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Pastor of Grace Fellowship Church to speak
MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (April 8, 2005) — Tom Oyler, pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in the Tri-Cities, Grace Fellowship Church, will present the keynote address on Tuesday, April 12, at Milligan’s annual “Leaders in Christian Service” program in Seeger Memorial Chapel. The 11 a.m. service is open to the community and is hosted by the college’s Institute for Servant Leadership.
Eleven individuals from the Tri-Cities will be presented at the service as examples of those who exemplify Christian character and witness in their vocation, community and church.
“The purpose is to recognize those individuals who are doing an outstanding job of integrating their faith with their profession,” said Milligan President Donald R. Jeanes. “ It’s not an award but a way to provide examples for our community and especially to our students of what servant leadership is all about, and what it can look like on a daily basis in a variety of professions.”
Those being presented April 12 include:
- Dr. Frank and Mrs. Betty Anderson, Dentist / Volunteer , Johnson City
- Tim Burchfield, Franchise Owner, Chick-Fil-A , Johnson City
- Jeff and Claudia Byrd, President, Bristol Motor Speedway / Director, Speedway Childrens Charities, Bristol, TN
- Tom Chase, Addiction Counselor (retired), Woodridge Mental Health; Board Member, Mountain States Health Alliance Foundation, Jonesborough
- Mitch Cox, Owner, Mitch Cox Development Group; Founder, Coalition for Kids, Johnson City
- Janie Dosser, Registered Nurse (retired), Mountain States Health Alliance, Johnson City
- Bob Garrett, President, Atlanta Investments, Inc., Johnson City
- Elizabeth Ann Hay, Professor (retired), King College; founder, Holston Habitat for Humanity, Kingsport
- John Melton, Senior VP and CEO, Washington County Operations, MSHA, Johnson City
- Creola Miller, Director, Head Start Program, Carter County School System, Elizabethton
- Bill Walker, Principal, Rogersville City Schools, Rogersville
Tom Oyler is the lead pastor at Grace Fellowship Church . After graduating from Purdue University and Dallas Theological Seminary, Oyler came to Johnson City in 1980 when GFC was in its infancy. For the past 25 years, he has served Grace Fellowship as it primary teacher. Oyler and his wife , Leslie , have three grown children.
“ Our call is both to lead and to serve. It is a call that is rooted in the Great Commission. It is also rooted in our charge to be salt and light, wherever we are and whatever our vocation is,” said Jeanes.
For more information, please call the Institute for Servant Leadership at Milligan College at 423.461.8316.