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| Brian is one of three generations impacted by CSB |
Brian Dawson is now one of three generations of men who have
been influenced dramatically by the ministry of CSB and we are pleased to
announce that he has been unanimously approved as the newest member of the U.S.
Board.
We are excited about the important perspective he brings as
well as his deep experience with Alumni care and the creation of internships. His
expertise gained in these areas as a university dean, now serving at Pepperdine
University, will be invaluable.
I have personally had the privilege of knowing the Dawson
family for almost 25 years. I remember Dick, Brian’s father, who led a sailing
camp of which I was a part. He was one of those guys who is memorable yet
unassuming. Little did I guess so many years ago that I would have the chance
to lead trips with Dick’s son, and would then have a chance to influence his
grandson, Drake, as a Junior Counselor. The Dawsons are a great example of the
inter-generatio
nal nature of our ministry.
Below are some excerpts from a phone conversation I had with
Brian. I hope that this short interchange helps you to get to know Brian a bit
better as well as the exciting direction that the board is now moving CSB.
Dave:
Tell me a bit about your family and your role as an associate Dean at
Pepperdine University
Brian: I’ve been married 20 years this summer and have 2 children. As
a student in college I felt the Lord calling us into some sort of campus ministry
so our first step post college was to start a young men's bible study for a
Christian fraternity which ultimately led me into student housing as a career. I
spent 17 years in the state school system but began to feel a real desire to do
work and ministry together which was impossible working in a secular system. God
graciously opened up an opportunity to become an associate Dean at Pepperdine
University which finally has allowed us do both evangelism and discipleship as
a part of my job, a two-fold ministry very similar to what I experienced growing
up in CSB.
Dave:
How did you get involved with CSB?
Brian: Like a lot of boys I was invited by a friend. The first man
I can remember was Charlie Peck. I remember that he was a plumber who loved the
Lord. I still remember many of the principles he taught me but mostly I knew that
he loved the boys he served and had a ton of fun with us. Shortly after I
started, my dad also got involved and worked in both stockade and battalion. Every
man in my family was an Eagle Scout. I’m the only one in my generation to have
the honor of being a Herald of Christ.
Dave:
How would you describe yourself when you were a young man?
Brian:I
would say when I was in stockade and Jr. High I felt like I was a nerd and was
kinda on the outside of the social loop. But I always felt like Brigade was a
place I was welcome, where everyone was involved. As a high schooler I was rebellious and had issues with
authority. I think the Battalion achievements actually helped give me focus and
was a program that I was committed to that helped keep me on track.
Dave:
What roll did CSB play in your growth as a follower of Jesus?
Brian: I came into the program already knowing Jesus Christ but
what Brigade did was to give me disciplines that are still with me today like
getting me into The Word regularly through achievements and squad meetings.
Scripture memory became an important part of my walk. I remember one Camporal
we quoted more than 60 verses. We had to encourage each other since the lowest
number of verses is what counted. I
think that’s kind of amazing for a bunch of high school guys to quote that many
verses in one weekend many I can still quote to this day.
Brigade also provided good role models, both men
and my peers. In my time there were 7 or 8 Heralds of Christ at my church in my
6 years of battalion. These were kids to look up to and
