Barlow, Jordan, Keller to receive honorary degrees
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Huntington, Ind. "Huntington College will award three honorary degrees at its 2005 Commencement Exercises on May 14, 2005. The exercises will begin at 3 p.m. A Doctor of Humane Letters degree will be awarded to Jack Barlow, Sr., long-time Huntington College history professor. The Doctor of Divinity degree will be awarded to both Ternae Jordan Sr., a pastor and community advocate, and to Dr. Kirby Keller, a professor and pastor. Jack P. Barlow, Sr.
Jack P. Barlow, Sr., will be honored for his service as an outstanding teacher and for his strong commitment to Christian higher education. Barlow served as history professor at Huntington College for 32 years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from William Tyndale College, a Master of Arts degree from Eastern Michigan University and also completed additional graduate studies at Michigan State University and Ball State University. Barlow has also taught at Indiana University Purdue University at Fort Wayne and the University of St. Francis. Along with his academic duties, Barlow filled many leadership positions at Huntington including serving as chair to the History Department and as a member of the Faculty Concerns Committee and the Library Committee. He coordinated the Forester Lecture Series and served as director of J-term, faculty secretary, and Faculty Athletic Representative to the Mid-Central College Conference. Outside of Huntington College, Barlow influenced the broader education world by serving as a board member for the Conference on Faith and History, for the Association for Innovation in Higher Education, for the publication, Fides et Historia,, and as a council member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Government and Legal Issues Committee. An outstanding leader in his church and community, Barlow was honored in 1997 with the Huntington College Centennial Medallion, an honor that celebrated 100 influential people in the history of Huntington College. Upon his retirement, Barlow was recognized by the Indiana General Assembly for providing over three decades of guidance and inspiration to Indiana students.
Ternae T. Jordan
Ternae T. Jordan, Sr., will be honored in recognition of his leadership and compassion to serve his community and make a lasting impact to people of all generations and backgrounds. A native of Chattanooga, Tenn., Jordan received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee and holds a diploma from the Harvard School of Divinity, Leadership Institute. Prior to his current role as minister at the Mt. Canaan Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Jordan pastored the Greater Progressive Baptist Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., which under his leadership grew from 30 members to a congregation of 2,000. Along with his pastoral duties, Jordan is well-known for his community leadership. In 1992 Jordan founded Stop the Madness, a program providing cultural, spiritual, and recreational alternatives to at-risk Fort Wayne youth. His leadership has been vital to community and church organizations. Jordan has also served as a youth advocate on the national level. In 2001, he served as representative for the House-Senate Republican Faith-Based Leadership Summit held in Washington, D.C., and was also asked by SafeCities of the U.S. Department of Justice to serve on a national panel discussing safety and after school programs. In 2004, Indiana Governor Joe Kernan awarded Jordan the Sagamore of the Wabash Award, the highest honor bestowed on an individual by the state of Indiana.
Dr. Kirby N. Keller
Dr. Kirby N. Keller will be honored for his service as a preacher, teacher and administrator in the realm of higher education and full-time Christian ministry. Keller is currently a resident of Myerstown, Penn., and is the Clyde W. Meadows Professor of Christian Ministry at the Evangelical School of Theology. Keller earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Huntington College in 1964, and his Master of Divinity degree from Huntington College Theological Seminary in 1969. He also holds a Master of Theology degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Since 1974, Keller has held various teaching and administrative positions at the Evangelical School of Theology, including Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry, Academic Dean, and President. A well-known preacher and teacher throughout central and eastern Pennsylvania, Keller has been the featured speaker at numerous conferences, seminars and camp meetings, as well as the Guest Chaplain to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Keller's professional activities include leadership roles with the Christian Higher Education Commission, the National Association of Evangelicals, the National Board of Education for the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, and as former member of the Huntington College Board of Trustees. Keller is also an active community leader with organizations such as the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Reading Phillies' Baseball Chapel Program, the Mount Gretna Bible Festival, and the Myerstown Community Library Association.
Huntington College is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. Following a decade of growth and development, Huntington College will become Huntington University in mid-2005. U.S.News & World Report ranks Huntington among the top comprehensive colleges in the Midwest. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington College is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. Huntington is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and was named one of the 50 best Christian places to work by Christianity Today magazine.
