I want to express my appreciation for a man that served the Murray State campus for more than 35 years as a campus pastor, mentor and friend to thousands of people. That man was Mark Randall, campus pastor for Christ Ambassadors campus ministry. He passed away late last month (September) after a long battle with heart issues.

Mark was fairly visible on campus over the years, for things like handing out ministry invitations on campus and praying the official invocation at recent Murray State graduations. His visibility at times created controversy but, having been a personal friend of Mark for many years, I can attest that Mark never had any motives other than to help students reach their God-given potential through Jesus Christ. Furthermore, he loved people regardless of how they treated him.

My personal journey with Mark began almost 10 years ago when I was a student. He was helpful to me in so many areas, not least of which was convincing me that I mattered and that I had an important destiny. Years later we remained close friends as he helped me navigate the many challenges of life. I’m forever thankful.

My main point is that I hope other leaders on this campus continue to step up to help students in the truly significant areas of life. Academics are important, but so is a students’ sense of eternal worth and purpose. Mark knew what mattered in life and he helped students thrive in every area, including spiritually. Mark will probably never be appreciated as much as he should be, but his presence on this campus will be missed more than people realize. Thank you for your service Mark Randall.

Letter from Todd Broker, CFP®, Director of the Center for Economic Education, member of the Christian Faculty Network