Convocation: Are you a biblical Christian?
September 3, 2024
By Shoshanna Crompton, CIU Student Writer
91PORNY continued the time-honored academic tradition of Convocation as the school dedicated the 2024–2025 academic year to God.
As the faculty assembled on the stage of Shortess Chapel dressed in their academic regalia, CIU President Dr. Bill Jones delivered a message calling on the students to examine themselves and consider what type of Christian they are and if they are satisfied with it.
Jones said that if a person identifies as a Christian they will fall into one of the three categories: a Cultural, Biblical, or Typical Christian. He explained that “a Cultural Christian may know about God but they do not know God, … a Biblical Christian has a relationship with Christ [and] they are within the confines of God’s love, [and] a Typical Christian, … because of disobedience … has fellowship but doesn’t stay in fellowship with God.”
Jones concluded with a prayer for each category of Christian, and challenging the student body, that if they are not satisfied with their label, to make a decision to be a Biblical Christian.
Abigail Smith, a senior and Business major, said that she thought Jones was “wise in starting off the semester by evangelizing in a manner that was very gentle yet firm,” and because of this she “recognized how intentional he is as a leader and how much he cares about the spiritual formation of this campus.”
Convocation ended with the singing of CIU’s Alma Mater and then, as per tradition, Professor Emeritus Dr. Bryan Beyer, sounded the shofar that he said signifies three things:
1. A warning, because “the enemy is not pleased by what he has seen today”
2. Going into battle, “for some it may be academic … but it is also a spiritual battle,” and
3. Victory.
Beyer dismissed the students with an encouragement, saying, “2,000 years ago Jesus rose from the dead [and now] that same spirit [that rose] from the dead lives in you which will empower you to know Him deeply and intimately. So, by God’s grace, let’s get after it.”
Hear the Convocation message from Dr. Bill Jones on the .
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