How did you get to be a student at Southeastern Bible College?

[Jenny Ellison]

How did you hear about SEBC? Tell me a bit about how you came to hear about the school or tell me of someone who played an important role in you getting here. I'd like to use some of your comments in an upcoming newsletter. Don't be shy!

Jenny :)

[Jenny Ellison]

Thank you so much for sharing with me!
Jenny :)

Delores Callahan Vega said:

I was sixteen years old and at the Chalkville Campus of the Department of Youth Services (reform school); SEBC provided students to teach Sunday School. It was there that I heard the testimony of Anne Parham Collins and she sounded a lot like me, a troubled, lost teenager. Until that time, I thought I could never be good enough to be a Christian. It was there I learned that salvation is a gift, not something you earn or deserve by being good. I accepted Jesus as my Saviour on Christmas Eve looking out my the window of a reform school. From that day on, I began to study and learn from the Word of God.

When I was released from the school in the summer of 1952, I went to live with my sister in her very crowded apartment. Anne came to visit me there and realized that to continue to grow in the Lord I needed another environment. Anne, a student herself at SEBC, found a boarding house near Ramsey High School and paid for me to live there while I finished high school. She provided funds for my room and food for a year and a half, when I went to live with my Sunday School teacher who had become a close friend.

From the moment of my salvation, there was never any doubt that I would attend SEBC. During the time when I was finishing high school, I attended Monday night Bible study and loved growing in knowledge of our Lord.

Anne and her husband, Malon Colins, graduated from SEBC and went to the mission field. We lost touch for many years and only last year re-connected over the internet. What a thrill it was to find Anne again after all these years. I owe her a debt of gratitude I can never repay and thank God for her life and testimony which literallly saved mine.

I hope you can use this, Jenny, Anne has been and continues to be a faithful servant of the Lord who has totally surrendered her life to be used in His service. Students at SEBE may never know how they are effecting the lives of those around them but their testimony is important and used by God for the salvation of many. My days at SEBC were joyful, fulfilling and edifying in every way. The knowledge gained and fellowship enjoyed there have served me well, I thank God for SEBC.

[John Erwin]

Nepotism! :-)

[Judy Erwin Boyne]

Ditto! :-) And let me tell you...it was tough following in those Erwin footsteps!! Talk about a legacy!!

[Jenny Ellison]

I asked Dr. Hawkins about John's answer and he explained! I never knew all that!

Jenny :)

Judy Erwin Boyne said:

Ditto! :-) And let me tell you...it was tough following in those Erwin footsteps!! Talk about a legacy!!

[Norman Gillaspie]

Dad told me I was !! Just kidding. Would not have had it any other way! Met my wife of 35 years, made great friends and wonderful memories

[Cindy Johnson Spaugh]

My parents desired that their kids go to Bible College. When I was about in 5th grade, Dr. Alden Gannett came to our church for a Bible conference. He stayed in our home for the week. My sister Susie later decided that God wanted her to go to Southeastern - where she met and married Dr. Gannett's son, Ron. (That's a story in itself.) When she was a senior, I started as a freshman. I really loved my years at Southeastern. I came from a small church where there was only one other person my age attending. (There was a big youth group when my older sisters were in high school.) It was so great to have so many Christian friends at SBC - who wanted to study the Bible.

[Cindy Johnson Spaugh]

Cindy Johnson Spaugh said:

My parents desired that their kids go to Bible College. When I was about in 5th grade, Dr. Alden Gannett came to our church for a Bible conference. He stayed in our home for the week. My sister Susie later decided that God wanted her to go to Southeastern - where she met and married Dr. Gannett's son, Ron. (That's a story in itself.) When she was a senior, I started as a freshman. I really loved my years at Southeastern. I came from a small church where there was only one other person my age attending. (There was a big youth group when my older sisters were in high school.) It was so great to have so many Christian friends at SBC - who wanted to study the Bible.

My younger sister later attended Southeastern as did her husband, 2 nieces, 2 nephews, and 2 of my own children as well as the spouses of all of the above (except mine and one niece's) - even had a cousin graduate from there too. There have been many from the Johnson clan attend!

[Eileen Hinkle Rife]

A TN CBM staffer took a group of us junior counselors down to SBC for a college-for-a-weekend. Not sure they called it that back then :), but that's what it was in essence. After widdling my search down to two colleges, I chose SBC because of its solid doctrinal instruction, and after seeing the campus, my heart was captured by the quaint buildings (on Pawnee Ave. at the time) and family feel of the place.

[Tim Carroll]

Believe it or not, I listended to the voice of an "Angel". After attending the same denominational church since I was a baby, our attendance was more and more sporatic. In the fall of my junior year of high school our family started visiting a local "Bible" church where I was hearing the Bible taught for the first time. The new "youth pastor" who attended SBC, had just started his "Christian Service" assignment at this church. Each week he kept inviting me to go out with the group after church on Sunday. When he could not talk me into going to one of these meetings, he simply brought the whole group to my house for a surprise visit. Wow! I had never had someone pursue me so vigoriously. The next Sunday, the invitation was presented to me to attend one of the meetings. Running low on excuses and eager to try out my new drivers license, I went to the youth meeting across town, at the home of one of the church families. I don't remember a whole lot about this evening other than the gospel message being so clearly presented by this "Angel". The Spirit of God tugged deeply on my heart and that night I trusted Christ as my Savior. This "Angel" however would not let me go -- he took me under his wings, became a friend, brother and spiritual mentor for me. He quickly introduced me to SBC and to many of the wonderful students there. I felt at home on campus long before I ever started attending. When it was time for me to choose a college, I wanted to have the same impact on the lives of others, that this "Angel" had had on my life. It seemed an obvious choice then that I would want to be trained at the same place that he was. In the Fall of 1972 I became a student at SBC. I will be forever grateful for my "Angel", Angel Ribo -- Class of 1973!

[Carol Cole Mayes]

I came to Southeastern really on a lark! My best friend Kathy Brown had encouraged me to come for one semester. I was dating someone very seriously at that point in New Orleans but he had already gone to school by himself for a semester, so I decided it was my turn to go to school by myself. We had planned to probably get married that summer, however, things just didn't work out for us because I met someone who stole my heart. I dated David off and on during the 3 years I was there, and then I guess we finally broke up. I kept going to school taking my required classess for Music until that ended in January 1972 only 3 months from graduation. Anyway, I found the man that God wanted for me at SBC and together raised 3 beautiful children and have 3 wonderful grandchildren (one with special needs but simply precious anyway). His birthday will be this next weekend, and we will go to Houston for his 4th birthday party!. My children started a little later than usual having a family. I told them that I would let my hair go gray when I was a grandmother. Chip told me I had better buy a case of hair dye because it didn't seem like anytime soon. All of a sudden, Joanna was pregnant, but I elected to keep my hair colored because I am just too cool and young to be gray. I'll be 60 years old on my next birthday in January, and boy oh boy does that feel old. So anyway, I came to SBC on a lark and then just stayed because I loved it so much. I took Coral Directing and never thought in a million years I would direct a church choir. Well guess what, I do and I have a group of about 22. We're mostly older but we have a great time! I wish Kathy was around to tell her thank you for her influence in my going to Southeastern. Lots of wonderful memories and lots of hard times too, but God was always so good.

[Linda Erwin]

Other than the fact that my dad was the dean...Actually I planned to go north to Kings College (used to be located in New Yord State) then the Lord showed me clearly that that was not His will. I cried for 2 weeks and then gave in! [I wasn't crying because I was going to SEBC...I was crying because I wasn't going to Kings!] The Lord knew best but it was a hard row to hoe...I learned as much outside the classroom as I did inside. It wasn't so bad being just one block from home! I went on to get further education at UAB but the Biblical foundation from SEBC best served me in life as well as school counselor.

[Paula Alexander (Polly Bell)]

I love these testimonies of how God led us to Southeastern, and mine, like several others, involves the witness and ministry of SBC students. I sporadically attended a small mission church where several Southeastern students ministered. Priscilla and Gene Cox, along with the other students kept encouraging me to consider going to Bible College but I had no interest and no money. I wouldn't even go to Youth Conference, but Priscilla invited me to come for a sleep-over at her apartment and attend the last Sat. morning meeting. God pulled at my heart so strongly, I can still remember the feeling and His voice calling me. I submitted to His will, and He has never failed me. I'm so thankful for those days. Shortly after arriving I realized that once and for all I needed to commit my life to following Christ. So there in the garden I prayed, "Lord, I've prayed this prayer many times, but this time, just in case I never meant it before, I'm asking Jesus to be my Lord and Savior, and I'll never doubt again." There in the lower section of the garden, I placed my stake. Outside of my dear husband, Mike Alexander, Southeastern faculty and students have had the greatest influence on my Spiritual life. I am forever grateful.