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德赢体育 Hosts Picnic for PCA General Assembly Guests
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GA 鈥� On a beautiful summer evening that could only be described as providential, hundreds of joyful brothers and sisters in Christ gathered on Covenant College鈥檚 mountaintop campus for a picnic held in honor of attendees from the Presbyterian Church in America鈥檚 (PCA) 52nd annual General Assembly. This event offered an opportunity for the broader church to experience the vibrant community of the college that proudly represents the denomination.
Guests were treated to a rich spread of Southern BBQ enjoyed along with the uplifting sounds of bluegrass music performed by Covenant alumnus Chapman Whitted 鈥�18 and his band. The grounds were full of activity鈥攁lumni were reunited with each other as well as professors and staff, children bounced in inflatable houses and got to pet two highland cows, and guests of all ages explored the campus, including tours of the iconic Carter Tower.
During the event, President Brad Voyles welcomed the guests, saying, 鈥淚t is our favorite thing to show off this location that the Lord has blessed us with. We are the beneficiaries of the grandest act of hospitality of all time, and we, who were enemies, were brought near into the family of God. We get to give back a fraction of that every time we welcome visitors into this location to experience what we do every day. So, welcome to our campus.鈥� Dr. Voyles continued with an expression of appreciation for the PCA community: 鈥淲e are proud to be the college of the PCA. You all are the anchor that allows us to be courageous in our callings and to be mission faithful at the same time. Thank you for coming alongside us in this mission.鈥�
The response from General Assembly attendees reflected a deep appreciation for Covenant鈥檚 continued mission and presence within the denomination. Dr. Danny Hitchcock, elder at Crosswater Presbyterian Church in Chesapeake, VA, reflected on the excitement of hearing from the college during the General Assembly sessions. He stated, 鈥淭oday, we heard lots of reports from different committees of the church, including the report that Brad Voyles gave us about 德赢体育. It was exciting to hear about how there are so many new things happening here.鈥�
It was specifically the spiritual focus of the college that stood out most to Dr. Hitchcock: 鈥淚 think the most important thing I took from Brad Voyles鈥檚 description of what鈥檚 going on here is that all the growth of the college is nothing compared to the focus and desire to stay true to the scriptures, to stay true to Jesus being preeminent, and for God鈥檚 word to be infused in everything that Covenant does.鈥� He continued, 鈥淚 think that was a big relief to us commissioners because a lot of Christian educational institutions start to fall away, but he assured us that Covenant is not going to be in that camp.鈥�
A representative and exhibitor for Mission to the World鈥檚 US Operations Team, Liz Watts, recalled her first impression of the college, saying, 鈥淵ears ago when I came up [to Covenant for a visit] I thought, 鈥極h, this place is spectacular.鈥欌�� After that first introduction, she describes rubbing shoulders with Covenant grads and being consistently impressed by their faithfulness: 鈥滻n all of the years and places I've lived, the people I've met from Covenant have been so solid and have been genuinely living out their faith in their families and in their communities in ways that I could only dream of doing. So I really respect the work that is being done here and the formation that's happening here.鈥�
Apart from those who attended the picnic as guests, somewhere around 80 individuals were involved with the planning and successful execution of the event, including local alumni, current students, and employees from several different departments. Ralph Kelley, Covenant鈥檚 director of constituent relations and event coordinator reflected on the evening, sharing his sense of satisfaction and thankfulness: 鈥淭he picnic went great. It was everything we had been planning and hoping for, even down to the nice weather with a little breeze and a beautiful sunset. If it was raining, it would have been so different, yet the Lord gave us temperatures that felt 15 degrees cooler up on the mountain than it was down in Chattanooga, which doesn't happen all the time.鈥�
The college credits the Lord鈥檚 goodness for the evening and overall smooth event. It was a blessing to host the General Assembly attendees at the college. Whether it was their first time stepping foot on campus or they attend homecoming as an alum every year鈥攁ll were warmly welcomed and invited into the family of faith that Covenant College represents. 鈥淥ver and over, people have congratulated me on the success of the event,鈥� stated Ralph Kelley, 鈥渢o which I respond, 鈥楶raise the Lord.