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Alumni National Network celebrates decade of helping college ministry


GLORIETA, N.M. (BP)–College campus ministries in parts of the United States where Southern Baptist work is less established have benefited from an endowment fund to the tune of $100,000 over the past 10 years.

The Alumni National Network (ANN), an endowment begun in 1992, was started by retired state directors of collegiate ministries to help fund requests from Baptist college ministries in emerging regions. Donated primarily by alumni of local campus ministries, the endowment has reached the $500,000 mark.

“This fund was established to help the campuses in the emerging regions, primarily in the Northeast and Northwest, who don’t necessarily have the finances to do the work they want to do,” said John Moore, Baptist Campus Ministry director for the Louisiana Baptist Convention who serves as ANN president.

“Over the past 10 years the fund has given out $100,000. We give what we can based on the investment income from the principle.”

Leaders of Baptist campus ministries apply for grant money from the fund for a variety of reasons, Moore said.

“Last year we gave out a record $23,000 to campuses. Most of the grants given are for $800-$1,000,” he said. “That’s not a great deal of money, but for some of the campuses, it’s so helpful.”

An Advancement Council of 36 people, most who attended Baptist Student Unions themselves, oversees the network, meeting every January to make decisions regarding the network’s funding.

“Everyone on the council pays his or her own way to the meetings, the hotel expense, meals, everything,” Moore said. “Every single penny donated to the fund goes to the endowment. There is nothing spent for travel or administrative costs. LifeWay [Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention] has been generous to help us by covering the cost of printing and postage.”

Ed Rollins, who retired from LifeWay’s student ministry area, administers the fund.

“Ed is the heart and soul of the endowment fund,” Moore said. “He keeps up with the lists, the donations, everything. When donations to the fund come in, he deposits them with the Southern Baptist Foundation which handles the endowment.”

There are always more requests for funds than money given out, Moore said, but as the fund grows, so will the amount of money available.

He described the fund as “something lasting. When all of us are dead and gone, this fund can still be growing and providing money for campus ministries.”

For more information about the Alumni National Network, contact Moore at (318) 448-3402 or [email protected].

To make a contribution, checks may be made to Alumni National Network and mailed to Alumni National Network, P.O. Box 1968, Brentwood, TN 37024-1968.
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(BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: APPRECIATIVE ALUMNI.

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