Virginia (Randel) Burroughs

仆人领袖，英国航空公司1950

Virginia Burroughs has been a servant leader in her community for more than 60 years. As her husband’s career moved the family across 德州 and Oklahoma, Virginia was faithful to seek out opportunities to mentor, 在她的教堂里教书, and to lead in Bible study.

Virginia Ethel (Randel) Burroughs was born August 19, 1929, in Wichita Falls, 德州. The eldest daughter of 詹姆斯 and Karin Randel, Virginia graduated from Wichita Falls High School in 1946. She then enrolled 在Hardin-Simmons University, where she was a speech-drama major, 辅修英语. While attending Hardin-Simmons, Virginia was a member of the Players Club, Alpha Psi Omega, 及学生会.

她遇到了她的丈夫, 格伦, 在Hardin-Simmons, and the couple married in the summer of 1950 after both had graduated from HSU. They lived in Abilene until 1955 when 格伦’s career in the oil exploration industry began to move the young family from 德州 to Oklahoma and back to 德州 again.

It is said that behind every great man stands a great woman. Virginia is decidedly that woman. As 格伦 rose in the ranks of the oil industry, Virginia was busy not only in the day-to-day tasks of being a mother to their three children, 凯, Mark, 和约翰, she was also serving in the Lord’s work.

In 1974 Virginia became involved as a leader in Bible Study Fellowship, an international non-denominational Bible study ministry. Within Bible Study Fellowship, she served as a class administrator in 1974 in Conroe, 德州, as a discussion leader in the 达拉斯 class from 1975 to 1980, and as a teaching leader in the Garland, 德州, 从1980年到1990年.

Finally settling in 达拉斯 in 1975, Virginia began teaching in the college department, and then in the young adult division at First Baptist Church, 达拉斯. During her Bible Study Fellowship teaching years, she took a sabbatical from teaching at the church until 1990 when she began teaching a weekday ladies Bible study there. She taught that class until 2005.

Since 1995, she also has taught an English Bible class in the Chinese Fellowship at her church. Virginia continues to teach English as a Second Language on a weekly basis at her church from September through May, where she becomes more than just teacher. She develops lasting relationships with her students and their families.

She served as a member of the Pastor’s 搜索 Committee for First Baptist Church of 达拉斯 in 1992-93. She has been a volunteer reader for North 德州 Taping and Radio for the Blind and a guest speaker for several women’s church retreats.

多年来, Virginia and 格伦 enjoyed travel, spending time in Red River, 新墨西哥, 和夏威夷, and helicopter hiking in Canada. They participated in two mission-building trips to Angel Fire, 新墨西哥, helping to build Angel Fire Baptist Church. They were also involved in mission-building trips to Vancouver, Canada; Wasilla, Alaska; and Maui, 夏威夷. Virginia continues to travel, having visited Israel in 2010 with former missionaries from her church, and vacationing in 夏威夷.

Virginia has given back to her alma mater with her time and talent, having served on the HSU Board of Trustees from 1986 to 1995. She also served as chair of the Advancement Committee while a member of the board. Virginia was a member of the 1990-91 Presidential 搜索 Committee for Hardin-Simmons that selected Dr. 兰尼·霍尔将接替博士. 杰西·C. 弗莱彻担任主席.

Throughout their marriage of almost 60 years, she and 格伦 have not only given their time to HSU, but have also been strong financial supporters of the university. After 格伦’s death in 2009, Virginia established the 格伦 Burroughs Endowed Memorial Business Scholarship to benefit students who are business majors.

在一起, she and 格伦 established the 詹姆斯 Randel Athletic Endowment in memory of her father, 詹姆斯. L. Randel, a 1921 graduate of HSU who lettered in baseball as a student. The couple also established the 格伦 and Virginia Burroughs Endowed Scholarship in 1986.

Virginia is a lifetime member of the HSU Presidents Club, 1996年, Hardin-Simmons University bestowed upon her the Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.

We 在Hardin-Simmons University join with her children and grandchildren as we “rise up and call her blessed.”

It is the high honor of Hardin-Simmons University to recognize one of her own and to formally induct Virginia (Randel) Burroughs into the HSU 领袖堂.