BLUEFIELD, Va. — Students studying for a career in Christian ministry now have access to even more financial aid to help fulfill their calling, thanks to a scholarship established at Bluefield College by alumnus Danny Agee and his wife, Carolyn.
Agee, a long-time staff member of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board and pastor in the state, came to Bluefield College from Roanoke, Va., in 1971 after working for Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals. Married with a 15-month-old daughter, Agee’s wife gave birth to their second child, a son, during his first year of study at Bluefield.
Having experienced additional challenges, particularly financial, of being a married student with children, Agee decided to give back to his alma mater by creating a scholarship to aid students with financial hardships.
“Bluefield College looked at me like radar looks through the fog to see what the eye cannot see and exercised faith in allowing me to enroll,” said Agee. “Carolyn and I want to exercise our faith in others who follow so that they can have the opportunity to fulfill their calling. The cost of following Christ is high enough without the added financial burden of student loans. If this scholarship relieves some of the burden of following Christ in ministry, then Carolyn and I have heard and responded to God’s call to help others.”
Agee graduated from Bluefield College with an associate’s degree in 1973 and went on to Radford (Va.) University and later Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, before beginning a career in Christian ministry.
His ministry has included serving as a houseparent for a Virginia Baptist Children’s Home, pastor of First Baptist Church in Princeton, W. Va., and director of evangelism for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. He also served 38 years in the military, where he was a chaplain for 26 years, including active duty stints in Desert Storm, Germany, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Korea.
“Dan has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to Christian service and a dedication to Christian ministry,” said BC’s Ruth Blankenship, vice president for advancement, “and this scholarship continues to demonstrate his willingness to serve others.”
A resident of Callaway, Virginia, Agee is a recipient of the Legion of Merit Award, the highest award given to a non-combat soldier, and the Bluefield College Delgado Christian Service Award for outstanding service and Christian character. He also currently serves as president of BC’s Alumni Association.
The Danny and Carolyn Agee Annual Scholarship for Education is designed to support students, preferably married students, who without financial assistance might not otherwise be able to attend college. Recipients of the scholarship are to be students who plan to pursue a career in Christian ministry. First preference will be given to a married Christian studies student with children, second to a married student with no children, and third to single students pursuing a Christian vocation. Final consideration will go to any student at Bluefield College.
Students interested in applying for the Agee Scholarship should contact the Bluefield College Financial Aid Office at 276.326.4604.