“A beautiful thing” CIU receives banner of condolences from BJU

In an act of kindness from one Christian university to another, Columbia International University student leadership accepted a large banner of condolences signed by students at Bob Jones University (BJU) in Greenville, South Carolina following the death of CIU graduate student Patricia Wolfe.

Wolfe, a student in the CIU Seminary & School of Counseling, passed away from injuries she suffered after being hit by a vehicle on Feb. 15 as she walked to class on the CIU campus. 

BJU student leaders Aya Cathey and Abigail Bergmann drove the 100 miles from Greenville to Columbia to meet CIU Student Body President Miles Raven and members of his executive team and deliver the banner. Also meeting them were nearly two dozen graduate students of the CIU Counseling Program who were classmates of Wolfe.

Cathey and Bergmann were hugged by a number of the CIU students after the banner was presented. It has messages and signatures from at least 500 BJU students and includes the Bible passage:

“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart” Ps. 34:18

Bergmann called it “very, very special” to meet the classmates of Patricia Wolfe and to know BJU and CIU share the hope of eternity in Christ.

“We know it’s a loss, but it is a joy to know that (Patricia) is in a better place,” Bergmann said. “Death is a very different experience when you know that it is not the end … we can get through it together because we know it isn’t the end, and we’ll see each other again.”

Counseling Professor Dr. Seth Scott, who had Wolfe as one of his students, was on hand for the delivery of the banner saying “it’s a great demonstration of how the gospel works.”

“It’s the Body of Christ working together to anchor us and point us to Christ in the hope and glory of the resurrection,” Scott said.

As for Raven, the CIU student leader, he said he was “touched” as the banner was unfurled in front of Shortess Chapel.

“I started tearing up. It’s a beautiful thing to have people that we don’t know praying for us who are our family in Christ, who would put this (banner) together and bring it all the way here,” Raven said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”

Raven says the banner will be given to Wolfe’s husband.

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