Mentored by Rae

Having a great mentor has shaped so much of my Christian life as a professor. 

Years ago, I discovered an experienced, older, successful faculty member from another college within the university.  Rae M. had founded and directed our local Christian Faculty Fellowship.  Soon after we met, Rae communicated that he was willing to invest in me to help me grow spiritually.  As I responded, he invested more time and energy into my life. At first, we visited each other’s offices during the semester and just lived life together whenever we could. 

Quality relationship is the foundation and beginning of all mentoring. 

Soon, we prayed together and had Bible study as well.  After a while Rae invited my wife Brenda and me to travel with him to Christian conferences—and those conferences made a large impact.  I realize that mentors like Rae are hard to come by.  Scripture teaches us the value of wisdom, and more experienced faculty can share a great deal of wisdom with us. 

Rae not only gave me principles for how to use my time more efficiently, but he also helped me avoid pitfalls in the academic life. 

As I like to joke, “We can learn from our own mistakes, but it is better to learn from the mistakes of others.” Often mentors have encountered the same personality issues, the same student problems, and the same research and publication problems that they can offer so much great advice.    

In my case, I’ve had certain mentors like Rae who courteously and lovingly pointed out areas of pride or mistakes I’ve made in my teaching long before they became disastrous.  Mentors often point out what we would have never seen coming; they see what we don’t see, and for me, I had some real blind spots as a teacher. 

Become a Visible Christian Presence on Campus

Rae not only offered wisdom, but he truly challenged me about what it might mean for me to be a visible Christian presence on campus.

For example, Rae taught me a principle of what any Christian faculty member might do.   He asked me to develop a professional talk that combined my Christian beliefs with my professional expertise.  While it seems obvious, he also asked me to do something I hadn’t thought about before. 

At first it was difficult, but gradually I developed several professional talks around human physiology. 

I developed a presentation on God’s design in human physiology. I entitled it, “Evidence of God in Human Physiology.” I end the presentation by quoting Psalm 139:13-15: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.” 

God has enabled me to give this talk many times since in several countries. Many times, Christian groups have invited me to speak to groups of both Christians and non-Christians because they know I can present a topic and integrate science and faith without inviting hostility from the audience. 

Other suggestions Rae offered I could do with ease.

• Things like decorating my office in a way that communicated my Christian worldview was simple (I put a Bible on my desk, a cross-stitched Bible verse on one wall, and Christian poster on the door, and I was finished).
• Even identifying myself as a Christian and discussing spiritual topics in appropriate ways as they came up in class was something God embolden me to do. I ask about my students’ hobbies and interests, and then I share with them that I have five children and some interesting facts about my life. I end these statements by telling students that Christianity is of extreme importance to me. 

Gradually I became more and more myself, more and more comfortable in front of my students and open about who I am as their professor and as a person who follows Christ. 

I owe much of my progress—both professional and as a Christ-follower in the academy— to Rae’s mentoring.

 --Phil Bishop, University of Alabama