Welcome, New Board Members!

At the spring meeting of the Board of Trustees three new members were added. These new Trustees each bring a wealth of ministry experience and a depth of commitment to Berkshire Christian. You can read more about them in a brief bio below. They will attend their first meeting in November.

Hazel Blackstone
Hazel was born in Savannah, GA, to Clarence and Phyllis DuBois. She is a graduate of Berkshire Christian College with a BA in Theology and a Massachusetts teaching certificate. Married to husband, Clayton, a retired Advent Christian pastor, Hazel has served in a variety of roles for the denomination including Children’s Auxiliary Superintendent, National WHFMS President, and Coordinator of Women’s Ministries. In her local church Hazel enjoyed positions as Bible study leader, pianist, worship team member, Sunday School teacher and a leader of a support/prayer group for mothers of adult children. Now retired, her work career included teaching in public and Christian schools, and working in accounting at a phone and internet company for fourteen years. Hazel resides in Pittsfield, MA where she enjoys her newest ministry—Grandma to 8 grandchildren.

On Her Interest in Serving on the BCC Board of Trustees
Growing up in a pastor’s family afforded me opportunity to view a microcosm of the needs facing pastoral students who feel called to ministry. In my Dad’s latter years, I heard him state, “I wasn’t taught how to be effective to reach today’s culture.” Probably more than ever adequate education is crucial to prepare pastoral students for an ever-changing world. Add to that the retirement of a substantial number of our current active pastors. One can easily see how essential it is to be proactive and visionary in addressing the educational needs for future “shepherds” in the Advent Christian denomination. It is so vital for the health and growth of our churches as we wait and watch for our Savior’s return.

Lana Jernigan
Originally from Crouseville, ME, Lana earned a BA in Theology from BCC. She serves as the Director of Ministry at Camp Dixie in Fayetteville, NC, a position she has held since 1996. In that capacity Lana is responsible to plan and implement all summer camp programs, budget, and the hiring and training of all summer camp staff, along with additional responsibility for campus outreach, mentoring programs, publicity, and fundraising. She also coordinates Student Ministries in the Advent Christian Conference of Eastern North Carolina, serves as Assistant Dean of Faculty and a trained facilitator with TrueFace, an international resource for helping leaders and their people experience a reformation of God’s grace by restoring the lost blueprint of trusting and loving, and serves on the Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA) Carolinas/Virginias Cabinet as the NextGen Mentoring Coordinator.

On Her Interest in Serving on the BCC Board of Trustees
My heart is to see followers of Christ mature in their faith and understand who they are in Christ. I’ve spent much of my adult life working with teens and young adults, developing leaders and creating mentoring environments that help them grow in their faith and in community. I’m a graduate of BCC with deep roots in the AC denomination. Camp Dixie, the ministry where I have served for 36 years, is a ministry of the Advent Christian Conference of ENC. I am glad to partner with others in this context who share my desire to see young leaders developed and equipped to serve others.

David Norck
Dave was born and raised in Hartford, CT. He became a believer at Camp Faithful in Plainville, CT and was a life-long member of the Hartford/Windsor Advent Christian Church. Dave spent many years in the insurance industry, serving as a Commercial Property Supervisor and Executive Underwriter. He holds a BA from Gordon College and an MA from Wheaton. He served as the Director of the Indianapolis Training Institute and the Director of Education for the International Home for Children, both in Indianapolis, IN. He also served as the Church Relations Director for the Illinois Family Institute from 2013-2015. Dave makes his home in Wheaton, IL and enjoys spending portions of the summers at the Alton Bay Christian Conference Center (ABCCC), where he is a recent cottage owner.

On His Interest in Developing Ministers for AC Churches
It was in the Hartford AC Church that God brought four men into my life who took me under their wings to disciple me to love and serve Christ. Here I experienced the vital importance of mature men spiritually challenging young men. I will always be grateful for the biblical teaching I’ve received through the AC church, including the emphasis on Christ’s imminent return. This past summer I visited every AC Church within a 45 minute radius of Alton Bay. Although a couple of churches appeared spiritually strong, many seemed lacking sound spiritual leadership, including no apparent ability to sustain the church ministry beyond the next five or so years. Seeing the need in the local churches and an opportunity at the ABCCC, a group of men and I organized a Father Son Camp for 2019 with the intent to challenge fathers to more intentionally disciple their sons, and for sons, being rescued from a worldly mindset, to wholeheartedly love and serve Christ wherever God calls them. Hopefully, some would be called into pastoral ministry.

 

Published 9/1/2019