Lilly Endowment grant encouraging
This column represents the views of the Old Gold and Black Editorial Board.

University President Thomas K. Hearn Jr.’s prediction two weeks ago that the university’s formal split from the North Carolina Baptist Convention would have few substantial ramifications was proven true last week when the university received a $2 million grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc., a private philanthropic organization that supports the causes of religion, education and community development.

The Lilly Endowment also interests itself in causes that benefit youth and promote philanthropy and volunteerism.

While it may be a moot point, there is a clear difference between the university binding itself to the Baptist Convention, which has explicitly condemned several of the university’s actions, such as a same-sex union in Wait Chapel or the selling of beer in Shorty’s, and accepting money from a philanthropic organization that will serve those students who wish to seek it out.

Students who now enter the university in the future can expect an institution with a fewer expectations to be tethered to one organized religious institution; however, opportunities for them to grow in their faith still abound.

It is of course up to individual students as to whether they will pursue a career in religious service once they have graduated from the university.

If they make this choice, it is admirable that students making the sacrifice to lead a life of service in a faith of their choosing will receive monetary and personal support from their university.

While the cost of pursuing a career in ministry may be costly, many prospective ministers do not have adequate funding of their own. Those who pursue a career in the ministry field can expect to receive a very substantial salary for their work.

They are dependent upon organizations such as the Lilly Endowment to to provide funding that will enable them to learn more about religious service and ministry.

The Lilly Foundation’s selection of the university as a recipient of funds shows that the university has not completely alienated itself from the religious community. These recent events also demonstrate how the the university has not ceased all efforts to encourage faith-based initiatives among its students.

Times have changed at the university, and students no longer face as overwhelming a Baptist presence as they once did.

But at least in part through the Lilly Endowment’s grant, the university’s religious heritage will still serves students who choose to take advantage of it.