GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University students who are growing in their relationship with God by living in housing that fosters discipleship will benefit through scholarship funds raised at an upcoming dinner held on campus.
The Christian Leadership Dinner, which will be held Thursday, May 7, at 6:30 p.m. in Pioneer Arena, will also honor Jeff and Lisa Idell, two Greene County residents whose dedication to serving the Lord and loving their family have served as a model for others to follow.
Jeff Idell has also been an exceptional Christian businessman, making positive contributions to the community’s quality of life as a second-generation leader of the family company, Idell Construction. Lisa Idell has been a valuable partner and a significant contributor to the growth of young people’s faith.
“We welcome this opportunity to celebrate the Idells and further provide opportunities for students to draw closer to the Lord,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “The Idells are outstanding members of our community, who are committed to glorifying God through their actions and providing high-quality homes and commercial buildings that have enhanced Greene County. Our Christian-based programs have been embraced by our students and have grown on our campus, and this dinner will enable us to keep the positive momentum growing.”
Enhancing students’ faith
Tusculum seeks to raise $66,000 for scholarships and housing needs through the dinner. Funds from the event will provide additional $2,000 scholarships to students who reside in the Discipleship Living-Learning Center on campus. Tusculum established the center, which consists of one university-owned house for males and another one for females, in August with the start of the academic year.
Dinner attendees will experience firsthand the love of the Lord exhibited by these students and these Pioneers’ enjoyment of living in the center. One of the students will give a personal testimony, and a group of four of them will participate in a brief panel discussion moderated by the Rev. E.J. Swatsell, Tusculum’s director of spiritual life and special projects. The students will share how they have spent this school year and the benefits the center has brought to their lives as well as to the community.
The dinner will also feature brief messages from Dr. Hummel and Dr. David Cook, provost and vice president of academic affairs.
Through Bible studies, mentorship and ministry engagement, the center provides a Christ-centered environment where first- and second-year students are discipled, strengthened in their faith and formed for lives of service and leadership. Supporting them are Swatsell and peer mentors – older students who also live in the houses.
In addition to weekly gatherings as a group, the students have collaborated on important service initiatives. These include the university’s Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day and participation in Operation Christmas Child, a project run by Samaritan’s Purse. Students have also visited area churches and spoken to congregations.
Tusculum has 15 students in the center this semester, and Swatsell said many who are looking to enroll at Tusculum starting in August are attracted to the idea of living in a community of fellow students seeking to expand their relationship with God.
This successful launch of the center and the interest it continues to generate have resulted in a plan to open a third house in the fall. That became possible in 2025 with the awarding of a grant by the Tweed Family Foundation to renovate that newest structure. Dr. Cook said the additional house will enable Tusculum to serve about 35 students in the center.
“We have been delighted watching these young men and women embrace the opportunity to deepen their faith,” Swatsell said. “I have been extremely impressed with the personal growth in these students and look forward to seeing them become leaders in strengthening God’s kingdom. God desires for students at that age to grow in their faith, recognize their calling and purpose and live the gospel message. This group is enthusiastically accepting that approach to life.”
The Discipleship Living-Learning Center is part of the Christian Leadership Institute, a multifaceted program that was also launched in 2025, and the university’s campus ministries. Dr. Hummel said campus ministry is one of the best ways to fulfill the Great Commission. He noted that the CLI produces strong disciples and leaders, who will, in turn, disciple others on campus.
Honoring the Idells
The Idells will be recognized as distinguished Christian community leaders during the dinner, and their lifetime of service to God and the community will be highlighted in a video.
The couple have been married since Sept. 5, 1987, and have two sons and daughters-in-law – Jordan and Maddie and Josh and Madison – and a grandson, Silas. While Jeff has been out front in the business and in community service activities, Lisa has primarily served in a support role for her family while leading an active faith life. The couple are members of First Baptist Church, where Jeff serves as a deacon.
Individually, Jeff serves as the chief executive officer of Idell Construction, a business started by his dad, Billy, in 1987. Jeff amusingly tells the story about his dad leaving his employer to start the company while Jeff and Lisa were on their honeymoon. Not long after the couple returned, Jeff joined his dad in the business.
In addition to Jeff, his brother, Mike, serves as chief operating officer. Jeff’s son Josh, handles project management and design. Mike’s son, Matt, is a project manager, and his other son, Eric, takes care of project management and excavation. Mike’s wife Regina also works for the company as office manager.
Idell Construction undertakes residential and commercial projects, including many at the university. One of their most well-known projects was the construction of Pioneer Park. The company also performed foundation work for the Indoor Practice Facility and assisted the general contractor with construction of Pioneer Field. Idell laid the brick pavers outside the football field and built the concrete sidewalks between the Tusculum Arch, McCormick Hall, the Thomas J. Garland Library and Virginia Hall.
In the community, Idell’s work has included seven Marathon convenience stores, the Pizza Inn and Dairy Queen, as well as 1.6 million square feet of foundation work in Mt. Pleasant Industrial Park. Idell has also built many custom homes.
“When you look at the scope and quality of Idell’s work on campus and in the community, you have to be impressed,” Dr. Hummel said. “The leadership Jeff has demonstrated has been a major contributor to the community’s economic success, but what stands out just as much is the commitment to running a family business and operating it in a Christian manner.”
Extensive service work in the community
Jeff Idell is not focused solely on growing his business. He plays an integral role in the infrastructure that undergirds the community’s needs in times of challenge. He serves as president of AIDNET, a nonprofit organization that helps individuals who have experienced disasters. AIDNET was a prominent group in helping Greene Countians whose lives were upended by the massive damage inflicted by Hurricane Helene in 2024. Working with churches and other organizations, AIDNET rebuilt 60 homes. Jeff also dedicated two years to helping the community recover from the 2011 tornadoes in the county.
Together, Jeff and Lisa have backed Young Life in Greene County, a program that invites young people to experience life as God designed it to be and become even closer to the Lord. A subset of that organization is Young Life College, which has provided weekly Bible studies, fellowship and periodic special fun events to male and female students at Tusculum. Jeff has served with Young Life in Greene County for 12 years and is the board chair.
In conjunction with two other companies, Idell Construction built the third Isaiah 117 House, which provides physical and emotional assistance for children who have been removed from their homes and are awaiting placement by the Department of Children’s Services into a foster home. Jeff Idell serves on the local and national boards of Isaiah 117 House.
“Jeff and Lisa have poured into the lives of so many individuals and have had a profound effect on the community,” Dr. Cook said. “They have listened carefully to what the Lord has asked them to do and have been the hands and feet of God. People of all ages would do well to emulate Jeff and Lisa’s approach to faith. We are honored to know them and are thrilled we can honor them for serving the Lord so fervently with all of their hearts.”
When he discusses his and his wife’s lives and the way they have led it, Jeff said their approach is rooted in their faith.
“We’re just keeping our heads down and serving the Lord, using our bodies as an instrument,” he said. “Our sons are a strong witness for God as well. We are who we are today because of the legacy of my mom and dad. I am so humbled and honored that Tusculum has chosen to recognize my family with this award. I feel so unworthy of something of this magnitude.”
Tickets to the dinner are $100 apiece. Tables of eight are available for $1,000, which includes acknowledgement at the event and in marketing materials. People can purchase the tickets by emailing Swatsell at [email protected]. A $2,000 individual donation becomes a sponsorship of a scholarship.
Additional information about Tusculum’s campus ministries can be accessed at https://site.tusculum.edu/campus-ministries/. To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.
