May 12, 2022

By Aaron Weaver

DECATUR, Ga. — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has selected Beth Rooney Bailey and Luke Perrin as the 2022 recipients of the Daniel and Earlene Vestal Scholarship.

The Fellowship’s most prestigious scholarship, named in honor of former CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal and his wife, Earlene, was created in 2011 to further CBF’s commitment to theological education, and is a foundational element in the Fellowship’s focus on nurturing young Baptists. Students who receive the Vestal Scholarship have demonstrated excellence academically and have displayed a deep commitment to the local church and to CBF.

Bailey is a rising second-year Master of Divinity student at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va. She currently serves as a seminary intern for young adults at River Road Church, Baptist in Richmond. Her previous ministry experiences include multiple internships with Student.Go, CBF’s student missions program, as well as Student.Church, CBF’s congregational internship program.

Bailey served for two summers with Passport Camps as a missions Bible study leader and community life coordinator and was a Religious Freedom Fellow with the Virginia Baptist Historical Society. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Master of Teaching in Elementary Education degrees from the University of Virginia, where she was on the Dean’s List.

Perrin is a dual-degree student at Duke University, where he is pursuing a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School with a certificate in Baptist Studies, as well as a Master of Public Policy. His previous ministry experiences include an internship with the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in Washington, D.C., Associate Baptist Campus Minister at the University of North Carolina, student intern at Hope Valley Baptist Church, policy intern with the North Carolina Council of Churches, and camp director with Passport Camps.

Perrin received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from North Carolina State University, where he graduated with honors.

Devita Parnell, director of CBF’s Young Baptist Ecosystem, lauded the leadership and giftedness of Bailey and Perrin.

“With significant growth these last few years in the Vestal Scholarship endowed funds held by the CBF Foundation, we are excited to be able to again award two Vestal Scholarships to bright, talented, well-deserving students,” Parnell said. “Both Luke and Beth are natural, gifted leaders who have been serving in ministry informally and formally for quite some time. They are products of an ecosystem of CBF partner churches, CBF programs and partners that have given these and many other young leaders the opportunity to grow while exploring their calls to ministry.”

Parnell shared her appreciation for the Vestal Scholarship committee members, which included members of the CBF Ministries Council as well as a representative from the CBF Missions Council, Governing Board and Nominating Committee. Committee members included: Megan Doud, Laura Edgar, Jack Glasgow, Jamila Harper, Joshua Hames, Tommy Justus, Mike Oliver, Bob Searl and Tammy Snyder.

Bailey and Perrin will be recognized at the upcoming CBF General Assembly, June 29-30, in Dallas. Learn more and register for free at www.cbf.net/assembly.

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CBF is a Christian network that helps people put their faith to practice through ministry eff­orts, global missions and a broad community of support. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.