For students with a calling to the path of Christian ministry, the A. Purnell Bailey Pre-Ministerial Program for Ordained Ministry at Randolph-Macon College offers encouragement through financial and career-development support along with personal mentoring.
Financial support: Students accepted to the college and into the Bailey program are awarded half-tuition scholarships for their freshman and sophomore years and full tuition for the junior and senior years. In return, Bailey Scholars commit to completing at least one year of divinity school.
Mentoring: Regular faculty- and staff-led group discussions, along with one-on-one mentoring with the Bailey program coordinator and area pastors, help Bailey Scholars discern and develop their calling to ministry.
Internships: Bailey Scholars complete two pre-ministerial internships during their undergraduate years:
- a one-month, January-term internship for academic credit
- a summer internship, usually between the junior and senior years, which is supported with a $3,000 stipend
Internships are completed in a wide range of settings, and have included placements in area churches, with non-profit charities and mission groups, and in international settings. Bailey Program mentors provide guidance for finding an internship based on an individual student’s interests.
Cohort fellowship: Bailey Scholars form a strong and supportive peer group during their undergraduate years at R-MC. Junior- and senior-year cohorts meet together with representatives of divinity schools and often travel together to visit these schools during the college’s spring break.
Campus life: Bailey Scholars are typically active in a range of campus programs, clubs, and organizations. Many choose to serve others through programs such as Habitat for Humanity and Macon a Difference Day as well as through service-learning travel courses offered during the college’s January Term.
Alumni success: Bailey Scholars are accepted to leading divinity schools such as Duke, Vanderbilt, Princeton, and Emory, and pursue careers in a diverse range of settings, including churches, colleges, and non-profit organizations.