Podcast
Cedarville Stories
Hosted by Cedarville University · EN
Cedarville Stories podcast shares the stories of individuals who have been impacted from their experiences at Cedarville University, all for God's glory. Each week you’ll hear unique stories of how Cedarville’s mission of transforming lives through excellent education and intentional discipleship in submission to biblical authority is being lived out in the lives of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the University.
Listen in each Wednesday and be blessed by some of the amazing ways God is working in and through the lives of the Cedarville family.
44episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S13:E02 | Healing in Maui: Mark and Dawn Brown
Jul 9, 202500:32:38Tap to summarizeCedarville’s Connection to Maui’s HealingWhen wildfires tore through Maui in August of 2023, they left behind a trail of devastation — homes lost, lives uprooted, and hearts heavy with grief. For Mark and Dawn Brown, longtime Maui residents and faithful servants in their local ministry, the fire hit close to home — literally and spiritually. But even in the darkest smoke, God’s light came shining through.Mark and Dawn, who both have deep roots with Cedarville University, shared their experiences during the 2023 Maui fire on this week’s episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast.The Browns are proud alumni, and their daughter Lila is a current student. Cedarville has always been more than just their alma mater — it’s part of their extended family. So when a team of 14 Cedarville students, along with professors Col. (Ret.) Greg Thompson and Dr. Patrick Oliver, landed in Maui to help, it wasn’t just a service trip — it was a homecoming of sorts.The students came with no agenda but love, no plan but to serve.“We’ll do whatever you need,” they told the Browns — and they meant it. They painted, cleaned, hauled, prayed, and, most of all, stood in the gap alongside hurting people.Mark, who serves on a federal disaster medical team, has responded to tragedies all over — from New York City to Key West to Saipan. Years ago, his young daughter Lila once asked him why he did it. He told her, “Someday, we’re going to need help too — and I want people to come.”That moment came. And people came — wearing Cedarville blue and gold.For the Browns, it was a humbling reminder that the body of Christ truly works. God didn’t just send help — He sent family. And in the ashes of disaster, they saw grace rebuild what flames had taken.https://share.transistor.fm/s/d0d9de26https://youtu.be/CkVMEG5h1Cc
Transcribe →S13:E01 | Engineering Hope: Ken Atkinson and Brian Reiff
Jul 2, 202500:20:21Tap to summarizeEngineering Hope: Ken Atkinson and Brian ReiffIn the heart of rural Zimbabwe, where roads often wash away during the rainy season and clean water is scarce, a powerful partnership has formed — one that blends innovation with compassion. Faculty and students from Cedarville University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science have teamed up with Karanda Mission Hospital to tackle these serious infrastructure issues while creating opportunities for ministry.The collaboration began when former missionary Ken Atkinson, now a Cedarville engineering lab technician, returned from Karanda with a heavy heart and a hopeful vision. The hospital faced severe water shortages and needed help.Cedarville students rose to the occasion. They engineered a small-scale municipal water treatment plant, creating a system that could purify river water and save lives — especially in a region where wells had run dry.But the mission didn’t stop with water. Seeing how local roads were often impassable, Cedarville students, including recent graduate Brian Reiff, designed and built a pull grader — a massive earthmover that attaches to Karanda’s tractor. What began as a senior design project quickly became a symbol of how technical skills can serve a greater purpose.More than just technical accomplishments, these projects are shaping lives. Students who once saw themselves working in labs or offices are now exploring how their skills can be used in missions. Some are even preparing to return to Karanda long-term.From clean water to better roads, from Ohio to Zimbabwe, this collaboration proves that engineering can be a ministry — solving physical problems while planting seeds of hope.Listen to this story of hearts and minds united for a cause greater than themselves on this week’s Cedarville Stories podcast.https://share.transistor.fm/s/81f4fd7chttps://youtu.be/Dy3tcM4bcBU
Transcribe →S12:E16 | God Restores the Soul: Susan Troth
Apr 16, 2025Tap to summarizeGod Restores the Soul: Susan TrothSusan Troth never imagined that the trials of life would lead her to a podium at the United Nations. Yet, in March 2025, she found herself standing before the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, sharing her journey of faith, healing, and hope with women from all over the world.Susan shares her story of struggle, resilience, and surrender on this week’s episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast.From facing infertility and childlessness to becoming a widow at 54, Susan has known deep sorrow. Financial hardships, ministry stress, and even a near-death experience have tested her in ways that seemed unbearable. Yet through every trial, she has found herself drawn closer to God. "So blessed by God, I feel spoiled," she often says, not out of pride, but with a heart full of gratitude for the blessings that came amid her struggles.As an associate professor of worship at Cedarville University, Susan had spent years teaching others to worship God. But it wasn’t until she walked through her own dark moments that she truly understood what it meant to surrender to God's will. Her bestselling book, “Stressed to Splessed,” shares her faith-based journey to find healing and new horizons.Susan's commitment to service — spanning over 4,000 volunteer hours in grief counseling, music teaching, missions, and disaster relief — earned her a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. But her greatest passion is mentoring women, showing them that even in their toughest times, God can be trusted.Her message is simple but powerful: Through surrender to God’s will, healing and hope are possible. Tune in and be inspired by Susan’s journey of faith and resilience.https://share.transistor.fm/s/952909dfhttps://youtu.be/RDb_GpBHwuc
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S5:E25 | Murray Murdoch
Dec 29, 2021Tap to summarizeBiblical Worldview Warrior Dr. Murray Murdoch is a Cedarville legend. For the past 56 years, he has been a model of steadfast devotion, a stalwart of biblical integration, clarion voice for biblical justice and racial equality, a champion tennis coach, dedicated department chair, insightful teacher, calm counselor, and ready friend. Murray announced his retirement this fall. He and his wife of 63 years, Ruth, were honored during chapel on November 18. Murray’s legacies are many at Cedarville: 563 career victories as head coach of the men’s tennis team and member of the Cedarville Athletic Hall of Fame; founder of the Civil Rights Bus Tour, where hundreds of students experienced the Edmund Pettus Bridge and 16th Avenue Baptist Church firsthand; creator and teacher of the popular Social Movements course; author of the 100-year history of Cedarville; and former chair and constant advocate for the Department of History and Government. With all this in mind, Murray’s advocacy for a biblical worldview is the legacy that stands above the rest. For this godly professor, counselor, and friend, having a campus where every academic discipline was taught through a biblical worldview was his passion. “There is no such thing as a neutral fact,” he explains during the podcast. “All facts pass through the worldview of the person teaching. It’s all part of the warp and woof of who we are, whether we’re historians, scientists, or Bible professors. How can you be a Christian, teaching at a Christian school, and not have a worldview that’s Christ-centered?” ….......... Enjoy the celebration of Dr. and Mrs. Murdoch’s contributions to Cedarville during the November 18 chapel.
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