Dr David Penner’s Farewell purposes, not your abilities. Don’t be by Helen Pearson, PRO proud about your own humility, but Photos: Manfred Lemke & Helen Pearson “do the needful”. Finally, when everything goes wrong, remember s the rain poured down and the psalmist’s simple word, “But” Newbold Church Centre filled as it is used in Psalm 31: “For I hear to capacity, Principal David the slander of many; there is terror APenner delivered his final on every side. But I trust in you, public address to the 2008 gradu- O Lord.” ’ ates and their teachers, families, From the local community, the friends and well-wishers. Rector of Binfield, Revd Bill Meyer, At the end of July, Dr Penner and the Mayor of Bracknell Forest leaves the College after six years as Borough Council, Councillor Robert principal to take up his new post as Edger, also participated in the director of Leadership Initiatives for service. Vice-principal Dr Michael the School of Public Health at Loma Pearson bade a public farewell to Linda University in California. As Dr Penner, Admissions Officer, Mrs speaker for the annual Awards Josee-Marie Penner, and lecturer in Ceremony, his parting concern was History, Dr Kay Traille, all of whom to share his thoughts as a student are leaving the College. Pastor Don leadership in this extremely arduous the 1958 Graduation Class and sub- and teacher of leadership with the McFarlane, leader of the Seventh- and complex job, his deep love of sequently minister and administrator 2008 graduates. ‘All of you will, at day Adventist Church in the UK, led the Newbold tradition, his enjoyment in the Seventh-day Adventist Church some time, be placed in a position of in a prayer of dedication for the of student company, and his open in the British Union Conference, leadership,’ he said. graduates. door to all comers. said: ‘This morning’s Graduation From the 8,000 secular theories Inevitably, this concluding event Among the well-wishers hon- Ceremony was a highlight of the of leadership, Dr Penner chose five of the school year brought reflections oured in the ceremony were Newbold weekend for me. I watched the principles with biblical bases to pass on Dr Penner’s own leadership style graduates from a different era who graduates and I thought, “What a on to the 56 graduates from 31 while carrying out the role of princi- came with their spouses to celebrate super bunch! They are just exactly countries. ’Forget about trying to be pal. In bidding him farewell, the the 50th anniversary of their gradua- like we were 50 years ago. What a a hero. Don’t worry about your own vice-principal described Dr Penner’s tion in 1958 (see picture on page 8). great heritage!” ’ abilities – God chooses for his courteous and gentle style of Pastor Martin Anthony, president of >8 Committed Newboldians by Helen Pearson, PRO Pat and Len Eastwood with their daughter Keren Milanovic who graduated with a BS in Behavioural Science. Keren is the third Eastwood child to graduate from Newbold in twelve years. Steven, who graduated in 1996, is now pastor of the San Louis Obispo and Moro Bay churches in California. Kaylene, who graduated in 1998, is now running an accountancy business with her husband in Weimar, Northern California. Keren goes on from Newbold to study for her PGCE in primary school teaching at Reading University. Pat and Len were themselves students at Newbold in the 60s and are proud of the way their children have all come through by working hard and not running up any debts. 1 Messenger opposite! Actually, I think he was many answers to that, and among living standard?’ I doubt we would be saying that it wasn’t the Jews, the them would be their distrust of organ- so keen to answer ‘Yes’ to that one! hearers of God’s law, whom God saw ised religion. Another answer may be There are things we believe in as righteous. Rather, God looked with that the theory sounds better than the theory, then there is the way we actu- Stand up and be counted! favour at those (be they Jew or non- practice. If the children are to be ally live. A challenge for each of us is Jew) who actually responded and trained in those things, then the most to live the way we feel we ought to Don McFarlane obeyed the law. likely place to get those values is at live. Bearing in mind the initial survey We could extend that principle and church. However, if the children are response regarding children, can we say that it isn’t those who say the to go to church, then it would be logi- instil religious and spiritual values in right thing but rather those who do cal for the parents to go with them. our children? Actually, Christians the right thing that God smiles upon. Is it a case of ‘Do what I say but don’t do too badly on that score. This thought came to my mind as I not what I do?’ I suspect we are all Every Christian I have known, I Lillian Ladelle is my kind of Christian! I hadn’t people of faith. Seventy-two percent claimed In late 2005 members of at least two came across a survey just published. guilty of that at times. If we as think without exception, has wanted heard about her prior to 11 July, when her face to be Christians. This figure came as a sur- churches were stopped by police officers in It found that around two in every Christians were asked: ‘In order to their children to love God and live his three adults think religious and spiri- eradicate poverty, is it best that way. appeared on the front cover of the Daily Mail. prise to many, particularly those who had Newcastle city centre from distributing free with Jonathan Barrett tual values are important in a child’s everyone in the world has a similar There will, no doubt, be areas in For those of you who missed the story, this happily concluded that Britain was no longer a literature promoting the Christian faith. development. This was according to a living standard?’ we may well say our lives where we find it tough brave woman stood up for her Christian val- Christian country. The truth is that the majority Again, this was done under the Clean Children’s Society poll. The findings ‘Yes’. However, if we were asked: ‘In actually to do the things we say we Lues and her religious convictions against the of us believe in Christian values and desire Neighbourhoods and Environment Act. Spiritual were part of a summary of evidence order to eradicate poverty, would you believe in. May God help us to be not might of Islington Council in London. As a reg- the freedom to live according to our Christian However, when confronted with the exemption on values submitted to the Society’s be willing to reduce significantly your just hearers or talkers, but doers! istrar, she refused to conduct civil partnership convictions. clause, the police had to back down. Good Childhood Inquiry whose final ceremonies for same-sex couples and, as a Some laws passed by Parliament in recent The two cases demonstrate that there values and report is due to be published early JOB VACANCY AT ADRA-UK result, attracted the disfavour of her employ- years appear on the surface to be helpful to are people and forces in society who are next year. ADRA-UK has a vacancy for the position of Advancement Officer. Responsibilities ers. The Mail said that she was threatened Christians and everyone else, but they are prepared to silence the religious voice and It is surprising, really, that so include the key role in planning and executing the major gifts programmes; creating with the sack, bullied and ‘thrown before the being used to curtail the actions of Christians use any law which appears to support their children many adults think that way, given the and managing new programmes for the identification, cultivation, solicitation and statistics about how many people stewardship of existing as well as prospective individual major donors; communicating lions’ for her refusal to act contrary to her and stifle the proclamation of the Gospel. position. in writing and in person with individual donors to inform them of ADRA-UK goals and convictions. Take, for example, the Equality Act which So what does the action of Lillian Ladelle regularly attend a church service programmes. ‘It is not those who hear the law who (around 7%). ADRA-UK is offering this position in the first instance as a one-year contract. Gross Miss Ladelle took Islington Council to an prohibits discrimination in the provision of say to us? First, it says that Christians as are righteous in God’s sight, but it is I find it curious that what we say salary from £30,012 p.a. industrial tribunal, which concluded that her goods, facilities, services, use of premises members of society have rights as everyone those who obey the law who will be in opinion polls often seems at vari- All details of the position together with an application form are available on the ADRA-UK website www.adra.org.uk, or by emailing [email protected], or by writing to employers had ridden roughshod over her faith and education. else does. We cannot afford to allow organisa- declared righteous.’ Romans 2:13. ance with the way we actually live. If Recruitment, Stanborough Park, Watford, Herts, WD25 9JZ.