The Pilgrim's Protest

Columbia, SC — Crossover Communications International recently announced the appointment of Ken Katayama as its second president in its 25-year history.  The president is responsible for developing new ministry opportunities and guiding the USA base with other autonomous Crossover bases located in Australia, Brazil, Moldova, and New Zealand.

A native of Curitiba, Brazil, Ken first joined Crossover in Brazil in 1999 as a short-term ministry coordinator.  In 2006, Ken moved to the USA office and became a citizen of the United States where he served in other capacities within the Crossover-USA office until this appointment.  Ken said, “I am humbled and deeply honored to have been chosen to lead our ministry as we seek to move into a new season of planting multiplying churches among the unreached peoples of the world.”

Bill Jones, founder and first president of Crossover, has assumed the chairmanship of Crossover’s International Leadership Team and will provide counsel and assistance to all of Crossover’s presidents.

About Crossover Communications International
Crossover, a globally integrated church planting movement, intensely desires to see God glorified among all the peoples of the world. Founded in 1987, today Crossover serves on six continents and has planted many churches among the unreached peoples of the world. Crossover passionately seeks to glorify God as a catalyst for planting multiplying churches among the unreached peoples of the world. For more information about Crossover, visit www.crossoverusa.org.

Contact
Crossover
Jimmy Beacham
Director: Communications & IT
803.691.0688
jimmy@crossovers.org

On April 12^th the CIU Psychology Department was presented an award for Community Partner Appreciation from Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands (STSM). The award honors the dedication and hard work that past and present psychology students have given to the organization.

Dr. Stephen Farra accepted the award on behalf of the students who volunteer with STSM. The award reads as follows: “Columbia International University Psychology Program: For your outstanding partnership with the Volunteer Program at Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands and commitment to providing services to sexual assault and abuse survivors. Community Partner Appreciation Award, 2012.”

This semester alone, CIU psych students have contributed over three hundred volunteer hours for their practicums. STSM provides 25 hours of training for students to become patient advocates. The patient advocate stays in the room of a sexual assault survivor while the medical staff at the emergency room treats them and does a forensic interview. The advocate informs the survivor of the procedures that are going to take place and assists the survivor in finding clothing, shelter or other needs they may have during their time of crisis.

Being a patient advocate benefits both CIU psych students and STSM. The students get a glimpse into the real world of sexual assault and trauma and STSM is able to have their paid staff handle counseling in-office instead of at the hospital.

CIU students currently volunteering are Alex Dugas, Sara Collins and Baron O’Neal. Past and present students who have volunteered with STSM credit the tutelage of Dr. Caudill and Dr. Farra for giving them the ground work in preparation for handling the difficult and daunting challenge of working with Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands.

– By Baron O’Neal

What if your blessings come through raindrops? What if your healing comes through tears?

Those are questions we often avoid pondering. But for Spartanburg, S.C. native and 2003 Columbia International University alumna Laura Story, those questions are real life.

Story, a Christian singer/songwriter made those questions the theme of a song titled “Blessings,” written after her husband Martin Elvington developed a brain tumor in 2006. Story says the song is a reminder that God remains faithful even when He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want Him to.

But little did Story know that the song would earn her a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Song in February, and three Dove Awards in April. She took home the Dove for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for “Blessings.” The title track of that album also won both Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song categories.

The Dove Awards are sponsored by the Gospel Music Association (GMA). The 4,000-member GMA is dedicated to promoting the gospel through a variety of music styles.

Soon after receiving her Grammy Award, Story announced that she and Martin are expecting their first child. At the Dove Awards she announced that they had just learned that day that the baby is a girl.

“She’ll be my new release,” Story joked with the media.

For more on Laura Story and the Dove Awards visit: http://www.watchgmctv.com/news/thats-wrap-atlanta-hosts-43rd-annual-gma-dove-awards-night-incredible-diversity.

Founded in 1923, Columbia International University is private, Christian and multidenominational. CIU specializes in Bible-centered professional development that prepares students to impact the nations with the message of Christ in ministry, missions and the marketplace. The university is recognized for its emphasis on biblical authority and world evangelization.

www.ciu.edu

Contact: Bob Holmes
Communications Manager
Columbia International University
(803) 807-5071
bholmes@ciu.edu

You’ve heard of “Occupy Wall Street.”  But you’ve probably never heard of “Occupy Fleece.”

It’s more of a party, than a protest.

On Jan. 17, the G. Allen Fleece Library at Columbia International University will open for the first time since a devastating fire in May 2009 closed the library for repairs and renovations.  CIU students will celebrate the opening with “Occupy Fleece.”  Students will camp out overnight in tents in a quad area outside the library and wake up to a celebration featuring music, games and an outdoor breakfast.  At 7:30 the library will officially open with the blowing of a shofar, a ram’s horn used in ancient times to signal a celebration.  The CIU mascot is the Ram.

CIU Residence Life Director Mike Thompson says the event is the brainchild of three sophomores: Challie Shaver, Jamie Baker and Michelle Miller.

“They were telling me how excited they are that the library is opening, and at first I didn’t think much about it.”  Thompson said.  “Then it dawned on me that as sophomores, they had never used the library because of the fire.”

A temporary building, dubbed by the students, “The Book Barn” has been used as the library since the fire.

Once the library opens for business at 7:30, students will enter and be given a ticket for a drawing for Kindles and gift cards.

The library is named in honor of the second president of CIU, G. Allen Fleece.  It first opened in 1968.

The official dedication of the renovated library is scheduled for Jan. 24 at 11:30 a.m. and will include members of the Fleece family.

Founded in 1923, Columbia International University is private, Christian and multidenominational.  CIU specializes in Bible-centered professional development that prepares students to impact the nations with the message of Christ in ministry, missions and the marketplace.  The university is recognized for its emphasis on biblical authority and world evangelization.  www.ciu.edu.

Contact: Bob Holmes
Communications Manager
Columbia International University
(803) 807-5071
(803) 518-8200 (cell)
bholmes@ciu.edu

The latest issue of The Pilgrim’s Protest has just been released! In this issue, we’ve covered several topics, but our staple this time around is on the controversial topic of Harry Potter. In addition to a brief introduction by Dr. John Crutchfield, we’ve had two of CIU’s English professors write about their take on the Harry Potter series. Both take very different stances, but they both make excellent points.

• Also in this issue, we have:
• Library Updates – Hannah Najjar
• Interview with Mike Galdamez – Lauren Forester
• Falling Up album review – David Craft
• Bringing the News to You – Kirsten Richardson
• Plus a section introducing all of our staff members, whether new or old!

Be sure to read the articles, and see what you agree with. After you’ve done so, feel free to share your thoughts on this topic by posting a comment on this website!

You can view the .PDF file of this issue by clicking here, or by clicking on the picture to the left.

On April 28, the Pilgrim’s Protest sponsored a debate in regards to the direction that international missions is taking. The debate was hosted by our very own Joshua Cornelissen, and the participants were Drs. Mike Barnett and Patrick Lai. After the initial debate, there was a question and answer time, where several of the audience members were able to ask about topics relating to missions, business as missions, and holism vs. prioritism.

If you missed the debate, or want to hear it again, you’re in luck. We recorded all 69 glorious minutes for your listening pleasure, and have uploaded the recording to our website. You can choose to either download or stream the low-quality version below, or purchase the high-quality version for only two payments of $29.99 by writing to thepilgrimsprotest@gmail.com.

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Just posting a quick update to inform our viewers that we will be bringing forth a new issue in the coming weeks! In it, we’ll be tackling a slew of hot topics that we feel need to be addressed. We hope that by covering them, much-needed discussions will start up here at CIU. Furthermore, we just may be announcing previews of our stories and news articles on Facebook, so we ask that you consider becoming a fan and following our page if you haven’t already. Go to our page by clicking here, and then click the “Like” button at the top of our page.

Our December issue was just released on Friday, and we want to hear what you think about it! You can view the issue online by clicking here, or in the archives section on our sidebar. If you’re interested in leaving some feedback, be sure to check out the comments section by clicking here.

This issue includes…

• Serving Time While Serving the Lord -Baron O’Neal
• Mascot Morphology -Lauren Forester
• Sound Off: CIU Responds to Modesty – Assorted CIU Students and Alumni
• A Spirit of Maturity -Frank Brazell
• Personal Perspective on Freshman Dating -Wes Carnley
• Thy Kingdom Come -Dr. Warren Larson
• My Body’s Betrayal -Christine Matthews
• Senate Interview with Kim Abbott -Andrew Monk
• Music Review: Newsboys – Born Again -David Craft
• 10 Inexpensive Date Ideas for CIU Students -Dr. John Crutchfield

The Pilgrim’s Protest wishes  to share a letter that was written by one of our former staff members with our readers. The letter asks several questions regarding the direction that our paper has taken over the last few semesters, as well as about where we appear to be heading. How do you feel about this letter? Is it accurate? How do you think the protest should handle itself? Should we become more direct and aggressive in our approach, as we used to be? Do you prefer for us to stay where we have been? Do you like where we appear to be taking the paper?

We’d greatly appreciate your feedback regarding these topics, so please head over to our comments section!

Dear Pilgrim’s Protest Staff,

Congratulations on launching your new website, and thank you for your last well-formatted and streamlined October issue. I am a (relatively) recent CIU graduate who was once involved with the publication of the Pilgrim’s Protest. As constructively as possible, I wanted to remind you as a staff of the Protest’s erstwhile and important role in the CIU community and to suggest some ways in which I think it has slowly departed from this. Inasmuch as this past purpose was good and helpful, I would encourage you to reinstate it.

Click here to read the rest of this article.

From one of the old guard,

Anonymous

Welcome to No Shave November! This month, the ladies of CIU will have the privilege of watching their men be manly! That’s absolutly right; the majority of on-campus males will refrain from shaving, and partially revert back to their natural state. Be sure to keep checking back; at the end of this glorious and historic month, we just may have some photos for your enjoyment!

(Also, it’s worth noting that the ladies are celebrating “Natural November” (no makeup, etc.), but we already know we won’t be getting any of those photos.)