Spring is a busy time for almost everyone. Farmers are preparing land and planting, schools are preparing for graduation and summer break, and churches are preparing for Vacation Bible School. The North Carolina Foundation for Christian Ministries is preparing also. In the next few weeks, plans will be made and implemented for the Foundation’s Annual Meeting, for the Original Free Will Baptist Convention report and workshop, for the applications for the fall semester Shepherd’s Fund scholarships, and for the ongoing work of the Foundation.
Each semester the Shepherd’s Fund of the NC Foundation for Christian Ministries distributes financial awards to Free Will Baptist students who are preparing for ministry work in the Free Will Baptist Denomination. At the January 2012 meeting of the scholarship committee, the names of 15 students were recommended for spring scholarship awards. The total amount of the awards recommended for the spring semester was $14,741.29, which is a slight increase over the amount awarded in each of the two previous semesters.
The Central Conference of Original Free Will Baptists has always been a leading voice in the field of Christian education, especially concerning the education of ministers.
Though writing teachers would react with disdain, there is any number of clichés that could be used to describe the Shepherd’s Fund of the NC Foundation for Christian Ministries. “Bridging the gap,” “growing by leaps and bounds,” and “coming into its own” are just a few examples. Since its inception in the fall semester of 2006, the fund has provided over $113,000 to 30 different Free Will Baptist students preparing for active service in ministry.
The North Carolina Foundation for Christian Ministries recently announced the W. Burkette Raper and Rose M. Raper Endowment for Educational and Charitable Purposes. Dr.
