Buies Creek, N.C.-He ministers in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the country. She is studying Hindi to help the people of India. He serves as a carpenter for families in need. Drew Steven Phillips, (M. Div, ’06), divinity students Heather Lamb Webb and Robert William Royal Peltz received awards from the Gore Center for Servant Leadership on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at Campbell University’s Anna Gardner and Robert B. Butler Chapel.
“The awards recognize outstanding persons who exemplify the teachings and model of our Lord,” said Dr. Barry Jones, associate dean of the Campbell Divinity School.
The Divinity School served as hosts for the awards presented by the Gore Center for Servant Leadership, which was founded by philanthropists Edward M. Gore, Sr. and his wife Dinah E. Gore to challenge students and faculty to accept the call to servant leadership through recognition, support and encouragement. The Gore Center provides opportunities for students and faculty in the form of internships, course work and other projects that allow them to experience real life leadership through service.
Alumnus Drew Steven Phillips received a Master of Divinity from Campbell in 2006 and went on to found a ministry in an urban area of East Saint Louis, Il. Phillips established the Christian Activity Center almost a decade ago where he leads weekly worship services and helps underprivileged children and their families pursue their dreams of a better life through education, job training and counseling.
Heather Lamb Webb loves working within Campbell’s international community to serve Christ. She is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree and works as a graduate liaison with international students while assisting Campbell’s World Religions and Global Culture Center in its mission to reach and teach those of other religions and cultures about Jesus Christ and Christianity.
Robert William Royal Peltz serves as chairman of the Children’s Committee at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville, N.C., where he also leads the Royal Ambassadors, teaches a third-grade Sunday school class, sings in the Chancel Choir and serves on the Evangelism Committee. Among others, he is active in Snyder Memorial’s carpentry ministry which provides needed construction for less fortunate families.
“The Divinity School is proud of these three outstanding examples of servant leadership,” said Dr. Michael Cogdill, dean of the Campbell Divinity School.
In conjunction with the Gore Center for Servant Leadership Awards, the Campbell Divnity School commissioned 19 new students with a penning ceremony to signify their commitment to Christian service. And Dr. Walter B. Shurden, former Callaway Professor of Christianity at Mercer University, delivered the annual E. Bruce Heilman lecture, “The Shape of Your Obedience.”
Edward M. and Dinah E. Gore
A Brunswick County, N.C. native, Ed Gore graduated from Campbell College in 1952. After a four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, he earned a degree in business from East Carolina University in 1958. In 1959, he married Dinah Eubanks, a native of Duplin County, N.C. The Gores joined Ed Gore’s father, Mannon, founder of Sunset Beach and Twin Lakes, Inc., to become second generation developers of the Sunset Beach area. Their generosity and support of Campbell can be seen in numerous construction projects, including the Convocation Center Arena, named in memory of their son Gilbert Craig Gore, the Dinah E. Gore chapel bell tower and the chapel Prayer Room.
Photo Copy: From left, Campbell President Dr. Jerry M. Wallace and Edward M. Gore, Sr. present the Gore Center for Servant Leadership Award to divinity student Heather Webb. Webb is one of three recipients of the 2010 award.