Friends of Faith Celebrate Successful “Power of One” Campaign

October 19, 2023

Friends of Faith gathered on October 12 to celebrate the successful conclusion to the fall fundraising campaign with an elegant banquet. This year’s campaign, “The Power of One,” emphasized God’s power displayed through individuals committed to Him. Over twelve weeks, the advancement office sought to raise $450,000 to be used for facility improvements on campus ($300,000) and student scholarships ($150,000). Total cash receipts equaled $483,728, exceeding the goal by over $30,000.

The ambience of the banquet was refined and the meal delectable. Highlights from the evening included the attendance of three former presidents of Faith: Dr. James Maxwell, Dr. Ernest Schmidt, and Dr. David Boylan, who is 101 years old. The evening also included music from the chorale and orchestra, as well as stirring testimonies from student Caleb Neumann about how God has used Faith to turn his heart toward missions and from Dr. Dennis Wilkening, Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling in the college. President Jim Tillotson and Mr. Dan Bjokne, Vice President for Advancement, also shared brief comments, each rejoicing in what God has been doing at Faith and in and through our alumni and current students.

In his remarks, Mr. Bjokne recapped how God has used generous gifts from friends of Faith to complete numerous projects over the past eight years. These projects include the following:

• The total renovation of the former Music Building into Shipp Hall, home of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary ($300,000)
• The construction of Domokos Hall, which houses faculty offices, the IT department, eight music practice rooms, and a large conference room that doubles as a state-of-the-art classroom ($2,200,000)
• The many updates to the Nettleton Center, including the new gymnasium floor, the renovated Student Center, and the new furniture and historical wall art in hallways and Alumni Hall
• The newly poured concrete circle in the center of campus and sidewalks across campus ($600,000)
• The construction of two maintenance garages

Numerous other campus improvements were completed because of the generous and sacrificial contributions of God’s people.

Reflecting on all these improvements over the last eight years, we say with the psalmist, “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad” (Ps. 126:3). We give Him thanks, and we give you thanks. Your prayers and gifts are not insignificant. God is using every one of you in powerful ways as you partner with us in our mission. We are just one Bible college, but as we serve God, the all-powerful One, we are confident that this one school can make a significant difference for the cause of Christ as our alumni and students take the Word to the World.