Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School recently welcomed the donors who funded the Our Risen Lord full-tuition scholarships to campus, allowing them to meet with scholarship recipients and hear how their faithful giving has impacted current and future ministers of the Gospel.
In February 2025, Beeson received a major donation from the anonymous donors, allowing for the creation of 22 scholarships covering the full cost of tuition and fees for students beginning their studies in the 2025-26 academic year. Since then, the donors have pledged to fund the scholarships in perpetuity and increase their giving.
The scholarships are awarded to top Master of Divinity applicants.
More than a year after the initial gift, the donors were able to meet those who benefited from their gracious gift, hearing from three students in a special chapel service and meeting each of them at a reception afterward.
Master of Divinity student Ryan Burk said that when he was a senior in high school, he knew he wanted to work in the church and not worry about money. Now, because of the donors’ generosity, he can pursue that dream.
“I cannot begin to express how much of a blessing it is to attend a seminary such as this with world-class professors, small class sizes, intimate community and all in-person classes without having the economic weight of tuition payments or student loans,” Burk said.
Vic Gill, originally from England, came to Beeson with his wife and two children and is among several international students supported by this scholarship.
“Being named a recipient of the Our Risen Lord scholarship is such a profound grace,” Gill said. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your financial support lightens a massive burden and allows me to focus fully on my studies and ministry preparation. Knowing that you are actively investing in the next generation of church leaders is deeply encouraging.”
Natalie Lett had told God, and Beeson’s admission team, she would need all the money to attend Beeson. When she received the call that she had been chosen to receive the Our Risen Lord scholarship, it brought her to tears. She said she is already seeing the benefit of her studies as she serves as student ministry coordinator at Birmingham’s Church of the Cross.
“I’ve never had that clear of a yes from God,” Lett said. “The trajectory of my life and the trajectory of the church are different because I have received this gift. Thank you.”
Dean Douglas A. Sweeney said the donors have “devoted their lives to the service of the Lord.”
“As they have made money, it has always been in view of how they can promote Gospel work around the world. It is a lesson for us all,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney also presented the donors with a framed picture of Divinity Hall with an inscription thanking them for their faithfulness to the Lord and to Beeson.
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