Community, Student Volunteer Chaplains Honored at BPC
By Terry Gaston
BPC Public Relations
MOUNT VERNON -- Brewton-Parker College men's basketball
coach and athletic director Steve Barker considers as great assets those
community and student volunteers who serve as chaplains for the Baron and Lady
Baron athletic teams.
"We are so close to our teams from the first day of
school to the last day," Barker said. "What the chaplains have allowed
our athletes to have is an outlet to talk about their outside problems or
concerns when they might not feel comfortable talking to us coaches.
Volunteer and student chaplains, their assigned coaches and
other Brewton-Parker officials met Sept. 18 for a luncheon to recognize those
who spend time with the college's student-athletes.
Rev. Al Rahn, Brewton-Parker's campus minister, served as
host of the luncheon in the Briscoe Center meeting room, an event that
officially marked the beginning of the chaplain program's sixth year.
"We appreciate the time and effort these people take
because they love Brewton-Parker," Barker added.
Rev. C.B. Easterlin, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in
Glenwood, is a charter member of the chaplains' team and serves in that role for
the Lady Barons' softball squad. Rebecca Timberlake is the student chaplain for
the softball team, which is coached by Jason Bryant.
Easterlin, who lives in Vidalia, spoke of his experiences
of just making himself available to players and giving them a willing ear away
from their coaches and teammates.
Sometimes, he said, the players wanted to talk before or
after practice, while others preferred the opportunities he has offered to visit
outside their dormitories and away from the athletic environs.
Other community volunteers and student assistant chaplains,
listed by sport with coaches, are:
Baseball -- Michael Aoa, Brewton-Parker director of student
activities, volunteer; Jason Teal, student assistant for varsity; Jeremy Curtis,
student assistant for junior varsity; Chad Parker, head coach; and Jeremy Maddox
and Michael Rodgers, JV and assistant coaches.
Men's soccer -- Rev. Tom Allen, pastor of First Baptist
Church of Mount Vernon, volunteer; Jeremy Moore, student assistant; Ben Moore,
coach.
Men's basketball -- Rev. Dan Zellner, pastor of First
Baptist Church of Glenwood, volunteer; Josh Stuart, student assistant; Steve
Barker, head coach; and Peter Dees, JV and assistant coach.
Volleyball -- Susan Allen of Mount Vernon, volunteer; Renia
Avera, student assistant; and Jason Bryant, coach.
Women's basketball -- Nancy Stanley of Vidalia, volunteer;
and Tommy Dalley, coach.
Women's soccer -- Carol Jones of Vidalia, volunteer; and
Jeremy Aven, coach.
Cheerleaders -- Angela Yarber, student assistant.
"Our student-athletes are very important to
Brewton-Parker College," said Dr. David Smith, BPC's president. "More
important is our mission to be an unapologetically Christian institution of
higher education.
"As we merge those two aspirations into programs such as these, then everyone wins."