Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Equipping preachers, pastors, & churchmen for Christ's Kingdom

GPTS PrayerPoints 7(1) – January 2019

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Our inaugural PrayerPoints dispatch of 2019 is now available in printable-PDF format here.

This document is designed to be a resource to our friends around the world. We compose it with church prayer meetings in mind.

In this first edition of 2019, we are requesting prayer for the following:

  • Our 25 Spring Semester course offerings and 12 instructors
  • Faculty Spotlight on two of our adjunct instructors: Mr. Scott Cook of Erskine College and Mr. Bebo Elkin of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS
  • Praise and thanksgiving to God for His generous provision through a successful Our Enduring Reformation Fundraising Campaign in November and December
  • Spring Theology Conference (March 12-14) Preparations, including for GPTS Explore (March 11-12)

Thank you for praying for our faculty, staff, and students.

June 2018 Financial Update

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Next week, we will be gathering together with dear saints in the PCA, OPC, and URCNA for the annual meetings of those denominations. We had the privilege of witnessing an historic moment at the ARP’s General Synod this week. These meetings remind us of the great task we have to equip ministers for Christ’s church.

During the month of May, we brought in $127,669. For the month of June, we are hoping to raise another $222,331 to meet our $350,000 goal for this year’s Spring campaign. Every gift makes a difference, and we are thankful for the blessing of an expanding donor base this year.

If you can make a financial gift to the Seminary, you may do so either online at gpts.edu/donate or by mailing a check containing your gift to GPTS, PO Box 690, Taylors, SC 29687. Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a registered 501( C )(3) charitable organization, and all gifts are tax-deductible. Thank you for your generous support! Ω

May 2018 Financial Update

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With our 29th Commencement exercises behind us,
we are preparing for the Fall. Part of our preparation this year involves raising
$350,000 in the months of May and June. Last year, we received over 20% of our
annual income in these two months, and those revenues sustained us through the
Summer and early Fall.

Looking at the financial report for this fiscal year through
April, we are thankful for the great generosity of our support network. We
praise God for keeping our net income positive thus far this year. Due to the
designation of certain significant gifts received in March and April, we need
to reach our goal for May and June in order to stay on top of recurring monthly
expenses between now and the Fall.

We are at a crucial juncture right now as we prepare to
welcome to the Seminary another larger-than-average class of students from
around the United States. We also have several international students joining
us this Fall.

Our total income for the four weeks of April, including donations and other sources, was $125,188. Unrestricted donation income was under budget by $12,377, but total income was over budget by $9,671 due in part to higher-than-anticipated tuition revenue and a large restricted donation to be applied toward our outstanding mortgage on the “Old Taylors High School” building. It is important that we meet our goal for May and June in order to stay on top of operational and personnel expenses.

If you can make a financial gift to the Seminary, you may do so either online at gpts.edu/donate or by mailing a check containing your gift to GPTS, PO Box 690, Taylors, SC 29687. Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a registered 501( C )(3) charitable organization, and all gifts are tax-deductible. Thank you for your generous support! Ω

April 2018 Financial Update

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We saw a much stronger March this year than last year, which is largely due to generous gifts toward reducing our mortgage. Though such gifts do not help us to keep up with current operating and personnel expenses, they are a great encouragement to us as we seek to pay off the remaining balance (now about $392k) that we owe on the “Old Taylors High School” building. Thank you for your generosity!

Our total income for the four weeks of March, including donations and other sources, was $111,299. Individual giving was down, but other income sources carried us into “net positive territory” this month. Looking ahead, we need to raise significant revenues as part of our Spring Campaign before the close of our fiscal year (ends June 30).

If you would like to make a financial gift to the Seminary, you may do so either online at gpts.edu/donate or by mailing a check containing your gift to GPTS, PO Box 690, Taylors, SC 29687. Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a registered 501( C )(3) charitable organization, and all gifts are tax-deductible. Thank you for your generous support! Ω

In Memoriam | Dr. Paul Settle (1935 – 2018)

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When two young men approached a handful of elders at the Second Presbyterian Church of Greenville in 1986 with the idea for a Presbyterian Seminary in the South Carolina Upstate, Pastor Paul Settle was there to offer his wisdom and support to the project. He was no stranger to ambitious endeavors in service to the Lord, having been one of the founding Teaching Elders of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and first coordinator of the PCA’s Christian Education Ministry.

The original steering committee for a seminary based in the South Carolina Upstate formed in 1986, and consisted of Teaching Elders Paul G. Settle, John C. Neville, Jr., and Morton H. Smith, and Ruling Elders J. Ligon Duncan, Jr. and C. Stuart Patterson. In March 1986, Rev. Settle, acting on behalf of the Steering Committee, sent a letter to selected Ruling and Teaching Elders of the PCA announcing the establishment of the Seminary. In the Fall of 1987, the first class of students began studies at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Pictured here are some of the men involved in the founding of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, including Dr. Settle (third from the right, in the back), Dr. Morton Smith (third from the left), and Mr. J. Ligon Duncan, Jr. (center, right).

Dr. Settle served on the Board of Trustees for a brief time, and remained close to the seminary and its leadership over its first 31 years of existence. He is today remembered fondly by the faculty, trustees (past and present), students, and alumni who knew him.

“Paul Settle became a close friend in the days leading up to the formation of the PCA,” remembers Dr. Joseph A. Pipa, Jr. “He was traveling around to churches, presenting the case for the Continuing Church. His presentation led my congregation in Tchula, Mississippi to vote to join the new denomination. He was always the exemplar of a Christian gentleman, and did much to lay the foundation for the denomination’s commitment to Christian education.”

After having served eight Presbyterian congregations, several seminaries and denominational bodies, and written numerous books and articles, positively influencing the spiritual lives of thousands of people, Dr. Paul Settle has entered into his eternal rest. He was 82 years old, and is survived by his wife, Mary B. Aiken Russell Settle; son, Paul David Settle; daughter, Jo Lynne Sprouse, and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, step sons, and their families. He was predeceased by his first wife, Georgia Brown Settle.

A service of thanksgiving to God for the life and service of Dr. Settle was held at the Second Presbyterian Church of Greenville on March 24, 2018. The family indicated that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Second Presbyterian Church or Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. We thank God for the life and ministry of Dr. Paul Settle, his significant contribution to American Presbyterianism, and his example of grace and godliness.

March 2018 Financial Update

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The month of February brought a slow-down in our
unrestricted donation revenue, though other income sources (i.e. Spring
Scholarship Banquet, Spring Theology Conference registration, tuition, book
sales, etc.) picked up a bit. We are grateful to have closed our books on the
month of February in a positive financial position against our actual expenses
for the fiscal year, though revenue continues to fall short of our budget. We
have witnessed a continued broadening of our support so far this fiscal year as
more individuals and churches have responded positively to our appeals, and for
this we are extremely thankful.

Our total income for the four weeks of February, including
donations and other sources, was $94,515. That is only $339 short of February
2017 income. We are thankful for our regular supporters, for steady giving is helpful to us as we make plans for the rest of
the year.

If you would like to make a financial gift to the Seminary, you may
do so either online at gpts.edu/donate or by mailing a check containing your
gift to GPTS, PO Box 690, Taylors, SC 29687. Greenville Presbyterian
Theological Seminary is a registered 501( C )(3) charitable organization, and all
gifts are tax-deductible. Thank you for your generous support! Ω

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