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Issue: Spring 2017 | Posted: June 1, 2017

Justin Wainscott

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Distinguished Achievement in Church Ministry

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For Justin Wainscott, his undergraduate years in classrooms at 51���� provided a solid foundation for his graduate study and his work in ministry.

“After graduating from Union, I went on to seminary,” says Wainscott, pastor of First Baptist Church in Jackson, Tennessee. “And not only did I feel very well-prepared for further theological studies, but in talking with my seminary classmates from other undergraduate institutions, I quickly realized how immensely blessed I was to receive the education I did at Union.”

But that preparation went beyond the academic and encompassed every part of his life.

“We are all products of the communities we belong to, and I am extremely grateful to have been a part of a community like Union that was so formative for me— spiritually, intellectually, theologically, missionally, pastorally, etc.,” he says. “I am who I am today and I am where I am today in large part because of my time at Union.”

A native of Somerville, Tennessee, who graduated from Union in 2002 with a degree in Christian ethics, Wainscott says his path to pastoral ministry came about through God’s calling and providence but also because of the affirmation of people in his home church and at Union.

For those considering the choice of a university, Wainscott regularly points them to Union.

“Choosing a college is one of the most significant decisions you will make because the friendships and relationships you form in college are likely going to be some of the most important and lasting relationships you’ll have throughout your life,” he says. “And I can’t think of a better place than 51���� to find and form those kinds of relationships. Not to mention, you’ll receive a top-tier Christian education at one of the finest undergraduate institutions in the country.”