Charge to the institute

Ronald Dunn, Lifestyle Ministries, Irvin, Texas, and a lone-time friend of the Ridings, admonished the audience to "receive Kenneth Ridings as a person, receive his message and receive his ministry." Dunn did an exposition of his text -- Galatians 4:12-19 -- before making the application of its truth to the inauguration of Ridings.

"There must be a mutual reception between the leader and the people," Dunn declared. "A trust motive is indispensable," the Texas preacher said. "Ken Ridings may turn out to be the lousiest president this school has ever known -- I don't think he will -- but whatever mistakes he makes, never question his motive."

Dunn praised Ridings as a preacher of the word of God, rather than just a speaker with a chosen subject.

Charge to the president

"I have known Ken Ridings since he was 19," Hubert Cash said in opening his charge to the new president.

"I would like to claim him as my son in the ministry -- but I really can't -- because I am so proud of him."

Cash, a retired pastor from Piedmont, S.C., called his message "The Unfinished Task," which he based on Joshua 1.

"We are in a business which has no end," Cash said.

"We are serving Jesus Christ, the only foundation there is for the building we do in the Lord's work. He has saved us, called us and leads us," the senior minister stressed.

Cash described Ridings as "God's man who has been chosen, given a charge and given a command just like Joshua."

Several times, Cash -- often looking at Ridings as he spoke -- reminded the audience that they "have a life to give, a cross to bear and a world to save."

Inaugural address

Mathis introduced D.L. Lowrie, a native of Tennessee who served as executive director-treasurer in his home state before becoming pastor of First Church, Lubbock, Texas. The Lowries and the Ridings have been friends for many years, attending conventions together, sharing in vacations and ministerial assignments.

Lowrie and Dunn spent the week in the Hendersonville area preaching in a Bible conference which met on alternate nights at First Church, Hendersonville, and Mud Creek Church.

Using the recent Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, as an example, Lowrie noted that much training and preparation must happen before the competition takes place in which the winners are awarded medals -- gold, silver and bronze.

Lowrie read 1 Peter 5:1-4 for a text and applied it to the students at FBBI who work for Christ and receive a "Crown of Glory."

"The purpose of FBBI is to develop 'crown winners,'" the Texas pastor said. He challenged the school to produce graduates whose success will be measured at two points: shepherding skills and servant spirit.

"If the Fruitland graduates achieve these two things, there will be the medals of victory -- gold, silver and bronze -- which the Lord will give as the 'Crown of Glory.'"

Lowrie said that "shepherding involves four elements -- leading, caring, protecting and feeding the sheep."

Returning to his example of the Olympic contestants, the graduate of Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, Tenn., said that skills are only half the process of winning the medals.

"There must be the proper attitude, the proper spirit, to win. "We must accept our responsibility willingly, with an eager yet humble spirit," Lowrie added.

"Much is said today about 'pastoral authority,' but I caution you to never lord it over God's people. When you really become a pastor to the church -- the first few years you are really just the preacher -- the people will follow your leadership," Lowrie insisted.

He closed the address with a story from C. Roy Angell, the celebrated preacher of a past generation.

Angell told of a man who gave his son three assignments on the farm before the father left for the day. When he returned that evening, the son had completed the tasks, and the father hugged the son as he commended him with "you've done a good day's work."

Lowrie appealed to the school and its students to live and serve in such a way that when their life was ended, God would commend them for "doing a good day's work" and award them the "Crown of Glory."

The presidential response

"You may love Fruitland as much as I do, but you can't love it any more," the new president began.

"I stand here today because of the death of two men -- Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and Randy Kilby," Ridings said.

Kilby died of a heart attack Feb. 11, 1997, after serving as the sixth president of FBBI since 1994. He was a popular president whose vision had inspired and touched students, faculty and alumni.

Ridings thanked all who came for the inaugural, noting that many had traveled great distances.

"I really don't know what an 'Inaugural Response' is," Ridings quipped. "But let me talk about the things that brought me here."

The new president paid tribute to his hometown -- Fingerville, S.C. -- and the members of the Baptist church there for their blessings in his life. He said that he made his profession of faith in Christ "on the second Monday night of a protracted meeting -- May 25, 1953."

"My wife, Ann, is the best thing that ever happened to me," Ridings said as he admitted that some had told him never to say that.

"Some have told me my salvation in Jesus was the best thing that ever happened to me, but I stand by my statement because it was Ann that led me to Christ."

Ridings did a roll-call of events which shaped his life: