by Ashley Bingham | Mar 13, 2020 | News Slider
Roger Wiemers, professor with the college of education, is this year’s recipient of the Mary Morris Award. In memoriam to Mary Morris, this award is given each year to a member of the Lipscomb community who has demonstrated a dedication to service in the community. The service and reception for the award took place on March 12. Morris, also a teacher in the college of education, passed away in 2005. “To meet the Morrises was fantastic, and to know that it came from their daughter who had been a teacher herself as well,” Wiemers said. “And to meet some of the past recipients — it was amazing.” During the ceremony, Wiemers quoted Mother Teresa from a 1979 interview with Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show” when she won the Nobel Peace Prize: “Do you remember when Jesus came in Jerusalem and he was riding on the donkey and everything?” she asked. “Do you think, Mr. Carson, for one moment, that the little donkey thought that the crowd was giving him the praise and glory instead of Jesus? I feel like Mother Teresa: I am that donkey. And Jesus should get the praise.” Wiemers first traveled to India in 1984 and was then called to Papua New Guinea from 1989-1991. After he traveled back home, he learned that a group of Lipscomb students was located in Prague, Czechoslovakia, so he traveled with them from 1992-1994. In 2007, Wiemers was deeply moved to begin a work in India called the Tamar Ministry in Mumbai with his friend P.D. Prasada Roa. He said that he read an article mentioning that over 200,000...
by Bridgette Begle | Apr 11, 2014 | News Slider
Caleb Pickering received the Mary Morris Award of Exemplary Service to Society in a ceremony at Thursday morning breakout chapel in Collins Alumni Auditorium. Pickering thanked his family, his church and his mentor, Richard Goode who won the award last year, and he urged students to use their time at school wisely. “At the simplest level, service to God and to man is the sacrifice of your time so that you can give that time to others,” Pickering said. This award is given every year to a member of the “Lipscomb family” who demonstrates a high level of service to the community and to the church. “The criteria for the award is they exhibit a spirit of volunteerism, they engage in meaningful activities in the community to help spread God’s light. They demonstrate a commitment to Christian missions wherever they may be and that they are an advocate for Lipscomb University,” Phillip Camp said before he handed the award to Pickering. Pickering helps Green Street Church of Christ’s ministry to the homeless. The Nashville church’s congregation recently decided to allow homeless people to sleep on its property and sometimes even let them into the sanctuary to sleep. “Even at times when the local government and others are opposing them, they have decided to stand and fight for this,” Camp said. “They try to meet the needs of their homeless guests while also maintaining their dignity and offering them real friendship and real relationships.” Beginning in 2000, the church started partnering with a group of Lipscomb students called “Fools for Christ.” According to the Green Street website, “Every Wednesday hundreds of college students and...
