Inspired by the 100th birthday of the Divinity School this year, Silliman University once again pays homage to its Heritage Builders — former faculty, staff, and administrators who dedicated their lives in the ministry of preaching and teaching of the Bible in Dumaguete.
The Heritage Builders, dubbed as The Year of the Faith Seeds Planters, this month honors Rev. Dr. Irving M. Channon and Mrs. Mary G. Channon, founding ministers of the Bible School, now known as the School of Divinity. 
The Congregationalist missionary couple from Iowa had served Silliman from 1921 to 1931, known to have used their personal funds to build Channon Hall, the original home of the Divinity School.
The major development of the entire Theology area of the campus took place during the time of Dean Channon. 
Also recognized as Heritage Builders are Rev. Dr. Elmer K. Higdon and Mrs. Idella W. Higdon. Dr. Higdon was dean of the Divinity School from 1959 to 1961, and a well-loved professor of Homiletics. His wife also served as faculty.
Heritage Builders honorees include Rev. Dr. Paul T. Lauby and Mrs. Edna Lauby. Dr. Lauby served as dean of Divinity School, and many other responsibilities while serving Silliman: he was pastor of Silliman Church, head of the Division of Instruction for a couple of years, and head of the Division of Student Personnel. He was then appointed vice president for Academic Affairs, and Acting President. 
His wife Edna was a major force behind the development of the Silliman kindergarten school. The couple served Silliman from 1953 to 1968. In 1969, Dr. Lauby joined the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia in New York.
Also given honors as Heritage Builders are Dr. Patricia Ling Magdamo and Benjamin Magdamo. Dr. Pat Magdamo was a missionary from Rangoon, Burma who served Silliman from 1957 to 1969 as director for Cristian Education at Silliman Church. Her husband Ben started working at Silliman about eight years earlier in 1949. He served as chief engineer of the Silliman radio station DYSR. The Magdamos left for United States in 1970.
Two Filipino deans of the Divinity School are among the 2021 Heritage Builders honorees: Proculo A. Rodriguez and Lourdino A. Yuzon. 
Reverend Rodriguez was the very first graduate of the Divinity School in 1921. After serving Mindanao, he came back to the campus to join the faculty of the Divinity School in 1932, and served as Acting Dean in 1938. He was appointed director of Extension Service in 1940. His last position before returning to Mindanao was head of the Public Relations division. His wife Eleuteria Rodriguez, also an honoree this year, was the Church Music instructor at the Divinity School, and Music teacher at the High School Department.
In Davao, Eleuteria started the Music Ministry for the blind which developed to become Mindanao’s School for the Blind. She received an Outstanding Sillimanian award for Humanitarian Service in 1988.
Rev. Dr. Lourdino A. Yuzon served joined the Divinity School faculty in 1968. He served as Interim Minister of Silliman Church in 1969. He was dean of the Divinity School in 1988, and was Acting President from 1989 to 1990. Everybody loved his sermons and speeches as they were always flavored with his natural sense of humor, and delivered in an elegant manner.
Two members of the staff are in this year’s list of honorees: Virginia S. Remasog who was secretary of the Divinity School for 31 years from 1972 to 2003, and Sarah Torres-Dumalagan who was secretary of Silliman Church for more than 10 years from 1971 to 1982.
Voices of women as leaders came much later even at the Divinity School, among the dynamic faculty members was Rizalina “Sally” B. Villagante, an honoree this year. She was the Silliman University Medical Center chaplain in 1976, before joining the Divinity School faculty. She retired in 2003.
There was a faculty home near the entrance gate of Langheim Road, which was like a youth center when our 2021 honorees, Rev. Mediador V. and Mrs. Madeline M. Jumawan, were residing there with their lovely children. There was so much singing and eating in that campus home — which eventually had to give way to build the CBA building — with the generosity of Pastor Didi who was the Associate Minister of Silliman Church, while Nang Madeline was Christian Education director from 1985 to 1993. With their talented children, their home attracted so many students as there was always regular jamming with Christian songs and Bible study sessions there.
In this 2021 Centennial celebration of the Divinity School, all Deans were honored with portrait paintings (featured here) done by Lakambini “Bing” Sitoy, daughter of a former Divinity School Dean Dr. T. Valentino S. Sitoy Jr.
Beyond these portraits, we celebrate their life journeys which are now legacies we have treasured, as these are testimonies of the Living Truth captured by the theme of the 120th Founders’ Day of Silliman University — Faith anchored on God’s omnipotence: 120 years of grace and glory.
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Author’s email: karlmike@yahoo.com
