debi Maddox Presented With Honorary Degree

DECATUR — The Bob Dylan of the art world, eclectic and creative, with out-of-the-box ideas, was honored Sunday at Christian Fellowship Church.

Charles Travis, founder and president of Logos Global Network of Christian Ministries, Jacksonville, Fla., presented debi Story Maddox with a doctor of sacred arts honorary degree. Logos has 100 church-based schools in the United States and abroad.

Michael Maddox, debi's husband, likened her to Bob Dylan because she has many styles of painting just as Dylan has many song styles. "debi's art is evolving, is deeper in spiritual content, it's prophetic," Travis said.

"When I read the Bible, it's visual for me," debi said. "It helps me develop as a painter."

Michael said of his wife's painting: "She was the only Christian artist in a show in Manitou Springs, Colo., and she had many people asking about her paintings and her technique. She has become intensely involved in the art scene in Colorado Springs."

Michael and debi are Eisenhower High School graduates. They live in Monument, Colo.

Their connection with Travis and Norm Etnier, the pastor of Christian Fellowship Church, goes back nearly 40 years.

"Michael is a Logos graduate," Travis said, "and they accompanied Logos teams in Israel." Travis was pastor of the Moweaqua United Methodist Church from 1970 to 1974.

In 1972, Michael and debi abandoned the drug culture as hippies to become Christians. They lived across the street from Etnier at the time. "I prayed that they would leave," he recalled. "They were causing too much traffic and too much noise on the street."

A Jesus People tent rally they attended was the turning point. Shortly afterwards, they joined the Christ Is the Answer traveling group, beginning their full-time Christian service. In 1991, they founded Project Peace on Earth in Texas, an artist's retreat and counseling center.

They eventually moved to Colorado. Michael is finishing a book, "Still Radical After All These Years," a sequel to his "Peace Freak" tell-it-all book. Meanwhile, debi is finishing a book paralleling the life of biblical prophet Jonah with the lives of authors who often are swallowed up. She previously wrote and illustrated "Wordivore World," a poetic, allegorical tale. They are co-authors of a poetry book, "Lightning Bolts and Butterflies," celebrating love, peace and nature.

"Wordivore World" is being shopped as the basis for a school play in Colorado. "Our passion is to get this into all schools," Michael said.

The Maddoxes continue their arts in ministry at workshops across the country. Meanwhile, debi celebrated her 58th birthday while visiting Decatur.

Originally published in the Decatur, IL, Herald & Review on July 29, 2006. Reprinted here for historical and archival purposes.