CLEVELAND, Ga. — Truett McConnell University honored the late Charles Stanley on Tuesday, Oct. 22, dedicating the Dr. Charles F. Stanley Global Impact Center. Distinguished guests, several trustees, university administrators and faculty and students attended the dedication, where Stanley was remembered for his impact for Christ.
Stanley was pastor of Atlanta’s First Baptist Church for more than 50 years, the founder of In Touch Ministries, a New York Times best-selling author and an avid photographer.
Today, “In Touch” is broadcast on thousands of television, radio and satellite networks and stations worldwide and translated into 160 languages.
The center includes the Stanley Chair of Theology, which was endowed to honor Stanley and his teaching of the Word of God. Mael Disseau is the first professor to hold the Stanley chair. The center, located on the third floor of the university’s Miller Building, houses a collection of ministry artifacts and an exhibit of Stanley’s photography.
Anthony George, who served as Stanley’s associate pastor for nine years prior to becoming his successor as pastor of Atlanta’s First Baptist Church provided a moving synopsis of Stanley’s life.
George spoke of the challenging life Charles Stanley experienced in his childhood, including the death of his father when he was only 9 months old and his heartbreaking remembrance of the mental and physical toll that his mother’s work took on her as she labored 10 hours a day in atrocious conditions for a mere “pittance of pay.”
The death of his father, the hardships experienced by his mother and the inferior standard of living caused Stanley to grow up with an unspoken sense of inferiority.
“In spite of her many hardships in life, the constant in Dr. Stanley’s mother was her unwavering faith in Jesus Christ,” George said. “Dr. Stanley always attributed to his mother his unshakable dependence on the power of prayer. She consistently took time to pray with him. And when she did, she taught him to kneel as a sign of reverence and surrender before the Lord. Until he died, kneeling was his customary posture when he prayed.”
George added, “From childhood to adulthood, it seems that pain and disappointment were never far away from Dr. Stanley. The challenges of his family life as an adult surpassed the pain that he felt when he was a child. But he never stopped doing what he believed God called him to do.”
— By J. Gerald Harris of The Christian Index. Read the full story here.
University of Mobile dedicates Celia Wallace College of Health Professions
MOBILE, Ala. — The University of Mobile (UM) dedicated the Celia Wallace College of Health Professions during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 17 that honored Wallace, a longtime supporter of the university and a visionary leader in the health care industry.
The newly named Celia Wallace College of Health Professions at the University of Mobile encompasses the School of Nursing, School of Nurse Anesthesia, School of Health and Sports Science, and Center for Excellence in Healthcare Practice.
‘A tireless advocate for quality health care’
A health care leader for more than 50 years, Wallace’s contributions have shaped the medical field in Alabama and beyond. An inductee into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame, her career began in radiology technology, fueling her passion for health care. She has since created nearly 2,000 jobs and co-founded Southern Medical Health Systems, which owns Springhill Medical Center — the largest solely owned hospital in the United States. She is chair of the board of the corporation that also owns and operates Springhill Rehabilitation and Senior Residence, Springhill Physician Practices, The SSI Group, and several other organizations.
“Celia Wallace is a tireless advocate for quality, caring and compassionate healthcare, and a strong supporter of Christian higher education,” said University of Mobile President Charles Smith.
“Her longstanding relationship with the University of Mobile has profoundly shaped our ability to prepare students for careers in healthcare. Naming our College of Health Professions in her honor is a fitting recognition of her immense contributions to our campus and community.”
In addition to her leadership and support of the 2018 Weaver Hall Renovation Project which resulted in the university’s state-of-the-art health care training facility, Wallace has served on the university’s board of trustees, established the Gerald L. Wallace Tennis Center on campus and created endowed student scholarships.
‘A drive to excel’
“I’m definitely honored by this recognition,” Wallace said. “We all know how much I love healthcare, and we’re encouraged by the University of Mobile’s drive to excel in this area.
“They have done so much to be proud of. We’ve noticed the capabilities of those who are participating in the nursing program and how they perform on their boards. It’s indicative of the good nurses that these students are going to be. It’s a very good school of nursing, no two ways about it.”
The University of Mobile School of Nursing has earned a 100% National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rate for two consecutive years in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and has a 100% job placement rate. UM has been named the No. 1 BSN program in the “Best Nursing Schools in Alabama” ranking by nursingeducation.org.
Also recently, UM’s first graduating class in the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) program achieved a 100% first-time pass rate for the National Certification Exam, the highest pass rate in Alabama for 2024. The inaugural class in the new School of Nurse Anesthesia also had 100% job placement.
— By Kathy Dean of the University of Mobile. Read the full story here.
