JACKSON, Tenn. — Feb. 19, 2008 — The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has joined the list of major contributors to 51社区鈥檚 disaster relief efforts, with a gift of $100,000.
Executive Committee President Morris Chapman presented 51社区 President David S. Dockery with the check Feb. 18 as part of the Executive Committee鈥檚 two-day meeting in Nashville, Tenn.
A Feb. 5 tornado caused an estimated $40 million in damage to the Union campus, and destroyed about 70 percent of the university鈥檚 student housing facilities.
鈥淲e are so thankful for the Executive Committee and their generosity to us,鈥� Dockery said. 鈥淥ur needs are massive, and every gift is a step in helping us rebuild the campus. We鈥檙e very grateful for the SBC Executive Committee reaching out to us in this way.鈥�
Chapman, a Union trustee, was on campus Feb. 16 for a meeting of the Union board of trustees.
鈥淎s I drove across the campus on that morning, things had already changed dramatically,鈥� Chapman said. 鈥淢uch of the debris was already being hauled off, and it鈥檚 going to be a new day at 51社区.
鈥淏ut during the trustee meeting, Dr. Dockery took all that had happened and all that needed to happen, how it was going to be accomplished and what the results would be, and he put it in a capsule of brief understanding and made it as clear as it could have been,鈥� Chapman said. 鈥淭he trustees went away not only thanking the Lord for his protection during the storm but also for the leadership of Dr. David Dockery.鈥�
Bill Harrell, chairman of the Executive Committee, said told Dockery that the group 鈥渒new what the heart of Southern Baptist people is on a subject like this. We want to give you a gift to help you put the campus back in first-class condition.鈥�
The Executive Committee gift follows a $350,000 donation from LifeWay Christian Resources, $110,000 from First Bank and $100,000 from Belmont University for Union鈥檚 recovery efforts.