Honoring Mr. Fred Phillips on His Retirement
Fred Phillips did not start off pursuing a career in Christian ministry or higher education. In fact, he had no interest in changing jobs when then-NBC President Dr. Hiram Sanders approached him about starting and running an information technology (IT) department at the Bible college. However, since traveling to Colorado Springs for the interview would allow Fred to spend some time with his brother David, he decided to hear them out.
There was one question in the interview that would not leave him alone. Dr. Sanders asked, “Would you like to spend the next twenty years of your life serving the Kingdom?”
It has been more than two decades since, and now Fred says, “I believe God gave me the desire of my heart by allowing me to serve at the college.” What a blessing!
Fred began his career programming computers in the early 1980s, but he also had a side business building, selling, and maintaining office workstations and small network infrastructures. As he rose to a position of responsibility within the business, he gained valuable skills in customer service, identifying inefficiencies, recognizing potential problems, and implementing solutions. Plus, he had his first opportunity to build and manage an effective team of IT professionals.
This was the perfect professional background for the role NBC needed to hire: the first – and so far, only – head of our IT department. In this position he would not only build a team and the necessary infrastructure for NBC’s early foray into the field of online education, Fred also created the standards and set expectations for years of online higher education delivery. Because he demanded excellence, the college has reached and maintained technical excellence to match its theological and educational expectations.
Fred has led the NBC IT department to be both resourceful and creative. When the college began offering online courses in 1998, some things they needed simply did not exist. So, he and his team built them. Entire systems had to be written! Thanks to the excellent teams Fred has recruited and led, NBC built and maintained proprietary IT systems for learning management and student information for more than twenty-five years.
This work has been a truly outstanding success. Though Fred has sometimes expressed concern that his education and talent did not reach the level of other NBC Cabinet members, the reality of his work has never been cause for concern. He has publicly thanked God for allowing him “to work alongside such accomplished and thoughtful men and women of God,” and NBC considers Fred’s long ministry here a great honor and blessing.
Longtime colleague and now Provost Dr. Alan Lyke shared his appreciation: “From the earliest days of our interaction at NBC until the conversation we had a week ago or so, Fred’s dedication to doing whatever he can to enhance the college’s ability to fulfill its mission has always been clear. That dedication has always been an encouragement to me as a member of the NBC team, as a colleague on the Cabinet, and as a friend. Looking forward to the next time we can share some sushi together.”
“Fred’s work ethic, supreme competence, flawless dependability all flow from a deep abiding love for the Lord, the mission, and for people,” says NBC President Dr. Scott Sherwood. “On every level, you can trust Fred Phillips. I have trusted him since I first met him, and he has proven to be a trustworthy partner. “
Fred, congratulations on your retirement! We pray God will continue to guide and bless your life!
Published: 04/29/2024
Archived News