On their way back home: Chris Gnanakan, Class of 1985.

Many Christians pray for the people around the world who haven't been reached for Christ. Others have gone, leaving the places they know as home, to tell others of true hope. But often, despite years of training or persistent traveling, some areas remain closed to the Gospel.

That is, unless the Christians already there know how to spread the truth — from the inside out.

Chris Gnanakan grew up in Bangalore, India. His great grandfather was the first in his ancestry to become a Christian, and Chris was saved at 15 when a message about God's love changed him.

Chris became very aware of his sinfulness, but that realization was also met with the truth of God's mercy. Compared with India’s prevalent Hindu idea of karma, which atones for sin with punishment, a Savior Who would actually forgive a sinner filled Chris with hope.

But Chris hadn't considered Christianity's reach beyond the life he knew. He was building a career as a skilled technician in Bangalore, the "Silicon Valley of the East" — until, one day, he was moved to make his faith the focus of his life.

Chris was being discipled by Gene Tozer from New Brunswick Bible Institute in the late 1970s when he met Wendell Calder, who taught at Word of Life's Bible Institute and had founded a ministry called Local Church Evangelism. Wendell, who was visiting India, had been working with Jack Wyrtzen and Word of Life on reaching more countries for Christ. At that time, missionaries from the West weren’t allowed in India — but there was nothing to keep a native Indian from sharing his faith.

Chris Gnanakan: Making a pact for a global impact.

For decades, Bible Institute students have read Operation World by Jason Mandryk together. The book is an evangelical tour guide, profiling the state of Christianity in all of the world’s countries.

Chris Gnanakan read and prayed over the book with classmate Nathan Graves during his Bible Institute year. They met at the old Snack Shack on the New York campus and made a pact to go wherever God would lead.

Chris’ path led to India, while Nathan headed to Albania, which at the time was deemed the most difficult nation for Christians. After 25 years in missions, they met in Macedonia in 2010 at the first Balkan World Mission Conference, led by Eagles of Peace, Nathan’s missions organization. The theme of the gathering was “From everywhere to everywhere,” based on Paul’s mission in the New Testament.

Chris and Nathan looked at the crowd and saw people from all over the Balkan Peninsula who are committed to reaching the many nations there that can't be entered by American missionaries.

While preaching Christ remains a struggle in India, Albania’s religious climate has changed since Nathan arrived. Christians now make up more than 30 percent of the country’s population.

Chris Gnanakan: What's the 114?

When it was time for Chris Gnanakan and his wife, Dorothy, to name their two daughters, they turned to John 1:14, which says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

They named their older daughter, Alethea, after the Greek word for “truth.” Her sister, Charis, gets her name from the Greek “grace.”

“Truth can get harsh, and grace can be too flimsy — turning to disgrace,” Chris says. “The balance of the two is what Word of Life taught me. The strong and soft parts work together in missions and in ministry.”

Alethea is studying pre-medicine at Liberty University, and Charis is a sophomore at Bangor Christian School. Dorothy is a software programmer and technical instructor at the University of Maine.

Chris Gnanakan: Hitting the Books.

While planting churches, pastoring, and teaching across Asia, Chris Gnanakan has also been continuing his theological study.

He received his masters of divinity in pastoral theology from Asia Graduate School of Theology in 1993, his masters of theology and doctorate of ministry from South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies in 1995 and 1998, and his doctorate from Leeds University in the United Kingdom in 2006. Since 1999, Chris has been lecturing and producing curriculum for Biblical Mandate for Evangelism at the Haggai Institute for Leadership Development. He’s also a consultant with the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism and a contributing member of the International Council for Higher Education.

In addition to his work with Outreach to Asia Nationals, Chris teaches, speaks, and produces radio broadcasts with FEBA (Transforming Truth) and TWR (Thru the Bible). He’s currently the missions pastor at Bangor Baptist Church in Bangor, Maine, where he and his family live.

Alumni Homecoming 2013.

Alumni Homecoming will be this spring at the New York campus, where alumni are invited to participate in Word of Life’s Memorial Day Weekend, Founder’s Conference, and a Patriotic Rally as well as celebrate what God has done since their time at the Bible Institute.

Alumni from all years, but especially the classes who are due for five- or 10-year reunions (1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, and 2008) are invited to enjoy the weekend and take advantage of the special events.

The Founder’s Conference speakers will be Dr. Stanley Toussaint and Dr. George Murray.

At the Patriotic Rally, Captain Jeff Struecker will be the honored speaker. He served with distinction as a chaplain and lead ranger in the Black Hawk Down rescue mission in Mogadishu, Somalia, and was featured in the book on which the movie Black Hawk Down was based.

Struecker has been honored with several medals for his service and sacrifice for the U.S., including participating in Operation Just Cause, Operation Iris Gold, Operation Gothic Serpent, and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Wayne Lewis and the alumni crew will also organize several alumni-specific events.

As always, we have special, reduced rates for alumni for the weekend:

Please call Word of Life’s Customer Service Department at 518-494-6000 to book your reservation or for any questions you may have. You can also contact registrar@wol.org.

For more information about homecoming, finding classmates, or planning your own events, contact Wayne at waynel@wol.org. We’ll have more information on the Word of Life Bible Institute Alumni Facebook page and here on the blog. Check the site for updates and to see who else is joining us this spring.

Ask the professor.

Do you have a question you'd like to "Ask the Professor"? We're starting a new Victory Journal feature. Send your questions and ideas — funny or serious — to alumni@wol.org, or leave them here in the comments, and we'll get them answered in the next issue of the Victory Journal.

What is going with alumni?

What is going on with alumni?

Alumni Director Wayne Lewis and new Bible Institute Dean of Admissions Greg Dyson decided to make a video to let you hear it straight from them.

Hear what's going on with Word of Life alumni from beautiful Schroon Lake, and email alumni@wol.org or waynel@wol.org if you want to get involved.

Modeling Christ: Rachel Lee Carter, Class of 1996.

When Rachel Lee (Adcock) Carter, Class of 1996, applied to Word of Life Bible Institute, she didn't expect to be accepted by the staff and students. After all, she wasn’t a seasoned Sunday schooler with a shining recommendation from her pastor. She was a professional model coming off two years in the thick of the fashion industry in New York City.

“Word of Life was very gracious, because I was coming from a really horrible place,” she recalls.

Although she’d grown up in a Christian family in North Carolina and was heavily involved in her youth group, summer camp, and missions trips, Rachel admits she didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. But when she met two Christian models on a photo shoot, they encouraged her to get honest with God, to call out to Him, and to ask Christ into her heart. She saw something different about them and wanted what they had. That night, alone on her apartment floor, she got honest with God and asked Him to save her.

“I felt God’s Spirit move,” Rachel says. “I couldn’t explain it, but I knew God heard me and saved me.”

When she woke up the next morning, Rachel was changed. Everything that didn’t glorify God had to go –  her music collection, her use of profanity, her side job at a bar, and the toxic relationships in her life.

“I wanted God, and that was all I wanted,” Rachel says.

She didn’t know much about the Bible Institute or anyone who had attended, but she says she knew God was leading her to go.

Q&A: Jeff Lewis.

The newest dean of men at the Bible Institute’s New York campus has brought a measure of thrill-seeking to the Christian walk. While discipling students and teaching classes, Jeff Lewis makes the most of God’s creation, from kayaking in the summer to snowboarding in the winter — with hikes up and down the Adirondack Mountains in between.

Jeff’s path to ministering at the Bible Institute began at Schroon Lake. (Full disclosure: This dean of men comes highly recommended by the alumni director.) He grew up in the Word of Life family and attended the Bible Institute in 1998. He then studied Bible exposition and later Biblical counseling at The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, California and became resident director there. In 2009, he joined the Bible Institute staff at the New York campus, serving as the assistant dean of men for two years.

Now as dean of men, Jeff is responsible for the leadership development on campus. He also speaks at campus services, teaches electives, and helps with the Contemporary Issues class for second-year students.

What do you like about your role at the Bible Institute?

The thing I enjoy most about my job is its diversity and how it creates a number of different ways to interact with students. One day I may be talking through a significant family situation with a student over lunch, and the next we may be on the local ski mountain in one of the winter physical education classes.

What about the Bible Institute separates it from other schools and ministries?

One of the things I appreciate about the Bible Institute experience is the number of opportunities in which the students get to apply what they are learning in the immediate context of this campus and beyond. I have always appreciated how Word of Life puts an emphasis on taking what you have learned and looking for opportunities to serve.

Testimony Corner: Christine (Jerome) Cuz, Class of 2003

Ten years ago I was honored to be part of the first class of the Bible Institute in Canada. The Bible Institute really helped me to develop sound Christian theology and understand why I believe what I believe. It showed me how to take an exegetical approach to the Bible and to look at God’s Word in a deeper and more meaningful way than I previously had. I can look back 10 years ago and say that the Bible Institute played a pivotal part in my Christian faith that has helped me develop into the person I am today!

Since leaving the Bible Institute, I was able to transfer credits to Briercrest College in Caronport, Saskatchewan, where I received my bachelor’s in recreation leadership. During that time I met and married my husband, Kevin. We celebrated our five-year anniversary in June.

Two years after my husband and I were married, we joined the staff of Athletes in Action Canada, which is under the umbrella of Power to Change Ministries, formerly Campus Crusade for Christ. We now live in Ottawa, Ontario, where Kevin serves full-time, ministering in the lives of athletes on both the Ottawa and Carleton University campuses. After having our bouncing baby boy Elijah (Eli) back in July 2010, I have since decided to run my own daycare business, which allows me to be a stay-at-home mom. It's the best job ever!