news at welch college   Welch College in Gallatin, Tennessee, has been the official college of the Free Will Baptist Denomination since 1942. To find out more information about the school, visit www.Welch.edu.

Welch College Announces $10,000 Scholarships for Preachers

Beginning in 2020, Welch College will begin offering significant scholarship packages of $10,000 per year for new students called to preaching ministries, according to Dr. Barry Raper, coordinator of ministry programs at Welch.

“At Welch, we are looking for new ways to engage young men sensing a divine call to preaching ministry in a local church context,” Raper said. “Often significant financial impediments prevent these students from immersing themselves in educational preparation for ministry. These scholarships are intended to identify high school students who have noted potential for leadership and service to the church and give them the resources they need to fulfill God’s calling.”

The scholarships—$10,000 per year or $40,000 toward a four year bachelor’s degree program—will be limited to new and transfer students, beginning in 2020, who are members in good standing of a Free Will Baptist church, and who intend to live on campus, major in Pastoral Ministry or Youth and Family Ministry, and move toward eventual ordination. Scholarship applications will require an essay on the student’s vocational ministry goals and a recommendation from an ordained Free Will Baptist minister.

“With demographic changes in our secularizing society, fewer young men are answering the call to gospel ministry,” said Welch president Matt Pinson. “Often those who answer the call to ministry attend lower-cost community colleges and eventually fail to fulfill their goal of ministry education, or they are dissuaded completely from a ministerial vocation.”

“Welch features a tremendous program of ministry preparation that receives high marks from students and recent graduates,” Pinson continued. “Our aim is to find creative ways to open up conversations with young men about ministry formation and how they can affordably realize their dream of training for the ministry of the Word.”

“We’re renewing our efforts to reach out to pastors, youth pastors and leaders, and laypeople who can tell us about young men in their congregations who are gifted and qualified for ministry or sensing a divine call to preach,” Raper said. “We would love to hear from prospective students interested in more information about Welch and these new scholarships, or people interested in recommending a potential student."

For more information, or to refer a prospective student, please contact enrollment services director Daniel Webster at dwebster@welch.edu.

South Georgia "Ignite the Flame" Dinner Raises $31,000

The South Georgia Association Ignite the Flame dinner recently raised over $31,000 for Welch College according to David Williford, vice president for institutional advancement.

Williford said, “Welch College is thankful for the tremendous work the South Georgia Association has done over the last eight years in raising over $188,000 for Ignite the Flame dinners in their area. The 21 churches in the association began working with Welch Fund director Mike Edwards in 2012 to raise $10,000 that first year.”

In 2013, a donor pledged to match $10,000 if the association could raise at least that much, and they succeeded! This challenge has continued since that time, and the churches have responded and increased their support, bringing in over $31,000 at this year’s dinner.

Edwards said, “The South Georgia Association dinner success is largely credited to the hard work of the dinner co-chairmen Rick Cason (Ebenezer FWB Church) and Wayne Miracle (New Life Fellowship FWB Church) and their willingness to promote the dinners.”

Seven states currently have Ignite the Flame dinners (Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina). “Welch College is thankful for the support from all the different churches and associations and would love to start dinners in more locations,” Edwards said.

The Ignite the Flame dinners provide an opportunity for Welch to promote a growing relationship with local churches, share college programs of study with high school students, report on Welch events, and supply a unique way for churches to invest in the lives of our students.

For more information on how your association and state can host an Ignite the Flame dinner, please contact Mike Edwards at mike.edwards@welch.edu.

Warren Resigns as Volleyball Coach

Athletic Director Greg Fawbush recently announced that Abigail Warren has resigned as volleyball coach for Welch College. A former Welch student, Coach Warren led the Lady Flames for the past two seasons. She is also an elementary physical education teacher for the Davidson County (TN) school system. Time commitment to her teaching responsibilities is the reason for her resignation.

The Flames Volleyball program showed great improvement under Coach Warren’s leadership. She used her platform to help build Welch’s volleyball program into a competitive program in the NCCAA Mideast. The Lady Flames volleyball teams finished both seasons with a winning record under her leadership. She produced several all-regional players and helped lead the program to several historic wins.

“Coach Warren was a constant mentor to the young ladies in the volleyball program, stated Coach Fawbush. “She challenged them physically, academically, and, most importantly, spiritually. Coach Warren demonstrated how winning can be accomplished by applying a work ethic that does not compromise on integrity.”

Learn more about Welch College athletics: welch.edu/athletics.