Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond has been named the sole beneficiary of a sizeable charitable gift annuity.
With the assistance of the Virginia Baptist Foundation, A. Tredway Layne, a longtime friend and supporter of the seminary, has established the Ruth May Layne Memorial Trust for Financial Aid, with an initial gift of $350,000.
Layne said his gift was in response to the seminary's Cochrane Challenge. Mr. and Mrs. Harwood Cochrane of Rockville, Va., have agreed to match, dollar for dollar, up to $1 million, every gift or pledge made to BTSR during the 12-month period ending March 31, 2005.
“I was inspired by the Cochranes' generosity and the example they set and I am thrilled that my gift will be doubled for the benefit of the seminary,” Layne said. He added, “I also wanted to publicly acknowledge what God has done for me through his son, Jesus Christ.”
When informed of Layne's commitment, Harwood Cochrane said, “Mrs. Cochrane and I are pleased by Mr. Layne's gift. Our hope, when we offered this challenge, was that more and more people would provide support for the seminary, just as Mr. Layne has done. Obviously, he shares our concern for quality theological education.”
Layne is a retired Richmond attorney and a member of Bon Air Baptist Church there. He formerly served as trustee and director of several Richmond financial institutions.
Special to the Herald