The College of Athens is like MasterCard—it’s priceless! As a grateful alumni, I want to help establish and perpetuate the work of the college because I got SO much out of my program. We looked at the Bible in powerful ways. I’ve been in church for 40+ years, but it was through my courses at the College of Athens that my faith soared to a new level. It’s wonderful! It changed my life completely!
–Anonymous
Gifts: $50,000 prior year gift to the CoA Annual Fund; Sponsorship of Parcel #75; Monthly Annual Fund Contributions.
Our first impressions of the quality of leadership at the College of Athens and their Christ-centered vision inspired us to give monthly to help the college get started. However, the more we became involved, the more we have wanted to increase our support to include our time and our efforts as well as our financial resources. Most recently, and in response to God’s call, we contributed funds toward the purchase of a permanent campus site. We feel privileged that God has brought these needs to our attention so that we may sow into what He is clearly doing through CoA to advance the Kingdom, both locally and around the world.
It has been amazing to watch the faithfulness of God in drawing exceptional people to serve as staff, teachers, and leaders. The college has become a hub through which God is breaking down denominational and racial barriers within the Body of Christ. We have benefitted greatly from CoA’s events and the relationships we have made by attending them. Some of our most meaningful new friendships have come from working side by side with the staff and other CoA supporters. We have seen first-hand the leaders’ dedication to seeking God’s will in every meeting and initiative, which has led to creative ideas greater than our own. This has also created fertile ground for unity among diverse groups of Christ seekers.
In short, we believe that the College of Athens is vital to the exciting work that God is doing in our community, and we want to do what we can to align with God’s plans to bless and grow it. We are among those to whom God has given a vision of how the classes and ministries would thrive at the new site, and that vision inspires us to give. The college is literally breaking new ground, and we already feel blessed to be among those sowing into it.
–Ron & Sandy Blount
Gifts: Sponsorship of Acre #11; Monthly Annual Fund Contributions
At the very first open house hosted by the budding Athens School of Ministry & Worship Arts, we caught the excitement of what an inter-denominational Christian college could mean to the Athens area. As this college has been blessed and grown in amazing ways into an accredited college, we have embraced the HOLY SPIRIT-led vision of the far-reaching impact the College of Athens can have once it is transplanted onto the proposed campus and has the room and ability to branch out into directions yet unseen. We are honored that ABBA FATHER has allowed us to partner with HIM by providing a piece of the provision to purchase Green Hills for GOD’s glory, and to participate in the future and the hope HE has ordained for all of the churches, ministries, and individuals who have also embraced the vision and are supporting HIS planting of this college at this strategic time in this key educational community. Go GOD!
–Stan & Peggy Lowery, Antioch Christian Church
Gifts: Sponsorship of Acre #10; Monthly Annual Fund Contributions
Upon hearing about the initial vision of the College of Athens, we attended several of the excellent early seminars that were conducted for the benefit of our community. Through the programs that have been ongoing, we both realized that the leadership of the College of Athens was extremely sincere, and totally dedicated to their mission of education and service to the community and the world.
We were extremely honored to be among the first few people who got to do a “vision tour” of the future site. We felt called after that tour to “plant a seed” by sponsoring the first acre of the proposed campus site, in hopes that others would be challenged to do the same once they began to see the vision of the College of Athens.
Our prayers are for God to continue to provide, above and beyond our greatest expectations!
–Louie and Barbara Wyatt
Gift: Sponsorship of Acre #3
In 2011, after the death of my husband, I received enough money from his death benefits for room, board, and tuition in a 2-year master’s degree program in Jerusalem. However, the Lord led me to consider “a little school with a big name hidden in plain sight,” or what is now known as the College of Athens. The following year, I attended a fund-raising dinner for the college, and soon after, I met Dr. Marcia Wilbur, enrolled in the graduate program, and became a Board member.
It didn’t take long to realize that this was much more than I had expected. God’s presence and blessing is clearly evident in all aspects of the college—from classroom experiences to programmatic blessings and favor. I was so moved by what I saw happening that I drew up a will making the College my beneficiary, and began making contributions to the college as needed. It was becoming clear that accreditation was the single most important academic need, and that would require an on-campus library, additional faculty positions, and a large budget to fund all the accreditation expenses and fees.
Earlier this year God miraculously provided space for an on-campus library. It was a blessing to donate much of my personal library, helping to form the core of an undergraduate and graduate research collection. After a challenging time with an initial interested buyer, God provided a buyer for a second home that my husband and I owned as our “studio.” From the proceeds of that sale, I was able to give $130,000 to the college’s Annual Fund to support the necessary staff positions and fees for accreditation. People from CoA helped move boxes and furniture that we will use for our first campus building once we purchase the property God has led us to. Through it all, God has taught me powerful lessons of stepping out in faith and trusting Him, and the real meaning of sacrifice. As a result of all this, key positions at CoA were filled, our accreditation application has been submitted and the accreditation self-study completed. GOD IS GREAT!
–Dr. Mary Sayer Hammond
Gifts: 2016 Annual Fund Contribution: $130,000; Sponsorship of Acre #16 in memory of Wiley Sanderson; Legacy Pledge: $300,000; countless volumes for the CoA Library
Thanks to you, our students are gaining the knowledge, skills and values to build relationships with God, the school community and wherever God places them.