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by Kristi Grubb
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MBC Gets First Full-Time African-American Professor
Professor Wyatt introduces Destiny at its second fall concert in 2002. -2003 Ambassador; photo
He starts the class with a movie clip from Veggie Tales' "Silly Song with Larry," making the students laugh. Professor Wyatt has an easy-going personality that students are attracted to.
"Where are you from?" student Nate Watkins asks.
"Cali...San Jose," Professor Wyatt says.
"I'm from California, too," Watkins says, grinning.
"You're all right, homeboy!" Pro-fessor Wyatt says and gives a nod of approval. "Less traffic here."
"Yeah, but I don't have a car," Watkins says, laughing.
Professor Wyatt loves interacting with his students. He said that his past has enabled him to connect with almost everyone. His unique background has given him a heart to bring Christians into unity and awareness of one another.
"My mother was born in Arlington Heights, Chicago, into a well-to-do family. My father was from the South and a dirt-poor farmer's kid," Professor Wyatt said. Their socioeconomic standing made his parents' marriage unlikely, but a second factor made it nearly impossible. "My father was African-American, and my mother was white. In 1958 it was still illegal for inter-racial marriages in places like Idaho," Professor Wyatt said.
For the first several years of his life, Professor Wyatt lived in an urban middle-class part of San Jose. When he turned 11, his father built a house in the Santa Cruz mountains. He found moving to a rural country school with only white students intimidating. "I used to joke that they only had half of a black person attending the school," he said. He was insecure and felt isolated.
He went from one extreme to another. He commuted to an affluent high school where being African-American was cool. He fit in well. "I became very versatile in terms of socio-economic groups," Professor Wyatt said.
He joined the U.S. Air Force after high school and spent six years unsure of his future. After many hard years and a series of events, Professor Wyatt, who had not been walking with the Lord, found a brochure about MBC in his parents' church. He had been thinking about going to a Bible college and said he knew right away that he would go to Multnomah.
Professor Wyatt spent five years at Multnomah, working 40 hours a week at a hotel in addition to attending classes. He participated in Destiny and in the Ambassador singing group during the summer. "I started singing for the Lord," Professor Wyatt said.
While at Multnomah, Professor Wyatt said God challenged him to deeper levels of spiritual intimacy. He said the reason he believes so strongly in Multnomah to this day is because it holistically changes people.
"I graduated in 1992 with a bachelor of science in biblical education and didn't get my ring by spring," Professor Wyatt said.
"I wondered if I would be a pastor," he said. "I have always had the passion to teach." He explored pastoral studies while at Multnomah but decided he wanted to pursue the counseling part of being a pastor.
He started attending graduate school at Western Conservative Baptist Seminary to pursue a master of arts in counseling. During that time, he met his wife, Angie. She was a blond German graduate student at Multnomah. He fell hard and fast, and they were married 1995. They now have two children, Julian, 5, and Jasmine, 2, both with curly blond hair and olive skin.
Dr. Strickland called Professor Wyatt while he was at seminary to ask if he would manage Destiny, Multnomah's traveling ensemble.
Professor Wyatt accepted the offer. Throughout his time in graduate school, Professor Wyatt managed Destiny as well as worked as a worship leader in several churches. Thus while going to school, Professor Wyatt had a full-time job and was able to be involved in a ministry he loved to pay the bills.
Professor Wyatt is still leading Destiny with passion and a plan. "I love Destiny; my goal is to make the group culturally competent," Professor Wyatt said. Recently, the group sang for the first time at a Hispanic church. This year he plans to sing at venues such as prisons, public schools and culturally diverse churches.
This past summer, Professor Wyatt toured with Destiny in Alaska for two-and-a-half weeks. Choir member Rebekah Winstead said he is fun and a great choir director. Winstead said Professor Wyatt and his wife are a great team because she has the structure and organization to compensate for his organizational skills, and he puts the pizzaz into events.
Professor Wyatt is Multnomah's first African-American professor. He said he is excited to be "given the opportunity to build diversity into the campus." He is setting up programs for students of different cultures on Multnomah's campus to help them adjust and to meet their needs.
This year he has moved into a full- time faculty position and is teaching intro to psychology. He said next year he will teach intro to counseling.
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