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JACKSONVILLE Students and families from the area surrounding Jacksonville College and the affiliated BMA seminary affirmed the pro-family message of Jim Bob Duggar and his 20-member family as he spoke to a chapel audience Oct. 6.
The event provided a reunion between Duggar and his second cousin, Philip Attebery, the dean-registrar and professor of Christian education at the seminary. The two cousins share a common great uncle, the late Dr. John Duggar, who was president of the Jacksonville-based seminary from 1973 through 1983.
As it turned out, more than just seminary students came to hear the Duggar clan, as homeschool families and fans of the show came to the school’s chapel. Those attending were not disappointed as the Duggars sang, quoted from memory Exodus 20, played violins, and heard the life testimony from Jim Bob and Michelle in a chapel that lasted a little over an hour.
Specifically, Duggar said he came to encourage the seminary students to make wise decisions early in their ministry career, being firmly rooted in God’s word. He shared that while there was a time when he considered going into the ministry, he never felt led, even though Duggar was born on a Sunday and was in church the following Sunday.
The Duggars encouraged the students to adhere to biblical principles of finances and referred them to resource links on their web page, www.duggarfamily.com. Early on in their marriage, the Duggars purposed to live debt-free, a goal that became harder as their family grew.
And how their family grew!
The Duggars spoke on the day which the episode “20 years, 20 Duggars” aired, which recounted their 25th wedding anniversary and depicted the renewal of their vows and the births of all 18 of their children over the past 20 years. Michelle is also now pregnant with her 19th child, which will cause the show to undergo another name change from its original name “17 Kids & Counting.” But the first major national exposure of the ever-growing Duggar family came with the 2004 Discovery Health and TLC documentary entitled “14 Children and Pregnant Again.”
Neither Jim Bob nor Michelle came from large families and say that they didn’t plan on having this many children in the early stage of their marriage. Jim Bob shared that he grew up in a financially struggling family, but one in which his mother faithfully took them to church and taught them to trust the Lord.
When the Lord provided, Jim Bob was quick to give praise to the Lord, so much so that once when he and his sister were provided a way to go to youth camp, Jim Bob sang praises throughout the house until his sister Deanna finally cried out, “Mom, can you tell Jim Bo to quit singing,” Michelle recounted.
In addition to good financial stewardship, the Duggars gave testimony of being faithful to the Lord in dating relationships. Early on, Jim Bob made a commitment to not date “anyone who didn’t love Jesus as much as I did.”
His first meeting with Michelle came actually on an evangelism visit to her house shortly after she was first saved. While she vaguely remembers a short quiet guy who sat on her couch while another guy did all the talking, Jim Bob said he remembers praying to God to let him disciple this beautiful cheerleader.
“This just shows the power of prayer,” Jim Bob beamed, as Michelle gazed lovingly at him.
Later Michelle turned her love life over to the Lord and after breaking up with a boy who wasn’t as excited about Christ as she was, she began talking with Jim Bob.
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