Buies Creek, N.C.–Divinity student Linda Branscome’s journey to Campbell University began long before she actually arrived.A Master of Divinity candidate and the 2008 recipient of the Perry Langston Award for outstanding Christian scholarship, Branscome said she felt drawn to Campbell 38 years ago, but curriculum requirements or some other hazily recalled reason made her enroll at Gardner-Webb University instead. Always in the back of her mind, Campbell remained a vague hope, however, one that she never stopped thinking about.In the mean time, Branscome earned a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education from Gardner-Webb in 1974 and married a fellow classmate who went on to graduate from seminary.”I always knew that I had been called to ministry, but I thought that being a minister’s wife fulfilled that call,” Branscome said. “After the children were grown, I began to feel that call again.”That’s when Campbell entered Bransome’s life again. She always loved working with children in her church, and when Branscome learned of Campbell’s certification program in Children and Pre-School Ministry, she got involved. While still working on her certification, however, Branscome realized she wasn’t through with learning.”I wanted more Bible knowledge and more theology to do the things I knew I would be called upon to do–preach, Bible study and work with different ministries,” she said.With an 89-year-old mother to care for and her duties at church, adding graduate school to the equation was almost more than she could handle, but Branscome decided to pursue a Master of Divinity in Christian Education.”I just kept plugging along with a class here and a class there,” she said. “I look back on it now, and I don’t know how I did it.”Winning the 2008 Perry Langston Award seemed to put everything into perspective for Branscome, however.Named after the late professor of religious education at Campbell, Dr. Perry Q. Langston, the award was originally given by the Christian Educators of North Carolina for career service as a Christian educator. It is now presented to an outstanding graduate of the Campbell Divinity School who exemplifies Langston’s great love of Christian education and his service to the community.”I had no idea that I would win,” Branscome said. “There are so many people at Campbell who are so deserving of this award, but it was the most affirming thing that could have ever happened to me. The whole school has been so affirming of me as a woman in ministry. The Langston award affirmed my calling and the fact that I’ve done a good job,” she said.Linda and Michael Branscome are the parents of two children, a son Michael Jr., and a daughter Amy, who is also a Campbell graduate. They have four grandchildren.Photo Copy: Campbell Divinity School student, Linda Branscome, accepts the 2008 Perry Langston Award from Bryan Harris, the 2007 award recipient. Harris is minister of Education and Outreach at the First Baptist Church of Smithfield.
Langston award winner felt called to Christian education and Campbell University