Bob with the banner of his retired #14 jersey. Pictured from left to right is his son Phil, grandson Andy, Bob, and grandson Chapman.

My wife gave me an unusual Christmas gift this year. She presented me with a banner that has been hanging in the rafters of the Cincinnati Christian University gym for the past 25 years. It’s a Number 14 basketball jersey with the name “Russell” underneath. That honor was bestowed on me since I had played basketball for CCU back in 1961-1965.  When I unwrapped the package and unfurled the banner, our family hooted and howled at such a unique Christmas gift!

People look at my 5’9” frame today and are skeptical that I ever played basketball. But I tease that I was 6’5” in college! Serving a megachurch has a way of beating you down over time! I was privileged to play basketball on a great high school team, but admittedly our teams at CCU weren’t very good. However, I had a lot of fun and actually scored quite a few points. There was a reason for that…I took a lot of shots! Looking back years later, I regret that I didn’t focus more on making other people better. I really shouldn’t have been honored with a banner since I was pretty selfish at times.

That Christmas gift brought me both joy and sorrow. I’m glad I can now hang the banner in the lower level of our home (since Judy won’t let me put it in the entryway), and it will provide an opportunity for me to brag to visitors about what a quick athlete I once was. So I really appreciated Judy’s creativity and effort in securing that memorabilia from CCU.

On the other hand, that gift is a constant reminder of the sad truth that Cincinnati Christian University has closed its doors as of January 1st. The banner became available because CCU is no more. My alma mater, which was established in 1924 and soon became the flagship Bible College for the Restoration Movement, has officially closed due to financial stress and the recent loss of accreditation. The college that trained hundreds of faithful preachers and church leaders for God’s Kingdom for nearly a century no longer exists. That really, really saddens me.

There are a myriad of reasons CCU didn’t make it: poor location, wrong decisions, lack of vision, mission creep, an unmotivated faculty, indecisive trustees, ungenerous alumni…we can all share the blame as there’s plenty to go around. But the truth is a lot of small Christian Schools are struggling to stay afloat largely due to declining enrollment and financial shortages. A number, like CCU, have already closed. It’s regrettable that during an era when the Independent Christian Churches have been doing well, one of our primary training institutions has dissolved. 

I’m thankful that Central Christian College of the Bible has formed a partnership with CCU in establishing an extension site in Cincinnati for current and future ministry students. Central will help CCU students complete their education through the extension site, online courses, or by transferring to the Moberly, Missouri campus. Central Christian’s very capable President, Dr. David Fincher, is doing all he can to assist ministerial students in continuing their education, and he merits our best support. CCU Students in other departments have been encouraged to transfer their credits to church-related colleges like Johnson University, Kentucky Christian, and Lincoln Christian University.

I’m hopeful that some of our larger churches will continue to develop their internship programs into advanced training centers for Christian service. I surmise that many of our future ministers will come through practical training in the local church as opposed to the traditional Bible College track. Churches need to be more creative and focused on that mission, or we’re going to be caught with a leadership shortage in a few years.

My wife’s Christmas gift is also a reminder to me that I’m a 76-year-old has-been. I can’t make a layup or jump and grab the rim or even touch the net for that matter. Players today make fun of our uniforms, haircuts, and style of play from the sixties. (See the movie Hoosiers.) My time as a basketball player is long past. 

But my best days are ahead of me because basketball is not my life. Serving Jesus Christ is. While parachurch organizations come and go, Jesus Christ and His church remain. And I know there is coming a day when He will wipe away all tears from our eyes, and there will be no more death or crying or inflexible muscles. I will be given a new body like Jesus’ resurrected body, and I will run and jump and be free of pain.  

To the few of my Cincinnati teammates who are still alive, thanks for the good times. And thanks for passing me the ball. Remember, the best is yet to be. And I promise I will focus more on assists and less on shots when we play in heaven. I promise! 

– Bob

.

Follow BobRussellKY on Twitter and LIKE the Bob Russell page on Facebook