Virginia Seminary Students Honored

by   Kelly Davis                                                                                                                                        Vol. XIV, No. 6, June/July 2001

Over twenty Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary students received recognition at a special awards chapel service, and all in attendance received a fatherly warning from President Paige Patterson May 17, on the Wake Forest, NC campus.

Five Virginia students were honored: Jonathan Clark Borland, Lynchburg, won The Arthur F. & Olga M. Robinson Advanced Language Prize; Martha M. Harrington, Clarksville, received The Williams-White Award for the Practice of Christian Social Concern; The Southern Baptist Religious Education Association Award in Christian Education went to David Jennings Widgeon, Lynchburg; The Ellis W. Hollon, Jr. Award in Philosophy of Religion was presented to Keith Edward Robinson, Woodford; and The Associate Excellence Award went to Ronald Jason Wyatt, Wise.

After honoring the academic accomplishments of students, Patterson delivered a message urging his outgoing students to accept such awards with dignity, yet not let fleeting recognition blur an eternal perspective. “There will be those human rewards and those human awards that will come your way,” said Patterson. “I want to say to all of my students today, to all of you, my children, I want to urge you to be careful that you not think either too much or too little of earthly rewards and awards.”

Patterson pressed to his students not to dismiss such awards because they represent the commendation of fellows. “People who have observed your life and see those things that are pleasing and helpful and in some cases those things are from God,” said Patterson. “Others may recognize you in that and that is all together appropriate.”

Yet, the president also warned his students never to take too seriously the awards and rewards that come from human hands. “First of all, though [awards] represent the recognition of your contemporaries, they do not retain permanent value or glory,” he added. Patterson reminded graduates that any awards that are given on this earth from human hands will eventually dim. “In fact, every award given by men is an award that cannot be kept and some day you will leave it behind,” stated Patterson.

Patterson encouraged his students to work for obtaining eternal recognition. “I warn you, my children, do not become possessed by anything,” said Patterson. “Whatever God gives you in this life through the hands of men hold it lightly. It is yours only for a little while.”