(Stegall Seminary Scholarship Endowment Foundation) - In September 2013, Dr. Karl K. Stegall dared to write of a bold vision. He said in the Foundation’s quarterly brochure, “With your great encouragement and generosity, I am now dreaming of the day, in the not too distant future, when we might be able to provide a minimum of $10,000 as a cash scholarship for each full-time student, sharply decreasing what they have to borrow.” As donors read those words, God was already making a way for that spoken dream to become a reality.
On December 3, 2013 the Board of Directors of the Stegall Seminary Scholarship Endowment Foundation announced that his dream has been realized. Effective January 1, 2014, all full-time seminary students living on campus (or commuting on a weekly basis) will now receive a minimum of $10,000 per year from the Foundation. Full-time students currently receive an annual scholarship minimum of $6,000.
“This marks a milestone in the progress of the Foundation,” said Stegall. In its earliest years, the Foundation awarded $100 per month or $1,200 per year to students. The announcement of reaching the $10,000 annual level is a watershed moment in the history of the Foundation. One such student who wishes to thank Foundation donors is Duke Divinity School student Ashley Douglas.
“Three years ago, when I was accepted into Duke Divinity School, I had no idea how I would financially support my educational needs to follow God’s call,” she said. “I followed in faith and prayed without ceasing and God has answered those prayers through the Stegall Foundation. Thank you, donors, for supporting students just like me.”
“Seminary is a challenging time in many ways,” said Dr. Nathan Attwood, a Foundation scholarship alumnus now serving in the Alabama-West Florida Conference. “Young families and young marriages are stretched by tremendous demands and financial constraints. The idealism of new ministers encounters the reality of the joys and stresses of congregational leadership. The Stegall Foundation does more than make the financial pressures manageable, as incredibly important as that is. The scholarship allows new clergy families to know that they are not alone and that a community cares and will carry them through.”
“What a leap of faith the donors and board have taken,” said Stegall. “These gifts enable us to do more for the kingdom of God than has been possible up to this point. Past, present, and future seminary students, and their families, from across the bounds of our Alabama-West Florida Conference join me in expressing our deepest thanks to the countless souls who have prayerfully prepared us to reach this milestone.”
Please join us in our mission of preparing the future of the Church. This is an exciting time for the Stegall Foundation and we want you to be a part of it. Tax-deductible donations can be made securely online . To find out more about the Foundation, please read our newest Winter 2013-2014 brochure. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
{Dr. Karl K. Stegall}