Interview with Dr. Adkins
Dr. Adkins is a familiar face at PCC. His job is Church Ministries Coordinator, and he assists in Student Care. I couldn’t think of a better person for this role. Many enjoy his preaching at the Campus Church, and many look up to his example of Christ-likeness and humility.
I had the privilege of being able to interview Dr. Adkins, and I asked him some questions I thought you would be interested in.
Q: If you have a whole day free to yourself what do you do?
A: I’m not sure I’ve ever had a whole day free to myself. Honestly, if I had a whole day just to myself, I would probably spend it at home. Relaxing and doing some reading. There’s nowhere I would really want to go by myself.
Q: Where is your favorite place to go in Pensacola?
A: The beach, like everyone else. We’re senior citizens, and when you’re a senior citizen you get a pass to the national parks. And we can go in and out of Fort Pickens whenever we want to for no cost. We can sit in the pavilion on the beach and watch the waves come in and walk up and down the beach. It’s really nice.
Q: Do you prefer Coke or Pepsi?
A: I’m going to be perfectly honest with you. I’m not sure if I took the taste test that I could tell the difference. I drink Coke here because we have Coke. When I was in Mansfield we had a contract with Pepsi, so I drank Pepsi all the time. I prefer the diet of either one, but honestly, I seriously doubt I could tell the difference.
Q: If you could spend a week anywhere in the world where would you go and why?
A: Well, I’m torn in two directions. I think first of all of the places I love to go to minister. I’ve been to the Philippines several times, and I love being over there, I love the Filipino people. I love the opportunity to preach in their churches. It’s just a great time.
Now, if you’re talking more about a relaxing time, probably the Smoky Mountains. We like to go on what they call the “quiet side” and just get a cabin and stay back there in the mountains.
Q: What is your favorite Bible verse?
A: It’s probably two: Proverbs 3:5–6.
I feel like the key for me to serving God is found there. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and the result is He will direct your path. When we do our three things we can trust that He’ll do the fourth.
Q: What would you tell a student who is transitioning to the Campus Church?
A: College is a time of new experiences. You don’t live in a dorm at home. And you probably don’t sleep in a room with two or three other guys. Or eat lunch with the same people every day at the dining hall. It’s a brand new experience. And it’s a matter of growth, and the same is true of the Campus Church. It’s not going to be like what your home church was. You have to look at it in the sense of “I’m here at college to experience new things. I’m not here because it’s what I’m going to do the rest of my life, but there are opportunities for me.” You get to hear men preach that you wouldn’t normally hear. You get to hear music that you probably don’t hear back home. It’s an opportunity, but it’s a temporary opportunity.
Q: How can students continue growing in Christ while at college?
A: That’s probably one of the hardest things. Everybody thinks that you’re in a Bible college so it’s just a great time of spiritual growth. That’s not always true. When you’re surrounded by the Bible all the time it’s easy to take it for granted. The only thing we can do to continue to grow is to make sure that our personal walk with God is right. Even though you’re listening in church and chapel, you still need that private time with God. If we don’t have that, we’ll dry up because just being around spiritual things does not mean you will catch it. My counsel to students is to be careful about letting yourself get critical. You may not agree with everything. I don’t agree with everything. And when you get critical the next thing you know is you build a bitter spirit. If you can, just keep your heart right with God and realize that this is a temporary thing and try to learn what you can and lead when you can without letting bitterness get in your heart. We can make you go to church and class, but nobody can take away your personal walk with God.
I hope this was a fun and helpful read for you. We as students are blessed to have Dr. Adkins on staff here at PCC. He cares about us. He desires for us to grow in our years at this college. He might hold a high position, but he understands what we’re going through, and more importantly, he understands how we can fight through our struggles and live for the Lord.
11
You must be logged in to post a comment.