Christian alternative rock quartet Seabird, a group comprised of members Aaron Morgan, Ryan Morgan, Preston Lane and Brandon Weaver, released their sophomore album Rocks Into Rivers on Dec. 15 2009. It has only been a little over a year since their debut, ‘Til We See the Shore, but since that time the band from Cincinnati, Ohio has been working hard on this second effort.

Written and recorded seemingly quickly, Rocks Into Rivers nevertheless is far from a struggling band’s second effort to achieve fame. The men of Seabird have already experienced their fair share of popularity beginning with their debut album. Some of their achievements in the music world include being featured as No. 1 on TVU’s Most Wanted, having their music being used on lead promos for ABC’s 12-time Emmy nominated Pushing Daisies and having their music appear on shows such as Grey’s Anatomy.

Rocks Into Rivers continues the Seabird tradition of containing lyrics which come head to head with issues in today’s culture. The members of Seabird have never been ashamed to show where they stand on difficult subjects, while other bands might back away from such a challenge.  In ‘Til We See the Shore, there appear lyrics such as the following: “And don’t think you can bring those kids in this house/Don’t walk away from me, don’t put words in my mouth/If you use that kind of language in here, out you go/If you smoke that cigarette in here, out you go.”

These words seem to tell the story of a parent talking to a child. In today’s popular culture, talking to children this way is usually discouraged because the rising generation is being taught that kids are in control. Seabird kicks against this common belief and incorporates strong and often controversial lyrics into their music. Rocks Into Rivers does not stray from this pattern, but continues to speak strongly of the importance of family in particular. According to Aaron Morgan, the lead singer of the band, “this album is a lot about becoming a father and a husband.”

As far as the actual music is concerned, Rocks Into Rivers is similar to the first album, featuring catchy piano lines, happily floating guitar melodies, easy-to-remember lyrics and even a little banjo. At first, Seabird seems like the kind of band that one lumps into the pile of generic, sing-songy bands, but a more critical listen allows one to see what an amazing thing Seabird has going on. They take every element of the common alternative rock band and somehow transform it into a medley of beautiful music that can only be described as purely Seabird.

Rocks Into Rivers marks a huge step in the lives of Seabird’s members. As an already established group, they have been able to explore even more of who they are as a band, instead of worrying about whether they will be a success or not. What stands out most about this album is not only how Seabird has matured musically, but the way Aaron Morgan’s heart is laid open in the lyrics for his listeners.

Students join in worship during Thursday night's session of student led renewal. (photo by Gabe Franco)

North Greenville University’s annual student-led renewal ran from Jan. 25-29, 2010, with the goal of challenging students to seek God more intimately. Speakers had a different approach to the theme of “Knowing God” when they addressed the student body.

This semester’s theme was chosen by the Steering Committee, which is made up of campus ministry interns and chaplains. The committee members were responsible for planning, coordinating, leading, and evaluating the student led renewal, Steve Crouse, vice-president for campus ministries, said.

In choosing which students would speak during the week, Crouse said the  committee chose students who have a positive influence for Christ around campus and are able to communicate their faith to others.

On Monday, Jan. 25, the first day of the student led renewal, Robbie Hall spoke in chapel. Hall graduated from NGU in December of 2009. Hall spoke on many of the issues that students struggle with, such as laziness and sexual sin.

At the first bonus chapel of the semester on Monday night, Jacob Hardin, senior youth ministry, spoke on spiritual discipline. He stated that many Christians are not truly mature in their spiritual walk because they fail to practice spiritual disciplines. Speaking from I John 3:2 and Philippians 2:5-9, Hardin challenged his fellow students to become more like Christ by being diligent in practicing spiritual disciplines.

At the third service of the student-led renewal on Tuesday night, Tom Jones, junior secondary English education, spoke on the topic of identity. Jones said many people try to find their identity and satisfaction in things outside of Christ, and others think they have to act a certain way for God to love them. Jones challenged those in attendance to let their identity be found in Christ and to let that determine how they act.

In Wednesday’s chapel, Cherie Curtis, senior elementary education, had her turn to speak to her fellow students. Speaking on the topic of spiritual warfare, she referenced a familiar passage in Ephesians 6 in which Paul outlines the armor of God. Curtis talked about the importance of daily preparation to survive the Satan’s surprise attacks.

Students had the opportunity to attend a worship service on Wednesday night. Several students led in worship and in special prayer for the country of Haiti.

During Baptist Student Union on Thursday, students were treated to a special production written and performed by Corie Savage and Bethany Sarazen, both senior theatre. Accepted portrayed the lives of Gomer and Ruth from both a biblical and contemporary perspective.

On Friday, during Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Johnathon Moore, junior business, spoke to the student athletes to finish up student-led renewal week. Moore shared some of his personal testimony and spoke about the need for unity within the body of Christ. He referenced I Corinthians 12 and said that we all have certain gifts that we need to use.

As a result of this semester’s student-led renewal, many students grew in their relationships with God, and approximately six students received Christ.

As the leading scorer for North Greenville for the past two seasons, redshirt sophomore Paul Harrison still seems uninterested in individual awards.

“I just want the team to succeed,” Harrison said. “I want this team to be one of the best teams to ever play at North Greenville.”

With the help of Harrison, who is currently averaging team highs of 21 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks per game, the North Greenville basketball team is off to one of its best starts in school history with a record of 10-6, including a five-game winning streak in January. Their record may not look all that flashy, but early in the pre-season, they were giving some Division I basketball teams quite a scare. They lost to Presbyterian College by two points, and lost by only 10 points to a Kennesaw State team that beat them by nearly 40 points last season. Harrison says that the game in Kennesaw, Ga., in which he scored a game-high 31 points, was one of the most meaningful games so far in his career.

“The Kennesaw game (this season) was probably the most memorable game I’ve played in at North Greenville,” Harrison said. “We played them really close, and it was a hometown game for me, so all my friends and family got to see me play.”

Harrison is a big reason for the Crusaders’ success this season, and it can be attributed to his work ethic.

“It is a lot of hard work on and off the court,” Harrison said of his success. “You have to get in the gym, and put in a lot of work by yourself.”

Harrison, who was given a redshirt as a freshman to help him develop, says that he never expected to have the kind of success that he is now having as the go-to guy on this Crusader basketball team.

“I thought that I would just end up as the back-up center,” Harrison said. “I thought I could be a role player at best.”

“He is pretty hard to stop inside unless the opponent has a lot of help,” Lister said.

It is obvious that the 6-8 Alpharetta, Ga. product is becoming a little more than a role player for the Crusaders.

“Somehow I just became the leading scorer last year,” said Harrison. “I figured the offense would run through me a little bit this year, because of my scoring last season.”

Head coach Chad Lister said earlier this season he believes the sophomore has matured and provides a spark for this Crusader team.

“Paul has matured a lot, and we want to do a good job of utilizing him in the offense,” Lister said.

Harrison has led his team to some key wins so far this winter, and hopes to continue to do so throughout the remainder of the season.

“We have high goals as a team,” said Harrison. “We want to win regionals and do very well in nationals.”

Corie Savage acts out a scene in her senior project Accepted. The play took the place of the Baptist Student Union’s weekly service. (photo by Timur Kamilov)

Kyra Alexander
Staff Writer

Last Thursday at Baptist Student Union, Corie Savage, senior theatre, and Bethany Sarazen, senior theatre, preformed their senior project for North Greenville University. The name of the project was Accepted.

“We had a great crowd reaction, much better then I ever could have hoped for. Many people told Corie and I how much they liked it and said that they know God worked through it,” Sarazen commented.  “Corie and I were so excited and thankful to be able to perform this show for our senior project.”

Both Sarazen and Savage wrote the play. In the parts Savage wrote, Sarazen played the role, and whatever parts Sarazen wrote, Savage played the roles.

“We came up with the idea together,” Savage said.

The production allowed the two actors to portray four characters and their stories.  Two of the stories were straight from the Bible with minimal interpretation.  The Biblical stories were of two heroic women in the Bible: Gomer from the book of Hosea and Ruth.

The other two women’s stories were similar to the Biblical stories of these two brave women, just written in modern times.

“Biblical stories are important to reach youth,” Sarazen said.

Rene is a lot like Ruth. She is a widow who wants to go with her mother-in-law wherever she goes to take care of her. Rene finds a job at a hospital and is confronted by a sweet, handsome doctor named Bradley. With help from her mother-in-law and the Bible, Rene finds out that God comes first in her life and that He made a Boaz just for her.

Genny is similar to Gomer; she is a prostitute who sells her body to various men to earn a living. One day she meets a man named Henry who shows her there is more to life and that God created her and loves her. Henry teaches her about the Bible and treats her the way all women should be treated. Genny stays up reading about Gomer and how she meets the godly man, Hosea, who leads her to God. In this, Genny finds out that God loves her and she is his creation.

With all four of these stories going on, each woman portrays a part of a painting. When the play ends, the painting is shown to be an outstretched hand, reaching out and pulling in.

“Doing this show was challenging. We not only wrote it but performed it as well, and that is a humbling experience,” Savage explained, “We wanted to present the Biblical characters in truth and not just our own interpretation.”

In doing their senior project, Savage and Sarazen had to come together and do research on prostitutes and battered women.  In doing this research, they discovered that many of the women did not have any access to a phone to dial 911 in case of an emergency.

In addition to presenting their play, Savage and Sarazen also asked people to donate old or unused cell phones to Verizon Wireless. These phones will go to women who need them in case of emergencies.

Senior Point guard Nikki Wood, who scored her 1,000th career point last week against Allen University, made two free throws to lead the Lady Crusaders to a 60-58 victory over Voorhees College on Jan. 28 in Hayes Gymnasium. The Lady Crusaders have won their last six games outscoring their opponents by an average of 20.8 points per game. The Lady Crusaders look to improve their season record tomorrow against Southern Wesleyan University at 5:30 p.m. in Hayes Gymnasium. (photo by Kari Weaver)

The Lady Crusaders are starting to turn things around with consecutive  home victories against Brevard College and Voorhees College. The Crusaders have been on a roll as of late, after struggling over Christmas break. The Crusaders have now won five out of their last six games and are headed in the right direction.

“We are playing a lot better and with more confidence,” head coach Jayne Arledge said. “Hopefully we are on a little streak now.”

North Greenville was able to down Brevard College on Jan. 26 with a hot shooting night from Whitney Smith, senior accounting, as she knocked down four out of seven shots from behind the arch to lead the Crusaders to a 71-64 win. Other leading contributors for the Crusaders were Christina Carlis, freshman business administration, who had 10 points in the contest, and Krisceda Cotton, freshman sport management, who racked up her first double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

The Crusaders were able to get their ninth win of the season with a 60-58 nail-biter against Voorhees College in Hayes Gymnasium on Jan. 28. Karly Stache, sophomore mathematics, led the Crusaders to an early lead with 13 first half points, but it was Smith who stepped up in the second half, earning a team-high 14 points. Other top scorers for the Crusaders were Carlis with 10 points, and Nikki Wood, senior phsycology, with 13 points.

Wood hit some big free throws down the stretch to pull her team through in a cltutch situation.

“It was a tight game, so you know every shot counts,” Wood said. “Every time I shot, I knew it needed to go in for my team to win.”

The recent success for the Crusader’s has the team believing they can make a run in the regional tournament.

“These games are confidence boosters for us,” Wood said. “Putting the things we do in practice together is what is making a difference for us.”

“We are just trying to peak so maybe, come tournament time, we can take on some of the teams that beat us earlier this season,” Arledge said. “But I think we are playing with more confidence [down the stretch].”

The Crusaders took on King College last night in Bristol, Tenn. and will host in-state rival Southern Wesleyan University tomorrow night at 5:30 p.m. in Hayes Gymnasium.

There has been a 22.2 percent cut in the money awarded to students by the South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission for the 2010 spring semester. For North Greenville University, the cut means that more than 1,000 students have been affected for the spring semester, according to Mike Jordan, Financial Aid Director. This sizable reduction in funds received by students who attend private colleges and universities in South Carolina is $350 for those who were receiving the maximum grant amount.

According to Jordan, the Financial Aid office received a preliminary notice of the reduction in Nov. 2009. Financial aid bulletin e-mails were sent out to the student body on Nov. 20 to inform the students of a cut expected to be from $250 to $300. Students were not notified of the actual amount until Dec. 7, when the NGU financial aid office sent out another financial aid bulletin via e-mail.

Letters from the director of the Commission were mailed to students on Dec. 7 as well, explaining the reason for the cut. The necessity of reducing the grant, according to this letter, was due to “an unprecedented increase in eligible recipients.” In the letter, Earl L. Mayo, Commission Director, assures students that the reduction in the amount of the grant was not the result of any budget cuts passed by the state legislature. The reason for the cut was that the amount of money allocated for the grant had to be used for 11.1 percent more eligible students than expected for the spring 2010 semester.

By the time NGU was notified of the full amount of the cut in early December, most students had already paid their bills for the next semester. After e-mails were sent, the business office had to mail new bills to students who still owed money.

Although the commission makes clear that it had no other choice, this sudden decrease in grant money has been a hardship for many students at NGU. The late notice and the significant amount of the cut left many students in need of funds.

Freshman English secondary education, Sarah Brown said, “It’s just been very frustrating because I was counting on that money and that’s a lot of money to have to try and come up with when they drop it so quickly.”

Many students are also left wondering about the grant amounts for next year. The letter recorded that the maximum grant money awarded to eligible NGU students for the 2009-2010 school year was $3,150, which unexpectedly dropped to $2,800 with the increase in the number of eligible recipients. The projected amounts for 2010-2011 have not yet been announced.

Despite the sub-par 2009 season, head coach Travis Henson believes that a fresh start in 2010 is cause for optimism in the Crusader Clubhouse.

“The 2010 Crusader baseball campaign holds tremendous promise for an exciting season,” Henson said.  “The addition of a strong incoming class of freshmen and junior college transfers, combined with the existing talent of returnees, has created a lot of energy and excitement in anticipation of what is sure to be an impressive season.”

After only winning 10 out of 50 games last season, the North Greenville baseball team is looking to make some major improvements on the diamond this spring.

“I believe last season certainly laid the foundation for a promising future,”  Henson said. “The 2009 squad was tantalizingly close to an even far greater number of wins, having lost 11 games by two runs or less – losses that we hope to turn into wins this season.”

The strength of the freshman class will be something that the Crusaders will rely on much of this season, and they are doing a lot to impress in their first year at North Greenville. Some notable new faces for the Crusaders that are likely to have an immediate impact are outfielder Adam Taylor, first baseman Dalton Knight, mathematics education, and middle infielders Bubba Giles, mathematics education, and Nate Richards, social studies education, who will also serve as closers for the Crusader bullpen. The top returning players for coach Henson’s squad will be senior outfielder Randy Stegall, business administration, sophomore first baseman Tyler Callicut, accounting, and sophomore designated hitter Derek Fulmer, business administration.

“An influx of new talent and a strong group of proven returnees will be aided by a solid coaching staff with a year of experience and growth behind them,” said Henson.

The entire Crusader ball club has bought into the coaching staff’s optimism for the upcoming season, as the players will also be working to step it up in the spring. Catcher Cory Matheson, social studies education, a redshirt freshman, believes that the team will be much improved from the 10-win team a year ago.

“We’ve really bought into what the coaches have been teaching us,” Matheson said. “We have a better team attitude and everyone has been working hard, focusing on what they are doing, and improving their game.”

The second year head coach says he is a big believer in high goals for his team, and has provided a constant reminder of those goals for his club. The number 427, the amount of miles between North Greenville and the NCCAA World Series in Cincinnati, Ohio, is printed on the back of every Crusader’s practice jersey.

“We want to be reminded of our goal every day,” Henson said. “While we have a long way to go, we feel very encouraged heading into the season.”

The Crusaders will open up the 2010 season at home on Feb. 4, as they face off against King College at Ashmore Field at 12 p.m.

The North Greenville Crusaders traveled to Atlanta, Ga. on Jan. 26 with hopes to avoid losing back-to-back games. The Crusaders ran into the Carver Bible College Cougars, a team with a lot of guards who were able to score in bunches. Carver used a 20-2 second half run to defeat North Greenville 88-72.

The Crusaders held a 44-40 halftime lead, but were outscored 48-28 in the second half as North Greenville went cold from the floor. Carver guard Cory Evans scored a game-high 36 points while helping lead his team to a strong second half effort against the Crusaders.

Paul Harrison, sophomore sport management, led the Crusaders with 20 points and nine rebounds. Jonathan Bozymowski, sophomore undecided, scored in double figures for the third game in a row, finishing with 15 points. Millan Rodrigo, freshman sport management, scored 11 points in the game and Luke Lattimer, freshman sport management, chipped in 10 points for North Greenville.

North Greenville (10-6) took on Voorhees College last night in Hayes Gymnasium and will play again tomorrow against Erskine College in Due West, S.C. at 7 p.m. The Crusaders’ next home game will be on Saturday, Feb. 6 in a rematch against Hiwassee College at 4 p.m. in Hayes Gymnasium.

During life, people experience a vast array of difficulties and hardships, which over time put strain on the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of the individual. Death, difficult decisions, heartache and broken relationships are all encountered during the walk of life, but so is God’s faithfulness. The difficulties that are faced in life can blind people to the reality that God is faithful regardless of human circumstances.

Emotional well-being can affect an individual’s view of God’s faithfulness. If people have been damaged or have struggled emotionally, they may allow those emotions to dictate how faithful they feel God is.

Mental or physical illnesses can wear down a body too. Sickness attacks the body and individuals will physically not feel well. They may feel that God’s faithfulness is lacking and that He has abandoned them, or is not helping them through their struggle. An individual’s feelings, however, cannot change an unchangeable God and his character. This truth can alleviate the pain of believing that God is unfaithful based on the feelings or emotions experienced.

God is faithful, and his faithfulness is based upon truth and personal experiences. Regardless of the circumstances in life, Psalm 34:17-20 says, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers them from them all; he protects all their bones, not one of them will be broken.”

Thankfully, God is faithful even when feelings or emotions experienced tempt the individual to believe otherwise.

There is a battle in the mind of each person caused by the conflict between flesh and spirit. A believer’s spirit is made alive by the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God’s beautiful Son and Word. Through Christ, believers have the ability to live in the freedom he offers. Believers are still human. They encounter struggles of many kinds, but not without the faithful grace of God. As new struggles are faced and old ones are challenged, remember that regardless of the feelings, tiredness, frustrations, hurts and anger experienced, God’s faithfulness to His Word and His promises to His creation are unchanging.

Paul had to remind the Thessalonians by saying, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thess. 5.23-24).

Do not be discouraged when feelings tell lies about God’s character or tiredness overwhelms the body.  God is faithful to His plan for each individual and Christ continues to intercede for each person to accomplish the purpose for their lives. As each new experience comes, look to God and “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:14).  He will be faithful.

First down, fourth down and touchdown are three football terms that any girl should know and understand if she is going to try to watch the sport. While I was growing up, my father did not teach me much about football, but there was someone who did. Around the age of 12, I started going to some high school football games. I sat by a man, who is like a father to me, and he taught me the basics of football. Today I absolutely love to watch football and have an average knowledge of the sport.

Too many girls today cannot tell the difference between a fourth down and a fourth quarter. I think it is something of a tragedy for girls to be so uninformed about the amazing sport of football.

One possible reason for girls’ general disinterest in watching football is experience with their fathers. Fathers can sometimes ruin a sport for their daughters. For example, no little girl wants to be around her father when he is screaming at the television for hours. However, girls do want to have a bond with their father and, when he can explain the game of football to her, that bond can become a lot stronger. If a father would take time out of the game to show interest in his daughter’s understanding of football, that could mean the world to her.

I asked Micah Sepko, Assistant Athletic Director for Operations and Sports Information, whether he would pursue his daughters’ taking an interest in football or any other sport.

“They can like what their little heart desires. With that said, [when] me and my wife watch and like football, guess what happens?” Sepko said. He hinted that they would learn to enjoy the sport from their parents.

“Spending time with your children is the most important.  It does not matter what you are watching, sports or cartoons,” said Sepko.

For some girls, the sport is not interesting at all until they become interested in a guy who loves football. A girl may try to say things like, “Go!” or “Yay for a first down!” but in reality she has no idea what or why she is yelling.  In my opinion, it is just better for a girl to not say anything than to try to pretend she knows what is going on in a football game when she does not.

Here’s a hint for all girls lacking in football knowledge. Most guys love talking about football and will enjoy explaining to you how the game is played, who the players are and what positions they play.

“I really don’t mind if a girl asks me about football,” said Terrence Galloway, freshman sport management. “I enjoy explaining the game to the best of my knowledge. I also think that it is pretty cool for a girl to enjoy football on her own.”

Now, ladies, you might be one of those girls who would rather go out shopping than sit inside watching a football game. However, the Super Bowl XLIV is coming and it is time to get yourself prepared for the game. Some girls may want to just sit back and watch the commercials, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, I know there have to be some girls who are planning to wear their favorite team’s jersey, eat chips and dip and simply enjoy the game of football.

Well, folks, it is that time of year once again for the year‘s funniest commercials and biggest tailgate parties. Fans and players alike will flock to Miami on Sunday to take part in one of the greatest spectacles in sports. This year features two teams with offenses who could easily put up big numbers and defenses who do not do a whole lot to stop opponents. The heavily-favored Indianapolis Colts will be matched up against the New Orleans Saints in a game that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. As coverage of Super Bowl XLIV continues on throughout the rest of the week, I find it necessary to share my thoughts on how each team could possibly be crowned NFL Champions.

New Orleans Saints

1. Take advantage of the Colts’ young secondary.
-Indianapolis starts two rookies at the cornerback positions but have veterans at both safety spots. If Drew Brees can take advantage of the rookies and confuse them with multiple routes and throws of all lengths, the Saints will have a better chance to break open a big play early in the game.

2. Get Reggie Bush to play like Reggie Bush
-In the Divisional Playoff game against Arizona, Bush accounted for 217 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. He is consistently a threat in the return game, but the Saints must get him more involved in the offense, especially on the ground. If Bush can utilize his athletic ability and speed, we could see him have the breakout performance of his career.

3.  Continue to force turnovers.
-In two playoff games the Saints have forced seven turnovers. If the defense continues to play with the intensity it has so far, New Orleans will be able to carry the momentum on their side and keep Peyton Manning off of the field. Saints safety Darren Sharper will be key in this area as he patrols the middle of the field and makes Manning think twice about throwing in his direction.

Indianapolis Colts

1. Get the running game going.
-We saw the Colts rush for a total of 101 yards in their last game against the Jets and this has to continue against the Saints. The Colts were the worst rushing team in the regular season, but still got the job done with Manning behind center. If Joseph Addai and Donald Brown can get some positive yardage, it will take some of the load off of Indianapolis’ passing game and make the Saints respect the run rather than loading up on the pass.

2. Do what got you to the Super Bowl: pass the ball.
- Manning was the league MVP for a reason. He is the best quarterback in the game and one of the best of all-time. The Saints have the league’s 26^th ranked passing defense and have trouble covering the deep ball. With all of the weapons on offense, the Colts should take a few shots down field and try to get out to an early lead.

3. Defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis need to play their game.
-This duo combined for 23 total sacks during the regular season but they have been unable to rack up any sacks in the postseason. Freeney is coming off of an ankle sprain that he suffered in the game against the Jets, but an extra week off should help his recovery. If these two can put pressure on Brees and force him into bad throws, the Colts’ main weapon, their offense, will be on the field more often, which is a bad thing for the Saints.

My prediction: Colts 31, Saints 27

Lisa Van Riper, along with other NGU professors, spend their time glorifying God through their ability to debate. (photo by Gabe Franco)

“It’s bigger than just losing a debate,” Lisa Van Riper, director of political science, said. “This debate can determine whether America regards the Bible as the word of God or as just another book.”

Van Riper is a professor as well as the head of the honors program at North Greenville University. She has recently devoted long hours to preparing, researching, debating and praying for a national committee. This national committee’s goal was to find a solution on “issues of civil union and Christian marriage.”

Van Riper was asked to be a part of a committee called the 219^th General Assembly (2010) Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) in December 2008. She accepted this challenge to stand up for God’s word, which she believes to be her duty as a firm believer in Jesus Christ.

The General Assembly had five committees. Each committee was assigned a theological topic on marriage and gay rights to debate and discuss. Van Riper’s committee was assigned “The effects of current laws on same-gender partners and their children.” Although this committee was comprised of both liberals and conservatives, Van Riper thought it to be unbalanced. During the debate, she said that logical and simple truths from the word of God were defeated too often.

To prepare for this debate, Van Riper read more than 3,000 pages, wrote a 33-page response and lost much sleep throughout the debate.

Van Riper was not the only professor from NGU preparing for the debate. NGU Christian studies professors Jeff Rankin, Donny Mathis and  Curtis Horn provided her with history on Greek words from the Bible’s original text. They also provided Van Riper with scripture that clearly states that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Other people involved in the general assembly, however, believed differently. Van Riper explained that the opposing views contradicted the word of God.

The outcome of this committee will not be known until early March, but Van Riper, along with two evangelical conservatives, used research and belief in the word of God to demonstrate that a child needs a mother and father to develop into a healthy adult. She said that, regardless of the outcome of this committee, she has a clear conscience because she knows she has served God in this debate to the best of her ability.