If You Were An Institution, Would You Be Accredited?

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.” 2 Corinthians 13:5

I have a knack for asking odd questions, something for which I’m not always particularly proud. This one, however, not only makes sense to me, it has actually become paramount in my thinking. It surfaces directly from my involvement with the accreditation process as a member of the board of directors of Urshan Graduate School of Theology. In order to avoid the label of a “paper mill” or accused of granting “mail-order” degrees, we have seriously sought accreditation. In June of 2004, we made the Associate level. That gave us a five year window to get to the next level of Candidate status.

The board has discovered that achieving accreditation has less to do with “bean counting” than it does with more intangible aspects of the school. To the average person, the usual educational components like books in the library or professors with the proper degrees seem to be all that’s necessary. Not the case. The accrediting agency, the Association of Theological Schools ( ATS ) wants much more of us than that. They want to be sure that we are who we say we are and that we do what we say we are going to do. They require a rigorous (read: painful, embarrassing, thorough, costly) self study process in order to earn this coveted standing. UGST is now engaged in this activity. We must look at our purpose, planning and integrity applying institutional standards to learning, teaching, research, theological curriculum, and much more. We even have to look critically at the job we are doing as board members.

Most interestingly, ATS does not judge our theology in terms of other belief systems. They ask one main question: Are you who you say you are? More specifically, they ask if we are fulfilling our mission statement: The mission of the Urshan Graduate School of Theology shall be to provide training, development, advanced studies, and a research center for men and women of the apostolic faith worldwide to further them for Christian service. Who, what, when, where and how are unavoidable questions for the institution to ask itself, all because of its missions statement.

“Examine yourselves.” It may have been tough, but this was precisely Paul’s challenge to the Corinthians. He had grown weary with their constant sinning. Even more irritating to him, however, was their open expression of doubt about his anointing and authority. The Apostle knew something about self examination. He knew it exposes the cracks in our armor, it juxtaposes our boastful claims against the stubborn facts and it shows us where we must begin to correct our course. And, if this is a good question for a church and a school, it may be just as good for an individual. What about you? Are you who you say you are?

The questions you ask yourself had better not be “softball” questions if you want to be accredited. You must ask questions that poke around your integrity, your morality and your spirituality. For example, if your theology informs us that you believe in personal integrity, do you doctor your expense account, hedge on taxes or call in sick so you can play golf? If you say you believe in morality, do you discriminate against people for racist reasons or do play political games at the office to get ahead? If you claim to be spiritual, do you neglect prayer or let your bible collect dust on the shelf? Your theology will determine the questions you ask in your self study.

Let’s try it out on various hypothetical persons. What about a person in a problem marriage? If he or she considers marriage vows to be inviolable, the self-study would zero in on selfishness and commitment. What about persons in financial shambles? If they believe it’s wrong to evade debts or resort to bankruptcy, they will ask questions about their own wastefulness and covetousness. An angry, hostile person should focus on submission, deferment and peacemaking. A substance abuser who believes that he or she is a creation of God needs to ask questions about responsible treatment of God’s property. Persons with no goals or direction in life need to study their giftedness and the opportunities God has placed around them. If you consider yourself to be a Bible-believer, you need to ask yourself some critical questions like these: Am I personally living in compliance with Bible standards and teachings? Do I have a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ? Are my goals and objectives right according to my theology? Am I fulfilling the goals and objectives for me that I believe are right? Do I have a healthy relationship with other people? If my answer to any of these questions is negative, what will I do about it?

Far too many people violate their own theology. Lack of discipline, personal weaknesses; influence of others; desire for pleasure, comfort, acceptance, acclaim, wealth, power; lack of integrity; self-justification; these reasons and more cause them to lead lives disparate with their convictions. The tension that results ends only when actions equal beliefs. At what point will you begin your self-examination?

One more thing from ATS . Self study is endless. That’s because priorities never stay put. Excellence will only be a realized goal in eternity. On earth, the process is all that will ever count.

The Magnanimity Syndrome

As long as I have been aware of anything theological, the church has hailed the incomparable attributes of God. God fills all space, possesses all knowledge, holds all power and exists for all eternity. His grace is unlimited, His love undiminished, His holiness unsullied, His authority unquestioned, His word immutable. No one is bigger, stronger, wiser, holier, better, finer or grander than God. He is the ultimate superlative, the preeminent being.

Apparently, that's not big enough. Certain groups are working overtime to make God (or is it themselves?) appear more magnanimous than even the Bible declares Him to be. They say the grace of God is now big enough to include sin as well as sinners, that salvation extends to any who make a scant nod in the direction of Jesus, that God's holiness is made holier by man's unholiness (huh?) and that God's Word shows its strength by being stretched so far as to contradict itself. They say that down is up, out is in, bad is good and wrong is right. The previously unacceptable is now perfectly acceptable. When we say "no" to him, our magnanimous God is so big that He says "I'll take that as a yes!"

According to these evangelists of the new gospel, not only does our expansive, newly improved edition of God condone homosexuality, he actually created it. He also sanctions abortion, promotes cohabitation, smiles at adultery and encourages creative family partnering to include any combination of male and/or female parents. God has reformed his antiquated and repressive Biblical image so that people are now free to lie, cuss, smoke, drink, chew, gamble, fornicate, worship false gods and even kill (except in war or self-defense). God never chides, rebukes, reproves, warns or judges. He refuses to correct anyone, or even show disapproval, for fear of warping their personological development, or of being too overbearing. He is so magnanimous that he only affirms, supports, encourages, blesses, accepts and loves.

Now we learn that divine love does not just include sin, but it is big enough to celebrate it. One mainline church, presently in the news, leads this rush to magnanimity by accepting, affirming and solemnizing homosexual marriages. They have also sanctioned a new prayer called, "Our Mother", proving that God is big enough to transgender himself in hopes of not offending the feminists. They have re-configured the concept of God to enshrine a pantheon of gods, demonstrating that God is big enough to "get along" with the myriad of multicultural deities that exist in our global village. All this is in addition to the funeral services they held long ago for doctrinal rigidity.

This magnanimity syndrome does not appear outrageous to secularists who believe they created God in the first place. The dirty little secret is that anthropologists have convinced the theologians that all religion and concepts of God evolved along with the human race. They hold that our understanding of God, is subject to change, and because humans are still evolving, then God must change with them. The creature has become the creator, and anytime he becomes displeased with the God he has fashioned, he can reinvent him.

Liberal practitioners who toy with sacred Biblical truths tread on dangerous ground. They continually war against holy commandments, professing a desire to make the church "user-friendly", to remove its supposed backwardness, and to facilitate its growth. But they take their impulse from the wrong source. Their customizing is not driven by love of God or man, but by self-aggrandizement. The church of Jesus Christ must not evolve away from its roots, but continually devolve back to them. Non-biblical growth is unhealthy growth.

The church must not fall prey to this "magnanimity syndrome." The church that Jesus began building two millenniums ago does not need radical remodeling, forcing it to become something that the Divine Architect never intended. If we make the "strait gate" easier, the "narrow way" wider, the born-again experience optional and our glorious God sullied with human foibles, we will destroy the very foundation that holds us up in the first place. God's love does not preempt his holiness. It shows us how to conform to his holiness. Despite what the modern infidels say, man did not create God; God gloriously revealed himself to man. The God of the Bible, cast just the way the scriptures describe him, is magnanimous enough for all of us.

Why God Is One

The oneness of God forms the cornerstone of Biblical theology. A simple study of the number one provides intriguing insight into the oneness view. It is right to examine this since God Himself puts such emphasis on being "one Lord." Look at the following ten characteristics of the number one.

Indivisibility . God is One. The number one is a whole number. If it is divided by any number other than one, the quotient either results in a fraction or a number greater than one. In a triune Godhead, each person must either be one-third of God or the Godhead must be more than one. God is not just one in unity or agreement, but one in number. (Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:32)

Essentiality . God exists as One. The whole number one has integrity and uniformity throughout. It is not a composite of several elements. Neither does God possess an essential threeness. Man may admire the beauty and symmetry of the triangle and try to ascribe its form to God, but the essence of God is one, not three. At Bethlehem , God manifested himself in flesh to save man, but the deity in Jesus Christ was essentially Jehovah God. (I Tim. 2:5)

Cardinality . God is the Primary One. One is the primary number. It represents the cardinal status of the subject. As Creator, Sustainer and Life-Giver, God occupies the place of foremost importance in the material or abstract universe. He possesses a sovereign, monarchial status because he is the cardinal one. (Isa. 37:16)

Ordinality . God is the First One. The number one always comes first because it is the beginning of ordinal numbers. God is not progressively, partially or interchangeably ordinal. He is first, now and always. God is first of all so-called deities, and because he fulfills every conceivable definition of God, he leaves nothing so that another deity could exist anyway. (Isa 41:4; Rev. 1:11)

Specificity . God is The One. The number one focuses on a single subject. It imposes limits of definition to remove all rivalry, duplicity or ambiguity. God is the specific focus of all glory, honor, power, worship, praise and adoration. All power emerges from him and all glory converges upon him. Any view of the Godhead that confuses or lacks specificity violates the character of the number one. (Isa. 42.8)

Exclusivity . God is the Only One. By definition, the number one disallows all pretenders or competitors. God divides absolutely nothing of His Godhead with another. While He is not isolated or lonely, God does exist in solitude and aloneness. He shares no set nor subset of divinity with angel, man, beast or contrived deity. (Col. 1:9-10; I Tim. 6:15)

Supremacy . God is the Highest One. The number one represents the best, finest and highest in the realm of possibilities. Those who compete in any given field want to be called number one because it makes them the best in the world. Every attribute, taken to its superlative state, characterizes God. He exemplifies every virtue, wears every honor, boasts every feat and deserves every expression of worship. (Psa. 145:3)

Identicalness . God is the Unequalled One. The number one is equal only to itself. Any other number that corresponds to all its attributes cannot actually be another, but the same number! Therefore, no other so-called god, nor other supposed person of God need exist because it would only be a redundancy of God himself. (Isa. 40:25; 46:5)

Originality . God is the One Source. In its purest sense, one may be considered self-initiating and self-perpetuating, having no precedent. Without a creator, God exists unbirthed and uncaused. God, as the One God, originates everything else. He is the source of all that exists, the fountainhead of all knowledge and the First Cause of all effects. He owes no fealty, serves no obeisance, borrows from no other power, nor acts in behalf of another. (Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:16-17)

Eternality . God is always One. In the abstract, the number one always exists as one, impervious to time or subject. God exists as One, transcendent over time and oblivious to circumstance. There has never been a time when God needed to be more than one. (I Tim 6:16; Rev. 1:17)

Any theology of threeness assumes the inadequacy of one. It denies a measure of deity to one or two supposed persons of the Godhead in order to necessitate the existence of three. But a triumvirate of inadequate persons represents a flawed Godhead. God is indivisibly, essentially, cardinally, ordinally, specifically, exclusively, supremely, identically, originally and eternally One! It is this truth that makes the oneness view of God of primary importance.

First Words

My mother taught me everything I needed to know to begin my prayer journey. In prayer language, she helped me speak my first words. Many days, coming home from school, I slipped in the back door to the sounds of her spiritual travails pouring down the stairs from her second floor bedroom. Like Daniel in the Old Testament, she muffled her prayers for no one. Sometimes I heard her from the sidewalk as I approached our old, white house on Monroe Street. I wouldn’t say I liked it back then. I felt embarrassed and awkward, especially if I had a friend with me. Often, she would burst forth with a mysterious, disjointed language. She punctuated it with English words that seemed unrelated to anything I knew or understood, except when I heard her call out my name. She wept and laughed, shouted and whispered, spoke with a commanding voice and plead with mournful wails. She paced back and forth, rocked to and fro while on her knees, danced around the room and pounded on the floor. Sometimes, in prayer, her countenance would glow like an angel; other times she looked like a ferocious lion. It seemed scary to me. I would throw my books down, grab a couple of cookies and my ball glove, and run out. It has taken years of living for me to look back now and know that she was deeply engaged in spiritual warfare. Huge battles were fought and won in the upper level of my childhood home.

Theodora Anderson Jordan received the Holy Spirit baptism in 1926 at the tender age of eight, back when the stirrings of the Pentecostal revival had matured beyond Azusa Street and had spread to the Midwest. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, she was raised in a region that was mightily influenced by G. T. Haywood, one of the greatest of oneness Pentecostal pioneers. My mother’s personal Pentecost took place at Oakhill Tabernacle, under Pastor T. C. Davis. That congregation, along with many others at that time, enjoyed a deep prayer tradition, rich with intense and passionate warriors of the altar. They not only believed in the operation of spiritual gifts, they sought after them with resolute sincerity, and they practiced them in their services and prayer meetings. Their generation fully embraced the spiritual aspects of the Christian walk, and they disdained empty, formalistic rhetoric that emphasized human strategies and abilities. They often quoted “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” I Timothy 3:5. To them, God was actively and dynamically in charge of his church.

Mainline denominations of that day were aghast at this wild and wooly practice of visceral Christianity. They thought it ceded far too much control to the emotions. To be sure, those reservations were often justified. Anyone interested in the vibrant history of twentieth century Pentecostalism can trace its somewhat hectic development in numerous accounts available in book form today. But from my personal window on the era, I can affirm that it was real, powerful, and honest. Excesses, for the most part, were curbed by the rule of scripture, and those who did not submit went elsewhere or burned out. The Pentecostal revolution of the last century continues to this day, and observers of religious trends believe that it has nowhere reached its peak. If one measures it in terms of its impact on prayer, little doubt remains that it has fundamentally changed the religious world. And little wonder. Anyone who ever heard my mother pray knows the raw spiritual power that praying in the Spirit generates.

To my mother and the early Pentecostals with whom she associated, prayer meant an experience with God, not just a means of making our requests known to God. In fact, this was the most vital dimension of the believer’s spiritual relationship. Anyone who missed this might as well forget it all. Yet, in spite of this great emphasis on the spiritual, they zealously pursued more wisdom and knowledge about effective praying. They continually exercised their able minds in order to more fully understand it. They were not anti-intellectual, but neither were they exclusively intellectual. Their heart’s desire fell into the same mold as the disciples who asked Jesus to teach them to pray, demonstrating that prayer is something both to learn and do. Let us then, with our heads and our hearts immerse ourselves once again in the captivating realm of prayer.

Five Secret High-Impact Words and Phrases for Husbands

Want to make a greater impression on your wife and improve your marriage? Learn these five words and phrases by heart and use them generously. They will have an immediate and powerful effect. They would have even cheered up Queen Victoria, who always seemed pretty unhappy to me.  Of course, using them seriously will end up costing you, but there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Besides, the payback will far outweigh the expense.

1. “Now.”

“I will make that call now.”
“I will schedule that job now.
“In fact, I will run down to the store now and get the stuff I need.”
“I will pick up those clothes now.”

The last thing your wife wants to hear is another lame excuse for doing something later. Chances are that the particular chore in question has stared you in the face far too long anyway. When you say “now”, however, you send a message that her desires jump to the head of the things-to-do list. First, the immediate response satisfies the urgency of the need. Second, stopping whatever you’re doing and turning your attention to the task at hand conveys the feeling of priority to her. And, under normal circumstances, acting now rather than later invites a warm and grateful feeling in return.

2. “What else?”

After you’ve completed a certain task for your wife, take the time to ask her what else you can do. Think about it. You are there; you are ready; you are in a mood to accomplish something. While it may not be the most convenient time, it will certainly be more convenient than coming back some other time. Most important, her esteem for you will skyrocket because you are truly focusing on her needs, wants and welfare. Remember, Jesus taught us to give the cloak as well as the coat and to go the second mile. Doing the minimum has no place in a Christian’s conduct and attitude. When you do more than asked or expected, you invest into immense good will and gratitude.

3. “What do you think?”

It galls some men to admit that someone else, especially their spouse, may have a better idea. Nothing is more damaging to your relationship, however, than to continually override or ignore input from your wife. When you ask her what she thinks about something, you show that you are not the megalomaniac that she has perhaps accused you of being from time to time (in her honest moments.) And—-perish the thought—-your wife actually may have a better idea! She certainly will have a different perspective than you, and she may know some additional facts about the situation that you lack.

4. “I’ll try.”

When you’re asked to do something that you feel incapable of doing, don’t cover it up by talking big about your abilities. When you say, “I’ll try,” you show that your spirit is willing, although your flesh may be weak. You are not expected to be able to do everything, but you can give it your best shot. The value in that kind of attitude shows up in the impact it has on your marriage relationship. You can at least try.

5. “Just you.”

“I just want to be with you.” “I just want to know what you want (think, like, feel). For your spouse, those words have almost as much meaning and positive value as “I love you” does. They demonstrate respect and high esteem. They underscore the fact that you have an exclusive relationship with her and her alone. Your wife will do almost anything for you when you show this kind of spirit toward her.

Great relationships are not based on complicated strategies, but on simple, down-to-earth attitudes. Your marriage can show marked improvement by using these simple suggestions. It’s worth trying.

Carol

Carol Jordan Wilkinson

1938-2007

My oldest sister, Carol Wilkinson, died suddenly on March 26, 2007 at the age of sixty-nine. Many of the folks at First Apostolic Church did not know her because she lived nearly 600 miles away, in Union City, Tennessee, and didn’t get to travel often. After her husband’s retirement in 2005, he suffered heart problems and had a knee replacement. It was only this spring that he was able to start enjoying his retired status. They planned an Easter vacation back north, but Carol left us two weeks before the trip. Besides her husband, she left two sons, a daughter, and seven grandchildren.

For the last two years, Carol served as my Mother’s primary care-giver. Since the rest of us were—-and still are—-immersed one hundred per cent in our ministries, she was the only one who could provide a home for my Mother and she watched over her 24/7. We knew that this was a huge task and we were extremely grateful. But circumstances aside, Carol wanted to take care of Mother. She had a special relationship with her since she was the first child born to my Mother and Father after their very first baby, Marion, died at ten months old with diphtheria.

At her home-going service, the family asked me to represent them. Even though our church in Toledo did not know her well, I still want to share the following reflections with you that I gave there.

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So, boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps.

‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’, And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

(Langston Hughes)

My sister, Carol, taught me this poem when I was about four years old. This is one of our family’s most poignant memories of her, certainly it is of mine.

Carol Wilkinson was born a star. She was the first grandchild in the Anderson family, after the death of Marion Rose, and the oldest in our immediate family. But she really was a star, an undiscovered talent. She was dramatic, musical and artsy. She had a flare for style and décor, and knew, among many other things, how to make a Christmas present look like a million dollars.

Carol was always beautiful in whatever she wore, however she fixed her hair and whatever age she happened to be in any given year. She turned heads whether her hair was black, mixed gray or pure white. She had an off-beat sense of humor and often laughed at well-crafted words, phrases and delicious irony. While she was intellectual and had wide-spread interests, she was also folksy and down-to-earth.

In terms of her attitude, Carol was always non-judgmental, always willing to hear the other person’s point of view.  She was largely self-deprecating, and quite self-conscious…at least as an adult. As a rather precocious child, however, she did like the spotlight. When she was about six, she declined to sing a solo in church. “Why won’t you sing, Carol?” “Because, there’re not enough people here!” she replied.

In church, Carol always got involved, usually in the music area, but also in leadership. Deeply spiritual and often engaged in prayer, she had a special relationship with God. She was used of God in the gifts of the Spirit and loved good preaching and solid Bible teaching. Loving and forgiving, she made everyone feel like they were a unique gift of God. Her family, of course, was at the top of her list.

Jim, we thank you for loving Carol. You came into her life at a difficult time and gave her meaning and direction. She loved you very much. The family is also very grateful to Carol for taking care of our mother for the last two years. When she was called upon, she did her duty with faithfulness and love.

To her family, Todd, Andrea and David, today may seem like a surreal moment…but, reality often comes disguised as a dream. As the days beyond this day stretch out into the weeks and months ahead, however, you will embrace a greater reality…the reality of an eternal future. She’s there now, with Daddy and Terry, waiting…

One final note…When my mother-in-law, Vera Kinzie passed away, Carol emailed me this response:

Dear Mark,

Sis Kinzie will be deeply mourned by us. We may not have been around her much in the past years since moving here but we loved and respected her. She truly was a great lady and woman of God who is now gathered up in the arms of her creator and Lord whom she served so diligently through her lifetime. I wish part of her spirit of service could be transferred somehow to me.

Love to all the family,

             Carol and Jim

I find myself waiting for another email from her. I loved you, Carol. I didn’t tell you enough.

Back Pain

The raw material for every writer is personal experience. My raw material for this piece comes at the courtesy of raw pain. Back pain. Pain that, in one nanosecond, lunges from dull ache to intense stabbing; that spreads from vaguely regional to precision locations; that makes itself heard from low moans to blood-curdling screams; that finds relief only in rolling around on the floor seeking an unattainable position that makes it stop hurting. But you have little interest in hearing about my pain. My bouts with x-rays, spine manipulation, ice packs, hot pads, electrode stimulators, injections, muscle relaxers, Motrin, Darvocet and all the other related trials and tribulations, remedies and treatments would bore all but the most macabre among us.

What you want to know is why. Why pain? What good is it? Why doesn’t it go away when the one thing we beg God for is to make it go away? And, oh yeah, we beg alright. I’m the biggest baby of all, begging God for relief, however slight, and strongly hinting to him that I don’t deserve this (therefore, he should be ashamed of himself in permitting me to hurt like this). I never quite heard his answer because, frankly, I was too busy moaning and rolling around on the floor. Later, I wondered why he wanted to humiliate me by forcing me to roll around in a wheelchair in front of the whole congregation.

Pain is bad. It makes us lose time off work. It makes us extremely selfish. We obsess on it so much that we pay scant attention to anyone else. It makes us cranky and hateful. We become big burdens to family and friends. Our lives come to a standstill until we can get rid of the pain. It can get expensive. Medicine, treatments, or surgeries cost enormous amounts of money. Besides all of that, it just makes us feel yucky. It brings out the worst in us. A person in pain is a miserable human being.

Jeremiah asked, “Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?” The prophet must have had back pain. It seems perpetual and defies a cure. It even makes one think that the God who promises healing is a liar. But then Jeremiah makes an astounding revelatory statement: “ Therefore thus saith the LORD… if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth.” Jeremiah 15:18-19 KJV. He admonished the saints to take the precious from the vile. In other words, even vile pain has a precious quality to it that must not be cast aside with the pain.

Just because pain is bad doesn’t mean it is all bad. Like anything else that comes along unexpectedly in life, pain catapults us into a brand new dimension of thought. And the good of pain goes beyond the obvious incentive to pray. Everybody knows that. Far more important, pain makes us reflect. We reflect on all the hours we wasted when we felt good. We reflect on how fortunate we were when we were not in pain. Health takes on a virtue that cannot possibly be understood without the backdrop of pain that sharpens the contrast. Hours of pain make us appreciate the few delicious seconds or minutes of relief that trickles down to us. It also humbles us to know that vast numbers of people deal with far worse pain, whether physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual.

Pain belongs to this dimension. Even saints have pain. The scripture, “there shall be no more pain” is set in heaven, when time shall be no more. Until then, we will deal with our share of pain, knowing that Christ has the cure to relieve us, and is the cure for us, even while we find ourselves in the midst of the pain.

Wandering Around Ohio

Where can you find Texas, California, Idaho, Oregon, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Wyoming? Where can you travel to Africa, Ceylon, Congo, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, England, Germany, Greenland, Ireland, Mexico, Lebanon, Peru, Poland and Scotland? Where can you visit famous places like Amsterdam, Belfast, Berlin, Calcutta, Delhi, Dublin, London, Geneva, Moscow, Lima, Lisbon, Paris, Rome, Venice and Windsor? O, Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Santa Fe and Long Beach?

Would you like to travel to lesser-known destinations? Try Best, Big Onion, Buckeye Furnace, Brilliant, Businessburg, Busy Corners, Candy Town, Chagrin Falls, Charm, Crooksville, Delightful, Dull, Enterprise, Felicity, Geography Hall, Getaway, Happy Corners, Henpeck Corners, Honesty, Ink, Joy, Killbuck, Kinnikinnick, Modest, No Name, Polkadotte, Pigtown, Purity, Round Bottom, Shyville, Straitsville, Success, Toots Corners, Truetown, Utopia, Welcome or Zumbrum Corners.

Bible scholars may want to visit Ai, Berea , Canaan , Corinth , Damascus , Dorcas, Gomer, Hebron , Jericho , Jerusalem , Mt. Gilead , Mt. Nebo , Mt. Pigsah , Mt. Sinai , Mt. Zion , Rehoboth, Zoar, Nineveh , New Jerusalem, Paradise , Alpha and Omega. Watch out for Defiance , Devil Town , Knockemstiff, Liars Corner, Hells Corners, Revenge, Smoky Corners, Sodom Corners, Spanker, Stryker and Tick Ridge.

In the mood for color? Go to Yellowtown, Greentown, Redtown, Pink, Orange , Olive Green, Blue Ash, Black Run, Whitehouse or Brownstown. In some other kind of mood? Visit Alert, Amity, Funk, Coolville, Socialville, or Tranquility. If you’re hungry, Apple, Bacon Flat, Grape Grove, Chili, Tobasco, Sugarcreek or Dairy may look inviting to you. Are you patriotic? Visit Constitution, Independence , Liberty , Freedom, Republic, Flag, Gettysburg , Victory Camp or Uniontown.

Feel silly? Go to Blowville, Bobo, Bono, Dodo, Fleatown, Fly, Lickskillet or Twightwee. You won’t find any ones or twos, but you can go to Three Forks, Four Corners, Five Points, Six Mile Stand, Seven Hills, Twelve Corners, Fifteen, Sixteen Mile Stand, Seventeen, or Twenty Mile Stand. However, if you speak Spanish, you can visit Uno. Just not sure where you want to go? Try Novelty or Sampletown.

Maybe you’d like to tour the birthplaces of Presidents Rutherford B. Hayes, Warren G. Harding, William Howard Taft, Benjamin Harrison, William T. McKinley, James A. Garfield and Ulysses S. Grant. Or, William Tecumseh Sherman, Philip T. Sheridan, Thomas A. Edison, Wilbur and Orrville Wright, Michael J. Owens, Harvey Samuel Firestone, Neil A. Armstrong, Eddie Rickenbacker, Clark Gable and Paul Newman. You’ll find all these places, and much more, in the state of Ohio .

I first began to wander around Ohio as an evangelist, in the early 1970’s. I was from a state north of here, so I was used to the Native American names in Ohio , like Mingo Junction, Tuscarawas, Chillicothe , Coshocton and Miami . But places with names like New Straitsville, Crooksville, Zanesville and Gallipolis seemed strange to me. Regardless of the spot on the map, however, I found warm, unassuming people, rolling hills and a relaxed atmosphere in each of these quaint towns, and my love for them all has never diminished.

Some twenty-five years later, after locating in Toledo , the ministers of Ohio asked me to serve as their District Superintendent. Once again, I found myself roaming Ohio ’s intriguing countryside and populous cities. The state has an abundance of both, but the same down-to-earth spirit runs seamlessly throughout as a common trait. Whether I’m on High Street in Columbus or Line Street in Minerva, I feel at home.

I doubt if anyone can find a more culturally rich, diversely engaged, historically significant, strategically located, economically powerful or delightfully peopled state in the union than Ohio . This is not an overstatement. Whether it’s history, industry, culture, transportation, business or personality, Ohio stands at America ’s forefront. Celebrating 200 years of statehood in 2003, Ohio became the symbol of expansion at the turn of the nineteenth century. The tragedies of massacre, triumphs of the space age, towering successes of the sports world and turning points of major wars may be traced to Ohio ’s lands and people.

Important historical events in Native American tribes took place in Ohio . Powerful leaders such as Tecumseh and Blue Jacket called this their home. The tribes of the Iroquois, Huron, Wyandot, Ottawa , Shawnee , Mingo , Delaware and Miami spread out along the lakes and rivers of Ohio . The closest this nation ever came to a major conflict with Native Americans transpired in the forests and valleys of Ohio .

From coalmines to steel mills, from rubber to glass, from aeronautics to Abrams tanks, from pottery to the Internet, from automobile assembly plants to soap, from oil refineries to spark plugs, Ohio has enjoyed national prominence or leadership in industry. A significant number Fortune 500 companies call Ohio home.

Once cannot recount the history of this nation without the mention of Ohio, whether it be in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the Erie Canal, Commodore Perry’s victory over the British on Lake Erie or General Anthony Wayne’s victory over a coalition of Native American tribes at Fallen Timbers. During the Civil War, Ohio became a hotbed of anti-slavery activity and hosted an elaborate Underground Railroad system. Among the many famous Ohioans are eight presidents of the United States . Two renowned astronauts, John Glenn and Neil Armstrong came from Ohio , twenty-three in all, more than any other state. Inventors Thomas A. Edison and the Wright brothers were from Ohio . So were famous sports figures like Jack Nicklaus, Pete Rose, Bobby Knight and Jerry Lucas, as well as screen stars like Clark Gable and Paul Newman. Trivia buffs may delight in the following Ohio inventions: pliofilm, paper bag, Freon, Formica, gallon milk jug, Crisco, Quaker oats, Play Dough, disposable diapers, vacuum cleaner, step ladder, liquid crystal display, tubeless tires, windshield wipers, and shock absorbers.

I’ve always believed that one will find what he or she looks for, even if the search takes a little (or a lot) longer than expected. Those who look for a spiritual message interspersed between Ohio ’s city streets and industrial zones, one-horse towns and courthouse squares, Amish buggies and Serpentine mounds will be delightfully rewarded. The stories of these hardy, Midwestern people choreographed out in faith, love and hope, or pain, suffering and tragedy coalesce into inspirational messages for fellow travelers in Ohio , and beyond. These fascinating tidbits transcend dates and places, and demonstrate the interconnectedness that bonds one human spirit to another.