The Beacon Issue 7

WWW.READMYBEACON.COM Monday, March 23, 2015VOLUME 12 ISSUE 7

•Poetryforthoseinhumantrafficking

•Facultyandstudentsdiscusspersecution

•Basketballseniorsreflectoncareers

Page 2

Features

The Brazil missions team lived on this boat for a week traveling down the Amazon providing medical care and sharing the gospel with local villages.

MedicalmissionsbroughttoBrazilandGuyana

Photo by Heather Wroth

By Aaron BroghamerStaff Writer

Monday, March 23, 2015

Spring 2015

The Beacon is a monthly student publication.

DUANE MEEKSDean of the School of

Communication and Media

MICHAEL RAY SMITHAdviser

HANNAH DEADMANExecutive Editor

CELESTE BROWNNews Editor

DAVID WILLIAMSFeatures Editor

JEREMIAH SATERSports Editor

RYAN ARNSTPhoto Editor

AMANDA HIGGINSGraphic Design Director

JAMES HALLWeb Editor

StaffPeter AmirataNancy Arteaga

Taylor BranhamAaron BroghamerCameron Codner

Angel ConlonTiffany DaninAshley Destler

April EvansJordan Flug

Katie ForsytheJamie GivensGreg Halmos

Jasmine McCranelyKeisha OakleyJenna Skinner

Dana StancavageJackie StrengBecca StripeRyan Teason

Victoria Vartan

READMYBEACON.COM

Questions? Comments? The Executive Editor may be

reached [email protected]

On the Cover (Photo by Imani Givertz): Stephanie Barrera

By Ryan TeasonStaff Writer

The PBA missions department organized their annual trips to varying countries, but two groups of students traveled to Brazil and Guyana to share the Gospel and provide medical assistance for individuals.

While the trip had a partial focus on medical mission, the team made it clear that spread-ing the Word of God was still the primary goal of their trip.

The medical portion of the trip focused mainly on basic needs, such as monitoring heart rate, ear and eye checks and checking blood pressure.

“I’m really excited,” said team member Demetri Pentaris. “Be-ing a Christian and also want-ing to be a pharmacist in the

Various Christian denomina-tions spend Lent fasting and giv-ing up at least one earthly luxury they deem valuable. The history of this observation dates back to the early church.

The number of days in which Lent is observed is reflects the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness before starting his ministry.

PBA students observe Lent, reflect on blessings Ash Wednesday marks the

beginning of Lent, a special cer-emony where church members have ashes sprinkled over their heads or marked on their fore-heads in the form of a cross.

The meaning behind “Ash Wednesday,” a term coined by early Western Christians, is inspired by Genesis 3:19, which says, “By the sweat of your brow, you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Lent is celebrated by vari-

ous Christian denominations including Lutherans, Presbyteri-ans, Methodists, Anglicans and Catholics.

Junior Brent Primus says his family partakes in Lent every year. Primus and his family attend a Christian Reformed church and spend 40 days of Lent in prayer as they prepare for Easter Sunday.

“My family has always celebrat-ed Lent, ever since I was born,” Primus says. “This year for Lent I am committed to give up drink-ing soda and stick with a healthy

alternative like water. ”The holiday serves as a time of

repentance and spiritual count-down to Holy Week, the final week of Lent that occurs from March 29 to April 4 this year. It is an annual ceremony that com-memorates the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Roman Catholic student Regan Perri also annually participates in Lent with her family.

“Lent is more than just giving something up for a couple of days – it is truly about taking time out of your day to thank God for all

future, this missions opportunity seemed almost perfect for me. I am definitely looking forward to being along the Amazon in such a beautiful country like Brazil.”

The country of Brazil is pri-marily Roman Catholic, making up nearly 65 percent of the coun-try’s religion. The team visited small villages in the middle of the Amazon, not knowing what they were going to encounter and expecting God to work miracles.

According to guyanesepride.com, Guyana is one of the poor-est countries in the Western hemisphere, many of the nation’s citizens cannot afford profes-sional healthcare.

The Guyana team’s journey through the villages created many opportunities to bring the gospel to a number of individuals.

“I always thought that I didn’t know enough about the Bible, or that I wasn’t ready to be used in that way,” says team member

Keenan Kauth. “Being sur-rounded by ministry, cross cul-tural studies and Biblical studies majors who study the Bible daily made me feel like I wasn’t well enough equipped and couldn’t be used for the Lord’s work in that way, but the moments I experienced on this trip showed me that God can mature and use anyone to show His love to those who need it.”

Kauth added that many people in that region have given up hope in God because of continual daily hardships.

For many students, going on missions’ trips changes their outlook and perspective on life. Many feel as though they leave a piece of their heart behind when they have departed from the area, Kauth says.

“The moment that most im-pacted me was when I was able to have a conversation with one of the young men my age from

the church and found out that I was really able to encourage him through my own testimony,” he says.

“Hopefully, this is just the beginning for me, I really want to make an impact for others who aren’t as fortunate in the world,” Pentaris says. “This is my first chance; I don’t want it to be my last either.”

Palm Beach Atlantic University also sent other teams throughout Central and South America over spring break including Hondu-ras, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Domini-can Republic, Bolivia, Guyana and Brazil.

Those interested in participat-ing in future missions trips can contact [email protected] for more information.

of the blessings in your life,” Perri says. “I am giving up eating junk food for Lent this year. ”

Christianity Today, a Christian magazine, released their list of the most commonly given up things for Lent in 2015. Accord-ing to their Twitter survey, some of the items given up in 2015 include social media, swearing, fast food and coffee. Chocolate was the number one object on their list.

The Freefall Experience

Photo by Imani Givertz

By James HallWeb Editor

Review

Page 3Monday, March 23, 2015

Jeanette Hickman is a 2009 PBA alum and former R.A. She began doing spoken word in 2011.

At first, the Freefall Experi-ence can be uncomfortable. The only commonality between the people who attend is their diver-sity. Tattoos, costumes, hair-styles, and scars seen and unseen may take some getting used to. But once first impressions wear off and the show gets going, the audience starts to feel at home.

The Freefall Experience is an open mic that takes place the first Friday of every month at the Mos’Art Theater in Lake Park.

At the center of it all is the founder of the Freefall, the “Hostess with the Mostest,” Jeanette Hickman. The Freefall is one of the many open mics she hosts.

“I love giving artists a chance to shine,” says Hickman a Palm Beach Atlantic University alum. And the artists love her in return; in fact, one of the open mic performers wrote a song dedicated to Hickman.

Every Freefall is unique, and this month’s theme let perform-ers shine a light on human trafficking. Tanya Meade, who works at Rescue Upstream, ap-proached Hickman with the idea of a night focused on human trafficking.

“As a woman and as a Chris-tian, human trafficking hits home for me,” Hickman says. “This night is the ultimate way I can support, so I was blessed to do so.”

Hickman was the first act, where she performed spo-ken word, a dramatic form of memorized poetry, during the artist showcase. Her first poem focused on the dark side of trafficking, while her second poem concentrated on hope and redemption.

Hickman has been performing

spoken word since 2011. She says the first real piece she performed was at J110, a young adult minis-try at Christ Fellowship.

“It was the first time I had prayed over a piece and sought Scripture out and really thought about the message I was portray-ing,” Jeanette says. “That changed everything.”

Stephanie Barrera, a senior dance major at PBA, also per-formed during the showcase. For Barrera’s second act, she danced to the sound of her recorded spo-ken word and music. The poem was about how she became a captive to Christ, which she says is real freedom.

“True humility is aligning yourself with the truth of God and what He says about you,” Barrera says. “Using your talents for the kingdom of God and shining for Him is what we were made for.”

Rescue Upstream, Hepzibah House, Hope for Freedom and the Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches were all rep-resented at the event. After the artist showcase, Hickman invited the representatives up to the stage to recognize those fighting human trafficking. During the intermission, the audience had the chance to connect with the organizations.

Open mic began after inter-mission.

As the audience settled back into their seats, Hickman read the rules for this portion of the night. The most important rule, she said, is encouragement from the audience, whether that be clapping, snapping or cheering.

Hickman then called the first performer up to the stage. A woman slowly made her way to the mic. She took a breath and thanked Hickman for putting on an event like this, adding that she was a victim of human traffick-ing in her teens. The audience clapped as she began to read her poem. After she finished, the

crowd rose to a standing ovation, and Hickman rushed to give the former stranger a hug.

“The open mic gives you confi-dence, it teaches the audience re-spect, and it gives the performer this feeling of bravery,” she says.

Hickman says she wants to pass on the passion and values of the open mic. This is why she is in the beginning stages of pos-sibly turning the Freefall into a non-profit organization. Hick-man says it would shine a light on human trafficking and many other causes while encouraging good open mic environments.

PBA to host annual Early Music Festival

By Peter AmirataStaff Writer

Concert choir and music group Grand Harmonie set to perform

Palm Beach Atlantic University will host its Early Music Festival in the DeSantis Family Chapel Friday and Saturday.

Directed by associate professor of music Michael O’Connor, the festival will feature PBA’s Concert Choir and Early Music Ensemble the first day.

On the second day, the festival will feature the collaborate group Grand Harmonie a group dedi-

cated to historically-informed performances of music from Mozart to Brahams.

According to the group’s web-site, the group derives its name from a type of classical era wind ensemble.

“I am really excited to hear

the concert choir and Grand Harmonie,” said sophomore music major Doug Luna. “It will be interesting to see Grand Harmonie perform in our own school’s chapel.”

In addition to the Early Music Festival, Palm Beach Atlantic’s

Concert Choir will perform their annual Spring Concert April 10 in the chapel.

Tickets for the festival and the PBA Concert Choir are $10 for general admission and $5 for students with PBA identification.

Information on The Freefall

• Free admission; sign up for open mic begins at 7 p.m., artist showcase at 7:30 p.m.

• Open mic with live music, poetry, comedy and painting• Concessions provided • DJ, photographer, videographer and production team• Afterparty at the Brewhouse GalleryMore info at: TheFreefall.net or find The Freefall Experience on Facebook

Human trafficking statistics

According to Rescue Upstream • An estimated 27 million people are trapped in human trafficking; more than

half are minors• $32 billion in illegal profits every year • Fastest growing crime in America

Artists use poetry, music and dance to raise awareness on human trafficking

Photo courtesy of PBA’s School of Music and Fine Arts


SportsPage 4

Men’s basketball season brings a close to players’ collegiate careers

Seniors reflect on past two years

By Jenna SkinnerStaff Writer

Clayton Williams transferred to PBA from Francis Marion University in South Carolina.

He said the change was exactly what he needed. Balza recruited him without any game time film after more than 63

schools said no, according to Williams. “My journey in two years playing for PBA has been one

that was filled with excitement, ups and downs,” he said. “Most important to me is the love I have gained for my team-mates, coaches, trainers and athletic department.”

Williams said he was glad to come to PBA and start anew. “It has been a true privilege to play for PBA,” he said.

Career Stats:Games - 52

1,338 minutes – 25.7 average per game

105 3-pointers – 36 percent

476 points – 9.1 average

By Jenna SkinnerStaff Writer

Garet Tucker transferred to PBA from Bethany Lu-theran College in Minnesota where he played for Balza for a year.

He said he was recruited by Balza while he was attend-ing Bismarck State College in North Dakota.

“I came to know Balza well and trusted him,” he said.It was this trust that was a big part in his decision to fol-

low Balza, who told Tucker if he were to leave, he needed to consider coming with him to PBA, he said.

In his time at PBA, Tucker believes they have set the program on the right path for improvement. Though, he thinks the team is not quite there yet.

Tucker said the team’s first win in his first year is one of his favorite moments.

“You could see that [the fans] recognized things were going to get much better as far as our basketball program goes,” he said.

Tucker said the only thing he doesn’t like about PBA is that it’s far away from home.

“Born and raised in the rural Midwest, I never would have dreamed that I would end up in West Palm Beach, Fla.,” he said. “It has been an awesome and exciting ad-venture, and I could not be happier with my decision to attend PBA.”

Career Stats:Games 51


210 rebounds – 4.1 average per game

481 points – 9.4 average per game

By Cameron Codner Staff Writer

Like Tucker, Evin Graham shared a connection with Balza before coming to PBA.

His father is a former Florida Gulf Coast University basketball head coach.

“Coach Balza is a longtime friend of my father,” Graham said. “When hired at PBA, [he] called me to be his first recruit. It was hard to say no to that.”

He recalled the first home game of his PBA career. “The atmosphere was crazy,” he said. “The students were

loud; it was awesome.” The campus environment encouraged him to seek

higher standards for himself. “PBA gave me a chance to be a better person in the

community by helping out locally,” Graham said. “I learned how to become a leader and hard worker.”

Career Stats:Games – 52


208 assists – 4 average per game

708 points – 13.6 average per game

103 steals – 1.9 average per game

The end of the season for Palm Beach Atlantic’s men’s basketball team also marked the end for five seniors. Four of the seniors played at PBA for two years after being recruited by head coach David Balza. The seniors are the first recruitment class to graduate under Balza. Want to learn about how they came to PBA? Read on:

Photos courtesy of PBA Athletics

By Hannah DeadmanExecutive Editor

Page 5

By Jackie StrengStaff Writer


New club sport takes off on campus

From left, Susanna Faith, Mary-Beth Kasselman, Kara Fadden, head coach Susan Saint Sing, Justin Johansen, team captain Spencer Carroll, Colt Griffith, and Morgan Cruise. Not pictured assistant coach Morgan Poos.

With a year under their belt, PBA’s golf rosters are official now, said head coach Craig Watson.

Photo by Abigail Hews

Photo courtesy of PBA Athletics

Palm Beach Atlantic Univer-sity’s golf teams have experienced a new challenge this year.

March 2, the men and women’s teams competed at the Warner Invitational in Sebring, Fla., where the men’s team finished third in the tournament of ten teams, while the women finished seventh among a field of nine.

The best individual PBA score went to freshman Luke Johan-son, whose combined score was 215.

“We’re a year older – so we have brought in some freshman to add to our roster,” head coach Craig Watson said. “Some are exceptional players. We’ve had some tournament finishes that were better than last year.”

At the Warner Invitational, the team scored its best ever with a 900, according to Watson. The team finished second to Barry University in the tournament.

“We’re starting to perform like a team – granted it’s an individual sport – against some much more established and older programs in the Sunshine State Conference,” Watson said.

Though the women’s six-player

Since October, a new sports club has made a splash on Palm Beach Atlantic University’s campus.

Practicing five times a week, the Rowing Club is a member of the North Palm Beach Rowing Club, with four male members and seven female members.

Head coach Susan Saint Sing, who was part of the U.S. World Rowing team in 1993, leads the club.

Justin Johansen, a junior public relations and marketing major, said he is becoming ad-dicted to the sport.

“It was something I heard about and really wanted to do,” he said. “It’s new, exciting and a great workout. It gives me the break I need from life.”

Rowing requires dedication and communication, which the helps the team, he said.

So far, the club has competed once in February on indoor row-ing machines called ergs.

Team captain Spencer Carroll, a sophomore finance major, won first place in the 2k lightweight novice event.

“It really is a lot of fun,” he said. “The early morning prac-tices can be challenging, but the team really wants to grow and be the best we can be.”

Junior finance major Morgan Poos is the assistant coach for the club.

team is still young, he said he will continue to recruit more players each year to expand the official roster to match the men’s number of 16.

“We’ve forecasted that our ladies’ team will excel,” he said. “We’ve got some real good play-ers coming into PBA this fall.”

For this fall, two men and two women have committed to PBA golf.

But keeping the men and women’s teams consistent before the official season wasn’t always easy. The women’s team was formed just last year, and the men’s team was revived after a 10-year hiatus.

“We’ve had a difficult time finding a group that would play in every event because all of the players are so close to each other in their experience and ability,” Watson said. “We want to give everybody a chance. We use that time to be best prepared who would be in the competitive squad this spring.”

Last fall’s preseason included plenty of tournaments for the men, including Lake Wales, The Guy Harvey Invitational at PGA National Golf Club, the inau-gural Warrior Classic and the McDonough Cup in Orlando.

“Even though [fall] is pre-

season, there are just as many tournaments as we have in the spring,” Watson said. ”It’s just as competitive and intense as it is in the official season.”

The women’s team didn’t play in any tournaments last fall be-cause of injuries, so they’ll need to finish six events in the spring to meet the minimum require-ment, including a stretch of three tournaments in eight days.

Sophomore player Ben Murray said he thinks the teams have bonded more now compared to last year.

“We have better team chemis-try, and we’ve figured out who’s on the roster,” he said. “It was very competitive at first, with everyone fighting for a spot.”

For Murray, his first prior-ity this season is to improve his putting.

“I’ve been one of the most consistent guys on the team, – I usually get a 76 – but I need to shoot [for lower scores] if I want to play higher,” he said.

He wants the team to improve their scores and connect with other players and teams in the Sunshine State Conference since it’s the best conference for Divi-sion II golf, he said.

Each tournament brings opportunities for the teams to

improve, Watson said.PBA’s golf teams are still in the

provisional period with the SSC, but they’ve been playing with current members.

The teams will finish their first year of a three-year provisional period at the end of this season.

“I look forward to what the future has for the next five years,” Murray said. “There’s no reason we can’t be the best team in Palm Beach County.”

A rower since high school, he brings experience to the team and said he loves spreading the sport around PBA.

“I love watching people the first time they get into the water and start rowing,” Poos said. “People love doing it as soon as they start.”

Johansen said rowing does come with a few challenges.

“Learning how to overcome your mistakes is the most dif-

ficult part,” he said. “You have to row through your weakness and conquer it.”

Poos said he loves that the PBA community lives in a beau-tiful place surrounded by water.

“It’s nice to know the school has a team that gets to take advantage of God’s creation all around us,” he said.

The club’s next competition is at the end of March in Tampa at the Mayor’s Cup. It will be their

first competition on the water. “Our goal at this event is

to see what it’s really like to compete at the college level and do the best we can,” Carroll said. “We’re going in without expecta-tions.”

He hopes more students will join the club in order to have a full season next year.

“The school wants to turn it into a varsity sport and even do recruiting,” Carroll said.

The club encourages anyone to join. Rowing experience is not required.

“It’s good for resumes and has a huge community of people,” Johansen said. “You really learn how to be a part of a team. It’s a lifetime sport.”

Golf teams overcome obstacles

Rowing club gains momentum after fall start

PBA golf solidifies roster, improves scores

Page 6

Island’s beach renourishment moving to Flagpole Beach

By Becca StripeStaff Writer

Orange fencing marks the project area at Sunset Beach just north of The Breakers. The project will continue moving south toward Flagpole Beach.

Photo by Ryan Arnst

Concerns over sea turtles and sand has project members more careful


The beach renourishment project that currently spans more than 12 miles on the island of Palm Beach will soon hit Flagpole Beach, located directly across Royal Park Bridge.

According to the Town of Palm Beach’s coastal coordinator Robert Weber, the island’s beach renourishment takes place about once every eight years. The last major renourishment was in 2006.

“It’s kind of like painting your house; it’s not like you do it once and you’re never going to do it again,” Weber said. “The beaches are ready for a new dose of sand this year.”

It’s difficult to give exact dates of when the project will move down to Flagpole Beach, but it should start late this month and end in mid-April, Weber said.

“If everything is going well and they’re making progress of about 100 to 300 feet a day, they should be through with an area within the course of a week,” Weber said.

The timing throughout the

project is based on machinery and weather issues, he added.

Various beaches during this process could take more or less time than originally estimated. However, the entire project must be completed by May 1 in time for sea turtle nesting season, which takes place from about March 1 to Oct. 31. Every day, an official scout monitors the beaches to ensure the project doesn’t disturb the nests.

If nesting occurs within one mile of the project, the contrac-tors are required by law to add nighttime scout watching, which Weber said might need to start soon.

“It’s an added measure to make sure we’re protecting the environ-ment as much as we can,” he said.

The beach will close for about one week, but there won’t be signs on the beaches informing people of the project. Instead, orange fencing will line the northern and southern ends of the beach to discourage people from entering.

When the beach is closed, it will be about 500 to 1,000 foot sections at a time, Weber said.

The bulldozers on the shores help distribute the sand along the beach 24 hours a day.

It takes about one hour to pump out a load of sand before the ship retrieves another load.

The ship also goes back and forth 24 hours a day.

Still, some island residents are unhappy with the gray color of the new sand.

“Whenever you get sand off the bottom of the sea floor, it’s going to come out gray,” Weber said.

“But it’s going to lighten over time.”

The offshore sand is naturally gray in color. As the sand natu-rally moves from north to south, the dredged sand and current sand mix together, he said.

The currrent sand on the beach

that was once gray has lightened over time, which will also hap-pen naturally with the current project.

After seven years of service at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Safety and Security office, chief officer Terry Wheeler will retire at the end of the spring 2015 semester.

Wheeler has been working in the law enforcement field for over 30 years. For 25 of those years, Wheeler served on the police force in Glendale, Ari. until he moved to Florida in 2007 to work for PBA.

“PBA brought me back into the presence of the Holy Spirit,” Wheeler said. “When I was chief in Phoenix, I was inundated with negativity. Being here at PBA and seeing the presence of God in every aspect of life you see on campus has just opened my eyes to see where God has really called me to be, and that is in ministry.”

He added that ministry is what he feels God has called him to do since age 14, and now he’s finally pursuing it full-time.

Wheeler and his wife Mar-quel – who works for PBA’s admissions department – attend Lake Worth First Church of the Nazarene, where Wheeler is the associate pastor.

“When they offered me a full-time position, I knew that was a door that God had been calling me to walk through,” he said.

After holding administrative positions in law enforcement for the past 30 years, Wheeler admit-ted that his career has been hard on his spiritual life and hindered the progression towards his call-ing to ministry.

Unlike his time in Arizona, and contrary to the belief of many parents, Wheeler said PBA is a safe campus and has not dealt with any major crises.

“Parents always ask me about the crime rate, being that we are so close to downtown, and I say, ‘You know what, yeah, there are a lot of bikes being stolen,’” Wheel-er said. “It’s not what people are expecting, but it’s the truth.”

The safe environment of the campus, Wheeler said, is not only

because of the work Campus Safety does every day, but be-cause of God’s protection.

“We have our guys out there patrolling all the time and enforcing the rules, keeping the students safe,” Wheeler said. “We are really blessed because it absolutely is the hand of God protecting this campus, and I firmly believe that.”

Wheeler will go into full-time ministry as the head pastor at Lake Worth First Church of the Nazarene after the spring semes-ter is over.

“I’m never going to retire,” Wheeler said. “I can say that I’ve received retirement from one place, but I am not going to retire until the day God calls me home. I’m convinced of that now. I believe he will continue to open more doors for me, and I will continue to serve until the very end.”

By Katie ForsytheStaff Writer

Campus security officer’s service continues at the pulpit

News

Terry Wheeler speaks to the congregation at Lake Worth First Church of the Nazarene. He will work there full time following his retirement from PBA.

Photo courtesy of Terry Wheeler

The global state of Christianity Professors offer closer look at Christian persecution overseas

Biology major Daniel Novella (left) and ministry major Amanda Gonzalez pray for the persecuted church across the globe.Photos by Taylor Branham

By Taylor BranhamStaff Writer

Island’s beach renourishment moving to Flagpole Beach

Monday, March 23, 2015 Page 7

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Editor’s note: The two School of Ministry professors at PBA who were interviewed have had their names changed to John Cohen and Russell Harding for the safety of them and those overseas.

Each month, 322 Christians are killed for their faith, 214 Christian churches and proper-ties are destroyed, and 772 forms of violence are committed against Christians, according to Open Doors USA, a non-profit orga-nization that serves persecuted Christians.

“Whether they are Yazete, Kurds, Christians, Shiite Muslims and Sunni Muslims, they are all being persecuted and killed,” Cohen said.

According to Open Doors USA’s World Watch List, persecu-tion occurs in places including Nigeria, Iraq, Syria and North Korea.

In these places, Christians and their friends and family face suf-fering that follows persecution.

With more militant and radical groups forming threats, safety is limited.

Even though people suffer and sometimes die for their faith, there is one thing, according to Harding, that gives them hope in their time of need.

“The Gospel moves forward in those areas because the local believers are converted believers

who really know the Gospel and we [Americans] don’t,” Harding said.

When it comes to follow-ing Scripture whole-heartedly, Harding laid out the difference between American Christians and those persecuted overseas.

“In America, because it is so easy, we pick and choose [what Scriptures fit us best] and those believers being persecuted who live it out do not,” Harding said.

David Platt, author and presi-dent of the International Mis-sion Board, encourages believers to boldly move forward with the Gospel in an underground church if needed.

Platt’s website, Radical, pro-vides resources on the annual event Secret Church and how people can join the movement.

Found on Platt’s website, Secret Church is a time when groups of believers gather as a church in an apartment or home to wor-ship and pray for the persecuted church. This also involves an extensive Bible study led by Platt.

“To those who know and be-lieve the Gospel wholeheartedly even in persecution, suffering is normal,” said Harding.

The site also shares that often these groups face great difficulties amidst danger and try to make the most of their fellowship.

“For us [in America] it is to be avoided because we think we have the Christian birthright to avoid suffering, and they don’t have [that] as believers,” Harding said.

Perspectives from Americans and the persecuted church widely

vary when it comes to persecu-tion and suffering because of re-ligious freedoms that few around the globe have the privilege to enjoy.

“I’m sure it would be more personal if I had experienced it myself, but to the degree that I understand persecution having not encountered it,” said fresh-man ministry major Amanda Gonzalez. “I just pray for clarity on how to respond when I am faced with it.”

According to Gonzalez, the

greatest tragedy about persecu-tion is that people know so little about it. She says it’s difficult to articulate a proper response if people are not educated.

“Even though I often feel isolated from things like persecu-tion, I try to pray about it every time I read it on social media or hear about it on the news,” said biology major Daniel Novella.

Cohen agrees.“The greatest danger of perse-

cution is not that you are going to die because Christians have died

for their faith since the beginning of Christianity,” he said. “The greatest danger is that you are go-ing to respond to that with hate and malice like the world does.”

Secret Church 2015 will occur Friday, April 24. For more infor-mation, visit www.radical.net/secretchurch.

Photo by Ryan Arnst

Atlanta Skyline

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