Preparing For Lives Of Service

Eighteen students were chosen recently to receive the initial endowment scholarships made possible through a $4 million gift from the estate of Baylor University benefactor Allene Hubler, who designated the money for Baylor's Ministry Guidance program.

Dr. Jeter Basden, BA '68, director of Baylor's Ministry Guidance Program and professor of religion was named the The Raymond O. Hubler Chair of Ministry Guidance, while Dr. Dennis Horton, BA '84, PhD '95, an associate professor of religion and associate director of ministry guidance, was named to The J. David Slover Professorship in Ministry Guidance.

The scholarships were awarded through The Raymond O. and Allene Breech Hubler Endowment Scholarship Fund.

The late Allene Hubler and her husband, the late Raymond Hubler, were generous supporters of local Baptist churches and close friends of the late Dr. David Slover, the first full-time director of the Ministry Guidance program.

The endowment, announced by Baylor in July 2007, is "a very generous gift from the Hubler family trust," Basden said. "It basically says we'll always have a Ministry Guidance program with a chair and professor and that ministry students who major in religion can compete for this merit scholarship."

Five of this year's scholarship recipients are preparing for preaching and pastoring, five for youth ministry, four for missions, three for pre-school and children's ministry and one for Christian counseling.
The ministry guidance program assists undergraduate students who feel called to vocational Christian ministry. During spring enrollment, more than 2,400 students were interested in some form of ministry. Among those ministries are preaching, missions, religious education, music, youth ministry and recreational ministry.