Winter 2012 - Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association
Winter 2012 - Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association Winter 2012 - Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association
As Dr. Herbert Grover summed up the presentation given by the guest speaker for the School of Mathematics and Sciences’ 2012 Homecoming Lecture, he made an observation. Grover, who is Dean of the School of Mathematics and Sciences, looked out over the lecture hall and then drew attention to a particular part of the crowd. “Look over here and in this corner is half the religion faculty — in the science building,” Grover said, 6 footprints alluding to the worldviews of the two disciplines, which many believe are in conflict with one another. Those worldviews are not in conflict for that day’s speaker, Wayland graduate Dr. John Blevins who is a medical doctor in Midland. Blevins’ topic was how his time as a student at the university helped prepare him to do medical mission work. He was quick to point out his impression of the compatibility of science and religion as he spent an hour talking to students in the Moody Science Building. Blevins explained that from his perspective as a medical doctor Wayland graduate Dr. John Blevins was on campus as the guest speaker for the School of Math and Sciences during Homecoming 2012. Here, Blevins, right, talks with Dr. Glyndle Feagin after his presentation. Blevins uses medicine to share the gospel Story by Richard Porter who also is a Christian, science and religion are not in conflict because “they answer two very different questions.” Science answers the question of how the world was created while religion addresses the question of why. In fact, he continued, his spirituality is critical to much of his day-to-day work as a physician. He pointed out that particularly in West Texas doctors treat people who have a background of faith but regardless of background patients often will be dealing with faith issues — particularly those who have critical or terminal illnesses. It is a challenge
to help those patients without a spiritual perspective, he said. For him, that was a critical part of what he got from his time as a student at Wayland. “I feel like the faculty all helps you integrate that,” he said, adding that he should know since his interests required that he take classes under several different disciplines. Blevins explained that he had always felt that God was calling him to be a doctor, but also to do mission work. At the same time, he enjoyed music and was active in the university’s music program. He realized as a teenager that he could combine his callings through medical mission work and that realization played a key role in the choices he made about his future and the focus he was going to need to reach the goal of becoming a medical missionary. Wayland’s role in that process was not only to allow him to get a quality education, but one with a strong emphasis on spirituality and “ethically-based research.” The faculty not only taught him the appropriate material in the classroom but helped him understand the importance of organizing his time, maximizing his energy and continuing to learn on his own, outside of the classroom. In short, Wayland taught him the discipline he would need to make it through the challenges of medical school. “Wayland taught me how to teach myself,” he said, adding that the faculty prided itself in “teaching you how to become a lifelong learner.” Blevins said he went to med Patients line up outside a medical clinic in rural Uganda hoping to see Wayland graduate and physician Dr. John Blevins. Blevins was part of a medical mission team that spent several days in the country. school (UT Galveston) with students from prestigious universities from across the country and was surprised at how well he fit in, academically. In fact, he continued, he spent much of his first two years simply reviewing what he already had learned as an undergrad. “I graduated number five in my class because Wayland prepared me,” he said. While that academic background was important, Blevins told the students that the mental toughness and discipline he got from his Wayland professors was just as important, if not more so. After all, he said, while he had first felt called to be a medical missionary as a teenager, it took him almost two decades to realize that goal. Blevins got his first opportunity footprints 7
- Page 1 and 2: Welcome Miss Wayland
- Page 3: FOOTPRINTS Volume 58, No. 3 Editori
- Page 6 and 7: her. She left school and took a few
- Page 10 and 11: Wayland grad and physician Dr. John
- Page 12 and 13: Anchorage student finds Christ in t
- Page 14 and 15: Operatically Gifted WBU music stude
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- Page 18 and 19: Stephen Padilla, his wife, Judi, an
- Page 20 and 21: Oldest alum celebrates 104 (This st
- Page 22 and 23: Members of the Wayland Student Chap
- Page 24 and 25: Harrelson tagged as Player/Coach Th
- Page 26 and 27: Fall success for Pioneer sports Way
- Page 28 and 29: Athletics Wrap saves while allowing
- Page 30 and 31: From a Friend Dr. Joel Boyd Bachelo
- Page 32 and 33: Wayland Mission Center Dr. Richard
- Page 34 and 35: $5 million gift will fund Dean muse
- Page 36 and 37: News in Brief Enrollment up; studen
- Page 38 and 39: Class notes In Loving Memory Christ
- Page 40 and 41: Gifts that Keep on Giving Want to r
- Page 42 and 43: 2010s LANCE HEINEN, BA’12, accept
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As Dr. Herbert Grover<br />
summed up the presentation<br />
given by the<br />
guest speaker for the School of<br />
Mathematics and Sciences’ <strong>2012</strong><br />
Homecoming Lecture, he made an<br />
observation.<br />
Grover, who is Dean of the<br />
School of Mathematics and Sciences,<br />
looked out over the lecture hall<br />
and then drew attention to a particular<br />
part of the crowd.<br />
“Look over here and in this corner<br />
is half the religion faculty — in<br />
the science building,” Grover said,<br />
6 footprints<br />
alluding to the worldviews of the two<br />
disciplines, which many believe are<br />
in conflict with one another.<br />
Those worldviews are not in conflict<br />
for that day’s speaker, <strong>Wayland</strong><br />
graduate Dr. John Blevins who is a<br />
medical doctor in Midland. Blevins’<br />
topic was how his time as a student<br />
at the university helped prepare him<br />
to do medical mission work. He was<br />
quick to point out his impression<br />
of the compatibility of science and<br />
religion as he spent an hour talking<br />
to students in the Moody Science<br />
Building.<br />
Blevins explained that from his<br />
perspective as a medical doctor<br />
<strong>Wayland</strong> graduate Dr. John Blevins was<br />
on campus as the guest speaker for the<br />
School of Math and Sciences during Homecoming<br />
<strong>2012</strong>. Here, Blevins, right, talks with<br />
Dr. Glyndle Feagin after his presentation.<br />
Blevins uses medicine to share the gospel<br />
Story by Richard Porter<br />
who also is a Christian, science and<br />
religion are not in conflict because<br />
“they answer two very different<br />
questions.” Science answers the<br />
question of how the world was<br />
created while religion addresses the<br />
question of why.<br />
In fact, he continued, his spirituality<br />
is critical to much of his<br />
day-to-day work as a physician. He<br />
pointed out that particularly in West<br />
Texas doctors treat people who have<br />
a background of faith but regardless<br />
of background patients often will<br />
be dealing with faith issues — particularly<br />
those who have critical or<br />
terminal illnesses. It is a challenge
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