Editor’s note: Faces of BJU will be an ongoing series sharing the stories of those who work at the university.
Many people work hard to keep Bob Jones University running: professors, administration, maintenance, food services, graduate assistants, and many more. With such a broad range of stories, I wanted to highlight some individuals and their lives outside the gates of BJU. This venture started in the human resources department. I sat across from a very friendly man by the name of Mark McKenney. One of the first things he told me was that his daughter Katelyn was a former photographer for The Collegian, and this began our discussion of his life. Mr. McKenney is BJU’s payroll manager and has been for the last 20 years. Altogether, he’s been at BJU about 34 years.
The story of his life revolves around three major themes: God’s direction, his family and photography.
Mr. McKenney went to BJU to become a school administrator with a music minor. He was interested in education and thought it would be a good fit for him. He also played the trumpet and decided to maintain this skill throughout college.
At the same time, a high school friend had come to the university. She had no interest in Mr. McKenney, but God was already aligning their paths. He tried to pursue her during grad school, but she left the country. Mr. McKenney told me that he called these “the dark years.” While he waited for her, he worked. He worked at the press until God opened the door for him to pursue a relationship with her. Eventually, he married Kelly, and they have two children.
Mr. McKenney inherited a love of photography from his father. His father started buying and using photography equipment in the eighth grade. His father joined the military straight out of high school and became a photographer for the Army. After his service, he came to Bob Jones University and became the photo editor of the Vintage in the late fifties. Mark followed closely in his footsteps. In eighth grade, Mark bought his own camera and has kept up with the hobby ever since. He and his wife take photos of national parks. Some of these landscapes — pictures of birds, flowers and Mount Mitchell — decorate his office.
As he told this story of his life, he circled back to one main point.
“Sometimes God’s plan is not very clear,” he said. “[Following His plan] is a giving up. It’s a surrendering to something that’s unknown or not clear. Waiting is one of the hardest things that young people have to do. Be willing to wait, and that requires humility and patience.”
Mark spent much of his young adult life waiting and being told “no” by God. He learned that fighting God gets you nowhere, but instead a humble acceptance of God’s sovereignty leads to blessing.
