Meet Our Donors
Allan and Evelyn Burry
Allan and Evelyn Burry began their ministry with college students while they themselves were students----Allan at Northwestern University and Evelyn at Florida State University. Evelyn was an officer in the National Methodist Youth Fellowship and Allan an officer in the National Methodist Student Movement. Allan was also active in ecumenical student work through the National Student Christian Federation and the World Student Christian Federation.
Allan’s career began at the University of Miami (FL) as director of the Wesley Foundation. Thereafter, he became the first director of the Wesley Foundation at the University of South Florida. Allan next served as University minister and lecturer in the Department of Religion at Wesleyan University (CT) for seventeen years. His last position was as Assistant General Secretary in the Campus Ministry Section of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. He served in this capacity for seven years until his untimely death in 1990. Throughout his life, Allan remained engaged in both denominational and worldwide ecumenical campus ministry. He also worked for social justice, especially civil rights.
In her career, Evelyn first taught young children and their parents in a cooperative nursery school. Thereafter, she taught girls and their troop leaders as a Girl Scout field executive. After moving to Nashville, Evelyn became director of Lay Leadership Development and later director of Quest Resourcing for the General Board of Discipleship, now Discipleship Ministries. Evelyn’s focus was on leadership education for leaders of congregations and annual conferences. She retired in 1998.
Throughout her life, Evelyn’s focus has been on education for all ages with a particular interest in issues pertaining to girls and women. In her community, she served for ten years as a local board of education member.
Both Allan and Evelyn attended the World Methodist Council in 1986 where early planning meetings for Africa University took place. After Allan’s death, Evelyn has continued to promote and support Africa University. She also continues to support campus ministry in the United States, especially the re-invigorated Wesley Foundation at the University of Minnesota in the state where she now lives.
Evelyn is pleased to endow a scholarship at Africa University for the support of students in higher education on the continent of Africa. She firmly believes that it is through learning that the young men and women of Africa will gain the knowledge and the skills needed to better serve their communities, countries, and the world.