Former CIU President Bill Jones ‘a godly family man’ with ‘a caring heart’

In the fall of 1993 I began my undergraduate studies at Columbia Bible College, now Columbia International University. One of the first people to reach out to me and make me feel comfortable and welcomed was our chancellor, Bill Jones.

We would share brief interactions whenever possible, sometimes over lunch. He encouraged and challenged me to grow. We quickly became friends, and that friendship grew over the years, as the Lord elevated Dr. Jones from professor to provost and then to president.

Over the years I have known Dr. Jones, never have I witnessed or experienced any inappropriate behavior in his language or behavior. Contrary to the impression some are giving (“Alumni: Inappropriate conduct at a Columbia college went all the way to the top”), no one has ever complained to me about any inappropriate behavior from Dr. Jones.

All I have known Dr. Jones to be is a godly family man and Christian leader with a caring heart.

In February of 2017, Dr. Jones introduced the faculty and staff to Mark Smith from Ohio Christian University as a possible successor. After getting to know Dr. Smith’s character and reputation, Columbia International University entered into a season of prayer to petition God about calling Dr. Smith as our next president.

God affirmed that decision, and we have been blessed over the past year to enjoy his pastoral-like leadership of the faculty and staff. He is a caring and wise leader with a big heart for the community. He leads with integrity and skill, and enrollment is up 9 percent this year compared to last year.

Dr. Smith is leading us toward building a new I.T. and business center to help with the development of our students and the local community. He is an entrepreneur and an innovator who is currently focused on improving the Monticello Road area from I-20 to the CIU campus.

I have been associated with CIU for more than two decades, as a student and faculty member. I also serve as a local pastor.

CIU has been blessed with over the years with godly leadership. Now with Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones, God is taking the vision of CIU beyond our campus.

The State publishes a cross section of the letters we receive from South Carolinians in order to provide a forum for our community and also to allow our community to get a good look at itself, for good or bad. The letters represent the views of the letter writers, not necessarily of The State.

This story was originally published May 22, 2018 at 10:46 AM with the headline "Former CIU President Bill Jones ‘a godly family man’ with ‘a caring heart’."