"Wfwt ~tudeltk w.wdi IIU [tfte 'WJf!'W,] tfwJ (,eel a ~en~e '" o.ulJWI,JfUp and¢ excited," ~eJtWt 0pttftia .l!muumMid. I II 111111' IlIlli, \\\\\\n L[ \\\\11 LL \\\n ll[llnn' \I Senior Poul Flelcher ond IOphomoresMark Abercrombie ond Kevin Johns lislen 10 0 lecture in a Harding School of Biblical Siudies class. Thela II. Oct. 26. Students learned how10read and translale Kaine Greek. Ihe original language of the New Testament. ·Jonathan lindsay Harding hosts the World Mission Workshop IIIIII IIIII I111111111111111111111111111111111111111111\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\I\\\\\\\\\\\W IIII Hundreds ofstudents, from around the country and surrounded by former missionaries, gathered together on the Benson stage cornmining their lives to mission work Ocr. IS. From Oct. 13-15 Harding hosted the World Mission \Vo rkshop. Th is was the seventh time Harding hosted the workshop, and although the workshop was geared toward college students, people with an interest in missions rraveled from around the world to attend. Senior Thomas Ritchie, chairman ofthe WM\Xf regisrration committee, said more than 1,400 attendees from 11 universities were able to attend workshops and listen to six keynote speakers give lectu res tied to the theme "IfYou Say Go," based on the worship song of the same name. Keynote speakers, selected by the steering com– mirree, comprised ofstudents, represemed different mission areas around the world, includingRich Linle from Brisbane, Australia; Jon SHaker from Sendai, Japan; and Bill Wilson from Cologne, Germany. Parricipants also had the option ro attend up to six different classes and twO crossfire sessions. Arrendees were not only exposed to mission \vork needed throughout the world, but the work– shop provided the chance for current and former missionaries to re-con nec£. Oneal Tankersley, mis– sionary-in-residence, said the WMW'gave him the chance to meet returning friends and colleagues in mission fields across the globe. "For me, it's an incredible networking time," Tankersley said. Senior Cynthia Landon said Harding students handled the admin istration of the WMW while faculty members provided oversight. Junior Collin Bills and senior Anna Brinley were the co-directors for the workshop. Bills and Brinley, along with Dr. Monre Cox, associate dean for the College ofBible and Religion, professor of missions and dircc[of for the Cem er for World Missions, started meedng in the spring of2004. Landon said she felt the experi ence srudems received from the WMW was valuable. "When students work on [the WMW, they] feel a sense ofownership and get excited," Landon said. The student leadership of the WMW was organ ized into nine committees. "The thing that makes [dleWM\X!] unique when it's at Harding is the degree of student leadership involved," Cox said. Gordon Hogan, missionar y- in- residence, said the studenr-led committees for the WMW accomplished their tasks welL "The dream has always been that it is student~ d riven," H ogan said. "They do just exacdy what has been desired of them all th rough these yea rs. They introduce the necessity, the need for world evangelism to a segment ofour church population in young Christians." In addition to attending lectures and listening to guest speakers, participants had the opportunity to view the movie "Beyond the Gates ofSplendor" and sample ethnic foods at the "l asre ofCulrure" in from of the Benson steps. The student-led exhibit presented toads from 23 differenr cultu res. Senior Yuliana Leon directed the evenr and said theydedded to do rhe "Taste ofCulture" to show the range of cultures on Harding's campus. "We want to share H arding's cultural diversity with our visitors, and we wanr people to embrace the idea of diversity as a privilege," Leon said. bch culture group set up booths and decorated them with items trom their home countries to experience a little of each coumry. The weekend ended Oct. 15 with a communion service in the Benson Auditorium. Students were presented with a challenge by Straker to step out on the water and go into the mission field. Students then were able to fill out commitment cards saying that they would commit a life to mission work. Junior Julie Keller, secretary for the executive committee, said that missions was not just about going to a different country, bm living a life that was for God. "It's nOt about whe re yo u go, or the exact m inistry you are do ing," Kelle r said. "It's about saying, 'We're going to live differently, not because we're better, but we realize that God isn't a God of one COllntry, bur he is the God of the heavenly country, and we're going to be a parr of [haL'" ·Caitlin Cheller and Cynlhia Naah IJ)J (( III college of Bible & religion & school of biblical studies If."'"
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