A Sheepdog Feeding on the Word 

Bruce Upchurch, the new director of campus security at Cedarville, brings more than 30 years of law enforcement experience to his role, which includes the Greene County Sheriff’s Office and the Oakwood Public Safety Department. He has been a K9 handler for criminal investigations and a sniper with a SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) unit.  

He has been pushed to his limit mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually and admits that he’s brought job stress home with him. But through it all, the Lord has kept him together, through long stakeouts, altercations with suspects, and harrowing danger. 

Ultimately, Bruce went into law enforcement to help others, and that’s why he’s at Cedarville. He sees himself as a servant, and if he’s not serving, then he’s not doing his job. Caring for faculty, staff, administrators, students, and visitors is his goal. 

With all that in mind, it’s important that he stay grounded in his relationship with God, which requires grounding in the Word of God. Memorizing Scripture has kept his heart and attitude in the right place during the most difficult assignments.  

“Sheepdogs and wolves are similar,” Bruce shares during the podcast. “They have the same intensity, just one has empathy for the sheep, and one wants to kill the sheep. Be a sheepdog, have empathy, but also be connected with the Word of God. If you do not, you can be led down that path of being a little more like a wolf and less like a sheepdog. Stay firm in the Word; memorize the Word of God. To walk in the Spirit, you need to live in the Word.”