Cornerstone University Annual Magazine 2022

Equipping students 

for their careers 

and vocations. 

STORY ON PAGE 10.

Today’s the day 

to start writing 

the next 

chapter. 

CONTENTS 

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT 

04 

05 

Gerson Moreno-Riaño, Ph.D. 

CHRIST THE GREATEST INFLUENCER 

Reflections on the current campus theme 

of the year. 

18 

20 

AUTUMN AT CU 

Cornerstone’s vibrant season. 

FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS 

Introducing three university 

foundational documents. 

08 

10 

WHOLEHEARTED FAITH FORMATION 

Spiritual growth at CU 

INTERNSHIPS ARE MORE THAN A JOB 

AND MORE THAN CLASSROOM LEARNING 

Giving students experience, building 

connections and refining passions. 

24 

28 

WISDOM CONVERSATIONS 

How Should We Live Today? God, the 

Bible and Human Flourishing 

UNITED FOR PASSIONATE SERVICE 

Special athletic event 

helps Ukraine. 

16 

INNOVATION IN THE CLASSROOM 

CU’s nursing program prepares students 

for the front lines of health care. 

30 

A KINGDOM LEGACY: 

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS 

Cornerstone University is thankful for 

hundreds of friends who financially 

contribute to the school. 

ON THE COVER 

ANNUAL MAGAZINE STAFF 

Today, we celebrate your dedication, your hard work, your victories and 

achievements. Congratulations on making the most of every day at 

Cornerstone University. 

BOB SACK 

Vice President for University Advancement 

CAROLINE CAHOON (B.A. ’03) 

Art Director 

KRISTINA GARVELINK (M.S. ’15) 

Communications Manager 

The Cornerstone University Annual Magazine 

is produced by the Advancement Office 

at Cornerstone University. Permission to 

quote short portions of this publication is 

granted as long as content is preserved and 

proper credit is given to the Cornerstone 

University Magazine. 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Julea Blazer (’24) 

Howard (Haoran) Fu (’24) 

Ryan Prins Photography 

Cornerstone University does not discriminate 

of the basis of race, national origin, sex, age 

or disability in its policies and programs. 

For help with your financial well-being, make an 

appointment at a local PNC Branch or visit us at 

pnc.com 

ON THE COVER: 

Bianca Jones (B.A. ’22) aspires to 

pursue a career studying criminal 

behavior. Read about her internship 

experience on page 10. 

RYAN PRINS PHOTOGRAPHY © 2022 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Vanessa Carroll 

Natalie Hart 

Sherri Miller 

CONTACT US 

cornerstone.edu 

616.949.5300 

Cornerstone University 

1001 E Beltline Ave NE 

Grand Rapids, MI 49525 

©2022 Cornerstone University 

All rights reserved. 

©2022 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC 

CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY ANNUAL MAGAZINE 

FALL 2022 

CON PDF 0618-0106

CHRIST THE 

GREATEST 

INFLUENCER 

REFLECTIONS ON 

CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY’S 

THEME OF THE YEAR 

DEAR FRIENDS OF 

CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY, 

At this pivotal time for our nation, our communities, our churches and culture, Cornerstone University and its 

mission to develop influencers for Jesus Christ has never been more relevant. 

Our campus theme this year—Christ the Greatest Influencer—was chosen to reflect our commitment to our 

beautiful mission to educate students from an unwaveringly Christian worldview that honors Jesus Christ. 

In that spirit, I am pleased to introduce three historic foundational documents that have been affirmed by 

Cornerstone University and its Board of Trustees: The Cornerstone Christian Worldview, The Cornerstone 

Academic Vision and The Cornerstone Beautiful Christian Community. I invite you to read about this 

extensive, nine-month campus-wide collaboration to reinforce our Biblical foundations on page 20. 

Also inside this publication, I invite you to discover impact profiles and growth initiatives that are helping 

to develop Cornerstone into a destination of choice university that serves our students, graduates, 

communities, ministries and marketplace with excellence and truth for the kingdom! 

We are grateful for your partnership, and we pray for the LORD’s blessing on your lives and your calling! 

Gerson Moreno-Riaño, Ph.D. 

Cornerstone University President 

“And He is the head of the body, 

the church, who is the beginning, 

the firstborn from the dead, 

that in all things He may have 

the preeminence.” 

COLOSSIANS 1:18 

Based on Colossians 1:18, the theme of the year— 

Christ the Greatest Influencer—charges students, 

faculty and staff to consider profound questions: 

Who is the greatest influence in our lives? Who do 

we trust enough to affect our behavior? Is Jesus 

first in our daily lives? Read reflections from three 

members of the Cornerstone University learning 

community about what the theme of the year means 

to them as they seek to follow Jesus Christ as the 

greatest influence in their lives. 


04 05 



FALL 2022

TERRENCE J. KING 

As we consider our mission to equip students to 

become influencers in the world for Christ, this year’s 

theme “Christ the Greatest Influencer” has ontological 

and teleological significance. 

Ontologically, Jesus makes it clear, we were created 

through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16). Without 

Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). We cannot be 

influencers for Christ unless we are influenced by 

and in Christ. We are influenced by Christ through 

the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As we live according 

to the Spirit, our character becomes more like His. 

We increase in the spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, 

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness 

and self-control. Our influence is greatest when 

these attributes abound in us. God then uses them 

to influence others around us. 

“Leadership is influence. To the extent we influence 

others, we lead them.” 

KEZIAH ALATIS 

CHARLES R. SWINDOLL 

Knowingly or unknowingly, we are influencing someone. 

Whether a sibling, friend, roommate, teammate, spouse, 

co-worker, colleague or adversary, we are impacting 

others. To the degree we influence those around us, we 

lead them. The question is this: How do we influence 

them and where do we lead them? 

Teleologically, as image bearers, we are to facilitate the 

expansion of God’s kingdom here on earth (Matthew 

6:10). Scripture encourages us to know the Spirit gives 

life to our mortal body (Romans 8:11) and enables us 

to do all things through Christ who strengthens us 

(Philippians 4:13). Time with God in His Word and 

nurturing a relationship with the Holy Spirit equips 

us to fulfill the works God has prepared in advance 

for us to do. As Christ the Greatest Influencer shapes 

us to become witnesses for Him and places His light in 

our hearts, we are to let our lights so shine before men 

that they may be influenced by our good deeds and 

led to glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). 

Terrence J. King (M.A. ’18) serves as vice president for 

spiritual formation & Christian community. In his role, 

he oversees chapel, discipleship and spiritual formation 

opportunities for students on campus and encourages 

them in their walk with Jesus Christ. 

It’s time. I take my AirPods out of the case aggressively. 

I’m determined and focused. My music on, I settle in 

to get homework done. I’m “in the zone” as my friends 

say. Fairly soon, I start humming one of the songs, 

the words subconsciously dancing through my brain. 

These distracting moments have caught me off guard 

this year as I often find myself singing the words to 

some secular song playing. To be clear, I’m not saying 

that secular music is bad or should be avoided at all 

costs because that ultimately comes down to people’s 

personal convictions between them and the LORD. 

What I am saying is this: When Cornerstone opened 

the academic year emphasizing the theme of “Christ, 

the Greatest Influencer,” I didn’t realize how often I 

would encounter it in my day-to-day life—especially in 

my music library. 

There are two things this theme made me ponder in 

particular. First, who and what am I letting influence 

my life? And second, have I prioritized Christ to be 

the greatest of all these influences? This seems selfexplanatory, 

but whether we like it or not, our choices 

of what we listen to, watch, stream and read massively 

impact us. Coming from personal experience, even 

when we say we just listen to a song for the melody or 

when we just watch an episode of a show our friends 

are into, those choices end up affecting the ways we 

think, feel and act. Thus, being aware of what we’re 

letting into our lives is critical. If Christ is influencing 

us, then we should “set our minds on things above” 

(Colossians 3:2) and not find ourselves wrapped up 

in the interesting but unwholesome bits of the world. 

Further, it is not enough for Christ to be one of the 

many influencers that we absorb, but He should be the 

greatest influencer in our lives. When we prioritize Him 

properly, then our lives are fuller, more God-honoring 

and all the more impactful to others. When He is our 

greatest influencer, we become great influencers, too. 

So who—or what—is influencing you? And how are 

you influencing others? 

Keziah Alatis (B.A. ’25) is double majoring in strategic 

communication as well as creativity and innovation. After 

graduation, she hopes to be involved in overseas missions. 

ALICIA WYANT 

According to Merriam-Webster, an influencer is “one 

who exerts influence: a person who inspires or guides 

the actions of others.” CU’s theme this year is Christ 

the Greatest Influencer, and I often wonder what that 

looks like in my life. 

Saying Christ is a “big inspiration to me” seems trite 

until I see the way in which He guides me every day. 

For instance, this past year I have been learning to 

pray. Not the wonderful gratitude prayers that come 

from a mountaintop experience with God, but the 

gratitude prayers of a person who has found the very 

bottom of the valley, the darkest parts of my heart. 

Christ has influenced my outlook on empathy and 

ways to engage with others during their hard times by 

guiding me through seasons of heartbreak. 

Why is Christ my greatest influencer? It is because 

He is a guide that walks alongside me and does 

not abandon me if I cannot meet expectations. 

Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “Do not be afraid or 

discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead 

of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor 

abandon you.” Christ’s influence, His inspiration and 

His guidance, are gifts that lead to an abundant life for 

both me and the people that I influence. 

Alicia Wyant (B.S. ’02, M.A. ’21) serves as the executive 

director of WCSG Radio. Advancing the mission of 

Cornerstone, she oversees the broadcast ministry’s 

strategic growth planning, content building and 

development, marketing, systems process improvements, 

promotions, fundraising and major donor gifts. 

06 07 





WHOLEHEARTED 

FAITH 

FORMATION 

At Cornerstone University, an unwavering belief 

in the centrality of Jesus Christ influences every 

facet of the student experience. Formative areas of 

spiritual support affirmed by input received from 

students, faculty and staff spur on the campus 

community toward growth in the Christian faith. 

Together, we prayerfully seek to 

be conformed to the image of 

God’s Son through experiences 

and encounters with Jesus Christ. 

pictured 

This page: Students joining in 

worship during this fall’s Arrival Day 

dedication service. 


Opposite: Joy Chilala (’23) 

leading students in prayer 

during Mosaic Worship. 

JULEA BLAZER © 2021 

Student-athletes 

traveled to Wyoming 

and the Yellowstone 

Valley region with 

the Friendship 

Sports International 

leadership trip. 

Participating students 

received coaching on 

servant leadership 

characteristics and 

teamwork principles. 

Pastors-in-Residence and Spiritual 

Formation & Christian Community 

staff members comprise the 

pastoral care team. The team meets 

one-on-one with students, small 

groups and athletic teams, offering 

pastoral care, Biblical counseling 

and formative coaching. 

Student-led Encounter 

Groups meet on a regular 

basis to read, study Scripture 

and pray together. The 

small group ministry has 

166 registered student 

participants, and each 

student leader will undergo 

small group training to be 

equipped and resourced as 

they facilitate their groups. 

Residence life staff— 

including resident 

directors and resident 

assistants—participated 

in mission-centric 

training to increase their 

effectiveness in serving 

students. Staff learned 

about topics such as 

counseling students 

and its relationship 

to building a thriving 

community life. 

08 09 





INTERNSHIPS 

ARE MORE 

THAN A JOB AND 

MORE THAN 

CLASSROOM 

LEARNING 

BY NATALIE HART 

pictured 

This spread: Bianca Jones reflects 

on her internship with the Muskegon 

County Public Defender’s Office. 

Page 12: Kevin Lavender offers career 

advice to Levi Hinkle-DeGroot. 

Page 13: Whitney Scholten at Winning 

At Home. 


Experiential learning is more than a 

buzzword at Cornerstone University—it’s 

a graduation requirement. Since 1993, 

all traditionally enrolled undergraduate 

students must branch out of the classroom 

for one semester and complete an internship 

that relates to their major, minor or career 

aspirations. 

Thousands of students have completed at 

least one internship, working for dozens of 

industries in every corner of West Michigan. 

Graduate ministry students fan out to 

churches and para-church organizations 

for their residency year, but they are now 

joined by undergraduate juniors and seniors 

working at places like Mary Free Bed 

Rehabilitation Hospital, Our Daily Bread, 

Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Michigan 

Sports Radio, Fifth Wheel Freight, Morgan 

Stanley, the Grand Rapids Storm, Winning 

At Home and the Muskegon County Public 

Defender’s Office. 

When students ask Kevin Lavender Jr., 

assistant vice president for diversity, 

life calling and Christian community at 

the Career and Life Calling Office, why 

Cornerstone makes internships part of their 

academic requirement, he tells them, “We’re 

not trying to control your academic journey. 

We want you to be able to look back and say, 

‘I had some experiential time. I was able to 

make professional connections. I was able 

to be hands-on in the job before I commit 

to it.’ You get to learn whether you want to 

take that path or not. How else are you going 

to know? We give you intentional time to 

explore that.” 

10 11 





MORE THAN JUST WORK 

Employees learn how to do a job, but interns gain 

access to an industry. Their site supervisors often 

become mentors, taking extra time with their interns, 

unpacking the different roles in their organization and 

making sure the students see the big picture of why 

they do what they do. 

Senior Abraham House (’23) is on his second 

internship at Morgan Stanley. The first was for his 

business management major, and this one is for his 

finance minor. He appreciates that Rob Flermoen, the 

financial advisor he assists, acts like a coach. “It’s cool 

to see someone come alongside and take you under 

his wing. He’s a great mentor. I’ve gone to his block 

party and spent time with the team outside of work. 

He’s taught me so much about relationship building.” 

Bianca Jones (B.A. ’22) is a senior in her third internship. 

She is a psychology major and professional writing 

minor. For her psychology internship, she knew she 

wanted to explore an opportunity in a legal field, but 

none of the offerings looked quite right. One of her 

professors directed her to the Muskegon County Public 

Defender’s Office. Once they discovered her writing 

skills, they tailored her internship so she could use 

those gifts. In the process, she discovered an area of 

law she hadn’t known about: holistic mitigation. Her job 

is to write reports about clients that will be presented at 

court with the goal of getting them the resources they 

need to help clients rehabilitate. 

My internship provided 

me with real-world, 

practical experience and 

helped me build connections 

in my industry. 

LEVI HINKLE-DEGROOT 

She says, “I’m really excited to be able to get our 

clients into the treatments they need. Our program is 

so necessary.” 

Lavender, himself, has an intern this semester—Isaac 

Lopez (B.S. ’22)—one of six students interning in the 

Career and Life Calling Office. Lopez is a ministry and 

intercultural studies major who senses God’s call to 

bring the body of Christ together across cultural lines. 

He asked to intern with Lavender because he wants 

experience in running an organization or department. 

Lavender is intentional about shepherding him. “We 

have all kinds of conversations. He’s asking all kinds of 

great questions and making all kinds of suggestions. I 

love it!” 

MORE THAN JUST ACADEMICS 

An internship is not only a job; it is also a class. There 

is a syllabus, but the main work of the class is to put 

academic knowledge into action. 

Levi Hinkle-DeGroot (’24) is a junior intern with the 

Grand Rapids Storm, a basketball organization that 

organizes high school-level teams and tournaments. 

He is working on a marketing plan for The Invite, a 

tournament in December that is focused on rivalry 

games among eight larger schools in Grand Rapids. 

He has found that “my classroom work very directly 

connects to my internship. I’m currently in a sport 

event management class, and I’m applying everything 

we learn about in class. The experiential piece in 

the class is to organize and market an event at 

Cornerstone, so ideas I have for one event I can apply 

directly to the other!” 

Jones also found a direct connection between her 

course work and her internship: “I’m excited to see my 

education being used and paying off. I learned how to 

correlate a disorder to behaviors through interactive 

case studies in my abnormal psychology class. Now, 

I use that skill to write about our clients’ pre-existing 

or undiagnosed mental disorders to get them the help 

they need.” 

Whitney Scholten (B.A. ’17, M.A. ’22), a graduate student 

working on her master’s degree in clinical mental health 

counseling and interning at Winning At Home, finds that 

“professors give you the knowledge and the skills to try 

to prepare you for it, but you don’t feel fully prepared 

until you start doing it.” After conducting sessions with 

clients, she discovered one major difference between 

the classroom and the counseling office: “When you’re 

learning different concepts, sometimes things seem 

black and white and linear. But once you get into 

practice with real people, you realize we’re complex, 

and things are rarely black and white and linear. 

Depression and anxiety look different in each person, 

and how I engage each person as a counselor is unique.” 

House’s internships have brought him full circle: “I am 

more focused and intentional in my classes because I 

see how what I’m learning is used every day.” 

Instead of exams, student interns receive midterm 

and final evaluations from their site supervisor, faculty 

advisor and the Career and Life Calling Office. Lavender 

says that students value the regular and detailed 

feedback. 

LEARNING THAT TRANSCENDS THE JOB 

While students often learn new skills and new software 

during their internships, they also learn the value of “soft 

skills.” House’s mentor taught him that “relationships are 

85% of what you do in this business. We have to keep 

learning, keep growing.” 

Jones has gained insight into both how the justice 

system works and what people who find themselves 

in legal trouble due to substance abuse or undiagnosed 

mental illness need. She is glad she can bring those 

insights into everyday conversations about current events. 

REFINING CAREER PASSIONS 

Many students will find that their internship confirms that 

they’re on the right career path. Hinkle-DeGroot says, “I 

love being around sports. It’s unique in the way it brings 

people together and gets them excited. In the future, I’d 

like to work in college-level athletics.” 

12 13 





House has completed all three licensing exams he 

needs to become a licensed financial advisor and is 

now fully registered. He’ll be ready to begin his career 

as soon as he graduates. He plans to put into practice 

the lessons he’s learned in his time as an assistant to 

a financial advisor: “It’s good to know both sides of 

the business. I know that a request that sounds simple 

may entail many steps and multiple approvals. I know 

what questions to ask.” 

Scholten says, “My internship solidified my passion 

for working with teens. Through stepping into my 

internship and practicing what I’ve learned, my 

passions have come alive, and I’ve learned about 

populations I didn’t know about that I want to work 

with. My passion for working with clients who have 

experienced relationship or marital issues or trauma 

has grown.” 

Admittedly, not every intern enjoys their experience. 

Lavender reminds those students, “Well, if it wasn’t 

great, that’s learning too! Was it the supervisor’s style? 

Now you know how not to be as a supervisor. Was 

it the industry itself? Did you find another aspect 

of the company that appeals to you more? It’s 

constant learning.” 

WORKING OUT THEIR FAITH 

Whether their internship is for a faith-based 

organization or not, students’ faith often deepens as 

they work it out in a new setting. Hinkle-DeGroot sees 

his develop “in how I interact with people, showing 

them respect and love, even if they aren’t acting in 

a respectful way. It’s sports. People get heated. But I 

focus on treating them with grace.” 

Scholten has to work within a counseling code of 

ethics and regulations about what she can and can’t 

talk about. She says, “I am learning how to lean on the 

Holy Spirit during sessions. I may not be able to talk 

about faith with some of my clients, but I can listen 

to the promptings of the Holy Spirit while we talk and 

follow where the Spirit leads me.” 

Jones sees a clear connection between her faith and 

her work: “It’s in how you show up every day, with 

a positive light and a positive spirit. I’m intentional 

about making sure my work is the best I can do. Jesus 

was always with the least of these. I practice active 

empathy and active service to do the best I can for 

people who don’t have resources.” 

14 15 



Eighty percent of 

opportunities come 

through relationship. 

KEVIN LAVENDER 

MORE THAN JUST 

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING 

In his conversations with students and parents, 

Lavender tells them, “Eighty percent of opportunities 

come through relationship, and internships give 

students the opportunity to make connections with 

industry professionals. They can build their professional 

references and portfolios. In general, 55% of internships 

matriculate to job opportunities, so some students will 

get to experience that.” 

The trend is moving away from unpaid to paid 

internships. This is good news for a generation that is 

focused on graduating with minimal debt. But some 

students, such as Jones and Hinkle-DeGroot, will 

prioritize experience over pay. 

It’s no surprise that so many students decide to 

pursue more than one internship during their time at 

Cornerstone. They get to put their classroom learning 

into action, learn the relational skills that lead to success 

in the workplace, refine their career passions and grow 

spiritually as they work out their faith in a new setting 

with new people—all while making connections with 

professionals who can help them after graduation. 

EMPOWERING 

TOMORROW’S 

LEADERS 

Whether seeking a bachelor’s or master’s degree to 

advance a career or follow your calling, Cornerstone 

University’s online, accredited programs are convenient 

and spiritually transformative. From business to theology, 

from industry to education, U.S. News & World Report* 

ranks CU’s online programs among the top in the state 

with degrees that are affordable, flexible and personable. 

*U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Online Programs 

PROFESSIONAL & 

GRADUATE STUDIES: 

+ 13 Fully Accredited Online Programs 

+ Christ-centered Learning 

+ Small Classes for Personal Attention 

+ Transfer-friendly 

+ Financial Aid Available 

cornerstone.edu/experience 



INNOVATION 

IN THE 

CLASSROOM 

Academic programs such as nursing prepare 

students for generous, skillful and faithful work. 

With a projected shortage of 1 million nurses by the end of 2022,* the Cornerstone 

University nursing program equips students to serve Jesus Christ and their 

community. The new program is a crucial response to the market need for qualified 

nurses through learning that focuses on the continual improvement of health. 

Students gain skills in areas such as cultural competence, empathetic care and 

emotional intelligence, preparing them to meet or exceed expectations while 

completing day-to-day nursing duties and procedures and to integrate their faith 

and vocation while caring for the vulnerable. 

*Goudie, C., Markoff, B., Tressel, C. & Weidner, R. Nurse shortage could reach more than 1m by end of year. ABC7 Chicago. (2022, September 21). Retrieved October 19, 2022, 

from https://abc7chicago.com/nurse-shortage-2022-nursing-jobs-job/12248442/. 

Per semester available in 

financial aid to eligible Nursing 

Fellows through a partnership 

between Cornerstone and Pine 

Rest Academy for Nursing 

Students. Participants are 

required to work at Pine Rest 

while in CU’s nursing program 

and for two years after they 

state licensure. 

$10,000receive 

15+ 

Established clinical site partnerships with awardwinning 

health care systems and hospitals in West 

Michigan. Opportunities are available for students to 

gain hands-on experience in community health nursing, 

mental health nursing, pediatric and maternal health 

nursing and adult health nursing. 

9,344 

24:1 

pictured 

Square-foot Mary De Witt 

Center for Nursing boasts 

some of the newest training 

technology, including 

seven artificial intelligence 

mannequins designed by 

CAE Healthcare. 

Student-to-faculty 

ratio for lecture-based 

courses, 12:1 for labs 

and 8:1 for clinicals. 

At Cornerstone, 

faculty know each 

student by name. 

Opposite: Morgan Murat (’25) receives instructions on 

completing a patient learning assessment from Nursing 

Division chair, Maria McCormick, DNP, CPNP-PC. 

RYAN PRINS PHOTOGRAPHY © 2021 

Page 17: Jaden Herrema (’24) practices taking vital signs. 

RYAN PRINS PHOTOGRAPHY © 2020 

16 17 





For the beauty of the earth, 

For the glory of the skies, 

For the love which from our birth 

Over and around us lies— 

LORD of all, to Thee we raise, 

This our hymn of grateful praise. 

FOLLIOTT S. PIERPOINT, 1864 

HOWARD FU © 2022 

18 19 





CU AFFIRMS BIBLICAL 

FOUNDATIONS 

BY SHERRI MILLER 

Cornerstone University is preparing to achieve greater 

levels of mission impact at an important historical 

moment. Preparing influencers for Jesus Christ who 

live according to the gospel has never been more 

urgent or more challenging as the fabric of society 

finds itself in conflict and disarray. 

Recent Barna research shows America with rapidly 

declining faith: 

Only 6% of American adults hold a Biblical 

worldview, and only 37% of Christian pastors 

possess a Biblical worldview. 1,2 

America’s earliest universities like Harvard and Yale 

were established to train ministers in theology and 

sacred languages. Harvard’s early motto, Veritas 

Christo et Ecclesiae, meant “Truth for Christ and the 

Church.” Those convictions for many universities 

have long-since expired. Now, alarmingly, universities 

and increasingly Christian universities and Christian 

churches and pastors are rejecting Scripture as the 

source of truth, knowledge and morality. 

A 2022 recent Gallup poll declares that “a recordhigh 

50% of Americans rate the overall state of moral 

values in the U.S. as ‘poor’” 3 as the fraying of our social 

fabric creates chaos, division and societal unrest. 

REINFORCING CHRISTIAN BELIEFS 

Cornerstone University has responded to these 

cultural headwinds with an unwavering Biblical 

worldview. CU’s response sets it apart and will 

propel the university forward for generations to 

come as the destination of choice amongst 

Christian universities. 

After nine months of extensive campus-wide 

collaboration, the university is publishing three 

historic Board-affirmed foundational statements 

rooted in the Cornerstone Confession. 

The Cornerstone Confession is the foundational 

doctrinal statement of Cornerstone University and 

is signed annually by Cornerstone trustees, faculty 

and staff. It expresses our commitment to the 

key teachings of Scripture as interpreted through 

the ecumenical creeds of the early church, the 

chief insights of the Reformation and evangelical 

Christianity. 

EACH OF THE THREE NEW 

DOCUMENTS EXPRESS SPECIFIC 

FAITH COMMITMENTS 

The Cornerstone Christian Worldview is a 

comprehensive outlook from a Christ-centered 

worldview on all parts of life based on the Holy 

Scriptures—the Bible—and is a guide for living and 

understanding the world. 

The Cornerstone Academic Vision Statement 

articulates the principles that the people of 

Cornerstone University commit to embodying so 

that, together in unity, CU can educate students to 

be influencers in their world for Jesus Christ. 

The Cornerstone Beautiful Christian Community 

is one that reflects the beauty of God—as perfectly 

revealed in Jesus Christ—through the working of the 

Word and the Holy Spirit. Cornerstone University—its 

faculty, staff and students—are committed to being 

this kind of community. 

These foundational documents reflect the most 

essential, relevant commitments that will encourage 

a culture of love, care, humility and excellence that 

honors God’s vision for all creation as expressed 

through Scripture. Students and future alumni will be 

prepared to influence the world for Jesus Christ for 

generations to come! 

The Cornerstone Christian Worldview is 

printed on pages 22-23 of this magazine. 

To read the Cornerstone Confession and 

other new foundational documents, visit 

cornerstone.edu/values. 

1 

Perceptions about Biblical Worldview and Its Application, Center for Biblical Worldview, Family Research Council, May 2021; American Worldview Inventory 2022, Cultural Research 

Center, Arizona Christian University. 

2 

Barna, G. Release #5: Shocking results concerning the worldview of Christian pastors. (2022, May 24). Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2022/05/AWVI2022_Release05_Digital.pdf. 

3 

Brenan, M. & Willcoxon, N. Record-high 50% of Americans rate U.S. moral values as ‘poor.’ (2022, June 15). Retrieved October 28, 2022, from https://news.gallup.com/poll/393659/ 

record-high-americans-rate-moral-values-poor.aspx. 

THE LOGOS CENTER 

PREPARES 

FOUNDATIONS 

TRAINING 

The Logos Center, Cornerstone’s faculty 

development center for Christian thought 

leadership led by Dr. Michael Pasquale, is 

launching foundational values discussion 

programs. Together, faculty and staff will 

discuss ways to integrate these significant 

Biblical commitments and the CU Confession 

into livable applications that support a loving, 

Christ-honoring, beautiful and Biblically 

centered community life experience that is 

flourishing and transferable to students for 

generations to come. 

20 21 





CHRISTIAN 

WORLDVIEW 

STATEMENT 

The Christian worldview is a comprehensive 

outlook on all parts of life based on the 

Holy Scriptures—the Bible. We the people of 

Cornerstone University commit ourselves to 

The Christian worldview as our comprehensive 

outlook on all parts of life and as our guide for 

living and understanding the world. 

Affirmed by Cornerstone University Board of Trustees on 

Sept. 21, 2022. 

01 

Purpose Statement: A worldview is a comprehensive 

outlook on all parts of life that a person uses as a guide 

for living and understanding the world. The Christian 

worldview is a comprehensive outlook on all parts of life 

based on the Holy Scriptures—the Bible. The Christian 

worldview clarifies our life in this world. It helps us to 

understand who we are, how we and the world have 

been harmed, what is the solution, and where we are 

going. It tells us the meaning of life, what is real, what 

is right and wrong, and what is truth and how we can 

discover it. We the people of Cornerstone University 

commit ourselves to The Christian worldview as our 

comprehensive outlook on all parts of life and as our 

guide for living and understanding the world. 

02 

The Christian worldview helps us to understand God 

and his world and holistically respond—in intellect, 

will, affections, and body—to God’s gracious revelation 

of himself. 

03 

The Christian worldview rises from the Bible and its 

major moments and movements: God’s good creation 

of all that exists, the fall of humanity, the redemption of 

humanity and creation through Christ, and the future 

and ultimate realization of God’s kingdom and all his 

purposes. God created all that exists. He uniquely and 

directly created Adam and Eve in his own image and 

likeness. But Adam and Eve sinned and rejected God’s 

purpose for them. Though still maintaining clear marks 

of God’s creative handiwork, his good creation was 

badly damaged by Adam’s rebellion, which corrupted 

the human race with the guilt and pollution of original 

sin and ravaged society, the earth, all living things, 

and our desires and abilities to appropriately respond 

to God. God declared all things would eventually be 

set right. God’s promises of redemption to Adam 

were sketched in the figures, lives, and actions of and 

revelation to the ancient Jewish people. From them 

arose the Messiah, Jesus the Son of God, fully God and 

fully man. Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not, 

so that his righteous life might count for us. He then 

offered his life in our place. He bore our sins, guilt, and 

shame on the cross, enduring his Father’s wrath. He 

then rose triumphantly over sin, death, and Satan. He 

ascended to heaven, where he reigns at the Father’s 

right hand, and he will return to establish his kingdom 

and live with us on the new earth. In the meantime, 

his Holy Spirit enables us to respond to the Great 

Commission of Jesus Christ to make disciples of all 

04 

05 

06 

nations, the Cultural Mandate given to Adam and Eve 

for all generations to create a God-honoring world, 

and to all of God’s other good commands. His children 

have been enabled to bring glory to God and enjoy him, 

humanity’s chief end. 

The Christian worldview motivates and directs the 

academic vision and the daily pursuits of the people 

of Cornerstone University. We commit ourselves 

to examine and be shaped by how the Bible and the 

biblical truth of creation, fall, redemption, and the 

ultimate realization of God’s kingdom speak about 

reality (metaphysics), about truth and knowledge 

(epistemology), about what is good (ethics), and about 

what is beautiful (aesthetics). We do this so we might 

better love and praise our God with our whole selves, 

through our academic disciplines, and through our 

vocations as members of our university. 

What is Real? Our sovereign, triune God is Ultimate 

Reality. He exists apart from, is beyond, and is entirely 

different than his dependent creation. Yet He is also 

fully present with us and in all of creation. Our holy and 

loving God created a world whose reality surpasses 

all merely social, linguistic, or personal perspectives. 

And he created humanity in his image to responsibly 

steward this world on his behalf. A Christian liberal 

arts education empowers us to flourish as God’s image 

bearers: loving him, serving neighbors, developing and 

influencing culture, and periodically resting even within 

a marred creation that maintains some of its inherent 

goodness. 

What is Truth and Knowledge? Our sovereign, triune 

God is Truth, Wisdom, and Knowledge. He provides 

human beings with access to these through his general 

revelation and, especially, his special revelation, as 

embodied in his perfect Son, Jesus Christ, and his 

authoritative, inspired, and inerrant Scriptures. Any 

belief, claim, or statement is true when it corresponds 

to God, his mind, and his knowledge as communicated 

through his revelation. While we are finite and deeply 

harmed due to our sinful nature and condition, God has 

graciously and adequately equipped us to describe 

the world as it is. God’s Word at work within us through 

the Holy Spirit corrects our sinful suppression of his 

truth, instructs us how to interpret his broken world, 

and renews our minds to better understand God and 

his purposes. 

07 

What is Good? Our sovereign, triune God is Good. 

He is the Ultimate Good and is the source of all that 

is good. Any goodness we encounter in the world is 

a reflection of him. His holy nature grounds ethics, 

and his holy Bible reveals to us his moral principles, 

rules, and defines the good life. All human beings are 

inclined to look to themselves and their communities 

as the standard of what is right and good; but God has 

not left us to ourselves. He has given us the Spirit who 

empowers us to live faithfully and judge morality and 

goodness by the standards of Scripture. 

08 

09 

What is Beauty? Our sovereign, triune God is Beauty. 

He is the source of beauty and all that is beautiful. We 

seek to experience and reflect his truth, goodness, 

and beauty through our own cultural endeavors in a 

fallen world. As such, these endeavors give voice to our 

sorrows and joys, pointing to what was, what is, what 

should be, and what will be when our Savior returns to 

restore all things. 

The Christian worldview asserts the Lordship of Jesus 

Christ over all creation, points to the inestimable 

worth and graciousness of the gospel, and calls for 

the true and proper worship of our triune God. In the 

context of Christian higher education, the framework it 

provides enables the people of Cornerstone University 

to be better agents of God’s truth and reconciliation as 

we submit to Christ and influence the world for him. 

22 

23 





WISDOM 

CONVERSATIONS 

How Should We Live Today? 

God, the Bible and Human 

Flourishing 

BY VANESSA CARROLL 

When President Gerson Moreno-Riaño arrived at Cornerstone University, 

he envisioned a campus that would be a Christian thought leader for the 

region and for the country. In his vision, Cornerstone University would be 

a place that affected not only the students and campus community but 

the state and the nation with intelligent conversation about what it looks 

like to live for Christ in today’s world. His hope was to see a Cornerstone 

that is the destination of choice among Christian higher education and 

that includes setting the pace for Christian thinking. 

To bring this vision to reality, Moreno-Riaño developed an idea that 

would further the vision—a semi-annual event known as Wisdom 

Conversations. The first Wisdom Conversation was held last spring 

and was titled “Reconnecting With One Another: Humility, Truth and 

Loving One’s Neighbor in a Divided America.” This fall it continued with 

the second installment called “How Should We Live Today? God, the 

Bible and Human Flourishing,” coinciding near the 50-year anniversary 

of Francis Schaeffer’s book “How Should We Then Live? The Rise and 

Decline of Western Thought and Culture.” 

“We’re going through a profound cultural transformation—a lot of 

confusion, fear and worry, and it’s really rooted in these questions: How 

do we live? How do we make decisions? How do we protect our homes, 

our communities?” Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, president of Cornerstone 

University, said. “Wisdom Conversations wrestles with these deep, 

profound topics that are on everyone’s mind. Our hope is to provide 

insight and discernment on the key topics of today and do it in a way 

that really causes our communities to flourish and thrive.” 

Wisdom Conversations 

wrestles with these deep, 

profound topics that are 

on everyone’s mind. 

GERSON MORENO-RIAÑO, PH.D. 

24 25 





pictured 

Page 25: Panelists with CU 

President Gerson Moreno-Riaño 

during the Oct. 27 event. 

Clockwise from top: April 2022 

panelist Mary Ann Gomez Orta, 

April 2022 panelist Noah Feldman, 

October 2022 panelist Samuel 

Rodriguez, October 2022 panelist 

Miroslav Volf, April 2022 panelist 

Ross Douthat and October 2022 

panelist Ian Rowe. 


If we can duplicate 

this and clone it 

around America, 

we can actually 

change the atmosphere 

in America today. 

SAMUEL RODRIGUEZ 

Wisdom Conversations could have been a small 

event, but Moreno-Riaño dreamed big and said, “Let’s 

see who we can bring in.” He hand-picked national 

leaders to share their wisdom on the topic. Last spring, 

panelists included New York Times conservative 

columnist Ross Douthat, Harvard law professor Noah 

Feldman and congressional Hispanic caucus president 

Mary Ann Gomez Orta. This fall, the panel featured 

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National 

Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Mr. Ian 

Rowe, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise 

Institution; and Dr. Miroslav Volf, a professor of 

systematic theology at Yale Divinity School. Both 

events were moderated by Moreno-Riaño. 

In this fall’s Wisdom Conversations, panelists 

discussed what Schaeffer so eloquently laid out in his 

book—living out a Christian life amidst a crumbling 

morality. What does this look like today? How do we 

live the life God asks us to in a world that is becoming 

more and more self-centered by the day? How are we 

to be Christians in an anti-Christian environment? 

Schaeffer reasons that the only way to live in the 

modern world of declining morality and values is to 

embrace the Christian life laid out in the Bible. 

“The panel assembled to discuss this topic was 

outstanding,” said Bob Sack, Cornerstone’s vice 

president for university advancement. “Volf is a deep 

thinker and strong communicator. Ian Rowe was 

brilliant in a book he wrote on African American youth. 

Rodriguez has risen to a role as a president of an 

organization that has much clout and an ethnic group 

that is fast growing and increasing in influence. 

“The beauty of Wisdom Conversations is that it asks 

profound questions and fearlessly explores them from 

a Christian worldview,” Sack continued. 

Leading up to Wisdom Conversations, the Logos 

Center, CU’s campus think tank that helps Cornerstone 

community, faculty, staff and students to consider the 

integration of faith and learning, hosted a series of 

Friday discussions for faculty and staff about each of 

the panelists’ works. After the event, the Logos Center 

staged five more Friday discussions for faculty and staff. 

“Wisdom Conversations isn’t just a one-and-done 

event,” Dr. Michael Pasquale, professor of linguistics, 

said. “It’s something that’s part of our culture that we 

enjoy engaging in. 

“Students, faculty, staff, constituents and the 

community were all invited to the event in the hopes 

that everyone who engaged in the event would 

continue to think about the question, ‘How do we 

love God with all our being in our world today?’” said 

Pasquale. “As a faculty member, I encourage students 

to continue to think about things as more than just 

being important for a grade. We want our students to 

be lifelong learners and have an influence in the world 

beyond campus.” 

Following the Oct. 27 event, post-event feedback 

affirmed the value of the event for West Michigan and 

beyond. “The concept is brilliant and beautiful. It’s full 

of civility—not rancor, not rhetoric, not hyperbole—just 

great conversations that lead to societal transformation 

and cultural reformation,” Rodriguez said. “If we can 

duplicate this and clone it around America, we can 

actually change the atmosphere in America today.” 

“Wisdom Conversations provides CU the opportunity 

to offer Christian thought leadership to a world that 

desperately needs it,” Moreno-Riaño says. “That is 

wisdom in action.” 

Every semester will hold a new Wisdom 

Conversations with a new topic and panel. Listen 

to past events and find more information on the 

upcoming Wisdom Conversations event slated for 

the spring semester at cornerstone.edu/wisdom. 

26 27 





UNITED FOR 

PASSIONATE 

SERVICE 

$10 21 

Cost of a T-shirt available at the door of 

4 

Number of vitamins 

and minerals included 

in each packaged meal, 

in addition to dehydrated 

vegetables, dried soy 

textured vegetable 

protein and rice. 

the Pack the House game which paid for 

25 meals. 

Student-led groups, 

taught by Professor 

Scott Huckaby, gained 

real-world experience 

through organizing this 

fall’s Pack the House, 

including external and 

internal marketing, 

event planning, 

sponsorships, logistics 

and operations. 

The dedicated faith and volunteer 

service of Cornerstone University 

students is rooted in one desire: to 

impact the world for Jesus Christ. 

On Nov. 16, the Cornerstone community gathered for 

a cause while cheering on the women’s and men’s 

basketball teams competing in a doubleheader. The 

event also promoted awareness of an on-campus food 

pack event—in participation with IDES’ food pack 

program called God Always Provides or GAP—on Dec. 3. 

pictured 

This page: One meal pack, including 

a blend of dehydrated vegetables, 

vegetable protein, rice and vitamins 

and minerals. 

Opposite: Pack the House 

organizers Matt Wallace, assistant 

professor of teacher education 

and president of Friendship Sports 

International of Michigan, and CU 

student Alec Papale (’23). 


60,000 

3,200 

Meals packed by CU 

women’s soccer for ministries 

to distribute in Afghanistan in 

2020, laying the foundation for 

this year’s and future Pack the 

House events. 

Meal goal for Cornerstone’s first 

university-wide Pack the House 

event which fills a box truck provided 

by IDES. IDES will deliver the meals 

to gospel-centered partner ministries 

serving refugees and many others 

affected by war in Ukraine. 

28 29 





* INDIVIDUAL DONOR | + FOUNDATION | ^ CHURCH | ▽ BUSINESS | ‡ MATCHING COMPANY 

A KINGDOM 

LEGACY 

Cornerstone University Donors 

(June 2021 to May 2022) 

Jeffrey and Cherri Abner* 

Aboite Baptist Church^ 

Katherine Abshagen* 

Ada Bible Church^ 

John and Carol Adair* 

Thomas and Harriet Adams* 

Howard and Roberta Ahmanson* 

Barbara Ainsworth* 

Charles and Ruth Alber* 

Geren and Melissa Albury* 

Ross and Karin Alferink* 

Dominic Allen* 

Liza Alvarez* 

AmazonSmile Foundation+ 

American Electric Power‡ 

American Endowment Foundation+ 

Ronald Anderson* 

Zachary and Sandra Anderson* 

Alberta Andrus* 

Paul and Cynthia Anthes* 

Timothy and Julia Applegate* 

David and Karen April* 

Calvin and Dawn Asma* 

Peter and Gail Atwood* 

Robert and Jean Austin* 

Jeffrey and Emilie Azkoul* 

Jeffrey and Lynne Baker* 

Jerry and Clare Baker* 

John and Joyce Baker* 

Zachary Baker* 

Randall and Donna Bakker* 

Benjamin Balbach* 

Marquita Barlow* 

Barnabas Foundation+ 

Patricia Bartaway* 

Tobias and Linda Bateson* 

Bateson Charitable Lead Trust+ 

Opal Batson* 

Baxter Community Center▽ 

Stan and Ellen Beach* 

Stephen and Patricia Beals* 

Timothy and Cheryl Beals* 

Beatrice A Idema Revocable Trust+ 

Dennis and Nancy Bekken* 

Todd and Rhonda Belden* 

Desmond and Pauline Bell* 

John Bell* 

Michael and Jeanne Belth* 

Patricia Berens* 

Matt and Shari Berger* 

Rayn and Linda Berghorst* 

Berrien Community Foundation+ 

Betty E Miller Trust+ 

James and Darlene Biddle* 

Brandan Bishop* 

Glenn and Kaye Blossom* 

Blue Water Dentistry▽ 

Richard Blumenstock* 

Jeffrey and Jodi Bodtke* 

Phyllis Bodtke* 

Thomas and Arlene Bodtke* 

Zachary Bohl* 

Gordon and Linda Boldt* 

Matt and Dorothe Bonzo* 

Daryl and Dawn Boonstra* 

Boonstra Construction▽ 

James and Carole Bos* 

Lawrence and Rose Bos* 

Douglas and Christina Bouwer* 

Jason and Kelly Bowers* 

Michael and Mary Boye* 

Michael and Rebecca Bradley* 

Jason and Emma Braford* 

Janelle Branch* 

Khary Bridgewater and Jennifer 

McCormick- Bridgewater* 

Sheri Brog* 

Randall and Elizabeth Bronkema* 

Douglas and Elizabeth Brown* 

Julie Brown* 

Brussee/Brady Inc▽ 

Dan Bryant* 

George and Mary Brzezinski* 

BSN Sports▽ 

Paul Buiten* 

Miles and Janice Bullard* 

Ray and Marlene Burnside* 

Douglas and Crystal Busch* 

James and Janice Bush* 

Paula Bush* 

C2AE▽ 

Campbell Living Trust+ 

Scott and Heidi Campbell* 

William and Virginia Campbell* 

Michael and Nola Carew* 

Kathryne Carpenter* 

William Carr* 

Shirley Carroll* 

Delores Carter* 

Philip and Cathy Carter* 

LeRoy and Isabel Case* 

June Cassada* 

Center for Physical Rehab Inc▽ 

Bobbie Chandler* 

Ben and Linda Chapman* 

Donald and Janice Chapman* 

Perry and Karen Cheathem* 

Ronald and Brooke Cheney* 

Chick-fil-A at 28th & Beltline FSU▽ 

Chick-fil-A at Grand Rapids South FSU▽ 

Church Mutual Insurance Company▽ 

Churchill Mortgage▽ 

Amanda Ciofu* 

Vicki Clark* 

Clint Melcher Plumbing LLC▽ 

Clique Espresso Catering▽ 

Steve Cochlan* 

Shana Cole* 

William and Sharon Commons* 

Compass Coach Inc▽ 

Paul and Salome Correa* 

Bruce and Sandra Costen* 

Council for Christian Colleges & 

Universities▽ 

Council for Independent Colleges▽ 

Jeffrey and Patricia Cousins* 

Cory and Melissa Cox* 

Gregory and Nancy Cragel* 

Vic and Deborah Crater* 

Credo Communications LLC▽ 

Crossway Multinational Church^ 

Crown Trophy #104▽ 

Duane and Mari-Clare Culver* 

Hannah Culver* 

Culver CPA Group▽ 

Kevin and Tina Cumings* 

Jason and Christine Currie* 

Currie Foundation+ 

Kevin and Meg Cusack* 

Arda Cushman* 

Wayne and Diane Dalman* 

Dan Vos Construction Co▽ 

Philip and Brenda David* 

David and Carol Van Andel Family 

Foundation+ 

Katelynn Davis* 

David and Nannette De Cook* 

David De Roo* 

Praise God for a blessed year at Cornerstone University! Together, with 

the generous financial support and bold prayers of alumni, donors, local 

foundations and friends of the university, Cornerstone will train Biblically 

based students for decades to come. 

Thank you for your partnership! 

This scholarship gave me the ability to be more involved in 

Cornerstone’s community as a resident assistant and mentor. 

I am incredibly thankful for those who used their resources to 

pour into my life through this scholarship. 

RACHEL CATE GILBERT (’22) 

Elementary Education 

Kingdom Scholar 

30 

31 





Mary De Witt* 

Connie Dean* 

Jerry and Audrey Deboer* 

Donald and Judith DeBoer* 

Katie DeBoer* 

Keith and Cheryl DeBoer* 

Jeffery and Rachel Degner* 

Jon and Vonda DeKleine* 

Mark and Heidi DeKorne* 

Robert and Kathryn Dennis* 

Donald and Nancy Denyes* 

Mark Devereaux* 

Albert and Brenda DeVries* 

Daniel and Kerrie DeVries* 

James and Lucille DeVries* 

Lanny and Carol DeWitt* 

Eric and Heather Dickinson* 

Jon Dietz* 

Paul and Nancy Doane* 

Robert and Deborah Domke* 

Donald L Tocco Rev Liv Trust+ 

Dorothy Gordon Charitable Gift 

Annuity+ 

John Douglass Jr* 

Hannah Drake* 

Madison Drew* 

Drury Hotels▽ 

Carl and Karen Dufendach* 

Derek Dufendach* 

Sherwood and Kathleen Dusterwinkle* 

Myrna Duthler* 

Scott and Renee Dwyer* 

Eckhoff & DeVries Painting and 

Wallcovering▽ 

Eden Bridge Foundation+ 

Edward Jones▽ 

Michelle Edwards* 

Engle Family Charitable Fund+ 

David and Shirley Egner* 

Daniel and Doris Ehnis* 

Brian and Susan Eldridge* 

James and Nancy Engen* 

Epique Homes, Inc▽ 

Tucker and Kara Fahlen* 

Farm Bureau Insurance Jeremy 

Underwood▽ 

James and Shari Farrell* 

Fidelity Charitable+ 

Mark and Anne Fifer* 

Loran and Sherri Filson* 

John and Nancy Finnerty* 

First Companies▽ 

Frederick and Shirley Fleischmann* 

Ronald and Carla Fles* 

Betty Fleser* 

Greg and Sarah Flick* 

Flo’s Pizzeria▽ 

Food Rescue Inc▽ 

Wayne Foote* 

John and Beth Foss* 

Ken and Susan Foster* 

Bruce and Terri Fowler* 

Jimmie and Debbie Fox* 

Martha Frahm* 

Michael Frankey* 

Friendship Sports▽ 

Tamara Fry* 

James and Marcy Fryling* 

Brian and Lori Fulks* 

Maureen Gaines-Ramey* 

Galilee Baptist Church^ 

Clark and Debbie Galloway* 

Orpha Galloway* 

Spencer and Sonya Galloway* 

Todd and Judi Galloway* 

Jane Garner* 

Raymond and Carol Gates* 

Russell Gehrlein* 

Chad and Deborah German* 

Brian and Kathryn Gilbert* 

Jeffrey and Tori Gillesse* 

Natalie Gittus* 

Paul and Nancy Goebel* 

Robert and Margaret Goldthorpe* 

Dorothy Gordon* 

James and Bonnie Gordon* 

Alan and Bethany Gortmaker* 

Dennis and Rebecca Graham* 

Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame▽ 

Grand Valley Automation, Inc▽ 

Michael and Christine Grano* 

Martin and Ruth Green* 

Paul and Janet Grewe* 

Jordan Grooters* 

Growtrust Partners 

James and Jeanette Gunn* 

Carl Hagler* 

Donna Hallgren* 

Richard and Marilyn Hallgren* 

Gary and Cassandra Hankins* 

James and Judith Harbeck* 

Chester and Pamela Harris* 

William Harrison* 

Matthew Haskins* 

Arthur and Betsy Hasse* 

Jack and Bonnie Haveman* 

Steven and Annette Hawks* 

John and Linda Hayden* 

Jason and Esther Heerema* 

Michael and Wendy Heinen* 

Ryan Hekman* 

Richard Hemenway Jr* 

Austin Hendrick* 

Ronald Henning* 

Michael Herrema* 

Robert and Amy Herrema* 

Gregory and Sharon Hewitt* 

Patricia Hicks* 

Joel and Colleen Hill* 

Michael and Angela Hill* 

Joseph and Sharon Hilyard* 

Gabrielle Hirth* 

James Ho* 

Rick and Lynda Hoeksema* 

Allan and Stephanie Hoekstra* 

Mark and Wendy Holtvluwer* 

Carolyn Homan* 

Dawn Hop* 

Carolyn Hope* 

Doris Horling* 

Todd and Mary Hotovy* 

Scott and Kari Huckaby* 

Dwayne and Tiffany Huff* 

Zak and Taryn Hulst* 

Rachel Humes* 

Carol Hunter* 

Luan Hutchinson* 

Ben Huyser* 

Beatrice Idema* 

John and Terry Innis* 

Inside Out Volleyball Inc Juniors 

Account▽ 

Anita Isenga* 

ITS Partners, LLC▽ 

Jack and Wynnita Joy Westerbeek 

Family Foundation+ 

Brenda Jansen* 

Sidney and Sharin Jansma* 

Robert and Deborah Jeffers* 

Gary and Nancy Jennings* 

Richard Jensen* 

Thomas and Carolyn Jesse* 

Jessie M Seven Trust+ 

Brendon and Rachel Johnson* 

Bruce and Margie Johnson* 

Courtney Johnson* 

Lysle and Carma Johnson* 

Sharlene Johnson* 

Joe Jovanovic* 

Lee and Shirley June* 

William and Nancy Kapteyn* 

Lynn Karneboge* 

Keith and Marilyn Kaynor* 

Kristin Keelean* 

Philip and Carrie Keith* 

William and Juanita Kellaris* 

Ned and Judy Keller* 

David and Coila Kennedy* 

Kathryn Kimmel* 

Terrence and Cynthia King* 

Kevin and Suzanne Klok* 

Harold Klukowski* 

Cynthia Klum* 

Timothy and Kimberly Klunder* 

Terry Knaus* 

Bastian and Joan Knoppers* 

Gregory and Leslie Koczan* 

Ronald and Patsy Kooistra* 

Richard and Carolyn Koole* 

Robert Korir* 

Michael and Kimberly Korpak* 

Adjiri Kouame* 

Paul and Jody Koutz* 

Jack and Carol Kragt* 

Peter and Carol Kramer* 

Kraft Business Systems▽ 

James and Kathleen Kregel* 

Layne and Tiffany Kreh* 

Mark and Lisa Kresge* 

Mary Krieger* 

Jeffrey and Kelly Kubik* 

Wilfred and Darlene Kuhnell* 

Christopher and Keri Kuiper* 

Stanley and Joann Lachowicz* 

James and Nancy Lacy* 

Lake Michigan Credit Union▽ 

Gregory Lambert* 

Daniel and Laura LaMore* 

Richard and Amy Langton* 

Benjamin Lanning* 

Noah and Paige Lehmann* 

Christopher and Megan Lenhart* 

Robert and Shirley Lenz* 

Level Ten Consulting Group LLC▽ 

Life Stream Church 

Agnes Lina* 

Gordon Lindsay* 

James and Lisa Link* 

James and Bonnie Linscott* 

Douglas and Judith Lipinski* 

Jeffrey and Elizabeth Lipinski* 

Lloyd and Mabel Johnson Foundation+ 

Kristin Lohnes* 

Christopher and Christine Loiselle* 

Gerald and Elizabeth Longjohn* 

Mark and Dorothy Looman* 

Matthew and Lynne Lopez* 

John and Audrey Losey* 

Lubbers Painting LLC▽ 

Brad Ludwick* 

Cynthia Lyons* 

Patricia Magrames* 

Patrick and Diana Mahoney* 

Ryan and Sheri Maibach* 

Michael and Laura Majerczak* 

Kelly Malone* 

Tom Martin* 

Ty and Katelyn Mason* 

John and Ruth Matazel* 

Charlotte Mayers* 

William and Susan Mc Arthur* 

Isaac and Adrian McClelland* 

James McCrum* 

Joseph and Ashley McDonald* 

Matthew and Nicole McDonald* 

James McEwan* 

David and Kay McFarlane* 

Mark and Michaelene McGinnis* 

Jack and Karri McIntyre* 

James and Marcia McKinney* 

John and Laura McKinney* 

Meijer Inc▽ 

Kimberly Meiste* 

Clint and Kim Melcher* 

Albert and Kay Meredith* 

Philip and Mia Merrell* 

Metro Health▽ 

Ben Meyering* 

Michigan College Access Network▽ 

Joshua Mick* 

Mika Meyers PLC▽ 

Karl and Jean Millard* 

Betty Miller* 

Daniel and Sabrasue Miller* 

Katheryn Miller* 

Ken and Colleen Miller* 

Mary Miller* 

Raymond Miller Sr* 

David and Deidre Mills* 

Ryan Mitchell* 

Modernistic Cleaning & Restoration 

Mojo Foundation+ 

Edward and Christine Mol* 

Robert and Cheryl Mol* 

Monticello College Foundation+ 

Joyce Moore* 

Morgan Stanley Gift Fund▽ 

Dodd and Tamara Morris* 

Moss Telecommunications Services▽ 

Jerry and Theresa Moy* 

Peter Muer* 

Mark and Joy Muha* 

Martha Muir* 

Dawn Mumford* 

Benjamin and Brittany Murray* 

MYWA West Region▽ 

National Christian Foundation+ 

National Christian Foundation 

California+ 

National Christian Foundation Greater 

Chicago+ 

National Christian Foundation West 

Michigan+ 

Neighborly Faith Inc▽ 

Keith and Maxine Nelson* 

Michael and Debby Nelson* 

As a recipient of scholarships from Cornerstone, I can personally 

attest to how much it has helped me and relieved me of so 

much pressure. It has given me more time to immerse myself 

in the community here and focus on my studies. My goal is 

to graduate from Cornerstone debt free, and donors have made 

that possible for me. 

EMMET SMITH (’26) 

Business Administration 

Kingdom Scholar, Pastor’s Scholarship Recipient and Global Scholarship Recipient 

Network for Good▽ 

Peter and Shawn Newhouse* 

Kim Lan Nguyen* 

Robert and Bette Jo Nienhuis* 

Thomas and Amy Niergarth* 

Jim and Maartje Niewenhuis* 

Noel and Rhonda Nixon* 

Kurt and Sandy Norgaard* 

Garry and Charlotte Nutter* 

Evelyn Nyenhuis* 

Tim and Kimetha Oberle* 

Michael and Jean Oele* 

Carlton and Vicki Olson* 

Walter and Midge Olsson* 

Olsson Investment Group LLC▽ 

Onequest Family Foundation+ 

Bradley and Jori Orr* 

Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan▽ 

Peter and Karen Osborn* 

Sherman Ostrander* 

Dave Oswald* 

Andrew Overbeek* 

Barry and Jeannette Palmerton* 

Bruce and Jean Parsons* 

David and Sharon Pasciak* 

David and Anne Pasquale* 

Michael and Monica Pasquale* 

James and Kara Paulson* 

Peter and Patricia Pell* 

Pepsi Bottling Group LLC▽ 

Tom and Crystal Perry* 

Wayne and Judy Peterman* 

Curtis and Alyson Peterson* 

Amy Phillips* 

Andre and Cheryl Pierre* 

Kevin and Janet Pike* 

Pinnacle Construction Group▽ 

Barbara Pirsig* 

Plastic Mold Technology▽ 

Paul Ploeg* 

PNC Financial Services Group▽ 

Bruce and Chelsie Pobocik* 

Stephen and Mary Poling* 

Stephen and Lori Popp* 

Charles and Carrie Porter* 

Porter Family Trust+ 

Shannon Pothoven* 

John Powell IV* 

Justin and Cathleen Powell* 

Harold and Bonnie Price* 

Gary Pross* 

Darlene Rabe* 

James and Sally Rabe* 

Joe and Andrea Rainer* 

Austin Rakestraw* 

Johanna Rasmussen* 

Raymond James Charitable 

Endowment Fund+ 

Joseph and Alice Rea* 

Request Foods Inc▽ 

Trey and Ellen Reed* 

William and Bernice Reinthaler* 

Renaissance Charitable Foundation, 

Inc.+ 

Arthur and Maria Reyes* 

Keith and Priscilla Rich* 

Richard E Wiggins CRUT #1▽ 

Bradley and Joy Richards* 

Jane Riker* 

Alexys Riksen* 

Dan and Catherine Rink* 

River City Mechanical▽ 

Tammy Robertson* 

Brian and Grace Robinson* 

Kathryn Rocha* 

Robert Rodenhouse* 

Robert Rogers* 

Ronald B Mayers Trust+ 

Roger and Anne Roode* 

Carl and Marilyn Rosema* 

Peter Roth* 

Richard and Suanne Royston* 

Robert and Christine Rozelle* 

William and Gloria Rudd* 

Edward Ryzenga* 

Derric Bakker and Mary Saarloos* 

Bryce and Anna Sack* 

Robert and Deborah Sack* 

Donald and Wilma Sackett* 

Aaron and Allison Sagraves* 

James and Rene Salerno* 

Michael and Martha Sample* 

Kenneth and Kathryn Sampson* 

Samuel L Westerman Foundation+ 

Brian and Chrissy Sandberg* 

Daniel and Suzan Santos* 

Jeremiah Schimp* 

Alexander Schloop* 

Jared Schmatz* 

Karl and Jill Schmidt* 

Jane Scholtens* 

Shirley Schriber* 

Troy and Sally Schrock* 

Schwab Charitable Fund+ 

Scott Marsman AG LLC▽ 

Maurice Scruggs* 

William and Kristil Semrau* 

Jessie Seven* 

Gaylord and Marilyn Shaffer* 

Leroy and Darlene Shively* 

Ronald and Anita Shoemaker* 

Patrick and Crystal Shooltz* 

Martha Shrubsole* 

Kevin and Julie Shuneson* 

Signworks of Michigan Inc▽ 

Thomas and Wendy Siefert* 

Brian and Julie Sikma* 

Ryan Simmons* 

Christopher and Jennifer Slagter* 

Kimm and Tammy Slater* 

Joe and Sandra Slaughter* 

Shawn and Kristin Slocum* 

Kevin Slowik* 

Small Wonders Farm▽ 

Colleen Smith* 

Dwayne and Shawanda Smith* 

32 

33 





Gary and Susan Smith* 

Lauren and Vicki Smith* 

Megan Smith* 

Caleb Snoeyink* 

John Sommerville* 

Sara Sowerwine* 

South Church^ 

James and Jody Sprague* 

Ross and Rojean Sprague* 

Robert and Sherry Sprotte* 

Judith Staats* 

Fred and Nancy Stalsonburg* 

Brad and Tami Stamm* 

Bruce Steffes* 

Steffes Charitable Remainder Trust+ 

Stephen D Poling Trust+ 

Jonathan and Fernanda Stewart* 

Scott and Sheila Stewart* 

Stifel Charitable Inc. 

Alan Stock* 

Marilyn Stoller* 

Paul and Jane Streelman* 

Muriel Strickland* 

Craig Suchodolski* 

Howard and Sandra Suitor* 

Sullivan Scholarship Fund Trust+ 

Robert and Kristie Summerfield* 

Thomas and Louanne Summerfield* 

Carl and Nancy Swanson* 

Amanda Swisher* 

Benjamin and Joanna Taylor* 

Matthew and Kristy Taylor* 

Team Gazelle▽ 

George and Leah Tesar* 

Stephen and Penny Tessler* 

The Ahmanson Foundation+ 

The Badge Company, LLC▽ 

The Barbara L Ainsworth Trust+ 

The Christman Company▽ 

The U.S. Charitable Gift Trust+ 

John Thomas* 

Verlabeth Thomas* 

Ben and Jill Thompson* 

Kori Thompson* 

Patrick Thompson* 

Thomson Reuters My Community 

Program‡ 

Thornapple Financial Center Inc▽ 

Adam Thornhill* 

Jesse and Hilary Tien* 

Samuel Tillema* 

Chad and Jodi Timmer* 

Donald Tocco* 

Mark and Leah Tremaine* 

Linda Troxel* 

David and Beverly Turner* 

Marc Tyler* 

Mya Udell* 

Jeremy and Shannon Underwood* 

Ronald and Rebecca Underwood* 

United Way+ 

US Engineering Corporation 

Carol Van Andel* 

Cornelia Van Bruggen* 

Nelda Van Horn* 

Mike and Debra Van Kampen* 

Ronald and Joan Van Zee* 

Ronald and Carol VanAntwerp* 

Benjamin and Chelsea Vanbiesbrouck* 

Todd and Carole VandeGuchte* 

Steve and Laura VandeLune* 

Chester VandenBerg* 

J.R. VanderWal* 

Janis Vanderwal* 

Steven and Dawn Vanderwerf* 

Henry and Joyce VanderWerp* 

Kenneth and Nancy Vanderwier* 

Gary and Anita Vanderziel* 

Robert and Sandy VanderZwaag* 

David and Gracelyn Vandyke* 

Randy and Deb Veltkamp* 

Timothy Venema* 

Daniel and Dawn VerBerkmoes* 

John and Kelly VerBerkmoes* 

Thomas and Karen VerHage* 

David and Heather VerPlank* 

VerPlank Electric Inc▽ 

Vibration Research Corporation+ 

Vredevoogd-Brummel Insurance▽ 

Nathanael and Karla Wagner* 

Mikayla Walker* 

Matthew and Alissa Wallace* 

Melissa Walters* 

Samuel and Vicki Wanner* 

Paul and Marilyn Ware* 

Andrew and Joy Washburn* 

WaterStone+ 

Wayne Watkins* 

Weather Shield Roofing Systems 

Thomas and Karen Webber* 

Norman Weener* 

Ellen Wells* 

Travis and Rachel Wells* 

Thomas and Janet Wessels* 

Jack Westerbeek* 

West River Framing+ 

Jack Wheatley* 

Melissa Whitaker* 

Whitecaps Professional Baseball Corp▽ 

Steven and Kayla Whitham* 

Steven and Kathryn Wideen* 

Doug and Dion Wierenga* 

Mark and Jodi Wierenga* 

Scott and Heather Wiersma* 

Richard Wiggins* 

Timothy and Kim Williams* 

Ardele Willis* 

Cynthia Willman* 

Stephen and Marcia Wilson* 

Samuel and Cynthia Wiltheiss* 

Tom and Sherry Wilthers* 

W MI Biggby Advertising Group▽ 

Dean Wolff* 

Vincent and Sondra Woods* 

Michael and Dianne Workman* 

Kelley Wotherspoon* 

Douglas and Rose Wrung* 

Andrew Yankee* 

Keith Yates* 

Zachary Yeo* 

Jessica Yonkers* 

YourCause, LLC Thrivent Financial 

Foundation+ 

Mark and Kimberly Zainea* 

Mark and Sarah Zichterman* 

Zichterman Family Foundation+ 

Lee and Karen Zuidema* 

David and Jennifer Zysk* 

As I’m studying God’s Word, analyzing the history of our faith 

and reflecting on my own faith journey, it’s causing my 

appreciation and love for God to grow in a way that inspires 

me to share what I’m learning with others. While I already 

felt called into ministry, I often lacked confidence. Seminary 

is providing an avenue to build up the needed skills and tools to 

pour into others. 

RENEE LAVERE (’24) 

Master of Divinity 

Joe & Martie Stowell Scholarship Recipient 

EAFDA 

1,843 

REASONS 

TO GIVE 

With nearly 2,000 Cornerstone University students, a gift to 

CU makes an investment in the next generation of influencers 

for Jesus Christ. Your generosity supports need-based student 

scholarships across campus. 

34 



Visit cornerstone.edu/donate to give today, 

or call the Advancement Office at 616.254.1688.

On Oct. 27, over 400 community and university guests gathered to 

hear national panelists Ian Rowe, Miroslav Volf and Samuel Rodriguez. 

STORY ON PAGE 24. 

RYAN PRINS PHOTOGRAPHY © 2022

Cornerstone University Annual Magazine 2022

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?