JACKSON, Tenn. — Aug. 3, 2021 — First Baptist Church in Loudon, Tenn., has donated over $45,000 to establish the O.C. Rainwater Scholarship for Union University students striving to enter pastoral ministry.
O.C. Rainwater, a 1934 Union alumnus, was the pastor for First Baptist Church in Loudon for 15 years, and Ann Randle, chairperson of the O.C. Rainwater Scholarship committee and member of the church, said she always valued his strong ethics and godliness.
“He was a true man of God, and it has been a joy being able to carry his name,” Randle said. “We wanted to honor his memory by making sure we were faithful to Baptist education.”
Ray Van Neste, dean for the School of Theology and Missions at Union University, said the primary obstacle for students pursuing a ministry education is the financial burden, so he greatly appreciates churches like First Baptist Church in Loudon for investing in the lives of these students.
“Sometimes, [the financial burden] keeps students from being able to get an education, and other times, it leads them to settling for a lesser substitute,” Van Neste said. “Scholarships like this, which help to support ministerial students, are immensely significant kingdom investments.”
Reeves Garrett, Union alumnus and pastor of McCool Baptist Church in McCool, Miss., said far too often, “theological education” and “affordable education” are mutually exclusive options for aspiring pastors, missionaries and ministry leaders.
“Because of the scholarships I received as an undergraduate student at Union, I didn’t have to choose one option over the other,” Garrett said. “By God’s grace, I was able to pursue a biblically faithful, academically robust undergraduate education that continues to serve me well in ministry today.”
The O.C. Rainwater Scholarship will award $1,500 to a student preparing for pastoral ministry each year, and Randle said she is excited to see this award find its home at Union University.
“We feel like the scholarship is where it should be, and Union has been so faithful to help us honor [Rainwater] and future students in this way,” Randle said.