she wanted to know Him. She threw herself prostrate before God and begged Him to be real to her. Immediately after this life-altering encounter with God, Rachel began to see the fashion industry through the cleansed eyes of a newborn child of God, and it was corrupt with sin. She wanted nothing to do with it. Rachel said, “He saved me while I was in the industry, and then He saved me from the industry.” Rachel’s newfound thirst to know God sent her on a quest to study the Bible and that’s when she decided to attend the Word of Life Bible Institute. Rachel described herself as ‘standing out’ among all the other students who had lived more conservative lives, but she soon made great friends and found acceptance by the faculty and their wives. She thanked Mike and Betsi Calhoun for ‘adopting’ her as if she were their own daughter. While a student at the Bible Institute Rachel grew in her love for God and developed the daily discipline of a Quiet Time. She understood that a Christian is their strongest when they are both discipling and being discipled. She still uses the Word of Life Quiet Time Diary every day, and she has been intentional to have a spiritual mentor in her life and to mentor others. Rachel also credits her time at the Bible Institute for teaching her to avoid apathy and to be a ‘Berean...’ one who searches the scriptures. It was while Rachel was attending second year at the Bible Institute she felt the call to return to the fashion industry. At first, she thought it was the devil tempting her to go back to the way she was before her conversion, so she resisted those feelings until she heard Professor Marshall Wicks say, “God calls a light into every industry.” About that same time, she also vividly remembers Dr. Joe Jordan saying, “Every Christian is called to be a missionary; the only difference is whether or not it is IN your vocation or AS your vocation.” Both of these truths clarified her calling, and she began to see that God had saved her and had prepared her to be His light in the world of high fashion modeling. Rachel has been an international model for over 25 years... modeling for companies such as Cover Girl, Tommy Hilfiger, Reebok, Jones New York, Perry Ellis, Nicole Miller, DKNY and many others. Her modeling career has allowed her to travel to over 30 countries. Rachel is also Co-Founder and President of “Modeling Christ.” This is a faith-based ministry that addresses the needs and issues of those in the fashion industry. Rachel radiates the true beauty of Christ, and she continues to be a bright light in the world of high fashion models. Her desire is that God receives glory for anything good that people see in her. Her hope is that we would all want to leave a legacy of being found at the foot of the cross. If the phrase “Beauty is as Beauty does” is true, Rachel Lee Carter is certainly as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.
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achel Lee (Adcock) Carter ( ‘96 ) traveled to Word of Life from her home in North Carolina in January to share her testimony of God’s grace she talked about with the young ladies at Snowcamp the ten most important lessons she had learned from the fashion industry. Rachel told of the moment when she came face- to-face with her need of a Savior and how being a Christian has influenced her decision throughout her 20-year career as a high fashion model. Rachel also shared with the girls five practical suggestions for dressing modestly. She ended her time with a personal and engaging question and answer time. Many of the principles Rachel shared can be found in her book, Fashioned by Faith , (Thomas Nelson 2011). Rachel speaks at many youth and women’s conferences around the nation sharing godly principles about modesty, purity, and evangelism. In April, Rachel and her husband were invited to Word of Life again. This time Rachel was presented with the prestigious “Alumnus of the Year” award. Don Lough, Jr., Executive Director of Word of Life, presented Rachel with a plaque, and his wife, Darla, presented her with a bouquet of roses. Mark Strout, Executive Dean at the Bible Institute, also spoke a word of recognition and honor and prayed for Rachel, her husband, and her children. Rachel graciously accepted the award and with great humility shared her testimony and the significant contribution the Bible Institute played in her life. Rachel grew up in a Christian home but did not have a personal relationship with Christ until after she had moved to New York City at the age of 18 and began a career as a professional model. She knew about God, but the true desire of her heart was to have a successful career as a fashion model, and she pushed God right out of her life. It wasn’t long before two Christian models began to have a burden for Rachel, and they began to tell her about Jesus. Their lives were different than most of the people Rachel hung around with, and they demonstrated a genuine love of God towards her. Soon the impact of their words began to have an effect on Rachel, and she started to question what she believed about life. If God was real, she decided
alumnus of the year 07
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