In April, an article by MB Biblical Seminary professor Pierre Gilbert was awarded top honors in the Evangelical Press Association (EPA)'s Higher Goals Contest. The article, entitled "The Relentless God: A reflection on Jonah," was published in the February 2004 edition of the Christian Leader, a publication of the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.

About this report

THIS IS A SPECIAL REPORT to the supporters of Fresno Pacific University and the members of the sponsoring Pacific District Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches.

We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this report. We gratefully acknowledge all contributions. Please call to our attention any omissions or errors by contacting the Advancement Office at 559-453-2080.

Moving on . . .

Traveling light, taking what matters

“Have we got everything?”

Around my house we don’t leave home without saying that phrase. What with Mom, Dad, two boys and often a grandma or two cramming into the Caravan for trips to school, church and—Oh happy day—the beach, those are the last words on our lips as our glance lingers to see if we left behind anything we’ll need down the road.

The spiritual and the intellectual are both necessary to life, graduates were told during commencement ceremonies May 7 at Fresno Pacific University. "It will always be important to analyze data carefully, to evaluate critically where information comes from, to rely on original sources and to compare one's understandings with friends and colleagues — and to do all this with Christian humility, with intellectual hospitality," speaker Rod Janzen told 299 graduates, their families and friends.

Music with a Moldovan flavor is next on the list for the Pacific Artist Series at Fresno Pacific University.

Patmos will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 17, 2005, in the McDonald Hall Atrium on the campus, 1717 S. Chestnut Ave, south of the Butler-Chestnut intersection.

This chamber-style instrumental ensemble from Moldova was formed in 1992 to minister around the world through music. The group has performed in Europe, Canada, the United States and at the Feast of the Tabernacles in Jerusalem.

Extending our reach

Community makes academics work at FPU

Once students at the institution that would be Fresno Pacific University all ate together, and anyone who didn’t show could expect friends to swing by the dorm to see what was up.

That’s what they called community—a force that’s a lot more than good feeling at FPU. It’s the heart of our academic, professional and ethical development. Community is the faculty member who guides a student to graduate school.

Passing on the challenge

Deciding what to keep so we can pass it on

“Happy 60th anniversary!”

Say that to a husband and wife and forgive them if they swell with pride. What they have achieved through love, respect, faith, humor and hard work is rare and wonderful and worthy of a monument.

Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary has been selected to receive a grant of $1.6 million from the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. to participate in a national program to provide opportunities for high-school-age young people to engage in theological study and inquiry.

Seminaries and divinity schools were invited to create new programs that provide opportunities for young people to have a serious intellectual encounter with the theological resources of the Christian faith and to explore in depth its significance for their own lives and vocations.