Alumni Profiles
A life of faith
Seoul native fulfills need in Indiana
Brownlee earns opera award
Books by alumni
A life of faith... for my parents
By Darryl Fox BA '79
The call of faith
“Henry! What are we going to do?” my mother exclaimed. Mom was not inclined to emotional weakness, but she had begun to wonder how much more a young family could take!
My father considered my mother’s words and feelings. Ten years of marriage and I still love her so, he thought as he reached for her. He gently embraced Mom. As she leaned against him, he could feel the anxious quiver within her spirit. Dad prayed, silently at first, then whispering, and as he prayed, my mother began to relax.
These are my parents, Pat and Henry Fox: two unique people I have been blessed to know. Perfect people, no — far from perfect — but perfect in their commitment to Christ, to their children and to each other. Mom was uncomfortable when I told her that she and Dad were good models of how to live a life of faith. It was her nature to think of other people and to avoid drawing attention to herself. In a complementary way, Dad was a humble man who celebrated life by trusting the Lord in every situation.
“The Lord is King and sovereign over all things,” he would say. “We fool ourselves by supposing to understand the true nature of circumstance.”
He showed me that the circumstances in my life — whatever situation, challenge or adversity I encountered — were not the real issue. Faith was always the issue. By faith we express our belief in God’s truth and represent His character to the world. My parents had heard the call of faith; now it was time to respond.
The response of faith
“Honey, it is hard to explain, but I believe the Lord wants us to move,” Dad whispered. “It isn’t due to the recent loss of work. I have felt the Lord impress upon me the need to move, but I have been hesitant to do so.”
Mom felt confused. She thought, Why has Henry felt reluctant to talk with me about this new calling on his life? Dad explained, “I have been fighting doubt, not in you or in the Lord, but within myself. It is difficult to believe that I could move us away from family and friends when my efforts to date have produced nothing but debt.”
“That isn’t fair,” Mom contested, “we must tell ourselves the truth especially in times of trouble. Nothing happens unless the Lord directs it or allows it for some purpose.” Times had been difficult. Dad had lost a new tractor and trailer and almost his life in a horrible accident; further, there were medical bills for my surgery and Brad’s broken neck. Most recently he was placed on the “black ball” list with the Teamsters Union for not fully embracing their politics. He knew his career as a truck driver was essentially over.
Dad sat quietly. He thought, God has blessed me with a woman who may not always understand me, but she does support my decisions and I always sense her respect. He did not want to let her down. The present circumstances seemed bad, but the Lord had always proven faithful. Mom suffered terribly as a child, placed in an orphanage when she was 2 and then adopted by an abusive couple at age 6. Because of the abuse, she was told she would never bear children. Although the news was crushing, she chose to remain grateful to God for giving her a caring man who was strong and of good character. She committed her desire for a family into God’s hands... Melody was conceived just after the honeymoon; I followed after another 17 months, then Brad 26 months later.
Well, Lord, Dad thought, by your hand the adversity in life is “seasoned” with blessing. It isn’t what we are moving from that matters but what we are moving toward. We only need to respond obediently to Your call.
The walk of faith
In July 1965, Dad and Mom loaded our belongings, and we left the farm in the hill country on the Ohio and West Virginia border and headed for Anderson, Ind. Melody was 9, I was 8, Brad 6, Mom 31, and Dad was 39. My parents had no money and they only knew a handful of people in central Indiana. Years later, I asked Dad if he had been afraid. “I was too scared to be afraid,” he said (my dad’s humor).
More seriously, he believed the hardest decision was choosing to make a change. He felt the Lord leading him to return to college and train to become a teacher, but the idea of such dramatic change while being married with three children and carrying a large amount of debt seemed impossible. Mom and Dad reasoned, however, that the Lord could remove the obstacles as they responded to His will.
That was my mom and dad. I never witnessed either of them turn away from a task given them by the Lord. They never assumed His work would be easy or hard. The walk of faith is characterized by the desire to hear and trust God’s Word.
The life of faith
With the decision to move final, only one location was considered — Anderson, Ind. The Church of God was headquartered in and around Anderson College and my parents had become Christians through the Church of God. Dad’s youngest brother was attending college there, and longtime friends were pastors of a church just outside of Anderson.
It is a peculiarity in life how you remember the good times rather than the bad if your focus is on others. I am certain that my mother and father survived all of the work, stress and grief they faced those first five years by willingly opening our home to a myriad of college students.
Our home on Nursery Road became a frequent coffee and conversation spot for many students struggling to adjust to life away from home. We all experienced a unique fellowship due to age: the students in college were 10 to 14 years older than Melody, Brad and me; however, they were 10 to 14 years younger than Mom and Dad. We became older or younger “brothers and sisters” for one another.
Our family and the college have grown by feeding on God’s faithfulness. Melody ’75 moved to Dallas, Texas, and married Dan Morrison; they have two daughters, Mandy and Macey. I met my wife, Kathy (Linamen) BS ’80, at Anderson College; we live in Scottsdale, Ariz., and have four children — Jared, Tyler, Mallory and Margaux. Brad BA ’83 and his wife, Christy (Bredensteiner) BA ’86, live in San Diego with their daughter, Taylor. Dad graduated in 1970 and went on to gain two master’s degrees from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. He taught at Anderson Highland until his retirement in 1993. By that time, Anderson College had grown into Anderson University.
Mom passed away Dec. 14, 1994, followed by Dad on Sept. 24, 2000. They loved Anderson — especially the people. Their initial decision to relocate away from family and to re-train for a new vocation was their greatest challenge, but it also became their greatest blessing, an anxious undertaking that became a heartfelt joy. Because of their commitment to both the community and university in Anderson, we, their children, partnered with AU to form The Pat and Henry Fox Memorial Scholarship Fund. The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage young married couples with children to pursue the call of faith in their own lives.
Seoul native finds Korean ministry in Muncie
Jack Williams
In 1994, a Methodist minister came 7,000 miles from South Korea to learn English and earn a doctoral degree in theology. At the end of his journey, that traveler, Myungku Lee DMin ’00, found not only a degree but a small Korean congregation in the middle of America that needed his pastoral care.
Lee had pastored a couple of churches and taught high school ethics in Seoul before arriving on Hoosier soil to study at Indiana Wesleyan University. After completing English language studies, Lee came down the road to pursue a doctorate at Anderson University’s School of Theology. And just a few miles further into his journey, he found a fledgling Korean congregation in search of an interim pastor. But before he could complete his degree, his father-in-law, pastor of a 2,500-member Methodist church in Cheanan, South Korea, asked Lee to serve as his associate pastor. Returning to his native country, Lee pursued yet another pastoral assignment while teaching theology at Hoseo University.
Then last summer, Lee received a surprise call from the First Presbyterian Church of Muncie, where he had filled the pulpit four years ago. Senior pastor Ronald Naylor and the search committee framed the question this way: Would the former interim pastor return to Muncie and develop First Presbyterian’s outreach to its Asian members? For Lee, it was the call of God.
“It was an opportunity not only to minister the gospel but to serve those who share my Korean heritage,” says Lee, of his transition from a mega-church to one where he would work — literally — one on one with a congregation of 60-plus members. Coming back to Central Indiana also meant that Lee could finish his doctorate.
The Korean Presbyterian Church of Muncie, which meets in the chapel at First Presbyterian, consists mostly of students from Ball State University and their families. On some Sundays, Pastor Lee looks out on a tapestry of Korean, Chinese, Japanese and American worshippers. The services are conducted in Korean with the aid of an English translator.
Lee says part of his calling is to provide a holistic ministry to a minority who, like him, has found a spiritual home continents away from their geographical home. Because the children of most of his parishioners were born in the United States, Lee offers beginning Korean language classes to 20 students, ranging from kindergartners to high schoolers. This fall, he plans to broaden his class offerings to include music, dance and piano — all with a distinctive Korean flavor.
Before weekly Wednesday evening prayer services, Lee leads a youth class in Tae Kwon Do. More than a martial art, Tae Kwon Do teaches enduring oaths, says Lee. Among the oaths he wants the junior members of his congregation to learn are “giving glory to God,” “demonstrating allegiance to one’s country” and “showing respect for elders.”
“When I first came to America, I was very surprised to see young people wave or just say ‘Hi’ to older people,” says Lee.
So the transplanted pastor, whose habit is to address all visitors with a bow, is gratified to see the youngest members of Muncie’s Korean Presbyterian deferring to their elders. For Lee, it’s a significant Christian discipline. And one that parents appreciate, too.
Brownlee wins opera award
Larry Brownlee BA ‘96 was one of five grand finalists in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Twenty-three regional winners participated in the national competition in New York City and enjoyed a week of attending Metropolitan Opera events and studying with the opera company’s staff. By the end of the week, 10 finalists were chosen to perform on the Metropolitan Opera stage. The five grand finalists were announced at the end of the concert. The grand finalists received $15,000 each and were featured on A&E’s Breakfast with the Arts. During the show, Brownlee, a tenor, performed “Languir per una bella” from L’Italiana in Algeri by Rossini and was interviewed by the show’s host. Brownlee earned his master’s degree in vocal music from Indiana University in May. This summer he is performing with the Wolf Trap Opera and the St. Louis Opera. Brownlee is pictured above rehearsing with the Anderson Symphony Orchestra for its spring 2000 production of Carmina Burana.
Books by alumni
Artist and former AU professor David Liverett BA ‘68 has published a book featuring his artwork and the talents of 90 writers from across the country. When Hope Shines Through is an inspirational book using the theme of lighthouses.
Liverett began drawing lighthouses while living in Maine in the 1970s. His interest was rekindled in 1998 when he and his wife, Avis (Kleis) Liverett BA ‘66, traveled to Prince Edward Island, Canada. He thought of using his drawings for a series of greeting cards, but then decided a book would be more appropriate. He considered, “If I could draw 100 [lighthouses] and find scriptures and hymns that speak of rescuing and finding peace, that might be the basis for an inspirational book.” He called upon the writing talents of friends — several of them AU alumni — and then matched their work with his drawings. Liverett’s illustrations include lighthouses from 18 states, Canada, England and Lebanon.
Liverett’s book, published by Chinaberry House, is available through www.2lights.com. Prints are also available through the same Web site.
Coincidentally, the only lighthouse artwork not Liverett’s own is on the cover; it is a painting by mentor and former AU professor Ruthven Byrum.
If you’re one of many who believe that kids have more to teach us than we think, then Tamara Boggs’ BA ‘84 Children Are a Blessing from the Lord: Learning God’s Wisdom Through Our Children (Kregel Publications) is a book you’ll enjoy.
A mother of three children, Tamara has penned 31 days of reflections about her parenting experiences and the revelations of God’s wisdom through the mouths of her children. From lighthearted moments discussing the difference between “communion Sunday” and “family reunion Sunday” to deeper struggles about releasing her children completely to God’s care, Boggs takes each of these special memories of her family and brings it into focus under the light of God’s Word. She couples her devotional with one or two Scripture passages and a brief closing prayer.
Gloria Gaither BS ‘63, LittD ‘89, who penned the foreword to this book, writes that the book’s value is not for parents alone. “It is for anyone who longs for fresh insights from the heart of a seeker in sneakers.”
Boggs’ book may be purchased in your local Christian bookstore or online at amazon.com or christianbookdistributors.com.
When Julie Allyson-Ieron BA ‘86 was approached by members of her extended family to pray blessings over the meals at several important functions, she didn’t know then a book would emerge from those experiences. But as each opportunity arose, more people asked, “How do you pray like you know God personally? I never know what to say when I talk to God.” From that comment, and several incidents that followed, Ieron wrote Praying Like Jesus: Discovering the Pattern of Godly Prayer (Moody Press).
“I was speaking at a conference and several of my colleagues were discussing prayer over breakfast, about the number of weeks each had spent retreating in wilderness settings and learning how to pray,” says Ieron. “I slunk into the background; a retreat is a luxury I don’t have time to take. I wondered, Is there any other way to learn to pray? Is there hope for my prayer life? ”
Ieron searched Scripture. What she learned prompted a new prayer journey, where she documented all that she was learning. Those jottings transferred into 52 lessons — one for each week of the year — about Jesus’ pattern of prayer, including praying God’s will, intercession, worship, thanksgiving and bearing fruit.
Ieron, previously published by Moody, says her second book is available through bookstores nationwide and online via Borders, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon. She also takes personal orders via e-mail at joymedia3@aol.com.
