By Bob Holmes
Will Stroud and Lucky Lee Detty were all smiles as they posed for a photo in the Columbia International University Quad with Dr. David Croteau, dean of the CIU Seminary and School of Counseling.
Stroud and Detty had just crossed the stage of Shortess Chapel in commencement ceremonies for graduate and doctoral students. They were celebrating, not just their master’s degree, but as the first graduates of the Seminary’s new Engage program (formerly known as Competency-Based Theological Education). The program is unique as participants work with one or more field mentors in their ministry context to develop the knowledge and skills needed to demonstrate competency in a given ministry area.
Detty, who was employed in CIU’s Physical Plant for four years, is the founder of Reconciliation Ministries in Columbia that works to feed, house and clothe men who are struggling with drug addiction. He says the Engage program took away his excuses for not pursuing a master’s degree.
“It was affordable, I was going to have one-on-one help, and the thing that I loved about it was that I could focus on the things that mattered to me, which was becoming better at communicating the Word of God,” said Detty.
Stroud is a pastoral resident at Awaken Church in Columbia who says he feels like “God created the program for me.”
“I never saw myself as going to graduate school,” said Stroud, noting he especially enjoyed the mentoring aspect of the program. “They just walk alongside the student in a really cool discipleship relationship as the student walks through their program.”
First Biomedical Sciences Major Ready for Dental School
Meanwhile, at a separate commencement ceremony for undergraduate students, Brandon Hunt stood tall literally and figurately among the graduates gathered outside Shortess Chapel. At 6’9” Hunt played basketball for the CIU Rams, and was now representing another CIU first — the first graduate of the Biomedical Sciences program to enter dental school. He scored in the 90th percentile on the Dental Aptitude Test, and will attend Nova Southeastern University in Florida in the fall where he will train to be an oral surgeon.
“It feels amazing to be a part of the pioneering part of this (Biomedical) program and just knowing how much it’s expanding and how exciting the future is for this program,” said Hunt. “I’m just glad to be a part of the first round of it.”
First Time on Campus, First Time in the USA
“Natalie” was among six students from China who made the trip to the CIU campus to walk across the Shortess Chapel stage. A total of 80 students from China earned master’s degrees online through CIU’s Kepha Institute.
For Natalie, a private school teacher in China, it was also the first time she has been in the United States. After landing in Dallas and then travelling to Columbia, she said she understands why the Southeastern United States is called the Bible Belt.
“I see it with my own eyes, I see the influence,” said Natalie who earned a Master of Education (M.Ed.). “You can see churches everywhere, products with Scriptures or Jesus’ name on it. It’s all Christian-related. At first, I was very touched, but then I realized it’s a cultural thing.”
As for her CIU education, she said having Christ at the heart of the master’s program was the most important aspect of it.
“It’s not about your degree. It’s not about the paper you show people,” Natalie said. “As long as you have the heart, the passion, the strength and power from Christ, then you can do the work.”
Farewell to the Commencement Speaker
The speaker at both commencement ceremonies was CIU Executive Vice President Dr. Rick Christman. He was introduced by President Dr. Bill Jones, who noted that Christman also served as the third interim president in CIU’s 102-year history between 2022 and 2024.
“I can tell you he is the real deal when it comes to following the Lord Jesus Christ and seeking to serve His kingdom,” Jones said, but noting with sadness that Christman is leaving CIU in July to become president of Kingswood University in Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada.
Between commencement ceremonies, Christman reminisced on his six years as a CIU administrator and online professor for doctoral students. He said being able to help students succeed has always been his #1 goal.
“I came from a background that didn’t have access to education, (but) my mom and dad made sure I did,” Christman said. “It’s a blessing to help students walk through difficult times to get to where they finish. That’s been one of my fondest memories, and being able to work with the faculty and staff and administration. CIU is blessed with world-class faculty.”
In his commencement address, Christman advised the graduates to “embrace their uniqueness.”
“Be the person that God has created you to be,” Christman said. “He has designed you to be the person He is going to use to go and share the gospel of Jesus Christ every day of your life. God has made you who He wants you to be if you put your life in His hands.”
View the Graduate and Undergraduate commencements on CIU’s YouTube channel.
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