Cedarville Stories Minisode: Saint on All Saints' Day
From her years spent with grandparents hearing hymns to a thought-provoking philosophy class in college to the witness of Cedarville athletes, Dean of Undergraduate Studies Pam Johnson had many benchmarks on her path to Jesus.
Grandma singing hymns. A college philosophy class stirring “What is life about?” questions. Maryalyce Jeremiah answering her questions during a three-hour conversation. Women’s sports teams sharing Jesus. Pam Johnson’s unique path to Jesus had many benchmarks.
Pam, who is Cedarville Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Senior Professor of Kinesiology, lived with her grandparents for five years. That’s when she heard the old church songs. Next, her sister became a Christian and talked with Pam about doing the same. Then a full-ride scholarship to the University of Dayton brought Pam into that philosophy class where her heart and mind were spurred to think about the bigger questions in life.
That philosophy class launched Pam on a two-year journey for answers, which included three hours spent with Maryalyce, the daughter of former president Dr. James Jeremiah. When she played field hockey for the University of Dayton, her team traveled to Indiana for a tournament. She spent time with players from Cedarville, who impressed her with their sold-out faith. One of the players sat down to talk with Pam further, and she put her trust in Jesus. It was November 1, a Catholic holiday.
“I had a gazillion questions,” she related. “But I got to the point where I was (thinking), ‘This is what I’m looking for; I need to ask Christ to be my personal Savior.’ So, I got to become a saint on All Saints’ Day. Isn’t that just cool?”
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Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,550 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.