In this episode, Dr. G shares a pivotal moment early in his teaching career — a moment shaped not by a classroom, but by the encouragement (and blunt honesty) of a fellow Multnomah professor. Struggling to complete his dissertation while preparing to leave for Kenya, he found himself teetering on the edge of becoming “ABD” — All But Dissertation— a place many doctoral students never return from. One early morning, a colleague walked into his office, ignored every excuse, and delivered the challenge Dr. G needed most: “Just finish it and get it done.” That straightforward push, combined with a humorous reminder that he could rewrite it “for the rest of your obsessive-compulsive life,” became the catalyst that finally set him free to fully invest in teaching Scripture. This story is a tribute to the kind of faculty community Multnomah was known for — bold, supportive, deeply committed to seeing one another succeed, and unafraid to speak truth when it mattered most.

In This Video
• Why Dr. G nearly became “ABD”
• The early-morning confrontation that changed his trajectory
• How Multnomah’s faculty culture shaped and supported young teachers
• The freedom that came after finally submitting his dissertation
• A behind-the-scenes glimpse into the camaraderie of Multnomah’s staff

About This Series
This video is part of a collection celebrating the story, ministry, and legacy of Dr. Garry Friesen (Dr. G), honoring the heritage of Multnomah School of the Bible / Multnomah University and the continuing work God is doing through new ministries around the world.

Stay Connected
If these stories encourage you, feel free to like, subscribe, and share with others who knew and loved Multnomah — and with believers growing in faith in Rwanda and beyond. Videos are also available at https://www.youtube.com/@ABCMultnomah.

Donate
The production of these videos was provided by the Multnomah Family Team, if you would like to help sponsor more videos like this, please contact us here.