Dr. Wesley Kluck currently serves as the Vice President for Student Development and is the university physician at Ouachita Baptist University. He and his wife, Debbie, have been married for 40 years, and they have one daughter and two grandchildren. The Klucks are members of Second Baptist Church in Arkadelphia and host two weekly Bible studies at their home for students at both Ouachita and Henderson State University.
Can you share a specific story that relates to what you do and how you are making a difference?
“Probably about 11 or 12 years ago, my wife and I noticed that all these college coaches were joining our church…We said…‘God must want to do something through the church with athletes.’ And there really had been nothing. So, we started praying…Obviously, I’m involved as a team doctor with athletes, so I’ve got that connection. So, I said ‘[God,] is there anything you want me to do?’ And after about a year, I felt the need that I needed to do something, like have a home Bible study…Finally, it all came together one summer. I was talking and then the name ‘Chisel’ came up, and I said, ‘that’s a great name for it.’ So, I started a Bible study on Sunday nights about nine years ago…for Henderson and Ouachita football players…It’s continued to grow…This past year we finished up with 24 guys coming every Sunday night…[and] about four guys got baptized.”
What led you to your career?
“I had a medical practice for about 20 plus years, but I was heavily involved at Ouachita and actually had served 12 years on the board of trustees. And I was chairman of the board for about three years. And on homecoming in 2004, the president of Ouachita, Andy Westmoreland, was standing beside me, getting ready to crown the homecoming queen and he said, ‘hey you want to be vice president?’ And I said, ‘what?’ And, I mean, that’s how he asked me. I said, ‘well, let me talk to you later.’ So, I had been sick about two years earlier with a thing with my kidney that actually I was given a 90 percent chance of dying…I had actually missed work for a whole year and had to take all this stuff. And I got over it, but during that time, I had told God, ‘ok, if you have something new for me to do, you just let me know and I’m ready’…so, I was prayed up on it…[I] had always been connected to Ouachita and had actually always told my wife if I ever have a chance to go work at Ouachita, I know I’ll be ready.”
How does your faith relate to what you do?
“I hope that it is the thing that governs everything I do. I mean that’s my hope. I mean, obviously, sometimes you make decisions, and you don’t always go to God and ask Him the best way, but…I try as much as I can to listen to Him. So, when I make decisions, I always ask Him to reveal to me that it’s His plan, His will. And then, when He does, I just do it to the best of my ability. As my dad says…‘whether you’re mowing the yard or whatever, do it to glorify God.’ So, I try to do it the best that I can and then if He leads me another direction then I’ll try to follow those directions, you know. So, I hope I make Him the leader of every day. I’d like to tell you that I’m that spiritual, but I am far from that…He’s where I get all my direction.”
Do you have anything else you would like to add, maybe a word of encouragement for Arkansas Baptists?
“I’m a Southern Baptist preacher’s kid…so I’m familiar with all of the Southern Baptist stuff. Vacations every summer used to be at Ridgecrest in Glorietta. My sister was a Southern Baptist missionary to Brazil, and she was a Journeyman for two years and her husband was a Journeyman in a different country. They met at Southwestern Seminary, and they ended up becoming international missionaries…I was born in Fort Worth when my dad was in seminary, so I’m about as connected to Southern Baptist life as possible…I think God has a clear path and message [for us]…which I think is very clearly and distinctly written out in the Baptist Faith and Message and based on scripture. And I think we have plenty to do just following what we say we believe in. You know, I think God’s given us a charge to minister and to grow and to fellowship and to worship. He’s given me the spiritual gift of administration and I think of giving, and I try to use my spiritual gifts the best I can. So, I think if people find their spiritual gifts, [they should] try to stay in the best relationship they can [with God], and just do what God directs them to do and not procrastinate. I think that’s the best way I know to be successful as a Baptist, a Southern Baptist and an Arkansas Baptist.”
2 Responses
Love this article, it shares exactly how the Klucks are….a great testimony of love to all. You can see the fruits of their calling.
I have known Wesley since he was a little boy, I have watched him grow up and I have been involved with a lot of services that his Mom and Dad were involved in and i have been able to see God working through him and his sister. Dr. Kluck and Debbie are involved in a lot of areas of the church and we are blessed to have him and his Mother continuing since his Dad has died. That was one very righteous man.