Dr Lambright with a 2019 Counseling Graduate
Dr. Lambright: Teacher, Mentor, Counselor, Faculty
Vice President for Academic Affairs, Alan Lyke, in his annual report given September 25th to the NBC Board of Trustees pointed out: “The faculty of Nazarene Bible College are the foundation of the college’s academic affairs. Their efforts undergird the school’s fine academic standing and the quality of education offered by its programs.
The college faculty consists of full-time resident faculty, part-time contractual faculty, and adjunct instructors. Each group is vital to the college’s ability to staff our various academic programs with credentialed and experienced women and men who are well grounded in their academic disciplines, who have “practiced what they preach”, and who are adept at using appropriate teaching methods with the college’s adult learners in either traditional campus or in online teaching/learning environments. The faculty’s investment in their students advance the implementation of the action steps listed above.”
The NBCommunicator will be highlighting our faculty in the upcoming weeks. This week we are introducing, Dr. Terry Lambright, our longest-serving, current, full-time faculty member. Dr. Lambright has taught at NBC since 1991 (28 years). He is the Director of NBC’s Counseling for Christian Ministries Major.
Here is Dr. Lambright's autobiography:
In his book, Markings, Dag Hammarskjöld testifies for me when he describes the turning point that defined his life: "At some moment I did answer Yes to Someone . . . and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life, in self-surrender, had a goal" (205).
I was born in Columbus, Ohio, the second of six children, three boys and three girls. Due to the influence of a Christian home, I accepted Christ as Lord of my life while still a child. At a youth camp, I sensed God calling me to music ministry; and I began to dream of the day I would be a student at Olivet Nazarene University. Summer days and hours after school were spent working at a mink ranch and a greenhouse, as well as mowing neighbors' lawns, in order to save money for college.
Attending a Nazarene college was a decision I have never regretted. The very best education, opportunities to mature in a Christian environment, and life-long friends - these were but a few of the benefits. At Olivet, I traveled for the college in two quartets and graduated with a major in English and a minor in music.
During the following 20 years or so, I served Churches of the Nazarene in Illinois and Colorado as an Associate Pastor and pursued a master’s degree in music at Illinois State University. Pastoring helped me realize I needed more insights for developing the whole person. Therefore, I finished an M.A. in counseling at the University of Colorado, took the Colorado state examination, completed the required 2000 clinical hours, and became a Licensed Professional Counselor. Increasingly, my heart's desire was to someday teach adults preparing for ministry at Nazarene Bible College.
A door opened in 1991; and I was honored to join the faculty at NBC, where I have served as a professor of music, English, literature, spiritual formation, psychology, and counseling. Knowing, however, that my formal education was not complete, I went back to the University of Colorado for a Ph.D. in education. My dissertation is titled “The Adult Mentoring Relationship: A Philosophic Inquiry.” Mentoring is my passion!
Not long after beginning at NBC, I saw the need for a major in counseling. It would equip students with practical helping skills, whether they felt called to pastoral care or becoming licensed therapists. Thanks to fellow professors and our administration, NBC launched the first Christian Counseling cohort in 1998; and a few years later, we added the online version – Counseling for Christian Ministries.
Along with teaching, I have other interests as well. My favorite pastimes include collecting antiques, reading, attending the symphony, and being in the Rocky Mountains, as well as leading spiritual formation retreats. Having a part-time therapy practice keeps me current as a counseling instructor and program director.
What an abundant life! As I continue to say Yes to God in self-surrender, Hammarskjöld’s words have become my personal vision statement: “Thine – for Thy will is my destiny. Dedicated – for my destiny is to be used and used up according to Thy will” (123).
Hammarskjöld, Dag. Markings. Trans. Leif Sjöberg and W. H. Auden. New York: Knopf, 1964.
Dr. Terry Lambright, Director of Counseling Majors