Honour to Whom Honour is Due

by: Mike Austin

The presence of our graduates at the Reunion caused me to think of many things, not the least of them being those whose generosity makes the work of the Bible College possible.  Among the large number of church and individual supporters are two people that had the foresight to name the Bible College and its students as a beneficiary of their estates through the South Pacific Christian Education Foundation.

I first met Jack and Dawn Russ in Nelson in 1978 at the Parkers Road Church of Christ.  A year or so later my wife, Sue, I and moved to Nelson to work with that congregation.  I had all of eighteen months experience in ministry so you can imagine the gaps in my “armour” taking on my first work in which I was “the minister”.  God provided a great mentor for this young man in Jack Russ.  Jack was an “old” man of 50 then and I looked to him as Timothy did to Paul.  Jack loved his wife, his family, the Lord, His church and the lost.  Jack never attended a Bible College but he was a preacher with a profound simplicity and amazing ability to illustrate truth with life.  Jack had a passion for souls, always talking about his “contacts’ and who he was “studying with”.  He could never understand why people wouldn’t want a bible study!  Thirty years on Jacks desire to preach and reach out was unabated!  Jack went to his reward in January this year.  During his spiritual lifetime Jack taught me lessons in perseverance, passion, optimism, loyalty, generosity, gardening, storytelling, recycling, faith and fishing!!  Jack mentored more men than me and each of those have their own stories to tell of the influence of a true servant of our Lord Jesus Christ.  One of the many ways that Jack and Dawn’s faith lives on is through the endowment given in his will to the Bible College.

In early 2009 another endowment was received specifically for the support of students. This gift came from Alpha Armstrong, who was a member of the Jefferson Boulevard Church of Christ in Dallas, Texas, USA.  Her daughter, Ann Tomaszewski, contacted us for details of how to carry out her mother’s wishes.  To my way of thinking, this dear sister in Christ exercised great faith in her generosity.  Her contact with the college was indirect.  She had not met most of us nor had she seen the college or even its graduates.  Yet, she trusted God, and us, to exercise good stewardship of some of her earthly goods!  She sent her gift halfway around the world to provide opportunity for students from all around the world to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Great faith, great example, great spirit!