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ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
ALUMNI
Paul Tripp (‘72) – Following his Passion
Pastor, author, and conference speaker, Paul David Tripp, president of Paul Tripp Ministries, works to connect the transforming
power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. With 17 books on Christian living and speaking engagements around the world, Paul’s
driving passion is to help people understand how the gospel of Jesus Christ speaks with practical hope into a broken world.
God used Paul’s experiences growing up to create a desire in him to see the gospel
applied to the realities of a fallen world. In 1972, he graduated from Columbia
International University, (then Columbia Bible College) with bachelor degrees in
Bible and Christian Education. He also has a Master of Divinity from the Reformed
Episcopal Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Counseling from the
Westminster Theological Seminary.
God has allowed Paul to use his gifts and passions in many different ways over
the years. He planted a church in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he pastored for 11
years. While there, he founded a Christian school, wrote worship songs, and even
toured with a Christian band.
Paul was a faculty member at the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation
(CCEF) and an adjunct professor at Westminster Theological Seminary for
many years, and has served in other faculty positions at seminaries
around the country. With a pastor’s heart for pastors, Paul also
founded the Center for Pastoral Life and Care, where he currently
serves as executive director.
A Companion with a Passion
Paul has had a steady companion
and supporter through the years,
his wife Luella, who also is a
1972 graduate of CIU. Luella’s
passion is abstract art, which
led her to own and direct
popular art galleries in
Philadelphia for several
years, to collaborate on
national exhibitions, place art in both personal
and corporate collections, sell art work through interior
designers, and participate in two international art fairs.
More recently, Luella began representing artists as an art
dealer and consultant.
Paul and Luella are both exercising their gifts to God’s glory, as
they pursue the passion He has ignited in each of them. They live
in Philadelphia and have four grown children.
Hear Dr. Paul Tripp speak at the President’s Banquet
at Homecoming 2016. Register at
ciu.edu/hc16.34
CIU Today
Fall 2016