From the moms’ group meeting on campus who pray for students and all things Jessup, to the community prayer chains to the prayer chapel purposefully located in the center of our Rocklin campus, prayer is an essential instrument that has led this university to where it stands today.


Even when the current 128-acre campus opened in 1988 as a Herman Miller Furniture factory, West Coast Director of Operations, Chris Dancy and some of his employees were already praying that someday God might use these facilities for a higher purpose than manufacturing furniture.


Spiritual Formation Groups have been a part of this university since the 90s. Unlike most Christian universities, all Jessup students are required to participate in SFGs at least two of the four years they attend. Tis allows students to experience a valuable time of devotion, prayer and fellowship. Prayer runs rampant as students, faculty and staff give praise to God and lift prayer requests throughout the academic year.


“There were times when I was a kid where Dad would be absent from the dinner table, sometimes three or four times a week because he would fast and pray.”


During the late 60s, former president Woody Phillips began Wednesday night prayer meetings regularly welcoming 200 or more people. Countless prayers were offered during the Crossbearers’ Crusade and the popular Sunday night worship service known as ‘Body Life’ during the 70s. “We sat on the floor, sang our hearts out, prayed and did our best to meet each others’ needs,” said Professor Jim Crain as he recalled those unforgettable years known as the ‘Jesus Movement’.


Even before Bryce Jessup became president, he (like Gideon) laid a fleece before the Lord. He expressed to God that if there were a unanimous vote by the faculty and Board of Trustees to bring him on board, he would accept the position to become the fifth president of the university. Well, the rest is history.


Early on during his presidency, modeled after the book of Acts, Bryce assembled a prayer team of 120 pastors, friends and local congregations who prayed for the college via monthly email prayer requests and praises. He later formed a 14-person ‘Dream Team’ who were recorded as saying, “Everything you do is bathed in prayer,” in response to his first presentation that resulted in a partnership for more than a dozen years and launched SJCC into a spectacular future.


Whether prayers were answered or not isn’t as relevant as the humble and obedient hearts that prayed the prayers often in fellowship with a community of believers. Prayer is powerful and life changing to say the least.


Woven throughout our university’s heritage, prayer comes in all shapes and sizes and with countless examples over the years. Some may recall prayer walks around the numerous sites where over 40 churches were planted as a result of SJBC’s efforts during the 1940s.


Tere were prayer teams interceding for the group of students at our Multicultural Bible Institute that taught the Bible in seven languages during the 80s, prayer walks around the proposed facilities in Morgan Hill and prayer meetings during the three months prior to the university opening its doors to students in Rocklin in 2004. In 2008, students met in front of the Rocklin Police Department to spend the afternoon praying and giving thanks for the services the city provides to our students and campus.


It was a step of faith (accompanied by prayer) for many who later made the decision to leave the San Jose region and relocate to Rocklin.


“I remember when we rented a bus to bring our staff and faculty to visit the new facility,” said Bryce Jessup. “Wouldn’t you know it, the bus broke down! It wasn’t the best way to start our outing, but we persevered.”


Some had spouses who didn’t have a job in the “new” Promised Land, some relocated their children to new schools and others just weren’t sure about the 100-degree summers common to the Sacramento region or where this new venture would lead. Over 90 people acted on faith, obedient to the call as they relocated, believing that God had a future for Jessup in Rocklin.


Abundant prayer warriors thrive in our midst today all for the glory of God’s kingdom. Donors visit our campus, attend chapel and are in awe of what God is doing and the ongoing ways their prayers have been answered.


Tere are prayer partners who gather around the ring road encircling the Rocklin campus; some reside in the prayer chapel, staff and faculty offices, or dorms, the cafeteria, athletic facilities, San Jose or our local and regional churches. Others dwell in the homes of those throughout the world who regularly hold this blessed university up in their prayer lives.


“Prayer is built into our DNA, it is part of our values,” said Jo Jessup who prayed for this college in the 1950s and shared that she and her husband, President Emeritus, continue to pray regularly every Saturday morning for William Jessup University.


Whether it was in the decision to sell the property located at 12th and Virginia Street resulting in nearly double the funds to secure another property, or the faithful act of a donor that kept the university open during tough financial challenges, or perhaps a car accident that led to the building of a new shower area in the men’s locker room, God’s providence is written across every moment of this 75-year celebration.


God’s timing is perfect in all things. What may seem like a disappointment to one can lead to an answer to prayer for another. As believers, we continue to trust God as He writes another page in the history books of William Jessup University and we are blessed to be a part of His story.


God always provides and we are grateful. From the leaders He puts in place, to the students He brings to the bustling campus, William Jessup University is here to serve Him. Tat was our purpose 75 years ago and it is still our purpose today.


As we move toward the next season God has for this university, we ask you to join us in continuing Brother Bill’s legacy of prayer as we lift up our students, mission, churches, community, leadership and ability to reach and transform the lost, all for the gospel of Jesus Christ.


JESSUP MAGAZINE | 7


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