GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University shared its vision during the first-ever Christians in Business Dinner of a new multi-faceted program that will foster students’ ability to deepen their faith and increase discipleship on campus.
The Bowlin family poses for a photo at the Christians in Business Dinner.
Dr. Scott Hummel speaks at the dinner.
The dinner, which filled Chalmers Conference Center Thursday, May 8, gave community members further insight into the Christian Leadership Institute, which the university will launch at the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.
This initiative will initially provide for a Discipleship Living-Learning Center, where first- and second-year students who have been accepted into the program will live in small groups in university houses. They will participate in weekly Bible study and engage in other ministry activities that will further build their faith as they are mentored by older students who will serve as peer mentors. Multiple other longer-term programs and projects will help expand the outreach to Tusculum students and the community.
“The Christian Leadership Institute really fits well with Tusculum’s mission,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, the university’s president. “At the core of the institute will be an active and experiential discipleship within a caring Christian environment. That is a part of who we are. We know that God has called every one of our students. They may not have discovered that calling or purpose yet, and we are here to help our students equip them to fulfill their purpose and calling. The institute will be an additional tool in helping us accomplish that.”
Dr. Hummel said the value of a Tusculum education is more than just job preparation. Other attributes are character development, enrichment of personal lives and equipping students to be disciples and to go forth and make more disciples. They are the prepared to answer their calling in their careers.
“The institute will produce students that will be more solid disciples for Christ and better leaders on our campus, helping to transform and build the culture at Tusculum,” he said. “We’re very excited and eager in launching this institute.”
Remembering Chuck Bowlin
During Thursday’s gathering, Tusculum also presented the inaugural Christian Leadership Award to the late Chuck Bowlin, who was serving as president and CEO of Greeneville Energy Authority when he passed away in 2024. He was also extensively involved in community service and was an elder at First Christian Church in Greene County, all while leading a life rooted in faith.
Dr. Scott Hummel, left, presents a lantern to the Bowlin family. They are left to right, Jonathan Bowlin, Tammy Bowlin, David Bowlin and Charlie Bowlin.
Bowlin’s wife, Tammy, and their three sons – Charlie, David and Jonathan – accepted the honor on his behalf.
Dr. Hummel said Chuck Bowlin provided an excellent example of the type of student Tusculum will help produce through investment. He called Bowlin a great disciple and Christian leader. He first came to know Bowlin through community leadership activities but learned more about the honoree though his son, David, who graduated from Tusculum in 2024. He interacted regularly with David on campus and during a trip to Israel in 2023 and learned more about his parents and their Christian leadership in the home.
“Chuck and Tammy have done a great job at the most important job, which is raising healthy, growing, Christian children,” Dr. Hummel said.
Attendees watched a video about Chuck that provided retrospectives from family members, co-workers, church leaders and community leaders, all of whom highlighted his Christian faith and the way he incorporated it in all aspects of his life. They also described the humble and playful elements of his character, and two of the interviewees recalled the E.F. Hutton commercial from the 1980s, slightly altering the tagline to say that when Chuck Bowlin spoke, people listened. People can watch the video at https://bit.ly/44NZEEX.
The video gave Tammy Bowlin an opportunity to share that her family is doing well.
“I believe it is supernatural – that it is God getting us through this,” she said. “He is doing it through the Holy Spirit, and he is doing it through our friends and the community and the church. I just see them all being the hands and feet of God. To the community, I would say, ‘Thank you for being the hands and feet of God.’”
Dr. Hummel presented the Bowlin family with a special lantern, which ties into Tusculum’s motto “Sit Lux,” or “Let There Be Light.” He said a Tusculum education brings light to individuals and to the community.
Proceeds from the dinner are funding $2,000 annual scholarships for students who participate in the Discipleship Living-Learning Center as first- or second-year students or peer mentors. Tusculum has also established a plan to name one of the houses in the Discipleship Living-Learning Center after Bowlin with gifts totaling $50,000. Tusculum has raised more than $40,000 of that total so far, including about $25,000 from 44 donations and pledges Thursday.
Student speakers
Student Abbi Douglas speaks at the dinner.
Abbi Douglas will receive her Master of Sport Management degree, Saturday, May 10, but will continue her education at Tusculum by seeking a Master of Arts in Organizational Training and Performance Management. She will serve as a peer mentor in the female house in the fall and said she is honored to be part of the institute.
She spoke to the audience, sharing that she thought her academic career and days playing basketball had ended in 2022 when she earned her undergraduate degree. But God guided her to Tusculum to finish her eligibility and further her education. She said her time at Tusculum has resulted in a spiritual and community experience that had not happened to her before.
Douglas met Betty Smith, wife of the former pastor at Tusculum Baptist Church, who has embodied the type of woman she wants to be – faithful, bold, grounded in scripture and overflowing with the love of Christ. She shared how she envisions life in the Discipleship Living-Learning Center and quoted Proverbs 27:17.
“Together, we will live in an intentional community to study God’s word, pray with one another and walk through life side by side,” Douglas said. “So many students are searching for the truth, for their identity, for their belonging, for their purpose, and, a lot of times, we often look in the wrong places. This house is offering something different, a place where Jesus is the foundation and where a young woman can be encouraged to know Him and make Him known.”
Student Aidan Dark shares a message with the audience.
Junior Aidan Dark is seeking a bachelor’s degree in history education, grades 6-12, as well as playing football for Tusculum. He expressed gratitude for the Christian community and events available at Tusculum, including Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Arrowhead Church’s C+YA (College and Young Adults), God Squad for the football team and Students Pray on Thursdays at Tusculum Baptist.
“The Discipleship Living-Learning Center is a new and interesting opportunity that I have never had a chance to experience,” Dark said. “It’s something special to see a bit of an older peer who is going to be able to talk to you, sit down with you and ask how you are doing, go through the worry with you one-on-one and then follow Christ and live the way He did by example.”
Dark likes the idea that students will have a place where they can learn more about God and know that having such an interest is normal. They will know that it is right, OK and true to serve the Lord. He asked the audience to pray for the right male to step forward to serve as peer mentor for the men on campus. He prayed that God’s hand will be on that person and that everything goes as planned with the Discipleship Living-Learning Center.
Viewpoint from Tusculum’s provost
Dr. David Cook, provost and vice president of academic affairs, understands what Dark said. He recalled his own experience entering college.
Dr. David Cook speaks at the dinner.
“When I was 18, I was pretty shy,” Dr. Cook said. “I went to a big college and was swallowed up. I didn’t know a lot of people, and it was hard for me to get to know them. It was the first time I was having to live out my faith. I came from a wonderful, godly family, but it was difficult. I didn’t get involved in a church right away. I didn’t necessarily grow in my faith that first year as much as I would have liked.”
Dr. Cook sees the Discipleship Living-Learning Center as a perfect way to address that type of scenario for people of faith who want to take it to the next level. One of the elements that is attractive to Dr. Cook is having speakers during Bible studies from a variety of different callings.
“We want to show students what it looks like to be a Chuck Bowlin, where you may be working in something that is considered sacred or maybe something that the world considers secular but know that everything is under the lordship of Christ,” Dr. Cook said.
The institute has a three-phase approach, and Dr. Cook discussed other components, such as discipleship assistants in the residence halls, who will function more like missionaries; development of The Calling Conference; more resources for Tusculum’s chapel services; and a Christian leadership academic major.
Tusculum also eyes a variety of community-centered programming and conferences for Christians. One of those is a Christians in Business Conference, and Dr. Cook said Tusculum is working with a group that might be able to make this a reality sooner than planned.
Dr. Cook noted that all of these initiatives require an investment of funds, and he encouraged attendees at the dinner to consider providing financial backing. That opportunity is still available. Anyone who is interested in supporting the institute can email Dr. Hummel at shummel@tusculum.edu or Dr. Cook at dcook@tusculum.edu.
More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.