July 2007 - Southern Adventist University

South Central NewsCollege Hill Church Ministers to Knoxville CollegeGeorgia Shingles (left), and Marshall Henley, College Hill elders;Robert Harvey, interim president at Knoxville College; AlexanderLampkin, pastor; Anthony Allen, Adventist Disaster Response leader;and Cordell Sherman are pictured at the check presentation.College Hill church’sAdventist Disaster Response(ADR) leader,Anthony Allen, discoveredon Tuesday, February19, 2007, that KnoxvilleCollege, an historic Blackcollege and university twoblocks north of the church,had suffered a fire in themen’s dormitory. Unfortunately,the college was ina rebuilding phase; therefore,this disaster not onlycrippled the school, butalso impacted the Knoxvillecommunity.Following protocolfrom years of disastertraining, Allen contactedDave Shingles, AdventistCommunity Services (ACS)leader, and the newly appointedpastor, AlexanderLampkin. Lampkin askedAllen to contact KnoxvilleCollege for both damageand needs assessment.By the next day, Allenmade contact with RaleighWynn, dean of students,who reported approximately85 male studentswere evacuated from thedormitory. Some werescattered throughout thecommunity with relatives,some were on the reservedthird floor of the femaledormitory, but the majoritywere sleeping on the floorof the gymnasium. “Amongthe 85 students, fivestudents lost everything,”reportedWynn.“We want todo something,”declared Allen. Allenmet with theACS team, and theymade a commitmentto help. The departmentprovided somefunds to assist theschool and studentsaffected by the fire.Lampkin contactedErica JohnsonRobert Harvey, interimpresident of KnoxvilleCollege, and JohnnyCannon, vice president,and offered to help inany way. Together theyagreed to have CollegeHill church youthpresent a 30-minuteprogram to the studentbody on a Sabbathafternoon.Sabbath morning,Allen and Lampkinexplained to thecongregation the ACSdepartment’s plan toassist Knoxville Collegeand its students. “Weneed to do this. We arecommunity services,”said Allen, suggestingthat everyone shouldparticipate. “Every membershould plan to participatein this great opportunity towitness to our neighbors,”announced Lampkin.After the divine worshipservice, almost allof the members traveledtwo blocks to KnoxvilleCollege for the afternoonprogram. The standingroom-onlycrowd assembledin the studentcenter. Marshall Henley,elder, gave the invocationand introduced Betty Byrd,Zella Venable, and KermitFaulkner, who led thechildren’s choir in musicalselections. Tanya Page directed“Drama Troupe” asthe youth presented blackhistory skits and poems.Allen presented $50 Wal-Mart gift cards to the fivestudents who lost everything.Tammy Richmondprepared and distributedsack lunches to the 85students evacuated fromthe dormitory. Lampkinpresented a $1,000 checkto Robert Harvey. Harveyand the student presidentexpressed appreciation onbehalf of the students andschool. Marshall Henleyand Georgia Shingles bothalumni of the College,gave closing remarks andbenediction. College Hillhopes to spark 100 churchesto donate a $1,000 toKnoxville College.—By Anthony AllenBetty Byrd directs College Hill’s Children’s Community Choir.Erica Johnson22 T IDINGS • J u l y 2 0 0 7