Profile
by Emily Kurtz
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Professor seeks, teaches authentic Christian faith
Judy Glanz enjoys snow sports with her family. -Judy Glanz, photo
Growing up in a Roman Catholic home, Mrs. Glanz was taught she was a Christian. When she was in third or fourth grade, she began attending Catholic Christian Doctrine classes once a week.
As she got older, Mrs. Glanz began questioning what she was learning. She cannot recall exactly what questions she asked of her doctrine teachers but knows the answers she received were unsatisfactory.
"I remember questioning why the Catholic Church is the right church and why there is the Protestant Church," she said. "The standard answer I would hear was, 'It's the oldest church, and it's the right church.' That's not even accurate."
In high school, her family moved from Salem, Ore., to Dallas, Ore., where she began attending Campus Life meetings. At the meetings, she found herself desiring a true faith. "I was hungry for authenticity," she said. She said she was trying to fit the pieces of her faith together.
She wanted truth. "My heart started searching," Mrs. Glanz said. "I was ripe for the gospel." Then one of her best friends, Margie Brinker, invited her to a youth rally in their town. On Oct. 31, 1972, she attended the rally put on by Barry Moore Crusades from Ontario, Canada. When the altar call came, Bob Palmer, a friend sitting next to her, said his family had been praying for her and that he would walk up front with her.
Mrs. Glanz was scared. "I didn't want to burn in hell," she said. "My heart was pounding. I was completely overwhelmed, and I began to weep." She was fearful as she realized she did not know whether she knew God and whether she'd go to be in heaven with Him. Although she'd grown up learning she knew Him and was saved, she had no assurance, she said.
"When I disciple now, it's a big deal to me that the people I disciple can go to Scripture and know what the Scriptures are that assure them they are saved, and they'll spend eternity with Christ," Mrs. Glanz said.
Although her parents did not understand her newfound faith, they allowed her to stop attending the Catholic Church and search for a Protestant church if she told them what church she chose.
Dallas had numerous churches, so she attended various denominations: Seventh-Day Adventist, Evangelical Free, Mennonite Brethren, Assemblies of God, Conservative Baptist and others. She went to the First Baptist Church for a short while, then settled on the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church. She also stayed involved with Campus Life.
In 1974, Mrs. Glanz began studies at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. At first she went to a Catholic church because she felt comfortable there. In Catholicism, she said, "the church is your mother--the only right church." Leaving the Catholic Church was much like turning her back on her family.
At first, she found the rituals and symbolism wonderful. She was able to see them from a redeemed perspective and began to understand all the recitation and traditions. Then she began to ask herself, "Do these people know what they're saying?" She went to the Catholic church off and on throughout her first semester.
In January of 1975, she began attending a Conservative Baptist church. During her senior year, after volunteering with Campus Crusade for Christ for three years, she decided she wanted to go into career ministry.
While taking a college ballroom dancing class, she danced with another student who attended her church and worked with the youth program. After hearing about her interest in working with youth, he said she should look into joining the youth program also. She decided to try it because she thought her testimony could help the youth.
That was in October, 1977. Five months later, the youth pastor of the group suggested she attend seminary and go into full-time ministry. Because of her Catholic background, she thought he was asking her to be a nun. The thought was not appealing, she said. He laughed and explained to her that he meant she could work as a female youth leader.
After graduating from Oregon State University in 1978 and applying for various jobs, Mrs. Glanz went to a bank in Corvallis to inquire about working there. The woman Mrs. Glanz asked said the only open position had just been filled. After they talked for about 10 minutes, the woman gave Mrs. Glanz an application, interviewed her and created a position to hire her. She worked as a teller and a teller-trainer. The job allowed her to stay in Corvallis and work with youth.
Mrs. Glanz spent the next year deciding whether or not she wanted to go to seminary. In the fall of 1979, she began studying at Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Ore. She graduated in the spring of 1983 with a Master of Arts in Church Education and spent the following 14 years working with youth.
"Anything she did was always for someone else," Mrs. Glanz's older brother, Rob Murray, said. Both Mr. Murray and Mrs. Glanz's mother, Louise Murray, remember Mrs. Glanz becoming ill at times because she was always busy with youth and would wear herself out.
In October, 1989, she married Randy Glanz. She and Mr. Glanz worked together with the youth group at the church they attended. Mr. Murray said Mr. Glanz was good for Mrs. Glanz because his humor helped her relax. They were both fearful of marriage. Mrs. Glanz had watched her parents and each of her siblings go through a divorce. She was terrified of getting married and felt pressure to have a successful marriage.
"I remember when we decided to be committed to one another," she said. "I had been so tunnel vision on ministry, thinking, 'I belong to God. I'm going to minister. I would love to be married, but I don't know how that's going to happen.'" Then she saw the Lord slowly begin changing her heart and lowering the intensity she felt for youth ministry. She was ready to become a wife.
In July, 1994, Glanz gave birth to her daughter, Julia. Because of medical problems, Mrs. Glanz had been told she was unable to have children. In spite of the doctor's pronouncement, God gave her a daughter.
She began teaching at Multnomah in January, 1999, and teaches four classes. In the fall, she teaches discipleship at the college and ministry to youth at the seminary. In the spring, she teaches ministry to families at the college and youth ministry methods at the seminary.
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