A Life Changing Journey

Daniel Finch only spent three years at Westminster Schools of Augusta. Though brief, the 1989 graduate
said his time on campus was utterly life changing.

“While I may not know the exact hour, by the time I left Westminster, I was a believer in the life, death
and resurrection of Christ,” Finch said.

Finch’s family relocated to South Augusta from Maryland when he was in third grade. He spent some
time in the public school system, but at the beginning of his sophomore year, his parents decided to
enroll him in Westminster, a choice that would have a profound impact on the rest of his life.

Finch said he was strongly influenced by faculty members such as Craig Johnson, whom Finch
accompanied on a trip to the Soviet Union; Eric Ferwerda, who taught biology and simultaneously
defended intelligent design; and Leighann (Benge) Walther, who presented to her students the
uniqueness of Christianity among other religions.

Despite the huge impact of Westminster, it was only the beginning.

After graduation, Finch completed Augusta University’s Italian Studies Program in Ferrara, Italy, en route
to earning his bachelor’s degree in fine arts. He then went on to the University of Georgia to earn his
master’s degree in fine arts with a concentration in painting and drawing.

He stayed on at UGA as an adjunct professor, which prepared him to receive his next position as an
assistant professor of painting and drawing at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania, where he is
currently employed. He later became an associate professor, and then a professor.

His work has been featured in numerous national exhibits and publications. Most recently, he was
commissioned in 2017 by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Borough of LeMoyne
to complete a 5,000-square-foot public mural, “The LeMoyne Passage.”