Baptist Leaders Extend Denominational Lifeline to Union
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President Dockery and Senior Vice President for Church Relations Jerry Tidwell meet with TBC President Tom McCoy (center) and TBC Executive Director James Porch (right) Baptist leaders extend denominational lifeline to Union mong the first official visitors to cam- were encouraged by the rebuilding process, Baptist seminary made a contribution. moment. There has never been a more press- pus following the tornado was a dele- they were also surprised by the level of The Southern Baptist Theological ing challenge in Union’s 180-year history. The gation of concerned leaders from the destruction they found on campus. Seminary, GuideStone Financial Resources opportunity to move forward will only take TennesseeA Baptist Convention. That visit “I’m a little bit shell-shocked as I look and the Mid-South Baptist Association all place as Union’s friends become agents of marked the start of a strong and generous around,” Page said during a visit in late gave gifts of $100,000 or more. God’s grace in time of need. I thank you, I lifeline between the denomination and a February. “It’s unbelievable that this kind Substantial gifts came in from the North thank the board, I thank the LifeWay family recovering university campus – a lifeline that of devastation could occur, and yet not one American Mission Board and the Southern for an unbelievably kind and generous gift made much of Union’s recovery possible. single student lost their life. So for that, we Baptist Foundation. to us at this particular moment. Led by Union Trustee Morris Chapman, give thanks to the Lord.” LifeWay’s administration also authorized “We thank you from the depths of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Both Page and McCoy urged congregations the formation of employee relief teams to our hearts.” Committee gave $100,000 during its two- to take up special love offerings for Union. assist Union in disaster relief efforts as day meeting Feb. 18. Chapman’s positions “It is a simple thing that every church Union President David S. Dockery identi- of leadership with the SBC and Union President Dockery receives a check can do,” McCoy said. Many churches took fies needs. In a phone call to Union gave him a unique perspective on the crisis. from SBC Executive Committee up offerings on April 6, a day set aside University President David S. Dockery Chairman Bill Harrell Just before the gift was given, Chapman in Tennessee to pray for Union and broadcast live to all trustees, LifeWay visited campus for a trustee meeting and provide support. President Thom S. Rainer said, “We want was encouraged by what he saw. By the time of that offering, many to walk alongside our brothers and sisters “As I drove across the campus on that $144,000 for disaster relief, a gift repre- TBC Executive Director James Porch. The Southern Baptist entities had already in Christ at Union University. We thank morning, things had already changed senting all of the entities in TBC life. message from the statewide leadership helped provided examples of sacrificial giving. In God that lives were spared, and we thank dramatically,” Chapman said. “Much of the “This combined gift from Tennessee inspire hundreds of local Tennessee congrega- addition to the SBC Executive Committee God for your incredible leadership. You SBC President Frank Page urged debris was already been hauled off. It’s going Baptist Convention entities, as an expression tions to move forward with contributions. and the entities in Tennessee Baptist life, have stood tall at a time when the pressure churches to become financial part- to be a new day at Union University.” of grace and care, will help sensitize Tennessee Within weeks, both SBC President LifeWay Christian Resources responded would have crushed other leaders.” ners with Union’s rebuilding effort. Just three days later, the TBC’s Executive Baptists to prepare to launch our statewide Frank Page and TBC President Tom with the very first significant gift on Feb. Dockery responded, “I am overwhelmed Board responded with a gift of more than Day of Prayer and Giving for Union, said McCoy made visits to Union. While they 11, a gift of $350,000; Each Southern by your kindness and generosity at this critical 36 Special Edition 2008 www.uu.edu 37 UNIONITE UNIONITE n the morning of Feb.6, the Fresno, California English Inn to the off campus housing com- nation awoke to the news that Pam Schock drove to work at Fresno plex now known as The Jett. tornadoes had spread across Pacific University, where she is director of In all, her volunteer tour of duty at several states, killing more than residence life and housing. But she couldn’t Union was 10 days. The reconnection was O50 people; 24 died in Tennessee alone. stop thinking about the call she received the powerful and her efforts were of great serv- Although no lives were lost at Union University, night before from her close friend and for- ice to her former colleagues. some of the most dramatic images of destruc- mer colleague, Kathy Southall. “People asked me there and here what I tion were found on campus, and network news Schock had been resident director at Hurt would have done if I hadn’t been able to shows were broadcasting live from along Walker from 1999-2004. Moments after the torna- come to Jackson,” Schock said. Road with the heavily damaged Hurt and do, Southall had called to tell her that all “Honestly, I don’t know the answer to that.” Watters complexes as a backdrop. her Union friends were unhurt. Although she showed up to work, she was Dallas, Texas The stories attracted more than distracted. Students at Criswell College gave $500 just casual interest. “Over the next several days I continued during an offering in a campus chapel service to feel like I wanted to and needed to be Feb. 7. But that was only a starting point. Willimantic, Connecticut there to help,” said Pam. “Finally, I asked if The campus radio station, KCBI, hosted In a small New England town midway I could (take a leave of absence) and they a live broadcast the next day, urging listeners between Boston and New York, Andrew allowed me to do that.” to provide disaster relief. Among those at Powaleny was watching live national news cov- Her flight arrived at 4 a.m. on Sunday, the station was Union alum Kristen Ulmer erage of the Tennessee tornado aftermath when Feb. 10. It was a day when faculty and staff Cole: “To be in the studio and hear people he heard an interview with David S. Dockery. continued to recover student possessions call in to give their money and hear their Union’s president was praising residence from the debris. Within a few days, Pam response was really touching,” Cole said. life workers for following emergency proce- was involved in the work to convert the Old In the end, Criswell president Jerry dures and helping to save lives. Johnson presented Union with a Powaleny, himself a resident check for more than $50,000. assistant in Occum Hall at I was (surprised) but I should Eastern Connecticut State not have been, because God has University, said he felt an instant limitless resources,” Johnson said. connection with Union after “That is what you all believe, that hearing Dockery’s comments. is what we believe, that is what we “With the statements teach and that is what we pray.” (Dockery) made, it was as if Union University had come Springfield, Minnesota looking for me,” said Powaleny, Derek Tonn of the company who had never heard of Union Mapformation had never set foot prior to the tornado. “I had to on Union’s campus, but he and do something.” several of his designers knew the He went to ECSU President campus very well. They had Elsa Nuñez, who pledged worked for several months to administrative help. Next, help the university develop a Powaleny put contribution new 3-D map. envelopes in every campus resi- “I was stunned when I saw just dence hall. He did a live inter- how much devastation occurred to view of his own on a local radio your campus facilities as a result of station, urging townspeople to that tornado,” Tonn wrote in an give to Union’s disaster relief email to the Office of University fund. His effort attracted the Communications. “I personally had attention of the Hartford an encounter with a tornado grow- Courant, one of Connecticut’s ing up as a pre-teen in Minnesota in leading newspapers. the early 1980s, and that is not an “All too often people forget experience that I would wish on about devastation too quickly, anyone. I'm just thankful that no put it out of their minds and fatalities were reported as a result don't want to hear that bad side of the event.” of the news,” Powaleny said. He Tonn then offered to redesign helped raise nearly $5,000 for the map at no charge to reflect Union’s disaster relief fund. rebuilding. www.uu.edu 39 UNIONITE Other schools respond to Union’s needs ithin hours of the tornado • Dallas Baptist University • Ouachita Baptist University strike, schools across the • Dallas Theological Seminary • Palm Beach Atlantic University nation were offering work • Dordt College • Palm Beach Community College crews and collecting con- • Eastern Connecticut State University • Point Loma Nazarene (CA) • Freed-Hardeman University • Redeemer College (Canada) tributionsW to benefit students and the recov- • Geneva College • Regent University ery effort. This partial list of responses is • Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary • Rhodes College alphabetized and shows the geographic • Gordon College • Rush University diversity of the response.