ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøstudents Grant Taylor and Christopher McCaghren have received awards for outstanding study of biblical languages. Both awards honor longtime Alabama Baptist pastor William M. Todd of Skipperville.
Taylor, a student at Samford's Beeson Divinity school, and McCaghren, a senior communication studies major, received their awards April 17 during this year's Biblical Studies lecture series sponsored by Beeson.
Taylor received the 2007 W. M. Todd Biblical Languages Award, given annually to a Beeson student who is engaged in the study of biblical languages. The award is intended to encourage the recipient to proceed as far as possible in their study of Greek and Hebrew. Taylor, a native of Johnson City, Tenn., is a graduate of Union University.
McCaghren received the Biblical Greek Award, given to a ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøundergraduate in recognition of outstanding achievement in the study of the subject. The award honors the 50th anniversary of Rev. Todd's graduation from Howard College, now ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. McCaghren, from Montgomery, plans to enroll at Beeson in the fall.
Rev. Todd was known by his congregations for his emphasis on biblical preaching. He was pastor of Blountsville Baptist Church, Four Mile Baptist Church in Shelby County and Spring Hill Baptist Church in Barbour County before retiring in 2004.
The Biblical Languages Award recognizes Rev. Todd's love of the study of Greek and Hebrew, which he began at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøand continued at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Rev. Todd said he wanted to provide for the Biblical Greek Award to acknowledge the debt he feels to the late ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøreligion professor Dr. Vernon Davison, who encouraged his own study of biblical Greek, and to foster an undergraduate's interest in the subject.
Darrell L. Bock, research professor of New Testament studies, Dallas Theological Seminary, presented the Biblical Studies Lectures. His topic for the three-day series was "Jesus in the High Definition Public Square."