Union University Archives - Baptist & Reflector

TOMLIN SHARES STORIES, SONGS AT UNION SCHOLARSHIP BANQUET

October 21, 2019

Union news office

Chris Tomlin performs at Union University’s 22nd annual Scholarship Banquet at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.

JACKSON, Tenn. — Chris Tomlin was 18 years old and had just finished leading worship at a weeklong youth rally. He’d never done anything like that. He hadn’t written any songs and admits that he had done a poor job.

At the end of the week, the speaker for the week’s rally – a man named James – approached him and told him two things. First, James told him that he had no idea what he was doing. And second, James told him that Tomlin had no idea how God was going to use his music in the world.

Tomlin, who has since sold more than 8 million albums and whose songs are sung in churches around the world, was the featured guest Oct. 15 at Union University’s 22nd annual Scholarship Banquet at the Carl Perkins Civic Center. [Read more…]

UNION UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENT EXCEEDS 3,100 STUDENTS

October 3, 2019

By Sarah Goff
Union news office

JACKSON — Union University recently welcomed 400 new students to the Jackson campus. The freshmen hail from 35 states and 10 countries and have an average ACT score of 26.2 and GPA of 3.85.

“We are thrilled to welcome our bicentennial class of 2023 to campus,” Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver said. “We pray that this academic year will be a transformative one for all of our students — that they would not only grow in their academic knowledge, but in their relationship with Jesus Christ.” [Read more…]

NEPALI FRESHMAN TRAVELS 8,000 MILES TO ATTEND UNION

September 30, 2019

By Sarah Goff
Union news office

Bishwa and Ramila Karmacharya traveled from Kathmandu, Nepal, to move their eldest son, Vishal, right, onto Union University’s campus for his freshman year as a mechanical engineering major. — Photo by Kristi Woody

JACKSON — Vishal Gaurav Karmacharya traveled farther than most freshmen to Union University: about 8,000 miles from Kathmandu, Nepal, to Jackson.

Vishal and his father, Bishwa, and mother, Ramila, arrived on campus Aug. 14 to move Vishal into his campus apartment. Bishwa and Ramila stayed in Tennessee for a few days before flying back to Kathmandu and their youngest son, leaving Vishal at Union for his freshman year as a mechanical engineering major.

So, what led an 18-year-old to travel halfway around the world for college? The answer goes back to 2010 in Spring Hill. Jay Strother and his wife, Tanya, were in the process of adopting their son from Nepal. Jay is the lead campus pastor at The Church at Station Hill, a regional campus for Brentwood Baptist Church. [Read more…]

UNION TRUSTEES APPROVE MASTER PLAN ON CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT

September 9, 2019

By Tim Ellsworth
Associate VP for Communications, Union University

JACKSON, Tenn. — Union University trustees at their Sept. 6 meeting adopted a campus master plan that calls for new buildings and an extension of the university’s Great Lawn all the way to Highway 45 Bypass over the next 20 years.

In other matters, trustees approved new officers, established tuition and fees for the 2020-2021 academic year and approved Beverly Bone-Absher as professor emeritus. [Read more…]

UNION ALUMNI COUPLE USES ‘FAME’ TO SHARE FAITH

August 28, 2019

By Sarah Goff
Union news office

Juliana and Ben Wilson have had a busy year as he has competed in the American Ninja Warrior TV show and she won the Mrs. Tennessee pageant in March and finished in the top 10 at the Mrs. United States pageant earlier this month.

JACKSON — For Union alumni couple Ben and Juliana Wilson, 2019 has been a year of unexpected opportunities, from Ben competing on the “American Ninja Warrior” TV show to Juliana winning the Mrs. Tennessee United States crown and earning a top 10 finish in the recent 2019 Mrs. United States National Pageant in Las Vegas.

“This has been a crazy year, to kind of sum it all up,” Juliana said. “A year ago, neither one of us expected to be doing the things that we’re doing right now. It’s just cool that God’s just given us this opportunity, and we want to try to make the most if it, however long it lasts.” [Read more…]

CONCRETE CROSS INSTALLED ON UNION UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

August 20, 2019

Construction crews recently installed a 17-foot high cross in Hadley Circle on the campus of Union University, Jackson. The concrete cross was made possible from donations through Leadership Union, a cohort of faculty and staff who are selected to serve by Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver. Leadership Union member Nancy Cherry said the cross “is a visual reminder of what (God) did for us in sending His Son to die on the cross, and that’s just a constant reminder to us of His goodness and grace.”

— Union photo by Krisi Woody

UNION HONORS IMB PRESIDENT

July 11, 2019

From Union University

JACKSON — Paul Chitwood, president of the International Mission Board, was the recipient of Union University’s M.E. Dodd Denominational Service Award this year.

Union president Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver presented the award to Chitwood, a Tennessean who was reared in Jellico, earlier this month at Union’s alumni and friends dinner during the SBC annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala. [Read more…]

A NEW AND EXCITING FUTURE FOR CARSON-NEWMAN

July 9, 2019

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

Charles and Sandra Fowler, center, were introduced June 10 as the new president and first lady of Carson-Newman University by David Ogle, left, chair of the presidential search committee, and Harry Brooks, right, chair of the board of trustees.
-Photo by Charles Key.

Charles Fowler admits he was surprised when he was informed last fall that his name had been put forward as a nomination to be the next president of Carson-Newman University. When I heard the news, I wasn’t the least bit surprised.

I’ve known Charles for years. He is a gracious leader possessing a long and strong identity with, and understanding of, Tennessee Baptists. He has outstanding academic credentials, a pastor’s heart and a theologian’s mind. The CNU presidential search committee did an outstanding job of cultivating excellent candidates for the position and diligently prayed over and vetted each candidate. Just as I wasn’t surprised by Dr. Fowler’s nomination, I wasn’t surprised at the news of his selection. He started his new role July 1. [Read more…]

SHOW OF SOLIDARITY AT UNION

May 17, 2019

By Nathan Hendley
Union University news office

Art students at Union University in Jackson construct a cathedral sculpture to show solidarity with Christians who have lost their churches across the United States and world via acts of violence. — Photo by Kristi Woody

JACKSON — Union University’s art department is building a sculpture to show solidarity with those whose churches have been destroyed in recent months.

Lee Benson, university professor of art and department chair, said the new sculpture was initially envisioned to stand in solidarity with the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris after a fire broke out there in April. He said it was expanded to honor six African-American churches that were burned in Louisiana in April and March and the churches destroyed in Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka. [Read more…]

GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE LEADS TO TWO WRONGS

May 17, 2019

By Todd E. Brady
Union University vice president for university ministries

They say that two wrongs don’t make a right. That saying has certainly proven true this month concerning recent events related to a Christian adoption agency and the government. [Read more…]

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