Vultee Foundation establishes new endowment for student missions
Contributors can join the longtime church community in providing sustainable support for students called to mission work.
Courtney Grable |
On June 13, Lipscomb University celebrated the impact of the former Vultee Church of Christ with the initiation of the Vultee Student Missions Endowment Fund. Proceeds from this fund will be used to support student participation in international missions, aiding students who cannot afford to participate on short-term mission teams.
The historic Vultee congregation began in the days just after World War II, and when it closed its physical doors in the last year, the congregation then established the Vultee Charitable Foundation, in hopes of opening spiritual doors to bless future generations.
This year, in recognition of Vultee’s passion for equipping young people for ministry and mission, the foundation seeded the student missions endowment with a $200,000 donation. The hope is that the Lipscomb community will continue to grow the student missions endowment up to $1 million, providing sustainable and long-lasting aid for students called to mission work.
READ MORE: Learn about the history of Vultee Church of Christ
“Financial hurdles often prevent students from joining our missions teams and as this new endowment grows, it will remove these barriers for generations to come,” said Tyler Kemmerer, director of Lipscomb Missions. “The Vultee legacy continues to make an impact and we are so grateful for this generous donation and the confidence in supporting Lipscomb Missions both here and around the world.”
"Financial hurdles often prevent students from joining our missions teams and as this new endowment grows, it will remove these barriers for generations to come." — Tyler Kemmerer
Ministry and mission are at the heart of Lipscomb University, said Dr. Candice McQueen, president of Lipscomb University.
“I often challenge this community to look for ways to be a light to those around them,” she remarked at the celebration reception. “Serving others is one of the foundational values that is an important part of who we are as the Lipscomb community. We seek to ‘serve one another humbly in love’ by using our talents to serve and help others.”
Vultee Church of Christ, of Nashville, and Lipscomb University shared many of the same values for education and mission.
“We [Vultee] always made sure to be part of the annual lectureships, which turned into Summer Celebration,” said Carl McKelvey, a longtime Vultee member, minister, and shepherd as well as a retired Lipscomb professor and administrator. “A number of our children went to the university campus school [now Lipscomb Academy],” and Vultee ran a morning and afternoon bus program to ease the burden of transportation for children in the community who wanted to access Christian education at Lipscomb.
Learn More about Vultee Church of Christ