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| Dr. Frank S. Page, president and chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, second from right, was guest speaker at Ransdell Chapel on Sept. 25, where he received the Campbellsville University Leadership Award. John Chowning, vice president for church and external relations and executive assistant to the president, left; vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Frank D Cheatham, right; and CU board chair Dr. Joseph L. Owens are pictured with Page. (Campbellsville University photo by Rachel DeCoursey) |
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Dr. Frank S. Page, president and chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, chapel guest speaker Sept. 25, was presented the Campbellsville University Leadership Award for his strong support of the Christian Higher education mission of Campbellsville University.
In presenting the award, John Chowning, vice president for church and external relations and executive assistant to the president, read a letter from Dr. Michael V. Carter stating in part: “we are very pleased to have you on the campus of Campbellsville University and appreciate your dedicated service to the Southern Baptist Convention and the Kingdom of God. I regret I am not able to be with you during your visit, but please know our heartfelt gratitude for your service and our prayers are with you. We are also pleased to present you this award – the prestigious Campbellsville University leadership award.” CU board chair Dr. Joseph L. Owens and vice president for academic affairs, Dr.FrankD Cheatham, placed the Leadership Award on Page.
“I never dreamed of becoming president of the Southern Baptist Convention,” Page said, “I was raised poor in Robbins, North Carolina, in a non-Christian home, but thanks to sweet neighbors who invited us to vacation bible school and Sunday School, this is where I am today.” That’s why I have a heart for evangelizing.
As a former pastor of first Baptist church of Taylors, page said he still considers himself more a pastor than president of the SBC.
“I went door-to-door and asked people in my neighborhood what they thought of our church? I discovered that we weren’t relevant to our neighbors who said, ‘that church is for rich white people’. So we started a Saturday morning single moms free oil change which quickly became popular among all cultural groups and provides an opportunity to share the gospel. I recommend sharing the gospel while meeting needs of people around you.”
He said Southern Baptist churches are the “most ethnically diverse religious group on the face of the planet – with our fastest growth among African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and other religious groups.”
“Baptists are always involved in both struggles and opportunities,” he said, “and I am cautiously optimistic about our future. I continuously work to bridge theological and methodological differences in our Convention, thereby bringing people together. We need each other and don’t need to be disenfranchising each other. We as Southern Baptists have a great deal to offer the world in terms of our love, compassion, belief in the Bible and commitment to the Great Commission.”
Dr. Page commended Campbellsville University for commitment to Christ-centered higher education, the Great Commission and a strong desire for transformation of people’s lives in the name of Jesus Christ.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,600 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master’s degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.