news at welch college   Welch College (formerly Free Will Baptist Bible College) in Nashville, TN, has been the official college of the Free Will Baptist Denomination since 1942. To find out more information about the school, visit their website.

 

Preaching Team Ministers in Kansas City Area

Six Welch College ministerial students headed west November 3-4 to preach in churches belonging to Kansas and Missouri’s East Kansas Quarterly and Greater Kansas City Association, according to Christian Service Director John Murray.

“As we traveled, I listened to the young preachers discuss and challenge each other. We as Free Will Baptists are blessed to have such discerning young men who will be our future pastors and leaders,” Murray said.

Sophomore Noah Demerchant said, “This was my first preaching trip, and I loved it. The people at Bethel Free Will Baptist Church (Kansas City, Kansas) were very welcoming. I pray God will continue to use them to minister in their community.”

The group arrived back in Nashville at midnight after traveling over a thousand miles on the 19-hour weekend round-trip. This marked the second preaching trip of the year for Welch College and the first taken to Kansas. A group will travel to Ohio in January for a men’s retreat and another to Mississippi in February.

66 Visit Campus for Fall 2012 Welcome Days

Sixty-six high school students from 14 states gathered on the campus of Welch College November 8-10, as the college hosted its Fall 2012 Welcome Days, according to Director of Enrollment Services Debbie Mouser.

The 66 students (40 women, 26 men) represented North Carolina (15), Tennessee (12), Illinois (6), Missouri (6), Oklahoma (6), Alabama (5), Arkansas (4), Ohio (4), Georgia (3), Florida (1), Indiana (1), New York (1), South Carolina (1), and Texas (1). For several, Welcome Days marked their first visit to any college.

The two-day event gave visitors an opportunity to experience life as a Welch College student. They went to classes, ate in Cumberland Cafeteria, and worshiped in chapel. The eventful schedule also included a campus-wide scavenger hunt, a reception hosted by President Matt Pinson, and “tailgating” outside of Picirilli Activity Center before the Friday night Flames basketball games. The students also met with Welch College professors and learned about financial aid in a Friday afternoon workshop for juniors and seniors.

The visiting students completed a brief survey of their Welcome Days experience. On a scale of one to five (1=poor; 5=excellent) the students awarded a 4.81 and 4.78 respectively to Welch College students and faculty and staff on their hospitality. The students were optimistic about both academic and spiritual life on campus as well, giving a 4.56 satisfaction rating to the classes they attended and a 4.85 to the chapel service.

“It was exciting to have Welcome Days students on campus,” Mrs. Mouser said. “In talking with them, it is obvious that quality Christian higher education is something they are interested in. This embodies the work of Welch College, and we hope to have the opportunity to provide that for our young people.”

The next Welcome Days event is scheduled for April 18-20, 2013. For more information, contact the Enrollment Management Office at recruit@Welch.edu.

Student Selected for Prestigious Carlisle Award

The Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature (TISL) met at the State Capitol November 15-18, and selected Welch College Student Body President Frank Thornsbury to receive its prestigious Carlisle Award. Sixty colleges and universities were represented at the model legislature that takes place annually and provides Tennessee college students an opportunity to learn about, and be involved in, the law-making processes of the state.

Frank Thornsbury, a graduating senior from Kentucky, led a four-person delegation from Welch College. This marks the second year this team has represented Welch College at TISL. Collin Lane, a sophomore from Arkansas, served as alternate senator. Sophomore Bethany Coats (South Dakota) and senior Daniel Coker (Mississippi) both served in the House of Representatives.

“Our students had a very successful session.” Thornsbury said. “We represented the conservative Christian values espoused by our campus. Although we were in the minority as conservatives, we were able to push through some excellent legislation and block bad legislation. We took that role seriously in that TISL bills have the potential to become actual legislation.”

The 2011 session saw TISL participants vote Frank Thornsbury “Best Senator.” This year, Thornsbury was given the oldest and most prestigious award TISL offers participants: the Carlisle Award, voted on by the executive council.

“Receiving the Carlisle Award was a bit of a surprise. Honestly, I went in focused on defending my ‘Best Senator’ title,” Thornsbury remarked. “I was honored to receive this prestigious award and grateful for the opportunity to represent Welch College in the process.”

Welch College Provost Greg Ketteman said, “The Carlisle Award is evidence of Mr. Thornsbury’s commitment to excellence.  I commend Mr. Thornsbury and our other TISL representatives for their voluntary service and for exercising their right and responsibility to bring Christian principles to bear in the public arena.”

106 Students Make President’s / Provost’s List.

The fall 2012 semester at Welch College ended with 106 students receiving academic recognition, according to Provost Greg Ketteman. Twenty-nine students made all A's and were placed on the President’s List—nine seniors, six juniors, seven sophomores, and seven freshmen. Seventy-seven students earned a B average or higher and were placed on the Provost’s (formerly Dean’s) list—12 seniors, 14 juniors, 27 sophomores, and 24 freshmen.

President’s List:

“A” Honor Roll

Ailworth, Kameron (Fr.) TN
Ayers, Rebekah (Sr.) AL
Bellar, Brandi (So.) TN
Brown, Brittany (Sr.) VA
Clem, Kristina (Sr.) TN
Cloninger, John (Jr.) TN
Conner, Emily (So.) MI
Cozby, Tina (So.) TN
Dankson, Charity (Jr.) TN
Deel, Austin (So.) TN
Freeman, Amber (Sr.) TN
Hewett, Samantha (So.) AR
Hicks, Kelly (Sr.) TN
Hill, Elizabeth (So.) VA
Hoffmaster, Thomas (Fr.) WV
Hovis, Bethany (Jr.) MO
Jackson, Rachel (Sr.) TN
Lewis, Casey (So.) NC
Manning, Jacob (Jr.) NC
Morgan, Rebekah (Fr.) TN
Parrish, Emily (Fr.) NC
Pierce, Aaron (Sr.) MS
Ramos, Leigha (Sr.) TN
Sample, Kayla (Sr.) IL
Smith, Candice (Fr.) Canada
Trotter, Audrey (Jr.) TN
Tuttobene, Raven (Fr.) TN
Williams, Samantha (Jr.) AR
Zuniga, Zuri (Fr.) AR

Provost’s List: “B” Honor Roll

Seniors

Coker, Daniel (MS)
Culwell, Jacob (TN)
Cyrus, Christian (KY)
Hampton, Nicholas (TN)
Horton, Toney (TN)
Looney, Jordan (TN)
Pointer, Catherine (AR)
Shope, Bethany (TN)
Sims, Brittani (MI)
Stone, Kacy (KY)
Thornsbury, Frank (KY)
Wilkerson, Allison (AL)

Juniors

Cox, Cassandra (TN)
Forlines, Joel (TN)
Frisbee, Tracy (TN)
Fry, Katy (MO)
Hall, Mary (NC)
Ham, Pamela (TN)
Hutchinson, Tim (MI)
Kyburz, Richie (MO)
Monroe, Jade (TX)
Mouser, Matthew (TN)
Nelson, Melissa (NC)
Sisk, Hope (TN)
Suarez, Josue (FL)
Whitworth, Emily (TN)
Sophomores
Bell, Victoria (NC)
Brown, Reese (TN)
Burns, Rachel (OH)
Coats, Bethany (SD)
Dunbar, Joshua (AR)
Fondren, Brooke (MS)
Herren, Dakota (NC)
Houske, Russell (TN)
Lane, Collin (AR)
Lindgren, Madison (CA)
Lindsay, Deandra (AL)
Lute, Derreck (OH)
Mouser, Amanda (TN)
Nelson, Kelsey (NC)
Petty, Maria (IL)
Pool, Mary-Catherine (NC)
Pugh, Daniel (TN)
Reeves, David (KY)
Riggs, Johanna (France)
Riggs, Laura (France)
Shamblin, John (MS)
Smith, Wayne (SC)
Snow, Elizabeth (TN)
Trussell, Kristin (FL)
Tucker, Gregory (TN)
Wilson, Christian (TN)
Wilson, Derek (TN)

Freshmen

Armstrong, Eric (AL)
Campbell, Anna (TN)
Clarke, Staci (OH)
Congleton, Jacy (NC)
Driggers, Hannah (SC)
Forlines, Jared (TN)
Hampton, Rachel (TN)
Heeter, Marissa (OH)
Hester, Spencer (TN)
Holden, Trevor (AR)
Hollis, Michael (NC)
Jenkins, Lesley (TN)
Melvin, Jessica (TN)
Merkh, Caroline (TN)
Milling, Caleb (TN)
Newland, John (TN)
Owen, Melissa (GA)
Pickett, Amy (AR)
Price, Hannah (OH)
Simpson, Keri (VA)
Stonerock, Paula (OH)
Thrasher, Emily (MI)
Trimble, Alyssa (CA)
Williams, Hannah (FL)