"!. Alexander carries his responsibility carefully; meets the challenge to teach a new generation The College of Bible and Religion has remained strong throughout the years at Harding. Each year, the teachers sharewith students the history of the Bible and help them strive for a better understanding ofthe scriptures. This year, Dr. Tom Alexander was named to meet the challenges and changes the department now faces. Alexander felt ready for the choices awaiting him. "There has been such great leadership in the past; I hope to maintain that ," he said . The weight of new responsibility has not been lost on him. Alexander said that you have to keep in mind that "with this position also comes more accountability." Alexander, who had served as an associate dean for four years under Dr. Carl Mitchell , said that he was always able to refer problems to the dean of the department in the past.Now, that outlet is gone. "I can't just tell people we can go talk to the dean anymore," he said. Aside from dealing with students, Alexander named maintenance as his primary duty. "Maintenance and knowing wh at we need to be 146 College of Bible and Religion more effective are crucial." Every two to four years , a member of the department retires and a replacement must be added. "One of my contributions will be keeping a good faculty; that is so important," he said. Christian education has always been an important part .of Alexander's life. He said he learned the value of Christian education early in life from his parents and his grandparents . "They understood the value of Christian education and instilled that in me,'' Alexander said. Based on family t eachings and their support, he attended Freed-Hardeman College and later tran s ferred to David Lipscomb. After earning his master's from the Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, he joined the Harding faculty in 1978. He later took a brief leave to complete hi s Doctorate of Philosophy at Emory University in Atlanta. Over the years, Alexander has seen the s tudent body change, not only in size, but in the culture of the students. The present generation of students, he said, presents a unique challenge to the Bible faculty. Junior Jonah Tanu i sits in the ampitheater with Dr. Ross Cochran. The Bible faculty often viewed their students as fr iends. Photo by Aaron Gill ihan. "Generation X," he explained, "have grown up more mosaic - they grew up learning with television and computers - while most teachers grew up more linear, learning by reading the chapters of a book. "There is a big challenge in maintaining our mission and still capturing the interest of students ," he said. Even though Alexander feels some change is needed, he emphasized the ever-growing need to remain the same. "We need to be aware of the opportunities oflife, but we also need to remain true to the purpose of this school." It was God's purpose that Alexander hoped to keep before students in his work this year, and he has the same purpose for his family . His son Isaac is a junior graphic design major, attending Harding. His wife Phyllis is a homemaker and paints professiona l portraits; they have two other children, Rachel ,who is married and lives in Pensacola, Fla ., and Hannah who is in the 10th grade. At home and in his profession, Alexander takes seriously his responsibility to train Christians in the Word. - Darcia Woodard
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