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Bluefield College will host its 21st Annual Duremdes Christian Emphasis Week, September 26-28, featuring the nationally renowned ministry of youth evangelist Tony Nolan.

Chris Shoemaker

September 19, 2012

Since 1992, thanks to the generosity of Drs. Gene and Jane Duremdes of Princeton, West Virginia, who sponsor the Christian Emphasis event, the college has set aside a week in the school year for students and the community to focus on faith through the facilitation of spiritual speakers, leaders and musicians.

Sensing a “special calling” to “share with the students of Bluefield College some of the blessings they have received from the Lord,” the Duremdes created the event with BC leaders to give students and the public at-large the opportunity to “examine their spiritual lives” and to “seek answers to life-impacting questions.”

Leading the search this year during three separate sessions, open and free to the public, Wednesday through Friday at 10 a.m. in Harman Chapel, will be Nolan, whose own life story fuels his powerful gift for speaking God’s truth to post-modern youth.

The son of a “mentally insane homeless prostitute,” who suffered mental, physical and sexual abuse in foster care before turning to drugs and alcohol to ease his pain, Nolan speaks now to audiences across the country about a loving and forgiving God who gave him hope.

While a young adult still caught in the midst of abuse and hopelessness, Nolan heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and how He came to give hurting people life to the fullest. As a result, he committed his life to God and to sharing the story of His love with others.

“If you take anything away from this week (Christian Emphasis Week), Nolan said, “take with you a greater understanding of the love of God. You don’t know true joy, if you don’t know God.”

Nolan, who often contemplated suicide to end his hopeless life before hearing and accepting the Good News of God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness, spoke on the Bluefield College campus two years ago for Christian Emphasis Week. During that time, 150 students made professions of faith.

“God is using Tony in phenomenal ways,” said BC campus minister David Taylor following Nolan’s last visit. “He is reaching thousands of young people with the power of God’s word, and this event (Christian Emphasis Week) has impacted the lives of dozens of students on our campus and in our community.”

For more information regarding Duremdes Christian Emphasis Week at Bluefield College, e-mail the BC Office of Public Relations at .

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