Advancement THE STANLEY PEVLIN AND ELSIE B. PEVLIN
T
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
his amazing story has its beginnings in two remote parts of New Brunswick; Hibernia and New Jerusalem, both of Queen’s County. This is the story of two people who had a great love for the Lord, and an unshakable determination to do their part in contributing to the spiritual and educational welfare of young people the world over. Stanley Pevlin, the son of George and Maud (Appleby) was born on September 30, 1907 at home in Hibernia. He spent his early years as a member of the Hibernia United Baptist Church. Elsie (Fulton) Pevlin was born to John and Margaret (Belyea) Fulton in New Jerusalem on September 17, 1913. Her early church membership was in the Second United Baptist Church of New Jerusalem. With the passage of time these two quite separate lives would come together. They were married on September 22, 1945. Although the Pevlin’s had no children of their own, the community and its people were always the focus of their lives. In particular, the church and its work held a special place in their hearts throughout the years. Their hospitality and commitment to the betterment of young people was evidenced in many ways, and Atlantic Baptist University was part of this as Student Ministry Teams were guests in the Pevlin’s home on more than one occasion. The Pevlin’s eventually found themselves moving to Central Greenwich, King’s County, New Brunswick in 1954, after the Department of National Defense expropriated their Hibernia property to make way for the construction of the military base that we know as Camp Gagetown. Elsie spent her early years, after graduating from Normal School in 1934, teaching in various New Brunswick schools, including Upper Hibernia. It was there that she met Stanley. Elsie was a devoted wife, and her life’s purpose was very clear to all who
The Growing Edge
students intending to enter into Christian Service leading to ministry opportunities. But what hasn’t been said is that the gift from the Pevlin’s to the University was in excess of $250,000.00! To date, this represents the largest single bequest that the University has ever received!
knew her – she was in this world to serve her Savior, and this she did through the various committees and missions projects of the Brown’s Flat Baptist Church; the church that she and Stanley were members of since the early 1950’s. Stanley spent his entire career in the “woods”. As a well-known lumber dealer and pulpwood buyer, he provided employment for many men during those years, and no doubt has left an indelible mark on each one! Although he didn’t become a Christian until his middle years, Stanley made up for lost time – his lasting legacy is that of a man who knew his Savior well as evidenced by the markings on the inside cover of his Bible – he read it through more than thirty times. While not people to spend their money unwisely, Elsie and Stanley enjoyed their retirement years, spending several winters in Florida. In fact, one of their greatest enjoyments was being able to share their journey to Jerusalem and the Holy Land with their many friends through slides and pictures. Elsie preceded Stanley in death on March 31, 1993; Stanley joined her on February 9, 2002. It is in death that the truly remarkable aspect of this amazing story unfolds. In September of 2002, several months after Stanley’s death, Atlantic Baptist University was notified that he (and certainly Elsie) had left his entire estate to the University! The only stipulations that were attached to the bequest was that the money was to be invested, and the income used to create The Stanley Pevlin and Elsie B. Pevlin Memorial Scholarship to support
Simply amazing! Two faithful servants of Christ living and working hard all their lives, with a genuine desire to see the work of the Gospel Commission continue through the witness of young people. By endowing Atlantic Baptist University with such generosity, the Pevlin’s were really asking the school to use their resources – that which the Lord had blessed them with – to continue their commitment to the work of the Kingdom, and to be a blessing to others in death as they no doubt had been in life! Today, Atlantic Baptist University acknowledges the generosity of Stanley and Elsie Pevlin; two of God’s faithful servants, and we encourage others who have been blessed with plenty to entrust it to a Christian University that is preparing young men and women to make a difference in a world that desperately needs to embrace the Biblical principles of life. When Elsie passed away in 1993, Stanley asked if he could serve as a pallbearer. He said that he had lost “the sunshine of my life”. By entrusting his estate to Atlantic Baptist University, Stanley was ensuring that the memory of his wife (and of himself) would be perpetuated. The last words that Stanley spoke before he entered into the Glory of Heaven in February of 2002, were the words of 2 Timothy 1:12: “This is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” Elsie Pevlin, 1913-1993 Stanley Pevlin, 1907-2002 by Scott Ryder Development Officer
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