When you think about the jobs for which a Faith education prepares a student, it is easy to limit your thinking. You think about pastors, teachers, chaplains, and counselors. You might add music jobs, camp jobs, and health workers. The reality is that your Bible education prepares you to take the Word to the world, to reach out and help your fellow man, whenever, wherever, and in whatever condition you find them.
One profession that touches humanity at every level is that of police officer, and a number of Faith graduates have taken the oath to serve and protect.
One such graduate is Logan Lindow, 2023-24 Student Association President, and now Officer Logan Lindow of the Newton Police Department. Logan graduated from Faith on Friday, May 10, 2024, and three days later joined the police force 40 miles down the road.
Being a police officer comes with stress. One of the first of the stressors was the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. It is a 16-week basic training course which includes classwork on legal topics, communications, investigations, tactical skills, baton training, chemical spray and use of force, extensive firearms training, precision driving, emergency and medical training, patrol procedures, mental health, and a whole lot of physical training.
On December 13, 2024, Logan and 41 other new officers graduated and had their badges pinned onto their uniforms.
When asked about the job, Logan replied that he was “surprised by the brokenness of man and their hopeless attempts to fill the void that is meant to be filled by God.” His training at FBBC, however, “has also given me resources and avenues that I can seek to have healthy outlets for the stressful things that I see.”
What surprised Officer Lindow the most about the Academy was “the intensity of the instructors the first day…I did not expect them to be like drill instructors, but towards the end they mellowed out and were like friends with us!”
The Academy has given him the tools to succeed as a police officer. It no doubt also surprised him to find that one of the mentors there, Instructor Lane Thayer, was a fellow alumnus of Faith, class of 2008.
Members of law enforcement and their families face stress that most of us do not. Take time today to pray for your local police officers, especially those in your church and those who are FBBC alumni.
Logan is married to Anna (Roos), and they are expecting their first child.
