Homecoming 2017 Connects Six Decades of Alumni

On October 27-28, alumni of The King’s College and Northeastern Bible College reconnected with one another and with the College at Homecoming 2017. The festivities kicked off with a Friday night reception in the O’Keeffe Student Union, where President Gregory Alan Thornbury welcomed alumni to the New York City campus and highlighted the College’s strategic partnerships with Princeton University, Fordham University, First Things, Socrates in the City, and the Acton Institute. The reception included plentiful refreshments, a table of King’s Gear, and a photo booth. Conversations extended far into the evening.

Alumni at Saturday’s yacht luncheon represented a 60-year period of the College’s history, from David Komarnicki (’57) to Fermin Villalpando (’17). The Atlantis afforded views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and the New York City skyline.

Kevin Brown, chief operating officer, opened the lunch program with prayer. President of the Alumni Association Christopher Ross (’10) introduced the alumni awards, honoring exemplary alumni of The King’s College and Northeastern Bible College. (Read a longer bio of each award winner here.)

Matt Kaal (’09) presented the J. Stanley Oakes award to Jerron Herman (’13), a dancer, grant writer, and teaching artist at Heidi Latsky Dance Company. Named after the fourth president of The King’s College, the J. Stanley Oakes award recognizes early-career alumni who exemplify Oakes’s pioneering spirit. Herman began dancing during his time at King’s, and has since been featured in two television specials and recognized for his work by The New York Times. Herman serves on the board of trustees for Dance/USA, the largest membership organization for dancers in the United States.

Accepting the award, Herman spoke of how his King’s liberal arts education prepared him for interactions with colleagues who are “unknowingly desperate for truth.” Herman discussed how King’s challenged his thinking and focused his ambition, saying, “King’s asked me ‘Why?’ over and over again.”

Steve French (NBC ’80) and Donna-Jean (Anderson) Breckenridge (NBC ’79) introduced the Charles W. Anderson award. French traced the history of Northeastern Bible College and The King’s College back to the friendship of two Christians—Percy Crawford and Charles Anderson—who met at Westminster Seminary. Crawford founded The King’s College, and Anderson started Brookdale Baptist Church, which later birthed Northeastern Bible College. Now, alumni of both institutions gather under the auspices of The King’s College, New York City. “How proud they must be as they witness from their heavenly grandstands,” French said.

Breckenridge, granddaughter to Charles W. Anderson, remembered Anderson’s “desire that we would become creatures of the gospel, and that we would spread to become missionaries.” She presented the award to Steve Beirn (NBC ’75), Global Ministries Pastor at Calvary Church in Lancaster. Beirn has served in local church ministry for over 40 years, and has travelled to over 39 countries to further world missions. He wrote Well Sent: Reimagining the Church’s Missionary-Sending Process (CLC Publications, 2015) to educate churches on global missions. Beirn thanked President Thornbury, the Alumni Association, and his wife Lorraine.

Finally, Ross presented the Alumnus of the Year award to Joel Westa (’79), who served for three decades in the U.S. Air Force and is now CEO of Christian Schools International. Westa was already committed to speak to Christian school leaders in Melbourne, Australia on the same date, so Ross read from Westa’s written remarks.

In his remarks, Westa commended The King’s College in light of James Davison Hunter’s theology of faithful presence from To Change the World. “Faithful presence does not imply passive conformity, but rather a constructive resistance that seeks new patterns of social organization,” Westa wrote. “I congratulate The King’s College for embracing this mindset as the underpinning for their role in Christian higher education. I see their graduates manifesting faithful presence in their spheres of influence daily and am honored to be a part of that King’s tradition.” Westa thanked President Thornbury and Dr. Kimberly Thornbury, the faculty and staff, and his “infinitely more deserving” classmates. “To this day, I still remember Dr. Cook’s words to walk with the King today, and be a blessing!”

After the awards presentation, Ross facilitated the election of candidates to the Alumni Association. Alumni voted in Emily Schatz (’11) to her second term as Vice President, Shannae Murray (’10) to her first term as Treasurer, Frederick “Rick” Veit (’83) to his first term as 1980 Decade Representative, and Matthew Kaal (’09) to his second term as 2000 Decade Representative.

To conclude the program, President Thornbury shared where The King’s College stands now by the grace of God, nearly eighty years since its founding. Professor Alissa Wilkinson was just voted into the New York Film Critics Circle; David Bahnsen recently joined the Board of Trustees; Dr. David Tubbs was appointed visiting fellow in the James Madison Program at Princeton University for the year. Enrollment is up by 60 percent in Thornbury’s fifth year as president. For all these encouraging developments, Thornbury said, “The King’s College’s notoriety—its ability to influence the world—is not a president, not a professor, not our campus. It’s our alumni. It’s you.”

A dessert and coffee reception closed out the event, and alumni and families enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather atop the yacht’s upper deck.

For Susan (Taussig) Gras, Homecoming 2017 was her first contact with King’s since she attended the Briarcliff Manor campus 1966-1968. Gras said, “My husband and I felt welcomed and were impressed with the quality of the leadership of the college and of the students we met. The events were informative and fun and provided ample opportunity to connect with alumni. We’re so glad that we could attend.”