POTW – Page 5 – Alumni Blog

September 7, 2017

Pastor of the Week: Randall Davis

By: Dezaray Barr

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Randall James Davis is the Chief Ministries Officer of the National Network of Youth Ministries. He gradated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1986 with a degree in Christian Ministries. “IWU gave me a great start in ministry,” Davis said. “It helped me connect with ministries across the Wesleyan Church and with many who serve in ministry. Dr. Bud Bence was always an encouragement to seek new ways of serving people. The Pastoral Ministries class gave me a great picture of being creative in ministry.”

Davis knows that he has done well in being a pastor when he watches his former students. “It is an amazing blessing to see and hear the stories of those former students, serving others with the love of Christ,” Davis explained. “They are in ministry, education, medicine and business. They are leading their families and friends to grow in an understanding of the Kingdom of God and the calling God has placed on their lives. That makes everything that I have been blessed to be a part of worth it!”

The National Network of Youth Ministries (NNYM) serves youth leaders (full-time, part-time or volunteers), helping them connect with other youth leaders so they never feel like they are doing ministry alone. NNYM also helps youth leaders advance their ministry to every teenager in their community. “We know that most youth pastors stay an average of 3.3 years,” Davis stated. “If we connect them to a youth ministry network where they do not feel alone, they stay in that ministry 9.2 years.”

This ministry is important and most definitely needed across our country. “There are 32 million teenagers in the USA, 26 million on 67,000 high school and junior high campuses,” Davis said. “There are 1,200 Juvenile Detention Centers across the states, housing about 1 million teenagers with another million in half way houses, ‘last chance’ schools and probation. We have to have healthy youth leaders, in every community, reaching out to every teenager.”

As Chief Ministries Officer, Davis works with the NNYM staff that is spread out across the country. This ministry is currently serving over 6,000 youth leaders. He also works with the denominational youth ministry leaders and para-church ministry leaders of over 170 denominations and organizations. “We work to network youth leaders in every community to help teenagers become lifelong followers of Jesus Christ. This will only happen if Christ followers in every community will share the gospel and work to advance ministry to every teenager,” Davis said.

Every year, NNYM hosts the Youth Ministry Executive Council that invites the leaders from the 170+ partner organizations and denominations to gather for united prayer for every teenager, relational connections allowing each to work together, and challenges to improve our ministry and leadership. “Not everyone can come every year,” Davis said, “but we always have a great time seeing the Kingdom of God come together.”

Randall has been married to his wife, Jama, for 33 years. They have two children (both married), Ian and Jessica Davis and Amanda and Michael Alexander.

“Through the years I have taken an interest in following Randall and his ministry. I know the wonderful impact that he has made. I know how vital his ministry in for our world today. Youth pastors and ministry leaders are on the front lines for the hearts and minds of our youth where the battle rages every day,” Rick Carder, IWU’s Director of Alumni and Church Engagement, said.

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Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a junior Strategic Communication and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. At IWU, Dezaray runs both the JWHC Blog and her own blog. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

September 1, 2017

Pastor of the Week: Alan Downing

By: Dezaray Barr

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Reverend Alan Bennett Downing is the Lead Pastor of First Wesleyan Church in Frankfort, Indiana. He’s been there since August 2014.

Downing grew up in a United Methodist Church near Lafayette, Indiana. He played the piano and organ, and he helped with the choir as needed. “As I got older and out of school, I ventured into the military but continued to offer my musical gifts with the churches in the communities that I lived in,” Downing said. “It seemed clear to me that God’s musical gifts that were imparted to me for the church. How wrong I was in thinking that was all I was going to do.”

Downing graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2008 with a Christian Ministry’s degree. “My future had already been influenced by God, and that’s what landed me at IWU,” Downing said. “The teaching staff at IWU are incredible. They each have powerful testimonies to what brought them to the Lord, as well as how they ended up at IWU. Dr. David Smith, Dr. Keith Drury, Dr. Christopher Bounds, Dr. Jim Lo, and Dr. Constance Cherry invested deeply into not only me, but my peers as well.”

Downing’s time at IWU was not particularly easy. “Everyone at IWU personally invested in me when I reached the lowest points of my life in regards to health issues, watching a parent slip away, or just needing to have someone to talk to,” Downing explained. “They loved on me, cried with me, laughed with me, admonished me, and I knew from the feelings I had on a daily basis, were praying fervently for me.”

Downing’s time at First Wesleyan in Frankfort has been an incredible time for him and the church. “Our congregation is diversified in age, there are two retired pastors who worship there (which can be very intimidating at times), and we are in the midst of growth and change,” Downing explained. “It makes each day different than the one before in regards to what the focus is on. But at the end of the day, God is a providing and loving God and His will is be done at FWC!”

Rick Carder, IWU’s Director of Alumni and Church Engagement, said, “Alan is a person that knows everyone and makes everyone feel special. Recently I worked with him as he volunteered his time at the State UMC Conference serving in the IWU booth. He was positive, friendly, and well-known.”

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August 20, 2017

Pastor of the Week: Paul VanCise

By: Dezaray Barr

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Rev. Paul D. VanCise is the Senior Pastor of Bryant Wesleyan Church in Bryant, IN. VanCise graduated from IWU in 1991 with a B.S. in Christian Ministries, as well as in 1996 with an M.A. in Ministerial Studies.

“When I graduated from high school, I wanted to be an architect, so I went Ball State and commuted from home,” VanCise explained. “During the summer after my freshmen year, God called me into the ministry. I registered at IWU just two weeks before my sophomore year.”

While at IWU, VanCise was in Chorale and a member of His Instrument. Both of these experiences helped shape his ministry. He also had the opportunity to go to Israel with Wilbur Williams in 1990, then went again in 2000. “The small, Christian environment and godly examples at IWU were exactly what I needed.” VanCise said.

VanCise has witnessed God’s calling for his life, even before he knew it. “Shortly after I shared with my family and home church that I was changing colleges and studying for the ministry, an older couple in the church came up to me with a gift,” He said. “They had been my junior high Sunday School teachers. They handed me a poem than they had cut out of a magazine a few years earlier that told a story of a ‘toe-headed, freckled-faced boy name Paul.’ In the poem, it described a boy similar to me: energetic and ornery, a boy that became their pastor. They had kept this poem, knowing well before I did, that I would become a pastor. There have been many other similar confirmations in the twenty-five years since.”

VanCise and his wife, Angelyn (IWU 1992), moved to Bryant 14 years ago, in 2003. At the time, their oldest daughter, who is now a sophomore at IWU, was entering Kindergarten. “As we start our 15^th year, we will set the record for the longest tenure at this church,” VanCise said. “In a rural setting, not too much happens quickly, so staying and establishing credibility has been one of the best investments. This has allowed us to build trust and prove we are capable and stable.”

VanCise and his family are active in the community. Over the last two years, VanCise has driven a morning school bus route each day. Angelyn substitutes in the local elementary school two to three days a week. She also heads up the Kid’s Hope Program at the church. “As a community Pastor, I get called on to do funerals, many who don’t attend church anywhere,” VanCise explained. “In 2008, I officiated a funeral for a local young man who was killed in action in Afghanistan. Ministering to the family and grieving with the community allowed be to build credibility and endeared myself to many who needed to see a pastor in a positive light.”

VanCise’s church supports nine missionaries monthly. They also support local ministries like the homeless shelter, the Pregnancy Care center and the local food bank. Every year, they deliver care baskets at Thanksgiving to elderly in their church and community, and they collaborate with the local Lutheran Congregation to host a community Free Thanksgiving Meal.

VanCise would encourage IWU students that God is powerful enough to transform their lives. “No matter where you go, preach, proclaim and practice scriptural optimism and hope in the Gospel,” He said.

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August 7, 2017

Pastor of the Week: Kevin Stirratt

By: Dezaray Barr

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Kevin Stirratt is currently the Lead Pastor of Common Ground Church of the Nazarene in Decatur, Indiana. He received his MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2004.

“My MBA from Indiana Wesleyan revolutionized my ministry,” Stirratt said. “I had been trained in theology and then asked to lead the operations of a non-profit: the local church. I had faced ceiling after ceiling in my church ministry. My MBA awakened me to the organizational side of the church and gave me the ability to lead at a much higher level. My MBA has literally changed my ministry and broadened my ability to influence the kingdom. I simply would not have been able to move into the last decade of ministry without that training.”

As a student at IWU, Dave McIntrie and Kathleen Turpin were two of Stirratt’s favorite professors. “Each had a love for the Lord and an unbelievable handle on the principles they taught,” Stirratt explained. “They each stretched me outside my comfort zones.”

Over the last few years, God has given Stirratt the opportunity to launch a youth film and media ministry within the church called Gaffer Media. “God used my background that flowed from my MBA to navigate the waters of producing a student-integrated full feature film,” Stirratt said. “Students were led by industry professionals and church staff through a 2-year process aimed at teaching them how to communicate their story in Christ through the arts. We were awarded a $30,000 grant and raised an additional $60,000 to fund the project. The students’ film, Two Steps From Hope, was amazing, and was even awarded the Dove Foundation’s Family-Friendly seal and a 4 out of 5 Dove rating. Two Steps From Hope was even awarded a DVD distribution contract and will be on TV, DVD, and digital media throughout the US, Canada, and even Central America beginning this fall.”

You can pre-order the DVD here: Pre-Order. You can watch the trailer here: Two Step From Hope Trailer.

“As we neared the end of the process, I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratefulness,” Stirratt said about the film. “I felt like God had led me down so many paths in my ministry that all came to bare on this innovative season of discipling youth. Suddenly every extra hour spent on homework and every season of difficult learning in ministry all became worth it. When you get the chance to participate in something like this and see students’ lives changed and their self-concept in Christ elevated, you know you’ve made the right choice in following Christ’s call to ministry.”

If Stirratt could say one thing to IWU students, he would encourage them to never underestimate the power of the education, spiritual development, and academic experience they are receiving at Indiana Wesleyan University.

“God is doing something in you during this season,” he said. “You can’t see the fruit He is preparing through you; however, the day will come when you look back and say, ‘Thank you, Jesus, for bringing me down this road!’ Don’t get discouraged when you run out of energy, time or money. The journey you are on is too important to quit in the middle. God will provide, and you will succeed. You’re going to make it, and God is going to do amazing things because you sacrificed today.”

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August 4, 2017

Pastor of the Week: Angulus Wilson

By: Dezaray Barr

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Dr. Angulus D. Wilson, born and raised in Los Angeles, was once a gang member. At just the young age of 12, Wilson had a record that included drug use, robbery, violence, and drive by shootings. In 1979, Wilson came into contact with an itinerant evangelistic ministry while he was in a juvenile offender’s high security institution.

“Inside of the institution, I heard the gospel preached for the very first time,” Wilson said. “I remember giving my life to Christ because of the pain and sorrow I felt. Jesus saved me, and I was born again.”

Through mentorship and his newfound faith, Wilson was able to graduate high school and attend Fresno Pacific University. After graduating in 1989, Wilson was ordained as an itinerant evangelist, which allowed him to work with prisoners, drug addicts, and gang offenders.

In 1991, Wilson married Sharon (Horton), and they have three sons, Lionel, Alexander and Aaron. All three of Wilson’s sons are now currently active in the ministry of Jesus. “We have modeled Christianity for them, and they all have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” Wilson explained. “One of the treasures of ministering as a family is seeing your children walk with the Lord.”

Wilson’s work for the kingdom of God is extensive, diverse and beautiful. “Over the past 25 years, I have conducted national and international mission trips, conferences and seminars,” he said. “I have planted four churches, served two other congregations, participated in doctoral level training, organized a school for bi-vocational ministers and served three major Christian Universities as a University Pastor, Director of Ministry, Minister at large for global evangelism, and Community Outreach Director.”

Currently, Wilson serves as the Senior Pastor of New Beginnings Community Baptist Church in Fresno, California. He organized this church in 2008. He is also the president and founder of Angelos Biblical Institute, an international evangelism school, and he serves as the University Pastor of Fresno Pacific University.

Although Wilson is not an IWU Alum, he is passionate about the students at IWU. “My Prayer for IWU students is that they would hear the call of God to global evangelism and pursue Him with all of their hearts,” he said. “I pray that they will ‘seize the moment’ to make a decisions that change and transform our world.”

“Angulus is truly a servant and has a tremendous testimony of redemption and the call to ministry. I’ve known Angulus for nearly 20 years and have found him to be a wonderful friend and tremendous asset to the kingdom work through evangelism, prison ministries, and chaplain.” Rick Carder, the IWU Director of Alumni & Church Engagement, said.

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July 24, 2017July 24, 2017

Pastor of the Week: Craig Coe

By: Dezaray Barr

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Craig Coe is the Pastor of Coulee Life Church in Onalaska, Wisconsin. He graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministries and a minor in Church Music.

From 2002 to 2004 and again from 2013 to 2015, Coe worked in the IWU Admissions Office as an Admissions Counselor. He also spent some time as the Assistant Director of Admissions.

“IWU not only gave me the educational foundation, but a lifetime of support and encouragement,” said Coe. “Friends and faculty have been a source of encouragement ever since graduating and beginning ministry.”

Although it has been over a decade since graduating from IWU, Coe explained that he still experiences encouragement from the faculty and staff of IWU. “On a trip back to College Church for a pastors conference, I ran into Dr. Wilbur Williams on the sidewalk, and he asked about ministry,” Coe said. “We talked about the good and the bad, and he told me, ‘Satan may give roadblocks on the road, but God keeps moving us forward.'”

Since becoming a pastor, Coe has witnessed God work in his life, his family, and his congregation. “God has been so faithful to not only provide for my family and ministries that I have been a part of, but he continually shows that he is at work in transforming individuals and families,” Coe said. “Being able to spiritually support people, pray for them, see them catch the vision of God and selflessly serve others… all of these things confirm that I am where God wants me to be and doing what he has called me to do.”

Coe worked at his current church (then called Sand Lake Wesleyan Church) from 2010 to 2013. “We thought that we would be at this church for a long tenure,” Coe explained. “A pastoral transition took place, and I was not chosen to be the next lead pastor, but I had a peace that God knew what was next.”

During this break, God immediately provided Coe with a job in IWU Admissions. “It would be two and a half years before we re-entered vocational ministry, and God brought us back to the place that we left,” Coe said. “The congregation had declined by 90%, but He gave us a clean slate in which to build a ministry that focused on the community around us and planting more congregations in the area. After a year of refocus and rebuilding the foundation, we launched our first worship gathering in October 2016. People have accepted Christ, we have had our first baptism service, and we are planning on launching another congregation within 5 years of this restart.”

Now, as Coe and his family settle into life in Onalaska, Wisconsin again, Coe wants to encourage IWU students to allow God to do what He wants with their lives. “When I worked in the Office of Admissions, I would tell students to hold onto your dreams loosely,” Coe said. “God may be wanting to take you in a totally different direction than what you have planned for yourself. I had no dream or plan to help start a church in the Denver-metro area out of college or to restart a congregation that I had previously pastored. My dream was to be the best staff pastor that I could be, but God continues to move me from that to areas of higher leadership.”

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July 20, 2017August 23, 2017

Pastor of the Week: Rick Weesner

By: Emily Neideck

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Rick Weesner is the pastor at Garrison Hills Wesleyan in Battle Creek, Michigan, a small church with a close-knit group of attendees. On top of his work as a pastor, Weesner runs an adoption ministry and is actively involved in the Wesleyan Church Campus Challenge scholarship program.

Weesner felt his call to ministry is 1984 and began attending a program through the Wesleyan Headquarters’ Education Department that would allow him to take ministerial courses at surrounding colleges and eventually become ordained. The program was appealing to students with families and full-time careers because it allowed flexibility. Weesner was ordained in 1989, and he spent time pastoring other Michigan churches before settling in Battle Creek.

Weesner’s church, Garrison Hills Wesleyan, has a unique focus on children and youth ministries. Weesner said about his biggest struggle, “Ministry has changed over the years. I’ve always felt the call to a smaller church and that is difficult in today’s world when the focus is on everything big.”

Weesner and his family have a passion for the country of Colombia. The family has two adopted daughters from Colombia, and they have two biological daughters. Their second daughter has adopted two daughters from Colombia as well. After going through the adoption process multiple times, the family realized that the process was financially taxing, and they wanted to do something to help. Weesner and his family created an organization called Project Hope Ministries. The organization provides affordable housing for families that need to stay in a country for adoption purposes. Weesner said, “Our ministry also is working with the communities to help with education.”

Weesner is also involved in Wesleyan Church Campus Challenge and has been for 25 years. He stated, “My kids were also involved. They wanted to go to Indiana Wesleyan, so we looked for ways to raise money for that. Because the challenge was helpful in enabling my daughters to go to IWU, I’ve always wanted to help other kids as well, and the challenge provided that opportunity. I’ve always found enjoyment in hearing the success stories.” Indiana Wesleyan University is the most successful of competitions. Currently, Weesner is the director of the IWU competition.

The Wesleyan Church Campus Challenge will take place on IWU’s campus on July 29th. To learn more about the competition, click here.

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Written by Emily Neideck, writer for the Alumni Center and a junior Writing major at IWU. She is active on the cross country and track teams. She is passionate about using her writing skills to share the good news of Christ with others and writes often on her personal blog at www.emilylehner.wordpress.com.

July 7, 2017July 7, 2017

Pastor of the Week: Dale Munsell

By: Dezaray Barr

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10530754_10152440864438600_5226064826013790846_n — Dale Munsell and his family, photo obtained from Facebook

Dale Munsell attended Marion College (now Indiana Wesleyan University) in 1983 to work toward a bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministries. He spent some time studying in the FLAME program of the Wesleyan Church. He was ordained by the Wesleyan Church in August of 2005 and now serves as the Pastor of Cornerstone Wesleyan Church and the Principal of Cornerstone Christian School, both located in Albion, Indiana. He is currently finishing his undergrad studies through IWU and plans to continue at Wesleyan Seminary to complete his Masters of Divinity.

Munsell said that he has always felt a tug on his heart for ministry, and he received his calling around the age of seventeen.

Munsell is excited to be working in such a great place, especially one of both church and school.

“Cornerstone Wesleyan Church has had a great ministry of discipleship and learning through their Pre-school and K-12 Christian school,” he said. “Through the A.C.E curriculum, this school has raised up many godly leaders over the past 24 years!”

During his time as a student at Marion College and IWU through Wesley Seminary, many professors inspired him, but one couple in-particular stands out.

“Dr. Jim ‘Umfundisi’ and Roxie Lo have had an amazing impact on my life over many years,” Munsell commented. “He is a great prayer warrior, mentor and blessing, and has been an encourager in ministry to not only myself, but to three generations of my family including my parents and my children.”

Dale and his wife, photo obtained from Facebook

If Munsell could say one thing to current students, he would tell them to be faithful in the small opportunities they have to love God and others. “He will increase your opportunities as you are obedient to his daily plans,” Munsell said.

He would also encourage students to hold loosely to their own plans and to not assume they know the will of God. “But instead,” Munsell explained, “stay close to Him and let Him lead you down the paths that he has prepared and blessed for you.”

Dale is married to Lori, whom he met at Marion College. “It has been my privilege and pleasure to serve God in all areas of my life,” Munsell said. “I am thankful for the opportunity to put my life in the hands of our Great God and King as we begin this new adventure… at Cornerstone Wesleyan Church.”

Summary thoughts by Rick Carder, Director of Alumni and Church Relations: I am thrilled to call Dale a good friend. He is a man of integrity and serves the Lord out of a servant’s heart. He is driven to teach and lead others and has mentored several alumni who are serving the local church successfully.

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June 27, 2017June 27, 2017

Pastor of the Week: Matt Carder

By: Dezaray Barr

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mattcarder2 — Matt Carder and his family

Matt Carder graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2002 with a degree in Christian Ministries. He is currently is the lead and founding pastor of Commonway Church in Muncie, Indiana.

Carder’s time at IWU was truly valuable to him and has heavily impacted his future. “My time at IWU really helped prepare me for vocational ministry,” he said. “The three professors who immediately come to mind are Dr. Drury, Dr. Bence, and Dr. (David) Smith. Fifteen years later, I still think of them.”

Before Carder graduated, he approached Drury for advice. Carder told Drury that he wanted to backpack around the world by himself, and Drury encouraged him to go. “Needless to say, that experience has profoundly shaped my life and ministry,” Carder said. “I’ll always be grateful that Dr. Drury believed in me.”

Commonway Church was planted by Carder, his wife, and a team of volunteers and leaders about six years ago. It is an independent church that meets in a rented space in downtown Muncie. The Church’s mission is to “invite people to find hope in Jesus.”

Matt Carder volunteering through the Kids Hope Mentoring Program

Commonway Church is involved in the Muncie community and the community of Christ at large. “I love our church’s commitment to serve our community and world,” said Carder. “Whether it’s our Kids Hope mentoring program, hosting a year end party for the school, doing a neighborhood cleanup, or sponsoring a Help Portrait event– our people are ready and willing to serve our community.”

Commonway Church has also partnered with Food for the Hungry in Nicaragua. The congregation has been matched with an impoverished village and is helping empower that community to identify leaders and resources that will help improve their lives and church of Nicaragua. Carder’s church is also sponsoring about 100 children of that village.

Carder remembers that Drury once said that your twenties are an extended preparation for ministry. Despite what current IWU students may feel now, Carder hopes to encourage them to take Drury’s advice seriously. “Your ministry—whatever shape that takes—be it a teacher, nurse, business leader, or pastor, is an ongoing journey,” Carder said. “Your time at IWU will be a huge part in laying the foundation for what God is calling you to do. But really, that’s just the beginning of how God will continue to shape you moving forward.”

Carder has been working for several years on his M. Div. through Asbury Seminary, and he anticipates graduating in May 2018.

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June 15, 2017August 23, 2017

Pastor of the Week: Dan Berry

By: Emily Neideck

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14595655_10154431891886278_3195805330511801868_n — Dan Berry, photo obtained from Facebook

Dr. Dan Berry is the District Superintendent for the South Coastal District of the Wesleyan Church. Before his position as District Superintendent, Berry served as a pastor in different churches in Pennsylvania, as the District Superintendent for the New England region of the Wesleyan Church and at a church in Warsaw, Indiana.

Although Berry graduated from United Wesleyan College in Allentown, PA, his sons Jason and Joshua and first wife Shelley and second wife Debbie, were graduates of Indiana Wesleyan University. Berry’s second wife, Debbie, has two sons that also attended Indiana Wesleyan.

Berry graduated from United Wesleyan College with a bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Ministry. He has since continued to pursue a master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry from Evangelical School of Theology, and he also completed a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Drew University in Madison, NJ.

As District Superintendent, Berry oversees over 100 pastors. The South Coastal District is also home to the largest Wesleyan Church, 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, GA. The church has grown immensely since Berry has been in the district. He stated, “District Superintendent is sort of a pastor to the pastors. Having my previous pastoral experience, I understand what it is they [the pastors] are dealing with. You know what you have gone through, and there is probably nothing that happens today that you haven’t been through and are able to help with.”

Berry’s calling to ministry came through a single, personal moment during his freshman year of college. He said, “I had a moment of surrender, and when I surrendered my life to Christ, I knew that would be my call to be a pastor. I was fighting that because my father is a pastor.” Berry’s life since college has been an example of the deep surrender that he experienced in college.

In 2007, Berry and his first wife were in a terrible accident. He said, “The greatest life changing event took place in 2007 when my first wife Shelley and I were in a very serious accident. She was in a coma for three months and experienced months of rehab. I provided 24/7 home care for 2 ½ years until her death on March 5, 2010.” Much like Berry’s call to ministry, this event changed his life forever. He stated, “The death of my wife, Shelley, was the most painful, most difficult challenge I have ever had.”

16113941_10154747202756278_7745398110278736400_n — Dan and his wife Debbie, photo obtained from Facebook

However, in the midst of this hardship, Berry has been able to have joy. He said, “I am confident that she [Shelley] is at home with the Lord Jesus Christ. God has turned my “mourning into joy” by providing me a second chance with a new marriage and a new family.”

Challenges have arisen in both Berry’s personal life and his pastoral life, and he said about his pastoral challenges, “I think that the toughest thing is criticism and the personal expectations that are unrealistic that we place on ourselves. We hold ourselves higher than God. I’ve had to learn to lead for an audience of one. The only one I am trying to please is God.” To accomplish this, Berry, once again, practices complete surrender – an act of keeping God at the center of his pastoring.

Berry spoke of God’s ability to know each of our unique gifts and talents. He said, “Remember that God has called you to be you and not someone else. He has called you with your talents, personalities, and skills and you have to trust that God knows exactly what you bring to the church, your job and your community. Just go ahead and be yourself – of course, be your best self.”

“It is a pleasure for us to honor Dr. Daniel A. Berry as this week’s Pastor of the Week,” says Rev. Rick Carder, Indiana Wesleyan University’s Office of Alumni & Church Engagement. Berry’s story of personal trial and triumph is inspiring to us all and a reminder of God’s faithfulness.

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