Alumni Appreciation Award
Recognizes significant service to Messiah College

1999 Recipient
R. Donald Shafer

In recognition of your significant contributions to Messiah College - past, present and future - the Alumni Association is pleased to honor you, R. Donald Shafer, with the 1999 Alumni Appreciation Award.

Your connections with our institution began as you spent your formative years at Messiah Academy. You then continued your education at Messiah College, holding a variety of student leadership roles and gaining a solid foundation for relating Biblical truth and values to the world around you. You earned your degree in 1958, and were honored with the College's Outstanding Senior Award. In your words, your Messiah days motivated you to serve Christ and the Church.

Looking back over your vocational service, Don, it's easy to see how God has led you to do just that. First as associate pastor and then pastor of the Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ Church, then in a wide range of denominational roles, you have served the Lord with wisdom and enthusiasm among the BIC for more than 30 years. From Executive Director of the Board of Congregational Life, to Bishop of the Midwest and Pacific Regional Conferences, to Moderator, to Administrative Director of Brotherhood Concerns, then finally to General Secretary from 1984-1996, your gifts and talents have guided, encouraged and benefited countless congregational members. In 1996, God led you to your current position as Director of Public Relations at Messiah Village. Your work there continues building bridges between the Church and society.

Your record of achievements, publications, and community involvement is impressive as well, Don. You earned a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller School of Theology in 1979. You have served on several educational boards, traveled overseas for the Church and the Mennonite Central Committee, been a member of the West Shore Chamber of Commerce, the Susquehanna Alliance, and the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, and served on the public relations committee of the newly opened Whitaker Center in Harrisburg. You have also contributed book chapters and periodical articles. And you have been a dedicated husband to your wife of 40+ years, Marlene, as well as a committed father of two and grandfather of four.

Along the way, Don, you haven't forgotten your alma mater. As you poured out your life for the work of the Church, you also wrote many lines in the story of Messiah College. From summer staff employee, to adjunct teacher, to donor, to 25-year Board member, to roles on several crucial committees, your visionary leadership, exemplary work, and fervent prayers have helped to promote Christ's Preeminence at Messiah. Generations of students, both past and present, are better equipped to serve the Lord in this world because of your efforts.

For your years of dedication to the Church and the wealth of contributions you have shared with this institution, we give God the glory and praise, extending to you, R. Donald Shafer, our sincere appreciation through this award.