Price Foundation announces $1.5 million Christian Life 101 grant to Asbury University

October 5, 2021

The Louisville-based Price Foundation announced a $1.5 million grant to Asbury University to fund the development and launch of the all-new Christian Life 101 program that will eventually include all incoming Asbury freshmen.

The Price Foundation board includes Founders Charles E. and Janet Price, their daughter Sarah Atwood (Price) ’01 and her husband Aaron, Charles W. Price ‘05 and his wife Sarah.

“Our family is committed to raising a generation of young Christians who live boldly as ambassadors of Jesus Christ,” said a Price Foundation statement. “Partnering with Asbury University to continue to empower them to teach biblical worldview is a natural fit. This is the perfect way to see our deep calling and Asbury’s world-class mission bring the best out of both of our organizations. We are encouraged to see Asbury dedicate so much attention to the foundations of faith in an effort to grow deep-rooted future leaders.”

The four- year gift from the Price Foundation allows Asbury to establish a Christian Life 101 program, which will include biblical worldview retreats during freshman year for Asbury students. The Christian Studies and Philosophy Department will oversee the program in collaboration with Student Life.

“As a Christian liberal arts university, Asbury has always celebrated the life of the mind,” said Asbury President Dr. Kevin Brown. “This exciting opportunity afforded to us by the Price Foundation offers Asbury an enriching means to express our commitment to student formation, robust intellectual development, and the cultivation of a biblical worldview by which to perceive the world and act faithfully within it. We may be one of the few Christian colleges or universities in the country to offer such an attractive and transformative retreat opportunity for our students — yet another example of Asbury’s desire to see students belong, become and be set apart.”

For Charles W. Price, the Asbury gift was inspired in part by his own positive experiences at the school where he studied business management, including classes with Asbury President Emeritus Dr. Sandra Gray, and was surrounded by others pursuing their faith. Also, he and his sister, fellow Asbury graduate Sarah Atwood, spent a semester in college at the Focus on the Family Leadership Institute where they learned how to think about their worldview and faith in new ways.

“That was huge for me,” Price said, adding that he is plugged in with and inspired by the worldview training work happening at Summit Ministries in Colorado Springs. “We see the impact that Summit Ministries is having on so many young people and we want to see that same biblical worldview training brought to Asbury for all students to experience. To think about Asbury being able to use [the grant] as a launching pad for so many students, it’s exciting.”

Asbury University Christian Studies & Philosophy Chair Dr. Brian Shelton, who was recently announced as a Wesley Scholar, will spearhead the project in collaboration with Vice President of Student Life & Dean of Students Dr. Sarah Baldwin. Spring 2022 will see a pilot retreat for freshmen, and the program will launch in Fall 2022.