GALLATIN, TN—The annual Strong and CourageousBanquet benefiting student scholarships at Welch College recently took place in Celorio Hall on Welch’s campus, according to Tim Owen, Director of the Welch Fund and coordinator of the event.
“The inspiration for the banquet comes from the charge given in Joshua 1:9 to be strong and very courageous as Joshua leads the children of Israel,” Owen said. “This year’s banquet continued this emphasis, encouraging and challenging guests to have this defining characteristic in all facets of life. The event’s generous sponsors and donors provided $60,000 in support of student scholarships at Welch.”
Event patrons enjoyed an opening reception hosted by President and Mrs. Matt Pinson in the Presidents Dining Room in Celorio Hall. Renowned Nashville eye surgeon Dr. Ming Wang performed several pieces on the Chinese violin (erhu) accompanied by Mr. Carlos Enrique. Elaine Park Pugh and Chris Davis offered refreshing testimonies about the impact that Welch College has made in their lives as students, and the Rejoice! Ministry Team provided inspirational music during the banquet.
Special recognitions included a Healthcare Excellence award and the naming of the 2021 Strong and Courageous recipient. Dr. Ming Wang was recognized as the recipient of a special healthcare award for his continued dedication to helping patients in the United States and countries worldwide with sight restoration surgeries.
The Strong and Courageous award is presented annually to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service to their profession while advancing kingdom principles. This year’s award was presented to the event’s originator, Dr. Charles Lea. David Williford, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, underscored Dr. Lea’s faith and leadership, noting examples of Dr. Lea’s exemplary life as one who is strong and courageous. Dr. Lea recently retired from Welch as Special Assistant to the President.
A number of sponsors provided generous gifts to help students attend Welch. This year’s Platinum Sponsors ($10,000) included the Free Will Baptist Foundation and FirstBank, Goodlettsville. Gold sponsors ($5,000) included Goodall Homes, Sumner Regional Medical Center, and David and Diane Black. A number of Silver Sponsors ($2,500), Bronze Sponsors ($750), and other donors also contributed to the scholarship goal.
“Welch College is grateful for the support of the Sumner County community and the 2021 Strong and Courageous sponsors,” Owen noted. “Together, we are making a difference in students’ lives and impacting our county and communities.”
For more information on Welch, visit www.welch.edu. To support the mission of Welch College, visit
Welch College Enrollment Services is conducting a search to add a full-time Admissions Counselor to the Enrollment Services Team. If you are a self-starter with people skills who is interested in engaging high school-aged students in the Christian college selection process, then the role of Admissions Counselor may be the perfect fit for you.
The Admissions Counselor works to recruit, admit, and enroll high school students in the undergraduate, on-campus program at Welch College. The Admissions Counselor travels to off-campus recruiting events (camps, conferences, high schools, churches, college fairs), gives on-campus tours, assists with on-campus recruiting events, counsels and equips students and parents to make a college decision, and helps to transition the student to life on campus.
Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and references to Daniel Webster, Director of Enrollment Services, at daniel.webster@welch.edu
Todd Parrish has been tapped to serve in a new role as Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Welch College, according to David Williford, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. In this role he will continue his work in major gifts acquisition and church relations but will begin working alongside David Williford, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, in the overall administration of fundraising and external relations at Welch.
Before assuming his current role in January of 2018, Parrish served as Senior Pastor of First Free Will Baptist Church, Washington, North Carolina. A North Carolina native who ministered in churches in North and South Carolina for 26 years, Parrish has served in a number of denominational roles, including Assistant Moderator of the North Carolina State Association of Free Will Baptists and Vice President of the Welch College Alumni Association.
“This is a great move for the college,” Williford said. “Todd is an invaluable member of the Institutional Advancement team. His efforts have resulted in remarkable success in fundraising and public relations. He loves Welch College and her mission, and he gives himself untiringly to advance the cause of Christian higher education among Free Will Baptists.”
Parrish was ordained under the ministry of Dr. Malcolm C. Fry. A 1989 Welch graduate, he obtained his M.A. in Mental Health Counseling from Webster University in 2010 and his M.A. in Theology and Ministry from Welch in 2018. He is nearing the completion of his doctorate in educational ministry at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is writing his doctoral thesis on the advancement and fundraising function of Welch College.
Welch President Matt Pinson said, “I’m so excited to get Todd Parrish into this new role to assume more leadership for “friend-raising” and fundraising at Welch. When he came to the college, I knew he’d succeed in these two roles, and he has shown himself to be stellar at both. His love for Welch runs deep, and he’s known for his strong work ethic and can-do spirit. It’s a joy to see him taking a more expansive leadership role in Advancement.”
Parrish and his wife, Merinda, Welch’s Clinical Coordinator for Teacher Education, have two married daughters, Emily Vickery (Zach) and Ellen Stox (Kevin), both Welch graduates, and two grandchildren, Lucy and Jack.
Welch College conferred degrees on 68 graduates for the class of 2021 and recognized 26 recipients of degrees from the class of 2020 on Friday, May 7, according to Provost Matthew McAffee.
The college held two commencement ceremonies in the Student Activities Center. Attendees for both ceremonies were scaled back owing to COVID-19 social distancing protocols. Both ceremonies accommodated additional guests with overflow seating for livestream coverage in Celorio Auditorium.
During the 10:00 a.m. ceremony, the institution awarded all bachelor’s degrees to the Class of 2021. In the 2:00 p.m. ceremony, the college granted associate’s and master’s degrees for graduates of 2021 and recognized participants from the graduating Class of 2020.
Dr. Steve Lemke, Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and Provost Emeritus at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, delivered the commencement address for both ceremonies. He challenged graduates to pursue their vocational aspirations as a spiritual calling. All graduates, regardless of major, he said, are being sent out on mission to make a difference in the world for the kingdom of Christ.
President Matt Pinson recognized Dr. Ron Callaway on his retirement from the faculty, the longest-serving Missions/Intercultural Studies professor in the colleges’s history. The president also recognized Dr. Thurman Pate, former chair of the Teacher Education Department, for his retirement from the faculty in May 2020. Other retiree recognitions included long-time Christian Service director Mr. John Murray, who served three decades in this post after missionary service; former director of online studies Mr. Allan Crowson, former director of cleaning operations Mr. Ernie Thomson; and Special Assistant to the President Dr. Charles Lea.
The college commends to you and to the work of the Lord the members of the 2021 and 2020 graduating classes.
Class of 2021
Associate of Science Degrees
Laura Ann Boivin
Gallatin, TN
Early Childhood
Lee Ann Branch
Darlington, SC
Business
Katelynn Grace Chandler
De Soto, MO
Biology
Rebekah Elaine Ammini Chapman
Hannibal, MO
Biology
Welch College will begin offering a Theater emphasis in the Humanities and Arts bachelor’s degree in Fall 2021, according to Provost Dr. Matthew McAffee. Welch has offered successful extracurricular theater performances since former Speech and Drama faculty member Mrs. Laura Thigpen’s arrival at the college in the 1940s. In recent years, AnnaGee Harris has produced and directed Welch’s many popular plays, musicals, and Evangels’ summer tours.
The new emphasis will be under the direction of Harris, who toured with the Evangels as a student and who has served as director of theater at Welch for thirteen years. A 2005 secondary education and theology graduate of Welch, Harris, who also directs enrollment events and student reps at Welch, holds a master’s degree in teaching from Trevecca Nazarene University and a master’s degree in theater from Regent University.
“I am excited that our students now have the opportunity to study theater, not just on a performance level, but also on an academic level,” Harris said. “The Humanities and Arts degree is a wonderful place for students to grow not just as artists, but also as Christians who will positively impact culture.”
Humanities and Arts degree program coordinator, Phillip Morgan, said about the new emphasis, “This will be a great addition to our growing Humanities and Arts degree program, giving students the opportunity to explore the impact of theology and a Christian worldview on the arts. We want to help prepare students to serve Christ faithfully in the world through this art form. I am very excited about Ms. Harris’s new opportunities to help Welch College to fulfill this aspect of our mission.”
Students majoring in Humanities and Arts with an emphasis in theater will be prepared to continue their studies in a theater on the graduate level as well as be prepared for professional work as an actor, director, and dramatic writer.
Those interested in Theater or the bachelor’s degree in Humanities and Arts should contact GoToWelch@welch.edu for questions and Welch.edu/GoToWelch to apply.
