Wendell Broom Vita

Professor Emeritus of Missions

Abilene Christian University
P.O. Box 19434, ACU Station
Abilene, TX 79699-9434
Phone: 325 829-0829 (cell)
325 677-0248 (home)

broomw@acu.edu

Education:

• A.A., 1943, Freed-Hardeman College
• B.A., 1945, Abilene Christian University
• M.A., 1970, Fuller Theological Seminary

Non-Degree Course Studies:

• 1946-50, Faith Theological Seminary, Wilmington, DW
• 1952-54, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
• 1960, Harding University, Memphis, TN
• 1965, Harding University, Searcy, AR
• 1965-68, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI

Ministry Experience:

• 1945-51, Wilmington, DW
• 1952-55, Philadelphia, PA
• 1955-60, Nigeria
• 1960-65, Wilmington, DW
• 1965-68, Honolulu, HI
• 1969-70, Pasadena, CA
• 1972, Student Team, Kumasi, Ghana (6 weeks)
• 1974-75, Kumasi, Ghana (10 months)
• 1980-81, Nigeria, Kenya
• 1985, Nigeria (WBS Seminar, 10 weeks in summer)
• 1987, Jerusalem (4 months, team of graduate students)
• 1989, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria (4 months)
• 1990, Nigeria (4 months, church growth study)
• 1992, Nigeria and Kenya (4 months); Siberia (2 weeks)
• 1993, Siberia, Russia (6 months)
• 1994, Kenya, Ethiopia, Jerusalem (4 months)
• 1994, Siberia, Russia (6 months)
• 1995, Kona, HI (4 months)
• 1996, Siberia (1 month); Papua, New Guinea (2 months)
• 1997, Kenya (2 months), Zimbabwe
• 1998, Athens, Greece and Kenya (3 months)
• 1999, Nigeria, Kenya, Maui

• Pulpit Ministry, 20 years
• University professor, 23 years
• Missionary church planter, 10 years
• (Declined eldership in 1980 and after)
• ACA (Africans Claiming Africa) in 1992, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2008
• Co-director of Jabulani Africa 2002, celebrating 100 years of missions in Africa by Churches of Christ

Teaching Experience:

• 1955-60, Nigerian Christian Bible College
• 1963-93, Summer Seminar in Missions (Harding and ACU)
• 1966, 69 Pepperdine University (extension course)
• 1970-92, Abilene Christian University
  • Asst. Professor of Bible and Missions
  • Courses taught: Introduction to Church Growth, Mission and Expansion of the Church, Missionary Anthropology, Survey of the Old Testament, Adventures in Christian Living, Principles and Practice in Missions, World Christians, Field Work in Missions
• 1974, Ghana Bible School, Kumasi, Ghana
• 1975-present, co-founder of "Teachers of Missions Workshop"
• 1989, 92, 94, 97, Great Commission Bible School, Kenya
• 1990, 92, Nigerian Christian Bible College
• 1993, 94, Novosibirsk, Siberia, Pedagogical Institute
• 1994, Addis Ababa Bible School, Ethiopia
• 1995, Kona, HI
• 1996, Papua New Guinea Church Growth Workshop
• 1999, Kenya, Nigeria
• 2000, 01, 02, Maui, HI
• 2003, Swaziland
• 2004, Nigeria, Ghana
• 2006, Manzini, Swaziland
• 2007, Ethiopia

Publications:

• M.A. Thesis, "Growth of Churches of Christ Among the Ibibio of Eastern Nigeria" 1970 (unpublished)
• Abilene Christian University Lectureships (1958, p. 254; 1971, p. 58; 1978, p. 52; 1982, p. 39; 1988, p. 86)
• Lectureships at Harding University, Oklahoma Christian University, Lubbock Christian University
• Chapters in
  • Spiritual Power (ed. J.D. Thomas, 1972)
  • Guidelines in World Missions (ed. George Gurganus, 1976)
  • New Testament Commentary for Africa (ed. Van Tate, 2001)
  • 100 Years of African Missions (ed. Stan Granberg, 2001); Chapter 1: pp. 3-26, "A Biography"; Chapter 2: pp. 27-46, "Reflections on the 20th Century"
• Articles in 20th Century Christian, Power for Today, Christian Chronicle, Firm Foundation, Gospel Advocate
• Editor of website "Nigerian National Directory of Churches of Christ"
• Tapes: Cultural Anthropology, course on audio tape
• Video: Church Growth Extension Course, Canyon, TX; Introduction to Church Growth, ACU

Areas of Specialization:

• Church Growth
• Cultural Anthropology

Professional Society Memberships:

• American Society of Missions
• American Society of Professors of Missions

Mission Department Activities:

• Faculty sponsor of student mission meetings (Mission Study, Mission Outreach, etc.)
• Teacher, Student Seminar in Missions (1963-1993)
• Student Missions Workshops (1971-1991)
• Co-founder of "Teachers of Missions Workshop" (1975-present)
• Reaffirmation Program, ACU (1976-77) (Task force on University Foundations and Purposes, Co-chair)
• Church Growth Workshops and Lectures (1970-1996)
  • In local church and lectureships in USA, HU, NE, OKC, ACU, PU, FHU
  • In Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, Hungary, Brazil, Argentina
• Church Growth Statistical Studies (including questionnaires, analysis, graphing, textual summary) in Nigeria:
  • 1950 (65 congregations)
  • 1960 (125 congregations)
  • 1970 (335 congregations)
  • 1980 (700 congregations)
  • 1990 (1800 congregations)
  • 2000 (3862 congregations)
• Pan-American Lectureship Conferences (1970s-1999)
• Two-week conference, Lausanne II and Manila, Philippines (1987)
• Faculty trip to China (two weeks in 1991)
• All-African Leaders Conference (ACA), Nairobi-Thuchi, Kenya (1992)
• ACA Conferences (Zimbabwe, 1997; Johannesburg, 2000; Ghana, 2004; Nigeria, 2008)

Awards:

• 1945, Who's Who in American Universities
• 1960, Ukpom Bible College, Nigeria
• 1988, Missions Department Award (ACU)
• 1991, Distinguished Alumni Citation (ACU)
• 1996, Christian Service Award (ACU)
• 1997, Nigerian Bible College Award
• 1998, Bible Faculty Colleagues Award (ACU; Research Room Dedication)
• 2001, Outstanding Leadership in Missions (ACU; World Missions Workshop)
• 2002, Festschrift Essays in Honor of Wendell Broom (ed. Stan Granberg)
• 2002, "Change the World" Award (ACU)
• 2003, World Bible School Honoree
• 2004, Honorary Doctorate, Nigerian Christian Bible College, Golden Jubilee Anniversary (1954-2004)
• 2004, African Christian Schools Board of Trustees Award
• 2004, "Africans Claiming Africa" Award, Ghana, West Africa
• Board of Trustees:
• Northeastern Christian Junior College (1961-65)
• Pennsylvania Christian Camp (1962-65)
• Aloha Christian Camp (1965-68)
• Pioneer Bible Translators (1990-2004)
• Global Samaritan Resources (2003-2008)

Personal:

• Married to Betty Billingsley, 1945, Ft. Smith, AR
  • Six children (born 1947-62
  • Home-schooled children for five years in Nigeria
  • ACU Graduate: Cum Laude in Social Work
  • Retired after ten years as case worker with Christian Homes of Abilene
  • Speaker at 1994 Jubilee, Nashville, TN
  • Speaker at church retreats and fellowships
  • Participant and Group Leader in Bible Study Fellowship (1989-2005)
• Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary (1995)
• Eleven grandchildren (born 1974-92) (Each grandchild is taken for a two to four month trip to Africa by the grandparents)
• Five great grandchildren
• Fifty-year reunion of Cedars Church, DW (1993)
• Teacher at Highland Church of Christ, Abilene (1970-present)