she had enough faith to apply to the seminary, though without hope that funds would be available. When her application was accepted last summer, she put it on the shelf and continued to pray. Then, one day just before school began, something amazing happened.

“That morning, I received a $1,000 check in the mail from a friend in Portland,” she said. That same afternoon, a friend from Washington, D.C., and then a friend from Texas called, inquiring about their financial needs. Fred explained their desire for Annet to enroll in seminary. One person pledged $5,000 for her education, and the other promised $4,000.

“I did not send out letters requesting financial aid,” Annet explained, “so it is still not clear to me why these generous people decided to respond the way they did.”

But respond they did. Eventually, $16,000 was given from these three people, and she was able to begin classes this fall.

Two things struck me about Annet’s story. One was her remarkable faith. She applied to Multnomah when she had no earthly reason to believe it was possible. Yet she believes in a God of the impossible. Had she not applied, her matriculation might have been delayed a full semester. Annet’s experience seems to say, “Step out in faith and trust God to provide the way.”

Joy of Generosity

The other important lesson is that God’s provision and timing is always perfect. He provided what she needed just at the right time. More than that, he involved other believers in the process, allowing them the joy of generosity. Because of their gifts, a beautiful couple poised to make a strategic impact on the spiritual and theological landscape of Rwanda, may return to their native country equipped for the task God has for them.

Transformed by the generous Gift of God,

Daniel R. Lockwood
President

Dear Multnomah Family,

As many of you know by now, Dr. Willard Aldrich, Multnomah’s second president, passed into the presence of the Lord last Friday, November 27, at 3:00 am. The Lord was gracious in allowing him to pass away peacefully, under hospice care and surrounded by his family. He would have been 101 years old on January 4, 2010.

Friend and Founder

Dr. Willard was a close friend of Dr. John Mitchell, Multnomah’s founder, nearly all his life. He was a member of the first meeting on Valentine’s Day, 1936, that met to discuss—and decide—to launch a School of the Bible to meet the spiritual needs in the Northwest for training men and women in the Word of God. He was the school’s first registrar, and served on the board of trustees from 1936 through his retirement from the board in 2004. That’s a tenure of 68 years! It is a tribute to him that he was always an encouragement to me as I tried to fill the office he held for 35 years.

2nd President, Lasting Legacy

But by far his greatest and lasting legacy was his leadership of Multnomah as its second president. It was during his presidency that Multnomah moved to its current campus on Glisan Street, formerly the Oregon Trade School for the Blind (PDF, pg 5) , on acreage surrounded by nursery farms. The old cafeteria was renovated under his watch, and Memorial Dorm, Bradley Hall, the Dirks Prayer Chapel, and the Lytle Gymnasium were added to the campus during his presidency. Perhaps the project closest to his heart, though, was the A-Frame, patterned after a smaller version he built on his own property above Camas, Washington.

He also worked to secure Multnomah’s accreditation with ABHE, to pioneer the Grad Certificate program, to develop many of the majors , and to launch two masters’ programs (the Master of Arts in Biblical Studies and the Master of Sacred Ministry) which would later become part of the seminary. And, he coined Multnomah’s current motto, “If it’s Bible you want, then you want Multnomah.”

He taught systematic theology as a member of the faculty well into the 1980s, authored several books, published The Doorstep Evangel, which students would pass out on outreach day, and had a special place in his heart for the nation of Israel and Jewish evangelism. He and Doris were parents of nine children, many of whom were, or currently are, in vocational ministry. However, I cannot verify the rumor that he, Dr. Ted Bradley, and Dr. Roger Congdon competed for the largest family on faculty (Dr. Congdon would have won with 13!).

With Dr. Willard’s death, the last of the founders passes from this earth. But his memory, his legacy, and his impact on Multnomah and theological education will always remain.

Memorial Service

You are invited to his memorial service on December 12, 2009 at 2:00 pm. It will be held at Bethel Community Church in Washougal, Washington.

Warmly,

Daniel R. Lockwood
President
Multnomah University

PS – If you’d like to attend the memorial service, please let the church know or comment on this blog – if there are a lot of people they may need to move the service to a larger facility.

(Note: This is the first one in a series of posts where we will publish a near-monthly letter from the Dr. Lockwood that usually goes out to donors and supporters of Multnomah’s ministry.)

Of Psalm 100 & Thanksgiving

I am not sure why I often think of Psalm 100 when Thanksgiving rolls around.  Probably, it’s because I memorized it as a child and it still sticks.  After all, who can ever forget that we are to “make a joyful noise!”

Apparently, I’m not alone.  Christians over the centuries have called this psalm, “The Old One Hundred.”  This November, in church services across the land and in hundreds of thousands of Christian homes, this psalm will be recited, read, prayed, or sung before the ritual of devouring the turkey begins.

What delights me most is that this venerable poem (for Hebrew poetry it is) is such good theology.  Its five short verses are anchored by two great truths about God.  Let’s explore them together, with illustrations from God’s work in, through, and with the people of Multnomah.

The Lord is God

The first great truth affirms the greatness of God (v. 3).  The Lord—Yahweh—is God, indeed!  And fittingly, this portion of the psalm is a call to exuberant worship.  Shout!  Rejoice!  Sing!  The psalmist summons us to uninhibited praise because that truly is the only acceptable response when we stand in the presence of the Lord our God.

Our students take this call to uninhibited, joyful worship literally.  This fall, our college chapel program moved onto campus, meeting often in the Joseph C. Aldrich student cafeteria.  It’s not as convenient as Central Bible’s auditorium: extra sound, lighting, staging, and a digital projector and screen had to be added.  A crew of student volunteers moves the dining room tables out of the way and arranges the 400 chairs in rows before chapel begins.  The space itself is barely large enough for our student body as they pack into the chairs or stand shoulder to shoulder in the back.

But they love it!  They define “close communion” creatively.  Veteran chapel-goers like me can sense renewed energy and excitement among the students for prayer, singing, and responding to the Word of God.

The psalmist, after exclaiming that the Lord is the sovereign God, then reminds us of who we are.  Notice the two descriptions (v. 3): we are His creatures (the Lord made us) and we are His sheep (the Lord shepherds us).  Just think of it!  Our great God is our Sovereign and our Shepherd.  We, on the other hand, are His fragile vessels and His vulnerable lambs.  No wonder we are called to worship this sovereign Shepherd.  All we are, all we have, and all we can become belong to Him.

As a campus community, we have witnessed—and endured—great sorrow this year.  Dr. Joe, Multnomah’s beloved third president, passed away last February from a debilitating fifteen years with Parkinson’s.  In May, Laura Silva and her brother-in-law alumnus Tony Silva were tragically taken in a climbing accident.  This September, Gordon Peterson, a well-regarded high school teacher in Vancouver and a 1984 alumnus, was struck and killed while riding his bicycle.  His daughter, Julia, a freshman at Multnomah this fall, continues to grieve with her family.

We cannot explain these events, nor are we called to do so.  Rather, we find comfort in a sovereign Shepherd who loves His sheep. 

The Lord is Good

The second great truth underscores the goodness of God (v. 5).  The Lord our God is a good God, the palmist explains.  And our appropriate response to this is thanksgiving—thanks laced with the praise that a supplicant would bear to a majestic ruler as he passes through the palace gates and enters the royal court.  How fitting!  We worship God because He is great.  We thank Him because He is good.  And, God’s goodness, the psalmist tells us, is expressed in two magnificent ways: His enduring love and His everlasting faithfulness.

At Multnomah we have witnessed God’s enduring love time after time.  We see it in the hundreds of new and returning students He entrusts us with each semester.  Each one is a walking miracle of God’s love and grace.  We observe it in the ways transformation takes place in those lives, even within the span of a semester.  We catch in the students that go out from here into all kinds of effective service—from vocational to marketplace ministries.

We also experience His everlasting faithfulness.  I don’t need to remind you that we are in a difficult economic climate.  Our enrollment has suffered in our traditional programs this fall, in large part because many students cannot afford to attend Multnomah right now.  All of us on faculty and staff are cutting necessary expenses to keep ahead of the financial curve.

Yet the Lord remains faithful, especially to some of our faithful donors have had to reduce their support as they deal with depleted retirement savings or loss of jobs.  I am so grateful at this special time of year for your faithfulness in supporting this work.  You indeed reflect God’s faithfulness to us!

Making a joyful noise to the Lord,

Daniel R. Lockwood
President

The following letter was sent to many of Multnomah’s constituents this month. This information now exists publicly amongst the student body, Faculty, and Staff. We welcome any comments you may have and we will do our best to keep you all informed of any updates we may have along the way.

- Robert Leary, Director of Promotions & Communications.
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Dear Alumni, Donors, and Friends:

There’s never a dull moment at Multnomah.  In fact, sometimes, things are downright exciting!  I want to bring you up to date on a recent board of trustees’ decision that has some wonderful ramifications for the placement and ministry impact of our students and for the strategic fulfillment of Multnomah’s mission in the years ahead.

In its September board meeting, the board, after prayerful consideration, unanimously passed a motion that empowers the administration to take all the necessary steps for Multnomah to become a university.  This will involve notification of the State of Oregon and all accreditation agencies, making the necessary legal changes to our institutional documents, and communicating effectively with you, our alumni and supporters.  Our target date for this change is July 1, 2008.

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