Alumni Profiles
Helping readers find serenity
Legacy of faith
Helping readers find serenity
By Deborah Lilly
Brian Buriff BA ’83 believes every soul needs calm in the midst of the commotion. He hopes his new daily devotional book, Serenity for the Soul, will help people find that peace.
Buriff, who holds master’s degrees in counseling and divinity, has served at the Winton Road First Church of God in Fairfield, Ohio, for 15 years. He is an experienced devotional writer for the Church of God, but Serenity for the Soul is his first book. He explains, “Serenity for the Soul arose out of my own personal frustration when it came to having quiet time and personal Bible study.”
Serenity for the Soul takes readers through the Bible in one year. For each daily scripture reading, Buriff has written a brief and to-the-point meditation. The devotionals are printed in large type for easy reading. Throughout the year, Buriff relates a variety of issues relevant to the scripture and today’s world, including finances, debt, marriage, dating, retirement, decisions, parenting, singlehood and investments. He describes the Bible as “breathtaking.” “There’s something relevant for daily living in every chapter. It’s an inspirational source for hope and wellness,” he explains.
Serenity for the Soul is available through CSS Publishers. The book can be ordered online at www.css.pub.com or www.barnesandnoble.com.
Buriff and his wife, Amber (Dyson) Buriff ’82, live in Fairfield with their two sons, Cody and Logan. He plans to release his second book, a devotional focusing on the book of Revelation, this year. He explains, “Unlike most books written on the last book of the Bible, this book is not about apocalyptic theory, time lines or charts, but simply a user friendly reintroduction and life application guide to The Revelation.”
Legacy of faith
By Randy Dillinger
In 1937, at age 26, William Fritzlan knew God wanted him to go to Anderson University. It didn’t matter that he had only a fifth grade education or that 1,000-plus miles separated his family ranch in Colorado from Anderson, Ind. Fritzlan had already overcome many obstacles in his life, and his desire to pursue a career in Christian service shattered any barriers.
Fritzlan was the oldest of 10 children. Although his grandmother was a Christian and spoke of prayer, his parents were not and wanted nothing to do with church. In 1927, Fritzlan recalls, “My father was involved in a gun battle where he shot a man in the leg in self defense. This put him in the state penitentiary for three years.” As a result, Fritzlan quit school for three years to work on the 1,600-acre ranch. By the time his father was released from prison, the Depression was in “full swing,” Fritzlan explains. “And I was mad at the world.”
Then within a six-year period, two of his brothers were killed in a powder explosion in the blacksmith shop on the ranch and his sister and paternal grandparents died. These events led Fritzlan to a spiritual awakening. “[It] caused me to think seriously about death and eternity.” A year later, he accepted a friend’s invitation to church – the first time he had ever been in a church. During that service, he says, “God spoke to me and I gave my heart to Him that night.”
Seeking God’s direction for his life, Fritzlan felt led to study at Anderson University. Upon arriving in Anderson in September 1937, he sought out then president John A. Morrison to seek admittance to the college. “He told me that with no schooling foundation I was looking at a very uphill proposition, but it would do no harm for me to stay around for a while,” he says. Fritzlan had exceeded anyone’s expectations and returned for a second year.
Fritzlan left Anderson University when he ran out of money. He later attended the Midwest Bible School in Gordon, Neb., where he met Lucille Worth, whom he married on March 30, 1942.
For several years, the Fritzlans pastored churches in Beatrice, Neb., and Pritchett, Colo. In 1948 the couple moved to Hotchkiss, Colo., where they attended the local Church of God. He began visiting shut-ins and bringing the Sunday school lessons to them. Later he began a Bible study for inmates at a minimum-security prison in Delta, Colo., which he led for 20 years. He was recognized for this work with a letter of commendation from the Governor of Colorado.
The Fritzlans eventually moved into a nursing home, but even there he established and led Bible studies for the residents. William died Jan. 13, 2003, but he passed on a legacy of faith to his seven children, 16 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
