David was the chaplain when I was a student at Emory & Henry College. During my time on campus, I observed the way David personally mentored those students who came to campus ministry programs and the way he ministered to students and faculty who did not attend church by carefully cultivating personal relationships through his intentional presence in campus activities. David played an irreplaceable role in helping myself and many others hear our call to vocational ministry. In my case, while I was still planning to be an engineer, David arranged for me to visit a seminary along with him and several other students “just to spend some good time with good people”. Later, as David spoke with me in his office, I clearly heard the Holy Spirit confirm that I was called to vocational ministry.
In all the roles David has held at Emory & Henry College, he has consistently defended the Christian faith and the importance of honest intellectual rigor. By articulating the intellectual viability of Christianity while creating space for honest questioning and intellectual debate through his teaching and his life, David St. Clair has embodied the very best in United Methodist Higher Education.
Wil Cantrell 