Students Thank Royston for Grant

     The students knew firsthand what Dr. James Royston was talking about as he explained the Baptist Theological Grant because the money that North Carolina churches give through Cooperative Giving Plans B and C are making it possible for them to be at Campbell University Divinity School. They were students who serve as pastors, ministers of youth, ministers of music and in many other ways-from Brunswick Isle to the East to as far West as Kernersville and hundreds of churches in between.
     Dr. Royston, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, had preached in the Divinity School chapel and was in dialogue with the Baptist students following chapel when the Reverend Luis Rivas, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church’s Hispanic congregation, thanked him for the grant on behalf of the students for the financial assistance his church receives as a new church start. The Rev. Jim Willoughby, pastor of New Song Baptist Church, also gave thanks for support for his new church start.
     Royston indicated that higher education has always been important and will continue to be. Campbell alumnus John Roberson, executive director for the Council on Christian Higher Education for the Baptist State Convention, said that in the last 30 years social institutions and higher education had received more than a quarter of a billion dollars, some $253 million. He said that $161 million had gone to higher education through Baptist institutions, with $31 million going to Campbell University alone.
     “From the very beginning, the convention has supported theological education,” Roberson explained, tracing the history from the beginning of Wake Forest Baptist University.
     Campbell University Divinity School was birthed on the grounds of the Baptist State Convention in October 1995. It does not receive any funds from the Southern Baptist Convention nor does any of the other institutions whose students receive the Baptist Theological Grant, while students at the traditional six Southern Baptist seminaries receive major support from the Southern Baptist Convention. The theological grant comes from churches who give to plans B and C and goes directly toward tuition for North Carolina Baptist divinity school students at Campbell and Gardner-Webb, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (VA), and Baptist House at Duke University.
     In recent years, some have discussed eliminating Giving Plan C particularly, which could have a major impact on the students preparing to fill the pulpits of North Carolina Baptist churches.
 

Bulletin 0085-4/05/05