Miss. Baptist Foundation awards scholarships
Three William Carey University students were presented with scholarships Oct. 12 from the Mississippi Baptist Foundation through the Board of Ministerial Education.
Shown left to right are: Dr. Wes Dykes, dean of the School of Music and Ministry Studies; John Mark Vincent of Decatur, junior religion major, recipient of the William Clawson Scholarship; Mikayla Giles of Meridian, senior intercultural studies major serving at LoveNow Community Church as Children’s Ministry Director, recipient of the Carpenter-Gandy Ministerial Scholarship; Chandler Smith of Saraland, Ala., senior music education major serving as worship leader at Seminary Baptist Church, recipient of the Hardy R. Denham Jr. Scholarship; and Dr. Daniel Caldwell, chair of the Department of Biblical Studies and Board of Ministerial Education member.
About the scholarships:
Clawson Scholarship: The Board of Ministerial Education established the Clawson Scholarship in 1987 to honor Dr. William Clawson upon his retirement. He served for many years as chairman of the Religion Department at William Carey College and as Campus Representative to the board. Before coming to William Carey, Dr. Clawson served as a Southern Baptist missionary in Mexico. After many years of faithful service, he passed away in 2013.
Denham Scholarship: The Board of Ministerial Education established the Hardy R. Denham Jr. Scholarship in 2001 in recognition of Rev. Denham’s contributions to ministerial education in Mississippi Baptist colleges. Rev. Denham served several terms as president of the Board of Ministerial Education. During that time, he directed extensive changes which resulted in an expanded number of eligible students and increased funding. He later served as the board’s Campus Representative during his tenure at William Carey College. He served as pastor and interim pastor in a number of churches in Mississippi. He passed away in December of last year.
Carpenter-Gandy Scholarship: This award was established in 2000 by Mr. and Mrs. B. E. Gandy to provide financial assistance to ministerial students at Mississippi Baptist colleges. It was founded in memory of their mothers, Mrs. Nora Gandy, who attended Blue Mountain College, and Mrs. Ruth Carpenter, who attended William Carey College, and in recognition of the role Mississippi College has played in educating many family members. It also reflects their commitment to the education of Southern Baptist Convention ministers.