Scholarship donors recognized for their lasting impact

During the 2016 Luncheon for Scholarship Donors and Student Recipients, April 12, students had the opportunity to show their gratitude for the gifts of donors and ministry partners. Scholarship recipient and Ph.D. student Tim Wheeless shared how Southwestern has played an important role in his current position as senior pastor of Fairway Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas. “My heart for the Gospel and for evangelism started here at Southwestern,” he told fellow students, faculty and donors.

Wheeless, who also earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees from Southwestern, added, “Now I have two diplomas from Southwestern hanging on my wall in my office. Your gifts are more than just paper on my wall. I want you to understand that what you do helps advance the Kingdom of God in ways that you may not understand.”

Since starting at Fairway Baptist Church in September 2015, Wheeless has taught the importance of sharing the Gospel with those in their community. More than 50 members of Fairway recently attended an evangelism training, after which they dispersed to evangelize the surrounding neighborhood.

Despite some members’ reluctance to evangelize, by the end of the day, 58 Gospel presentations were made at more than 200 homes, with one person professing faith in Christ for the first time. The following Sunday, many members told of their change of heart and their eagerness to evangelize their neighborhood again.

“That wasn’t a Pentecost moment; there weren’t mass numbers of people coming to faith in Christ. But for us, it was a Pentecost moment because we got to see how the people exercised faith in God’s Word,” Wheeless said. “We taught them Scripture and that the God of the Bible who sent His son is a living, active and pursuing God. They saw that from the text. I learned the importance of the text here at Southwestern Seminary.”

“I would not be equipped to do what I am doing there if it were not for Southwestern Seminary,” he continued. “The gifts that you give help students like me go do this.”

Following Wheeless’ testimony, Gil and Ann Stricklin, who fund the Gil A. and Ann Stricklin Corporate Chaplaincy Endowed Scholarship fund, spoke on behalf of ministry partners. Their journey with Southwestern began more than 50 years ago when they moved from Greenville, S.C., to begin Gil’s studies at Southwestern. In the years that followed, they built lasting relationships with both students and faculty.

Not long after Gil’s graduation, they sensed the Lord calling them to give to Southwestern. Although they did not have much to give, they knew they should be obedient through giving.

“Southwestern has stayed true to the mission of preaching the Word in season and out of season; spreading the good news around the world,” Ann said. “I have come to believe that no gift is too small when God multiplies it for His glory.”

Regardless of any financial circumstances, the Stricklins were always compelled to give beyond their tithe, noting that giving is an important part of the Christian life. Gil said, “Surely, God being the greatest giver of all time and for all eternity means that I should give more than 10 percent and what is required of me.”

“I should not live for just the dot of this life, but I should live for the line of all eternity,” Gil said. “God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.”

Through the generous gifts of those who supported Southwestern, in the fall 2015 semester, more than 1,500 students were awarded a collective total of more than $2.6 million in scholarship funds. To learn more about how to invest in Southwestern and its students, visit swbts.edu/give.