The Henry Stanford Scholarship Fund, established last fall at Erskine College, will sponsor the Stanford Award to assist ministry students financially to attend the Due West school.
The scholarship honors Henry G. Stanford Jr., who both served on the international mission field and was pastor of several South Carolina Baptist churches. He was a graduate of both Erskine College (’67) and Erskine Seminary (’83), as well as a professor.
Stanford
Stanford served at Bethel Baptist in Sumter, Holly Springs Baptist, First Baptist of Ninety Six, First Baptist of Lugoff, and River Street and Orville Baptist churches in Anderson. He also was director of missions for Welsh Neck Baptist Association, director of Cooperative Program and Stewardship for the South Carolina Baptist Convention, and a missionary to Brazil.
Jamie Williams, who works with External Relations and Recruitment at Erskine, said the scholarship also has a very personal meaning to him.
If it wasn’t for a ministry scholarship like this one, Williams said he would have never had an opportunity to be blessed with the positive educational experience on a small Christian campus, similar to Erskine. Because of learning disabilities, he was not expected to graduate high school, Williams explained, but the Lord brought some special people into his life who helped him overcome his challenges.
“I can’t help but think that there’s someone out there just like me,” Williams said. “Someone who loves the Lord and wants to serve Him faithfully. Someone who would love to come to Erskine to prepare themselves both spiritually and academically for the plans the Lord has for them, but they can’t afford it. My prayer is that we can do for them what those very special people did for me.”
Beyond these reasons, Williams has another motivation for promoting the scholarship at the Christian liberal arts college affiliated with the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Stanford led him to the Lord and baptized him.
“I cannot express how grateful I am to Rev. Henry and his family and the blessing they have been to me and my family for as long as I can remember,” Williams said.
The first scholarship winner will be announced in May. To donate or nominate someone for this award, go to https://www.erskine.edu/stanford-award/.