Worship pervades all of life as we seek to glorify God and is central to the mission of JBU. Our interdenominational culture offers a beautiful and unique opportunity for students to broaden their understanding of Christ and fosters a safe place for students to ask hard questions, seek truth and grow in love and commitment to Jesus.
Faith at JBU
Spiritual Growth of Students
"Christ Over All" is the heart of JBU
Helping students grow in their faith
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Chapel
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Student Ministries
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Local Churches
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Formation Initiatives
Office of Christian Formation Staff
Dr. Keith Jagger
University Chaplain and Dean of Christian Formation
KJagger@jbu.edu
479.524.7134Keith provides leadership for the ongoing spiritual growth of the university community, specifically through the supervision of the chapel program, pastoral ministry to students and staff, and leading the Office of Christian Formation in the execution of broader campus programming. He has a doctorate in early Christianity from St. Andrews in Scotland, a master's in New Testament from Asbury Theological Seminary and a bachelor's in religion, classics and music from Augustana College. Before coming to JBU, Keith served as lead pastor and teaching pastor of Grassroots Church in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Tracy Balzer
Director of Christian Formation
TBalzer@jbu.edu
479.524.7461Tracy assists in chapel planning and leadership, develops Christian formation initiatives for JBU staff and faculty, and provides spiritual mentoring. Her overarching mission is to “help students and staff connect with God in meaningful, life-changing ways." Tracy is the author of four books, the most recent being A Journey of Sea and Stone: How Holy Places Guide and Renew Us (Broadleaf Books, 2021). Her interests include studying and writing about Celtic Christianity, leading adult spiritual pilgrimages to N. Ireland and Scotland, calligraphy, and discussing books and movies. Tracy received her undergraduate degree from Seattle Pacific University, and her Masters of Ministry degree from John Brown University. Her husband, Cary, is a professor in the Department of Biblical Studies. Other important people include their two daughters and sons-in-law, and their granddaughter, Lizzy.
Frank Huebert
Director of Service and Outreach Ministries
FHuebert@jbu.edu
479.524.7175Frank works with many of the student ministries on campus. Along with the Director of Christian Formation, he provides oversight to the ten students of the Student Ministry Leadership Team (SMLT) as they provide opportunities for service, evangelism, awareness, discipleship, and fellowship both on and off campus through CAUSE, Growth Groups, and other campus ministry initiatives. He particularly enjoys taking students on retreats and service learning trips. Frank loves that his job allows him to interact with many different students on a daily basis whether one-on-one, in a small group, or around a table in the cafeteria.
Dr. Jen Edwards
Assistant Professor of Worship Ministries
JEdwards@jbu.edu
479.524.7484Jen is a graduate of JBU (B.S. Music Ministries), Denver Seminary (M.A. in Leadership with a Worship Concentration) and University of Arkansas (Ph.D). She is a small-town Nebraska girl who loves people, words, theology, and music. She is humbled by the opportunity to be a part of the JBU community. Jen is a songwriter, a worship leader, a big picture thinker, and a storehouse of ideas. Thinking with and creating alongside students is one of her life’s greatest gifts. She is “Brad’s wife” and “Reece and Mason’s mom,” and she wears those titles with pride. Her family enjoys cooking together, making random music videos, and playing soccer and baseball in the front yard.
Crystal Perry
Administrative Assistant
CPerry@jbu.edu
479.524.7213Crystal graduated from JBU in 1985. After meeting her husband in Wichita and having two daughters in the Wild West (Dodge City), she found herself back in Siloam Springs in a minivan with two car seats - not something she envisioned as a carefree college student! Her husband of over thirty years, Tom, has been the controller at JBU since 1996, and their daughters, now both JBU grads, have long ago ditched their car seats. Crystal, also known to some students as the "chapel lady," is the one to see with questions about chapel attendance.
Statement of Faith
As a Christian institution, John Brown University holds to the interdenominational doctrinal position identified by the following statements:
- We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative word of God.
- We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
- We believe that, for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary.
- We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
- We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
- We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
As adopted by the National Association of Evangelicals.
