Thursday (Sept 10) I spent a good part of my day driving to and from the Kentucky Mountain Bible College. From Lexington, the 88 miles from my house to the campus followed Interstate 64 to the Mountain Parkway to Route 15 to State Road 205. Signs to the college pointed the way and the drive into the mountains on a beautiful fall day was, well, inspirational.
I went because two weeks ago one of the professors, Dr. John Neihof, invited me to come and promote the Academy of Preachers. He had heard about the Academy from Jonathan Scott, whom he had heard preach at a holiness camp meeting in southern Indiana. Jonathan is pastor of a Nazarene congregation, a student at Oakland City University, and a member of the Young Preachers Leadership Team.
“Come up here to our college,” John said to me. “We have students who will preach at the Festival of Young Preachers, including my son.”
So I went, and had lunch in the dinning hall, and met students from Michigan, Indiana and Mississippi as well as Kentucky. At their invitation I stood and promoted the Academy and the Festival, and after lunch ten students gathered around my table for more information: Josh Huff, Aaron Williams, Mary Ardoin, Walter Dodd, Eric Avery, Alex Hilare, Melissa Barnett, Ean Green, Ross Foley, and Nathan Neihof.
“Our ministerial students are scheduled to take a January term course,” explained Academic Dean Tom Lorimer, “but we will see what we can work out so our young preachers can attend the Festival.”
By nightfall, I had received follow-up emails from Professor Neiholf and Dean Lorimer, and messages (phone, email and Facebook) from three of the students. I think as many as five of these students will show up in Louisville ready to preach in January!
I am glad I went to the Kentucky Mountain Bible College and I will be glad when they come to the Festival. The Festival of Young Preachers cannot be all it can be unless the young preachers of this holiness school can bring their distinctive brand of enthusiasm and exhortation to St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville.