By Amanda Vernon
Union University

JACKSON, Tenn. (BP) — Baptist preacher Adrian Rogers’ legacy lives on in a collection of audio tapes given to his grandson, a current Union University student, during a presentation in Union’s Ryan Center for Biblical Studies.

A giant in Southern Baptist life, Rogers was the longtime pastor of the Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist Church who played an instrumental role in turning the Southern Baptist Convention away from liberalism and back to the authority of Scripture.

Kay Wilkes of Union City, Tenn., discovered Rogers’ sermon tapes among the possessions of her late husband, Ben Wilkes, a former pastor who was a student at Union when he was mentored by Rogers. After learning that Rogers’ grandson Andrew Edmiston is a sophomore at Union, Kay Wilkes worked with staff at the Jackson, Tenn., campus to present the tapes to him. Andrew’s mother, Janice Edmiston, attended the presentation, as did his sister, Breezy Edmiston. [Read more…]

By Tim Ellsworth
Union University News Office

JACKSON – Union University trustees on Friday approved a long-range strategic plan for the university, got a clean audit report and passed the second smallest tuition increase in the last 20 years. “United in Spirit. Grounded in Truth.” is the title of the plan that emphasizes seven strategic themes that will guide the work of the university over the next five years: bearing witness to the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, expanding enrollment across the university, enhancing operational effectiveness and efficiency to advance the mission, revising the liberal arts core curriculum, supporting meaningful research among faculty and students, developing leaders for the future and bolstering student life and building community. “The point of our planning process was to get us to strategically and intentionally think about how we can both unify and coordinate our efforts to accomplish the mission of the institution,” Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver said. [Read more…]