6 / 36
CIU
News
President Bill Jones Concerned about Threats to
Religious Liberty
Columbia International University President Dr. Bill Jones joined with the presidents
of six other evangelical schools in South Carolina to deliver an open letter to South
Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. The presidents are concerned that federal and state
actions could ultimately deny their schools the ability to fulfill their faith-based
missions and called for vigilance in the protection of religious institutions.
They cited as an example a California bill that as originally introduced, would have
denied college students in that state the ability to participate in state grant programs
if institutions were found in violation of state gender identity policies. The presidents
also warned of the impact of regulatory mandates on churches and educational
institutions that could force students to use bathrooms and showers with members
of the opposite biological sex, even though to do so violates the privacy of students
who may object on the basis of their deeply held religious values.
Gov. Haley responded with a statement that said, “South Carolina has a proud
tradition of upholding religious freedom,” and that she looks “forward to working
with the universities to make sure we continue to honor that tradition.”
Women’s Prison Initiative Celebrates Graduation
A group of 14 female South Carolina prison inmates were encouraged to “allow other
inmates into their lives” so they can share with them “the gospel of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.”
The message came from Peggie Johnson, a long-time mentor and professor to the
women – the second cohort of female student-inmates to graduate from the CIU
Prison Initiative program. Johnson was the commencement speaker at the graduation
June 10 held at the Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution located among
the sprawling state corrections facilities directly across the Broad River from the CIU
campus.
The CIU Prison Initiative is a two-year, Associate of Arts degree program designed
to prepare inmates for ministry within the state’s prison system. Since the program
began, a total of 124 male and female student-inmates have graduated and are
serving as chaplain’s assistants in many of the Department of Correction’s 23
institutions across the state. About 1,400 South Carolina inmates are female.
It is to these women that Peggie Johnson told the cohort to “grant them access to
you, to your love for God, and your love for one another, because it is written that
they will know that you are His disciples because you have love for one another.”
Unfortunately, CIU Prison Initiative Director Andre Melvin says that “due to
institutional changes and extenuating circumstances,” the CIU Prison Initiative
among women is suspended for the foreseeable future. But he says CIU will still
minister among the female prison population using non-credit Bible studies. The
CIU Prison Initiative among the male inmates continues as normal.
Farnsworth Coaches at
United World Games
Imagine you’re the
coach of a soccer
team that is about
to compete in
an international
tournament. But
you’ve never met
your players. That’s
the situation CIU
Women’s Soccer
Coach Kara
Farnsworth found herself in over the
summer. Not only had she not met the
players, the players had never met each
other.
Farnsworth’s reputation in collegiate
soccer earned her a spot as the coach
of a girls 19-and-under team in the
Olympic-style United World Games
played in Austria in June. The American
team, known as The Stripes (for the
stripes in the U.S. flag) consisted of some
of the top talent among college-bound
girls from across the United States.
“The good news was that by the time the
tournament started they all knew each
other’s names,” Farnsworth said with
a chuckle in her voice, noting also the
quick assessments she had to make to
formulate a winning team.
The Stripes won their first game and
finished third in the tournament.
Coach Kara
Farnsworth (left)
Commencement Speaker Peggie Johnson
6
CIU Today
Fall 2016
CIU NEWS