Which Hat Shall I Wear Today?

(FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga.)—He is a pastor, spokesperson, writer, editor, husband, and father. He is a man of many talents and titles. He is a man who wears many hats.

As Campus Pastor and Director of Spiritual Life at Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Ga., Chris Maxwell speaks in churches, schools and conferences, while mentoring and ministering to a college campus community. Maxwell also serves as Editor of Epilepsy Advocate Magazine and is the author of two books. He has written more than 1,000 articles, reviews, and curriculum lessons.

An active and personable individual, Maxwell finds time to fulfill all the obligations that follow his many titles, while also actively pursuing a desire to reach out and help others. Always wearing a contagious smile, those he encounters find his enthusiasm and personality encouraging and uplifting.

Maxwell is an avid supporter of those things he believes in. For example, his inspiration to promote Emmanuel College is the student body. “Writing, speaking, and caring for people are three areas I function best in,” Maxwell says. “Since I spend time with students who are the key leaders globally for our future, I am deeply inspired to discuss their accomplishments, hopes, goals and victories through tough times.”

According to Maxwell, sales and marketing are not his strongest qualities. “I love speaking about what I believe in,” he says. “This is my fourth year serving at Emmanuel, and I am thrilled at many of the things I see happening. As I speak in area churches, schools, and businesses, and when I discuss my thoughts with people at ball games, restaurants and other events, I’m honored to talk about the great people of Emmanuel.”

Maxwell says many people at EC serve the community and world in countless ways. “Their hard work is influencing the lives of our students and people in various communities, churches and areas of interest. We believe EC is an ongoing lifestyle. I read books Tim Stark has edited; I listen to music Tracy Reynolds plays in Athens; I see Margaret Turner working on her master’s at Clemson; I see Beverly Oxley running a counseling center; I see Brian James' work as mayor; I see President and Pam Stewart ministering in churches; I see Tony Moon preaching in area churches. I just want to do my small part in making a big difference in this huge world. My years as a student at EC helped prepare me for that, and now my position continues opening doors to see what happens.”

Maxwell’s goal is to show the community that God is with the campus in all aspects, that He is in the lives of people at Emmanuel. “We learn in the classrooms, and we also learn through spiritual formation, biblical transformation and relational community. I talk to alumni, and they enjoy hearing stories about what is happening these days. Styles change and methods change, but, by holding to our core beliefs, we can remain true to our foundation and see lives change.”

As for how his work has impacted the college, Maxwell is quick to remove himself from the spotlight of what he views as a group effort to encourage and uplift students. “I’m not sure how much of an impact my efforts have had,” he says glancing down at the floor. “However, I love seeing the students lead worship in churches, teach in schools, and move forward in new business endeavors. We have servant leaders here who will shape the future of our culture. Through teaching, counseling, spiritual life coaching and mentoring, we can guide their steps through these crucial years of change.”

When he hears firsthand testimonies about the impact of Emmanuel on others, Maxwell says he feels encouraged. “I spent time at a recent convention with the father of an Emmanuel student,” he says. “Hearing him talk about the major changes in his son’s life because of the work of EC faculty, staff, and student leaders was inspiring to me.”

As he travels about, always wearing his many hats, no one would guess he lives with a life-changing illness. Many have read the story of personal health issues in his book, Changing My Mind, as Maxwell describes his battle with encephalitis, brain damage, and epilepsy. Whether he is sharing this journey at conventions, hospitals, or Epilepsy Advocate meetings, Maxwell deems it a privilege to communicate his personal experience with others to provide them support. “I see it as an honor to tell the story of my illness to bring encouragement to others. When I speak, I’m able to say things I wish someone had told us when we were first embarking on our life-changing experience,” he says referring to himself, his wife Debbie, and their three sons, Taylor, Aaron, and Graham.

According to Maxwell’s neurologist, Dr. Hal S. Pineless, Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology at Florida State University, Maxwell’s capability improvements are remarkable based on his conditions. “I’m still consistently amazed at how much he has overcome,” Dr. Pineless says. “Anyone who reads his MRI would be amazed that he is now a public speaker, seeing how the speech center of his brain was badly damaged. He obviously overcame a lot due to his tenacity and ability to will himself back into good health with assistance from the Man upstairs.”

As a man living with epilepsy, Maxwell currently serves as a spokesperson at epilepsy events. As one of the original Epilepsy Advocates – a panel of speakers who live with epilepsy – he has spoken in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kansas, New York, West Virginia, and Washington DC. In addition, he served on the original panel at the UCB base in Atlanta to discuss a plan of including patients and caregivers to bring hope to others with epilepsy.

According to Dr. Kore Liow, President and Clinical Professor of Neurology at Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience, Maxwell has provided a deep insight as an epilepsy patient. “I have been so impressed with Chris’ insight into the struggles of epilepsy patients, and I invited him to be keynote speaker for the 2008 University of Kansas School of Medicine at Wichita Annual Epilepsy Symposium,” Dr. Liow says. “His speech was well received by both the academic and lay audience at the symposia.”

Dr. Liow also describes Maxwell as an inspiration to other patients. “Chris has displayed an unusual combination of humility and compassion,” he says. “His talent to put these into words in such a powerful and inspiring manner is rare and a gift to the academic, scientific and advocacy community for epilepsy.”

His role as spokesperson came about while Maxwell was writing his book. “I had conversations with leaders from UCB Pharma before I finished writing my book,” he says. “I asked questions about how much information to include about medications. We began talking about needs I saw in our culture related to epilepsy, and I was asked to join a discussion group. Through Snow and Associates, that original discussion eventually turned into Epilepsy Advocate.”

“Chris Maxwell is an inspiration to those with epilepsy,” says Patricia A. Gibson, an Associate Professor of Neurology. “He is a role model for overcoming diversity and not letting it overcome you. Chris is an excellent speaker with a positive message to all of us, with or without epilepsy. He tells a compelling story of his brain infection and his road to recovery. He is a superb speaker who leaves the audience with hope.”

As a regular speaker for Epilepsy Advocate events, Maxwell recently saw firsthand how EC students have impacted the world. “I recently served as the MC at a large event. One of the speakers and I were excited to see so many people hearing our stories of victory through rough times,” Maxwell says. “I saw an Emmanuel graduate sitting in the audience, and I thanked God for what He has done in her life. She is now a teacher who brings more than information to students. She brings inspiration to them through her difficult time with epilepsy.”

Maxwell has no plans to slow down in the near future. His current commitments continue to be varied and keep him on the move, including writing and editing for magazines, Web sites and publishing companies. “Paula Dixon (EC communication professor) and I are currently interviewing various speakers, faculty, staff, alumni and students at Emmanuel for a future podcast program we are developing. It will serve as a great way to spread the word about what is going on at EC. I love hearing the stories of our people. We let them tell us about what God is doing in their personal lives and how their experiences at EC have helped make that possible.”

Maxwell’s podcasts ventures are not strictly limited to work at Emmanuel. “A company has asked me to lead a podcast interview with a variety of epilepsy stories,” Maxwell says. “One of the main ones we plan to include is about the number of soldiers returning home from war with traumatic brain injuries. Many of the injuries cause epilepsy. The podcast began last November, which is also Epilepsy Awareness Month.”

Maxwell’s own life journey has taken him many places. Prior to coming to EC, Maxwell served as a pastor for the Evangel Assembly of God in Orlando, Fla. A native of Northeast Georgia, Maxwell had relocated to Orlando after college, where he and his wife Debbie lived for 25 years and raised their three sons before moving back to Georgia.

“Our oldest son Taylor and his wife Brittany work for Youth With a Mission in Orlando and South Africa, and they are expecting their first child this summer,” Maxwell says with a proud grin about his first grandchild, Anthem Tate Maxwell. “Aaron is a senior communication major at EC and is moving to Korea after graduation. Graham is a sophomore on EC’s national championship basketball team.” Recently, Maxwell and his son Aaron began recording podcasts with updates about the Lions and Lady Lions basketball teams and post-game interviews with the coaches, and it has already developed a large following. That is a prime example of Maxwell’s wellspring of rich ideas to promote the college and the students, and how he works to follow through on them.

Chris Maxwell is a man constantly taking on another title, even recently agreeing to speak regularly at an area church while the congregation searches for a pastor. With a continuing passion for his work and his family, Maxwell will very likely remain a man on the go, a man of many talents and titles, a man of many hats.

For more information on Epilepsy Advocate, visit www.epilepsyadvocate.com. To learn more about Chris Maxwell’s personal story, read his book Changing My Mind: A Journey of Disability and Joy and visit www.chrismaxwellweb.com. Below is a list of books he edited recently.