McCormick Theological Seminary Centennial Scholars

From McCormick President David Crawford

Friends,

As we prepare for a day of Thanksgiving, I want to thank each of you for being part of the McCormick family. I am grateful everyday for your wisdom, counsel, engagement, and friendship. We are blessed.

Please allow me also to share some extraordinary news and offer a very special word of thanks to former McCormick trustee Doug Petrie, his wife, Judy, McCormick trustee and Senior Pastor of Kenilworth Union Church, Rev. Dr. William A. Evertsberg, and the entire Kenilworth Union congregation.

To commemorate the congregation’s centennial anniversary in 1992, four Kenilworth Union families, including the Petries, gave $400,000 to endow scholarships to support students in seminary. Over the years, that generous gift has grown to more than $1.4 million and has provided support to students at numerous seminaries in the area and beyond. Over the last few months, as Doug and Bill reflected on their experiences at McCormick and learned more about our current work, they presented a proposal to church leadership to take the original gift of $400,000 and offer it to McCormick to support one masters-level scholarship and one doctor of ministry scholarship consistent with the vision and intent of the four families who funded the original gift. I am grateful to report that Kenilworth’s leadership approved the proposal and that the gift has been received. In the years to come, the McCormick students who receive support will be known as Kenilworth Union Centennial Scholars. We are grateful beyond words to Doug, Judy, Bill, and everyone at Kenilworth Union. Excluding capital campaign gifts and bequests, I believe this is the largest single congregational gift we have ever received. I know you all join me in expressing our joy and gratitude to Doug, Judy, Bill, and the entire Kenilworth Union congregation.

So much to be grateful for.

God bless you, all, and Happy Thanksgiving!

David