Weniger awards honor La Sierra trustee, biology student, alumni

Brunt, a 1964 graduate of La Sierra College, now university, is a retired pastor, New Testament scholar, academic leader, and noted author. He currently serves as vice chair of the La Sierra University Board of Trustees and was among five recipients of this year’s Weniger awards, three of whom are also La Sierra alumni. In addition, La Sierra University biology major Sarah Goymer was among students of North American Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities to receive a $1,500 Weniger Fellows Student Scholarship.

In receiving his Weniger medallion from Gerald Winslow, a member of the Weniger Society’s executive committee, Brunt recalled meeting Charles Weniger as a La Sierra student when Weniger spoke at a retreat. Brunt was impressed by the revered educator’s “genuine warmth,” his dignity, and the artistry with which he spoke, he said. “It is a special honor and a humbling one,” Brunt said, to be named a Weniger laureate.

Brunt also  delivered the keynote Clinton Emmerson Annual Address for the awards presentation with a talk titled “Water Skiing Across Paul’s Letters.” The title derives from a work by Billy Collins, a former two-term U.S. poet laureate, in which he eludes to his desire that students “waterski across the surface of a poem” rather than expend energy analyzing its meaning.

“It is a special honor and a humbling one." -- Dr. John Brunt, Charles Elliott Weniger Society Awardee, La Sierra University Board of Trustees Vice Chair

“I worry that Paul’s letters have often suffered the same kind of fate as the poems that Collins shares with his students,” Brunt said. “Paul’s letters have been tied down and beaten to extract their theoretical meaning in way that often makes them fodder for intense and sometimes vicious debate. [But] Paul was writing as a pastor and his purposes were practical.”

He cited Paul’s letter to the Romans in which during the first few chapters humanity is put into the same boat by laying the foundation of God’s grace revealed and made effective in Jesus Christ, noted Brunt. This is followed by warnings to gentile Christians about pride and then admonitions on how Christians should relate to each other especially when they disagree -- “Christian community transcends differences of opinion,” Brunt said, citing Romans 15:7.

“Practical, pastoral concern drives the letter from beginning to end. What a difference it would make in our church, in our country, and in our world if we embraced Paul’s message and let our common humanity transcend our differences,” said Brunt.

Noting the original context of Paul’s letters was worship that incorporates words reminiscent of a hymn, Brunt concluded his presentation by leading the audience in singing “At the Name of Jesus” which is based on Philippians 2.

Following Brunt’s address, student scholarship recipients appeared in a video montage with recorded responses to their awards.

“I feel very honored to receive such recognition,” said Goymer. In addition to her studies in biology and a minor in global studies, she oversees a herpetology lab project involving the care of live geckos and is president of the university’s Environmental Club. “As a student I know how easy it is to feel overwhelmed with responsibilities … so I wish to thank you for taking the time to acknowledge me and other students across North America and letting us know that our efforts are valued and appreciated,” Goymer said.

"I wish to thank you for taking the time to acknowledge me and other students across North America." -- Sarah Goymer, La Sierra University biology major, Weniger Fellows Student Scholarship recipient

Additional Weniger Awardees Charles Sandefur, board chairman of the Versacare Foundation and former president of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, and Serena Tonstad, LLU School of Medicine preventive medicine professor, head physician and preventive cardiology researcher at Oslo University Hospital, are also alumni of La Sierra University, as is Jerry Hoyle, clinical psychologist and founding member of The Wedgewood Trio. The celebrated Christian Seventh-day Adventist folk musical ensemble which came of age in the 1960s also received Wenigers and performed several of their best-loved songs for the audience.

The Charles Elliott Weniger Society has awarded 191 Weniger medallions since 1974 toward honoring educators, influencers, and impactful leaders who exemplify Weniger’s humility, character and commitment. Weniger, a beloved Seventh-day Adventist educator known by many as “Uncle Charlie,” served as an English professor and later as dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. and Michigan from 1948 to 1961. He was known for his kindness, expertise, broad professional influence and dedication to excellence.