Dr. A. Frank Bonner, president of Gardner-Webb University announced today a gift to the Divinity School that will impact students and the mission field for many years to come. “I am proud to share that Ms. Joyce Earnhardt has left a legacy appropriate to her interest in Baptist education with the establishment of the William Arthur and Cora Honeycutt /Joyce Ann Earnhardt Endowed Scholarship fund to benefit students in the School of Divinity. Specifically, this generous gift of well over a million dollars will form an endowment used to support mission study abroad for students of the School of Divinity,” said Bonner.


The announcement was made during the Gardner-Webb School of Divinity opening convocation ceremony. Earnhardt had a passion for education. She was also a dedicated member of First Baptist Church in Mooresville, NC for the majority of her life, and lived in Mooresville for over 70 years. Her career began at the First National Bank of Mooresville and she retired from that same organization, by then the Bank of America, as a loan officer. Earnhardt especially loved to travel and visited many parts of the world. Her love of world travel, education and Christianity led to this estate gift to Gardner-Webb.  Earnhardt passed away several months ago. “This gift is a fitting tribute to Ms. Earnhardt and her Christian commitment, “ added Bonner.


This endowed scholarship will offer two distinct programs for divinity school students. The first of these will be a “Mission Immersion Experience” in which a student will travel abroad to live and study with a host family and be immersed in a local culture so that they may be better informed and prepared to share the Christian message within that culture. These experiences will take place in many different locations around the world, in some ways echoing Ms. Earnhardt’s own very diverse interests.


The second of these programs will be a “Bible Travel and Experience” that will financially assist students to travel to Biblical locations as they study the Old and New Testament. These destinations may be Greece, Israel, or Turkey and will be included as part of an academic course in the program.


Earnhardt excelled in the business world at a time when there were not many women working in that particular workforce. ”Ms. Earnhardt was a woman who knew the meaning of hard work and responsibility and she lived her life sharing that wisdom with others. Since she was a leader of women, it is fitting that this gift will benefit a university with a commitment to preparing men, as well as women for God’s call,” said Tony Houston, longtime friend of the Earnhardt family.


“We are glad to have had the chance to know Ms. Earnhardt and very grateful for her deep commitment to enriching the ministry of our students,” noted Bonner. The Gardner-Webb Divinity School will announce further details on the application process for these programs at a later date.