John and Jane Teevan will be honored this Sunday, May 28, in the 10 a.m. worship service as John concludes 16 years as pastor of the Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church.
In addition, there will be a come-and-go Farewell Reception from 2:00-5:00 p.m. in the courtyard of the church, to which all are invited. The church building is located at 1200 Kings Highway in Winona Lake, IN.
Teevan was previously pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Ashland, Ohio, and recently served as Moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.
He has accepted a position with Grace College overseeing the school’s growing prison extension program. The following item from this week’s “Grace Connection” e-mail newsletter distributed by Judy Daniels explains more about Teevan’s new responsibilities.
May 19 was a special day for Grace’s Prison Extension Program at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. Not only did 31 students receive their diplomas (17 associate degrees; 13 bachelor’s degrees) from Grace College at the graduation ceremony, but it was the 20th anniversary of Grace’s program at ISP.
Thirty representatives from Grace attended the celebration and they were joined by former Grace Professor Ken Taylor, who started the program in 1986.
Spokesmen for the inmate students expressed their profound appreciation to Grace as they presented a plaque to the school, and a plaque and a gold shovel (in honor of his famous “Dig Deeper” admonition) to Prison Extension Director Frank Benyousky.
The students also presented an artistic reproduction of Robert and Frances Gordon (taken from a Grace Magazine cover) to their son, Professor Bill Gordon, who has taught in the program for many years. Michael Houghton was also given a plaque as he retires from teaching in the program due to health issues. The students (on their meager prison allocation) pooled their monies to purchase the plaques.
Three former inmates – one in law school, one working in a home for delinquent boys, and one teaching for Grace in another prison – were also present. Ken Taylor was given a standing ovation after Benyousky introduced him as the founder of the program.
Benyousky also introduced John Teevan, who is the incoming director of the program.
Benyousky has directed Grace’s Prison Extension Program since 1991, and through his capable leadership, the program has grown from 20 students at one prison to more than 250 students at four sites. He will continue teaching and serving in an advisory capacity to the prison program while continuing his role in Grace’s Communication Department on campus.