Livin' on a prayer

St. Thomas grad given $25,000 scholarship to pursue masters

Chad Billington       

Surrounded by Mickey, Minnie and Goofy, Chad Billington experienced the best day of his life in more ways than one.

Adrift in Disneyland during a day off with his church group, Chad discovered that a lack of finances would no longer prevent him from pursuing his graduate school work at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. "While we were in Disneyland," he says, "I found out I had a message … from Fuller. I called them and found out I was getting a scholarship.

"I guess Disneyland really is the place where dreams come true!"

Fuller offered the St. Thomas graduate the prestigious Lowell W. Berry Dean's Scholarship valued at $25,000 USD. Chad's prayers had been answered. "Tuition is $9,000 a year so I had no idea how I was going to pay," he laughs. "I was wondering if I could pull it off. … It's the largest scholarship offered here from everything I've read."

Fuller's web site states the Lowell W. Berry award is "given to outstanding applicants who present evidence of achievement, character, and promise as scholars. Chad fits the description.

Chad graduated from St. Thomas after completing an Honours/Major in Religious Studies in `98. He then focused on working for his local church, Smythe Street Cathedral. While there, Chad travelled to Los Angeles on a missions trip, worked with youth and assisted in music as well as church administration.

Chad decided on Fuller and a Masters of Divinity after extensive reading. In October of `99, he hopped a Greyhound from Bangor and proceeded cross-country for three-and-a-half days until he landed in Pasadena. The feel of the seminary enticed him to apply. In early 2000, the good word arrived he was accepted.

"We're always delighted when one of our students does well in graduate work," says Thom Parkhill, a professor of religious studies at St. Thomas. "It's nice to know St. Thomas graduates can go anywhere in the world. Chad's going to the best school to do what he wants to do."

Chad took a course from Dr. Parkhill each year of his degree, so the two often talked. The professor noticed that Chad's willingness to learn about other religions in the world could greatly benefit him and others. "He is open to religious issues outside the Christian context and I believe he took that openness with him when he applied to Fuller," Dr. Parkhill says. "That must have stuck with them that he is so curious about the religious world he is in."

Chad describes Fuller as "the largest multi-denominational seminary in the world." The campus hosts approximately 4,000 post-graduate and PhD students between its schools of Theology, Psychology and World Mission.

Nevertheless, Fuller places him in mind of St. Thomas. "Working on my thesis ["Father": An Exegetical Study in the Synoptic Gospels] at St. Thomas was a real pleasure because of the people I got to know. I was a student rep for the faculty in my fourth year and I go to know all the professors on a first name basis. Fuller is very similar. After class the other day I had a bite to eat with my New Testament prof."

Chad's thesis advisor at St. Thomas, Monsignor Brian Henneberry, comments that "when I first met Chad, he struck me as a bright young fellow and a hard worker."

Chad stood out, he adds matter-of-factly, "because he always came to class. And he was not afraid to dig in, not afraid of work."

Msgr. Henneberry has, by his count, directed six or seven theses in scripture. "Chad's was the longest by far: 150 pages," he says. "In scriptures you often have to be picky. But he dug in and looked at 100 instances of the word `father' in 100 verses. He just didn't cut any corners."

Chad lives in the city in a housing unit which enables him to closely interact with people from all over the world. "We have community meals four times a week," he says. "It's a wide spectrum of people who live here. There are people in their 40s down to my age, and people from Korea, the Philippines."

Chad realises there is some difficult work to do while at Fuller. Enjoying a beautiful view of the mountains from his balcony, he says that "this is a three-year programme but it's a nice place, so some people stretch it out a bit longer," he slyly adds. "But when I'm done here, working in a church is my next plan."

"It's a real blessing to receive this scholarship. It's based on academic merit and academic promise, so it's great to say I got here from St. Thomas."

Chad can be reached through his web site at http://www.chadbillington.com.