Each year, Taylor takes great pride in conferring honorary doctorates upon outstanding servant-leaders who demonstrate faithful excellence in their respective fields and professions. These candidates embody what it looks like to pursue one's calling with both a heart for Christ and a commitment to vocational excellence. This year, we are delighted to celebrate five such remarkable individuals: Ron Blue, Newt Crenshaw, Dee (Horne) Nesselroade, Tim Tebow, and Jen Wilkin.
Ron Blue is widely regarded as the founding father of Christian financial planning. After building one of the top 50 CPA firms in the country, he founded Ronald Blue & Co. in 1979 with a conviction that Christians would handle their finances better if counseled with both technical expertise and biblical wisdom. That firm grew into Ronald Blue Trust, which now manages over $60 billion in assets for thousands of clients across the United States. In 1982, alongside Larry Burkett and Terry Parker, Blue co-founded the National Christian Foundation, which has since disbursed more than $15 billion to evangelical causes worldwide. After stepping down from his firm in 2003, Blue turned his full attention to Kingdom Advisors, an international ministry he founded to equip and motivate Christian financial professionals. Blue has authored more than 20 books including the bestseller, Master Your Money. He and his wife, Judy, have been married for more than 60 years and live in Bloomington, Indiana.
Newt Crenshaw serves as the President and CEO of Young Life. He brings decades of corporate experience and global thinking alongside mission-driven focus as Young Life seeks to introduce adolescents to the gospel and help them grow in their faith. He previously served with Eli Lilly and Company. While serving as President of Eli Lilly in Japan, he led the company to five consecutive years of double-digit growth. Since becoming Young Life's sixth president in 2016, Crenshaw has spearheaded the KNOWN vision and strategy—an effort to reach eight million adolescents by 2030 with caring adults equipped to share the wide and welcoming gospel. He and his wife, Susan, reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where they are members of First Presbyterian Church. They are the proud parents of four adult children and enjoy spending time with their growing number of grandchildren.
Dee (Horne) Nesselroade is a member of the Taylor University Class of 1962 and has remained a devoted alumna and steadfast supporter for decades. Her enduring commitment to Taylor is reflected both in her generous financial contributions and her active involvement in volunteer initiatives, including the giving circle and 175th Commission. Nesselroade's son, Dave '89, and daughter-in-law, Dina '88, are both Taylor alumni, as is her granddaughter, Emma '20. Her late husband, Jerry, served on Taylor's Board of Trustees for a number of years. Together, Dee and Jerry graciously hosted numerous Taylor events and gatherings over the years. Nesselroade has made a lasting impact on Taylor's future through her work with the Stewardship Planning Ministry, collaborating to develop a Comprehensive Stewardship Plan. This partnership resulted in a generous lead gift for the Horne Academic Center, which serves as home to Taylor's Film & Media and Entrepreneurship programs.
Tim Tebow is a speaker, entrepreneur, college football analyst for ESPN and the SEC Network, and the author of seven New York Times bestsellers. Prior to his current endeavors, Tebow was an NFL quarterback, two-time NCAAF national champion, Heisman Trophy winner, and College Football Hall of Fame inductee. He’s also the founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation, dedicated to bringing faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. Since 2010, the foundation has served some of the world’s Most Vulnerable People–the real MVPs–across more than 100 countries. Tim is married to Demi-Leigh Tebow, a speaker, author, entrepreneur, and former Miss Universe 2017. They live in Jacksonville, Florida, with their daughter, Daphne.
Jen Wilkin is one of the most widely respected Bible teachers and authors in evangelical Christianity today. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, she spent her childhood attending seven different denominational churches, an experience that gave her a sharp awareness of the gap between sincere Christian devotion and genuine biblical literacy. That awareness became the driving conviction of her ministry: if Christians are to resist error and grow in faith, they must know their Bibles with both their hearts and minds. Wilkin earned her BA in English and her MBA from Texas A&M University, where she also met her husband, Jeff. Her 2014 book Women of the Word became a bestseller and a standard text for women's ministry leaders and Christian educators. She has since published Bible studies on Genesis, Exodus, Hebrews, 1 Peter, and the Sermon on the Mount, as well as books including None Like Him and In His Image. Wilkin co-hosts the Knowing Faith podcast and serves as Executive Director of Family and Next Gen Ministries at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas. Jen and Jeff are parents to four adult children.
