WI 2009

WINTER 2009 EDITION
C
O
N
Q
U
E
R
O
R
S
The 2008-09 basketball season started last fall with many new faces. The beginning of the second semester added several more students who transferred from
Pillsbury Baptist Bible College. This has been a wonderful addition to the
PBC sports family. Although we would always like to win
more games, we understand the experience of participating on a college team means more than the win/loss
record. The teamwork, friendships, and accomplishments
of our men’s and women’s teams will last a lifetime.
The regional tournaments will be here soon (Feb. 2628), so please pray for safety for all of our athletes and
coaches as they represent PBC.
Several donors made it possible to update our scoreboard,
clock and table. The Conqueror logo has also been painted
onto the wall and the recently refinished floor of the gym.
S
he PBC TRENGTH in NUMBERS project is growing. More and more
alumni and friends of Piedmont, Spurgeon, and Atlantic are joining together in the
STRENGTH in NUMBERS initiative to insure a strong and necessary foundation
of regular support for Piedmont. By giving just a little - about $28 a month - donors easily accumulate a $1000 gift over a three-year period. Other donors are making one-time
gifts or increasing their support. According to Ecc. 4:12, two people working together are
stronger than one, and “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Will you join the growing
number of people who give to Piedmont regularly? Believers around the world are benefitting from the excellent education Piedmont delivers on campus, online, and through the
Graduate School. Will you add your strength to Piedmont? For more information, please
contact Mary Ann Strain in the Advancement department at
336.714.7921 or [email protected].
“And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and
a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
CHARLES H. STEVENS LECTURE
SERIES AND LUNCHEON
March 30-31,
Michael Stallard, PhD
The Chapel Services are open to all
at no cost and will take place Monday, March 30 and Tuesday, March
31 from 10:45 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.
in the Salem Baptist Church auditorium at 429 S. Broad Street,
Winston-Salem, NC. Monday’s
topic will be “The Mystical Bent
of Modern Interpretation,” and
Tuesday’s topic will be “The Dangers of Theological Interpretation.”
The Luncheon with Dr. Stallard is
from 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.
on Monday, March 30. Dr. Stallard
will speak on “The Loss of Clarity in Biblical Interpretation.” The
cost is $35 per person and $45 per
couple. You may register online for
the Luncheon at www.pbc.edu or
by calling 336.714.7940. Please
register by March 1.
GRADUATE FORUMS
We have just completed our second Graduate Forum: Contemporary Strategies for Church Outreach. The Graduate Forums are
designed to provide practical opportunities to discover how God
can bless our theological preparation. To learn about upcoming Forums, please call 336.714.7986 or
email [email protected].
DR. CHARLES PETITT
TRAVEL SCHEDULE
FEBRUARY 1
Open Door Baptist Church
Christiansburg, VA
FEBRUARY 8
Faith Baptist Church
Check, VA
FEBRUARY 15
Riverside Baptist Church
Lumberton, NC
FEBRUARY 20
Spurgeon Alumni Reunion
Mulberry, FL
MARCH 4-8
Missions Conference @
Capital City Baptist Church
Columbia, SC
MARCH 15
Triad Baptist Church
Kernersville, NC
MARCH 29
Florence Baptist Temple
Florence, SC
MAY 17
Johnston Chapel Baptist Church
Maranatha Baptist Church
Princeton, WV
JULY 6-10
Baptist Mid-Missions Annual
Conference and Council Meeting
Cleveland, OH
SPURGEON REUNION
FEBRUARY 20, Mulberry, FL
ALUMNI HOMECOMING
AND BANQUET
MARCH 20
CHARLES H. STEVENS
LECTURE SERIES
MARCH 30-31, Dr. Michael Stallard
ALUMNI GATHERING
APRIL 4, Willimanburg, VA
ATLANTIC BAPTIST
BIBLE COLLEGE ALUMNI
GATHERING
MAY 7
COMMENCEMENT
MAY 8
PBC GOLF CLASSIC
MAY 19
SUCCESSFUL
MERGERS
recognize the mutual benefits of shared resources and strategic partnerships
Atlantic Baptist Bible College merges with PBC&GS
“What do successful cell phone companies and savvy Bible Colleges have in
common?” Dr. Charles Petitt, president of Piedmont Baptist College and Graduate
School, raised this question as he and Dr. Paul Monroe, president of Atlantic Baptist
Bible College, announced Atlantic’s intentions to join forces with Piedmont, effective
December 31, 2008. The answer, Dr. Petitt explained, is that those entering successful
mergers, such as Nextel and Sprint, recognize the mutual benefits of shared resources
and strategic partnerships. Piedmont’s merger with Spurgeon Baptist Bible College
proved that, and both Atlantic and Piedmont believe this merger will also produce
significantly more positive results than either school could accomplish on its own.
Mutual benefit is indeed what drove both
schools to consider this merger. Pooling resources and improving services with the goals of
cutting overall costs only makes sense. Atlantic
and Piedmont are remarkably compatible, having
been engaged in similar activities and having
compatible missions and Biblical foundations.
Both schools are mission-minded, ministry-driven, and distinctively Baptist and are also virtually
identical in purpose, philosophy, and doctrine.
They both exist to serve local churches by training pastors, teachers, missionaries, etc. Meeting
their common goals by working together will
indeed help ensure the vision of equipping
leaders to obey the Great Commandment
and fulfill the Great Commission.
Atlantic’s campus closed
S. Broad Street
420 S. Broad 420
Street
Winston-Salem,
Winston-Salem,
NC 27101 NC 27101
and Graduate
School
and Graduate
School
Piedmont Baptist College
Permit No. 29
Winston-Salem, N.C.
PAID
U.S. POSTAGE
Non-Profit Org.
SUCCESSFUL MERGERS
continued from the front
December 31, and their books and records as well as some equipment, furniture, and technology will transfer to Piedmont’s campus. Atlantic’s alumni and other constituents will enjoy continuing services, such as provision of transcripts, communication of pertinent information, and recognition of Atlantic’s history and alumni. What is most
exciting, though, is the establishment of the Atlantic Endowment for Ministry Training, which will fund scholarships and honor the name and mission of Atlantic Baptist Bible
College. The endowment will be funded from the proceeds of the sale of the Atlantic campus and expanded by gifts from donors. The scholarship is designed for those pursuing online and/or graduate programs and may be combined with other financial aid options. “I believe this merger has the potential of carrying our Atlantic name and mission
further than anyone could have imagined,” Paul Monroe wrote to his alumni, “so I view this more as a new beginning than as an ending. Atlantic’s original vision of training
leaders to serve Christ can now be realized with a much broader scope.”
That Piedmont has now experienced two mergers in less than a decade is not lost on Dr. Petitt. “This will likely prove to be one of the most significant events in Piedmont’s
history,” he commented. Rather than three separate schools facing considerable struggle, we have one school enjoying considerable strength. When Spurgeon Baptist Bible
College merged with Piedmont approximately five years ago, the Spurgeon School of Online Education was created to honor their name and mission. At the time of the merger,
Spurgeon had a total enrollment of approximately 20 students. In 2007-08,
over 200 different students took at least one online class. Mergers such as these
help preserve the name and mission of all participating schools. “The expected
result is a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts,” Dr. Petitt explained.
From the President’s Pen
The Networked Generation
by Dr. Charles W Petitt, President
There are as many stereotypes for the younger generation as there are older people with opinions. They tell us
that the Baby Boomer generation was too success driven,
Generation-X was too self-reliant, and the Millennial Generation is too picky. Now I readily admit my limitations
when it comes to understanding generational generalizations, but in my view the younger generation shares one
great characteristic: their values-driven interdependence.
They are the Networked Generation, and I’m talking about much more than texting
and Facebook. The Networked Generation is unleashing the dynamic power found only
when collective passion drives people together to accomplish a shared vision. Consider
our recent presidential election in which Barack Obama had over two million Facebook
and MySpace friends to John McCain’s half a million. Regardless of your view of presidential politics, you have to be impressed with the impromptu groundswell of support
from such a diverse cross-section of America.
Thankfully, the Networked Generation is bringing that same cooperative spirit to
bear on Christianity. They are more excited about the mutual benefits of working across
institutional lines than the prestige of building their own kingdoms. They prefer cooperation over isolation. They are more interested in what is right than who is right. While
they are not shy about Biblical separation, they are more likely to separate over Bible
truth than personal taste. They are able to work together even when they disagree over
extra-Biblical issues.
That desire to work together with Bible people in pursuit of a shared vision is driving Piedmont into a variety of exciting new ventures. We networked with organizations
in Egypt and Bangladesh to open branch campuses in both countries. We merged with
Spurgeon Baptist Bible College to
create a world-class online school.
We partnered with a seminary in
Trinidad that enables their students to transfer credits and earn
a Piedmont degree from home.
We joined forces with Baptist
Mid-Missions to offer a Master’s
Degree in Biblical Studies delivered online in Spanish to students across the Hispanic
world. And now we welcome Atlantic Baptist Bible College to the Piedmont family and
look forward to accomplishing great things together for Jesus Christ.
One of the many wonderful benefits of all this networking is the growth and broader
influence we now enjoy. Piedmont enrollment grew from 250 total students in the fall
of 2001 to over 400 this past fall. As I write this, our faculty and staff are advising and
enrolling some 75 new students for the spring 2009 semester which should push us to the
largest overall enrollment in decades. Networking really does work!
To My Beloved At
lantic Baptist Bible
College,
It is with great sad
ness that I feel I mu
st say goodbye to you
exactly where God
. You were
knew that I needed
to be for four year
first arrived on camp
s. When I
us, I wa s afraid and
a bit nervous about
and regulations. I sig
all of the rules
ned up for cla sses
in that cold drafty
tion building and mo
Ad
ministraved into the dorm.
Ca n you believe it
phone for all of us
onl
y
had one pay
girls to share? I
remember sitting on
ha llway of that dorm
the floor in the
and ha ving our week
ly meetings.
We sang, pra yed, ate
snacks, shared our
hearts, and became
more and more like
Christ. I remember
ha ving cla sses in th
at
room off of the lau
ndry room and ha vin
g
weekend kitchen
duty. Yes, I rememb
er
the demerits for
wa lking outside in
bare feet and for
ta lking for too long
on that payphone!
M y consequences?
I wi ped down ever
y window in the
libra ry with a news
pap er! Of course
it cleaned the wind
ow s, but you
should ha ve seen wh
at it did to
my ha nds!
Oh, the teaching
I received! The
discipleship! The lea
dership skills! I ga ve
my heart to Christ
in that chapel. On
the right side, third
blue chair from the
left. I lea rned how
to be a teacher in
that sil ly modular bui
lding. I am a grea
t
teacher and eleme
nta ry director at Ca
lva ry Road Christia
of the education I
n School because
received at At lantic
. It wa sn’t the bui
it will be heartbreak
ldings, although
ing to see them re
moved. It wa sn’t th
At lantic; it never wa
e facilities at
s. It wa s the sta ff
who poured their liv
willing, slight ly imma
es willingly into
ture young adults wh
o were committed
So, goodbye my de
to
Christ.
ar college. You ma y
be merging with a
Ca rol ina, but . . .
school in North
you will not merge
in my heart. You wi
paved over in my mi
ll not be sold or
nd. You will always
rema in the place wh
lea rned how to fol low
ere I met Christ,
Him and dedicated
my life to ful l-time
vice. At lantic, you
Christia n serwill rema in.
Alpha Gamma Chi,
Jo Anne Pa ssa retti,
1996
NEWS
Gatherings
Part of our Mission Statement says, “We love our
students and alumni and are
committed to their success.”
With that in mind as well as
a desire to stay connected,
the College is organizing
regional alumni meetings
in several different areas of
the country in addition to
our Annual Homecoming.
On November 13 a group of
alumni gathered in Raleigh,
NC for a meal, fellowship,
and an update from Dr. Petitt
on the things God is doing
at PBC&GS. A reunion is
planned for the alumni and
friends of Spurgeon Baptist
Bible College in Mulberry, FL
at the Imperial Lakes Country
Club on February 20. It has
been almost five years
since the two institutions
merged, and we would
like to share with them
what has happened since
we joined forces. We are
currently planning another
gathering in Williamsburg,
VA in early April, and a mailing will go out soon to those
in that area. Atlantic Baptist
Bible College alumni, our
newest members, will have
a reunion May 7 on the main
campus of PBC. Other events
will take place in the future,
so watch for details and make
every effort to attend.
Homecoming
The PBC Alumni Committee has decided to move
our Annual Homecoming to
Friday, March 20 this year in
hopes more people will be
able to attend. Invitations will
go out in a few weeks, but
go ahead and put the date on
your calendar. It is always a
wonderful time of fellowship
and renewing of old acquaintances. Dr. Billy Martin (’55)
will be sharing with us from
God’s Word, and music will
be provided by fellow alumni.
This is an event you don’t
want to miss.
THE PBC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
NEWS
MISSIONS
BRAZILIAN CHURCH PLANT
Several Piedmont Missions majors have an
interest in starting a new Brazilian church plant,
but not in Brazil. In Framingham, Massachusetts!
A pastor in Framingham contacted Missions
professor Steve Pittman about the great need for
a Brazilian church. Intrigued, Professor Pittman
made a survey trip to Framingham to investigate
the possibility of starting a Brazilian church.
Lynn Muhr (1969), Cleverson Faria, and Nathan
Barkley (Piedmont senior) traveled with him. They
were joined by Dan Whitcher from Baptist MidMissions.
Framingham
is located about
20 miles west
of Boston and
has a population of 67,000
people. It’s not
exactly the
place
you
would
expect
to find
a large
Brazilian
population; however, when
the group
arrived in Framingham, they discovered that the
pastor was indeed right. Within a two-mile radius
of downtown Framingham are about 30,000
Brazilians. The team couldn’t find anyone in that
area who spoke English as their first language.
Cleverson, a Brazilian, said it looked just like
someone had taken a Brazilian city and planted it
in Massachusetts! Cleverson and his wife Stefanie
(2005), and Nathan and his wife Kari, also planning to graduate from Piedmont in May, are in the
application process with Baptist Mid-Missions and
planning to go to Framingham to plant a Brazilian church. Please be in prayer for them and for
Framingham as God has truly “opened a door for
the Word” (Colossians 4:3).
Alumni, we want to keep in touch with you via email. Please send your email address to [email protected].
WINTER 2009 EDITION
C
O
N
Q
U
E
R
O
R
S
The 2008-09 basketball season started last fall with many new faces. The beginning of the second semester added several more students who transferred from
Pillsbury Baptist Bible College. This has been a wonderful addition to the
PBC sports family. Although we would always like to win
more games, we understand the experience of participating on a college team means more than the win/loss
record. The teamwork, friendships, and accomplishments
of our men’s and women’s teams will last a lifetime.
The regional tournaments will be here soon (Feb. 2628), so please pray for safety for all of our athletes and
coaches as they represent PBC.
Several donors made it possible to update our scoreboard,
clock and table. The Conqueror logo has also been painted
onto the wall and the recently refinished floor of the gym.
S
he PBC TRENGTH in NUMBERS project is growing. More and more
alumni and friends of Piedmont, Spurgeon, and Atlantic are joining together in the
STRENGTH in NUMBERS initiative to insure a strong and necessary foundation
of regular support for Piedmont. By giving just a little - about $28 a month - donors easily accumulate a $1000 gift over a three-year period. Other donors are making one-time
gifts or increasing their support. According to Ecc. 4:12, two people working together are
stronger than one, and “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Will you join the growing
number of people who give to Piedmont regularly? Believers around the world are benefitting from the excellent education Piedmont delivers on campus, online, and through the
Graduate School. Will you add your strength to Piedmont? For more information, please
contact Mary Ann Strain in the Advancement department at
336.714.7921 or [email protected].
“And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and
a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
CHARLES H. STEVENS LECTURE
SERIES AND LUNCHEON
March 30-31,
Michael Stallard, PhD
The Chapel Services are open to all
at no cost and will take place Monday, March 30 and Tuesday, March
31 from 10:45 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.
in the Salem Baptist Church auditorium at 429 S. Broad Street,
Winston-Salem, NC. Monday’s
topic will be “The Mystical Bent
of Modern Interpretation,” and
Tuesday’s topic will be “The Dangers of Theological Interpretation.”
The Luncheon with Dr. Stallard is
from 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.
on Monday, March 30. Dr. Stallard
will speak on “The Loss of Clarity in Biblical Interpretation.” The
cost is $35 per person and $45 per
couple. You may register online for
the Luncheon at www.pbc.edu or
by calling 336.714.7940. Please
register by March 1.
GRADUATE FORUMS
We have just completed our second Graduate Forum: Contemporary Strategies for Church Outreach. The Graduate Forums are
designed to provide practical opportunities to discover how God
can bless our theological preparation. To learn about upcoming Forums, please call 336.714.7986 or
email [email protected].
DR. CHARLES PETITT
TRAVEL SCHEDULE
FEBRUARY 1
Open Door Baptist Church
Christiansburg, VA
FEBRUARY 8
Faith Baptist Church
Check, VA
FEBRUARY 15
Riverside Baptist Church
Lumberton, NC
FEBRUARY 20
Spurgeon Alumni Reunion
Mulberry, FL
MARCH 4-8
Missions Conference @
Capital City Baptist Church
Columbia, SC
MARCH 15
Triad Baptist Church
Kernersville, NC
MARCH 29
Florence Baptist Temple
Florence, SC
MAY 17
Johnston Chapel Baptist Church
Maranatha Baptist Church
Princeton, WV
JULY 6-10
Baptist Mid-Missions Annual
Conference and Council Meeting
Cleveland, OH
SPURGEON REUNION
FEBRUARY 20, Mulberry, FL
ALUMNI HOMECOMING
AND BANQUET
MARCH 20
CHARLES H. STEVENS
LECTURE SERIES
MARCH 30-31, Dr. Michael Stallard
ALUMNI GATHERING
APRIL 4, Willimanburg, VA
ATLANTIC BAPTIST
BIBLE COLLEGE ALUMNI
GATHERING
MAY 7
COMMENCEMENT
MAY 8
PBC GOLF CLASSIC
MAY 19
SUCCESSFUL
MERGERS
recognize the mutual benefits of shared resources and strategic partnerships
Atlantic Baptist Bible College merges with PBC&GS
“What do successful cell phone companies and savvy Bible Colleges have in
common?” Dr. Charles Petitt, president of Piedmont Baptist College and Graduate
School, raised this question as he and Dr. Paul Monroe, president of Atlantic Baptist
Bible College, announced Atlantic’s intentions to join forces with Piedmont, effective
December 31, 2008. The answer, Dr. Petitt explained, is that those entering successful
mergers, such as Nextel and Sprint, recognize the mutual benefits of shared resources
and strategic partnerships. Piedmont’s merger with Spurgeon Baptist Bible College
proved that, and both Atlantic and Piedmont believe this merger will also produce
significantly more positive results than either school could accomplish on its own.
Mutual benefit is indeed what drove both
schools to consider this merger. Pooling resources and improving services with the goals of
cutting overall costs only makes sense. Atlantic
and Piedmont are remarkably compatible, having
been engaged in similar activities and having
compatible missions and Biblical foundations.
Both schools are mission-minded, ministry-driven, and distinctively Baptist and are also virtually
identical in purpose, philosophy, and doctrine.
They both exist to serve local churches by training pastors, teachers, missionaries, etc. Meeting
their common goals by working together will
indeed help ensure the vision of equipping
leaders to obey the Great Commandment
and fulfill the Great Commission.
Atlantic’s campus closed
S. Broad Street
420 S. Broad 420
Street
Winston-Salem,
Winston-Salem,
NC 27101 NC 27101
and Graduate
School
and Graduate
School
Piedmont Baptist College
Permit No. 29
Winston-Salem, N.C.
PAID
U.S. POSTAGE
Non-Profit Org.