“Good morning, welcome to chapel.”
Those well-known words of Pastor Bob Rohm’s were heard in chapel Sept. 16 for the first time since last spring. Rohm retired this summer, and the chapel service was a time to have different people come and celebrate Rohm’s legacy, President Dr. Thomas White said.
“Cedarville University is a better place because of Bob Rohm,” White said during chapel, “and we appreciate your ministry to Cedarville and your love for Cedarville.”
During chapel, some of the staff members Rohm oversaw presented Rohm with a memory book from Cedarville’s Alumni Association and a Cedarville rocking chair.
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“We do not expect to see you wasting away in the rocking chair,” said Jim Cato, executive director of HeartSong ministries. “But I did think that this could possibly come in handy for telling alligator hunting stories to your grandkids.”
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Students and staff said the chapel was a wonderful experience and really appreciated the time to honor Rohm.
“I wasn’t prepared to cry as much as I did,” junior Heather Wismer said. “But I really enjoyed seeing Pastor Rohm and Dr. Brown back up on stage.”
Junior Jordan Fodor said that while it was really nice to see Pastor Rohm again, it made her sad for the freshmen who didn’t know him.
One of Fodor’s favorite memories of Rohm is how he would welcome students to chapel every day.
“It was nice to see the consistency that he made the effort to be here every single day,” she said.
Sophomore John Hopkins said chapel was an excellent reminder of all Pastor Rohm has done and the example he’s been, especially with how seriously he went before the Lord in prayer.
“That was just a huge encouragement,” Hopkins said. “Definitely an example for us to strive after.”
Hopkins said he remembers Rohm’s prayer book and the chapel where he talked about how he expected God to respond to these requests.
“He was waiting expectantly for God to answer,” Hopkins said. “That’s awesome to mimic that, to learn from that.”
Senior Ashley Moore said it was great to hear Rohm because you could always tell that he was speaking from the heart.
“Even though everyone knew him and he was such a big figure,” Moore said, “he really took the time to get to know people personally, which was really cool.”
Former president and current chancellor Dr. Bill Brown attended the chapel and said a few words about Rohm.
“Bob was one of those individuals who transforms lives just by showing up,” Brown said.
Brown’s never met anyone else who was more trusted or respected on a campus than Rohm, he said.
“He exemplified everything that Cedarville University was and was becoming,” Brown said. “Students, many of you, and thousands of alumni and faculty and staff – we are better because of Bob Rohm. We love Jesus Christ more. We are more motivated to share the gospel, to disciple, to dream big dreams because of Pastor Bob Rohm.”
Rohm said he loves the students very much and was glad to see them in chapel today.
“We serve an awesome God,” Rohm said. “God is good. God is always good. God is beyond a shadow of a doubt good. And students, you can take that to the bank.”
Lauren Eissler is a junior journalism major and assistant managing editor and campus news editor for Cedars. She tweets as @L_Eissler and loves reading, movies and being outside.
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