By Carrie Harris
DECATUR, Ga.—Two seminarians from Wake Forest University and Vanderbilt University will be honored June 21 with the Daniel and Earlene Vestal Scholarship at the CBF General Assembly in Birmingham, Ala. Christian McIvor, a student at Wake Forest University School of Divinity, and Summer Hyche, a student at Vanderbilt University School of Divinity, will be recognized during the Friday morning Fellowship at Work business session.
The Fellowship’s most prestigious scholarship, named in honor of former CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal and his wife, Earlene, was created in 2011 to further CBF’s commitment to theological education, and is a foundational element in the Fellowship’s focus on nurturing young Baptists.
Christian McIvor
Devita Parnell, director of CBF’s Young Baptist Ecosystem, noted the scholars’ influence on their communities through their diverse gifts and talents beyond the classroom.
“Students who receive the Vestal Scholarship represent those who have demonstrated excellence academically and who have shown a deep commitment to the local church and to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,” Parnell said. “Summer and Christian are leaders in the classroom, on campus and in their communities. They have gained the respect of peers, faculty and staff, while also fully giving themselves to the ministry of their congregations.
“Beyond their local contexts, both Summer and Christian are serving the larger Fellowship community as they have found opportunities to share their gifts of music, teaching and preaching. I am extremely proud that these two students are a part of our Fellowship.”
McIvor, a rising third-year student pursuing his Master of Divinity degree at Wake Forest University School of Divinity, is a graduate of State University of New York at Potsdam, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Music. He also received his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. McIvor is a certified teacher and has served as a K-12 music director at the North Carolina Leadership Academy, the director of bands at Southwest Guildford High School, music director for New Creation Community Church in Greensboro, N.C., and minister of music and worship at College Park Baptist Church in Greensboro. He is a talented singer-songwriter, and has created original works for ministry settings, including the CBF of North Carolina Annual Gathering and CBF’s Selah Vie end-of-summer retreat in 2018.
Summer Hyche
Hyche, a rising third-year student at Vanderbilt University School of Divinity, is pursuing her Master of Divinity degree. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in sociology. With a call to pastoral ministry, Hyche has served on the staff of Passport camps, at the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center, and is the pastoral intern at Glendale Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn.
These are only highlights of the great ministries that are beginning for these young Cooperative Baptists. Join us in celebrating their wisdom and leadership in their churches, schools and communities at the Assembly.
Learn more about the 2019 CBF General Assembly in Birmingham, Ala., June 17-21, at www.cbf.net/assembly.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a Christian network that helps people put their faith to practice through ministry efforts, global missions and a broad community of support. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission. Learn more at www.cbf.net.