A groundbreaking scholarship from The Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Association (EMBA) in conjunction with Gardner-Webb University’s School of Divinity has been established and will be presented during a special event. The Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Association Theological Endowed Scholarship Fund in Memory of Rev. Doctor Samuel Anderson Raper will be introduced during the EMBA’s annual conference on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at Palmer Grove Baptist Church in Kingstown, North Carolina.
Raper was a pastor emeritus of Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina where he served 35 years as pastor. He was also the first African American to serve on Shelby’s City Council. Raper made history in 1998 with his friend, former Shelby Mayor, Les Roark, when they established the Raper-Roark Beautification Trust to benefit uptown Shelby. It was the first such partnership of its kind in the state. Raper also earned the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine (2005), the highest civilian honor given by the state of North Carolina. It was given for his efforts toward racial unity. Raper passed away July 16, 2009.
The Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Association (EMBA) is made up of 43 churches in three counties – Cleveland, Gaston, and Lincoln. The scholarship honoring Raper was established through gifts from numerous members of the EMBA including pastors and some students/graduates of the GWU School of Divinity, as well as leaders in higher education and business. The scholarship will help cover tuition for an EMBA member to attend the GWU School of Divinity. Greg Poe, director of planned giving at Gardner-Webb, praises Dr. Clinton Feemster, Director of The Pittman Center for Congregational Enrichment at GWU, for his leadership in helping to bring the scholarship to reality. Poe says everyone’s efforts towards this scholarship are making the way for two things in particular. “First is the educational aspect. Second is that this is the first time an association has come together like this to form a scholarship for an African American student,” said Poe.
EMBA Moderator - Charles Turner, Pastor of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church in Bessemer City, North Carolina, remembers Raper as a man who stressed education and community. “He (Raper) always said the community is the backbone. So, he wanted to make it as best as possible. He felt the same way about our leaders. Through this scholarship we will continue Dr. Raper’s legacy through education,” said Turner. Current Pastor of Mount Calvary Church, Rev. Lamont Littlejohn, Jr. says Raper always inspired others and that this gift will continue doing that and more. “This (scholarship) is a stepping stone for education. It is also an encouragement for progress that will eliminate a barrier for someone to gain their desired education,” said Littlejohn.
Turner added, “Many local pastors and members of the Association are contributing to the future of black leaders in the field of divinity because they recognize this is a win-win situation for all involved. Dr. Raper would be thrilled.”
Gardner-Webb University Press Release
