SUPPORTER RECOGNIZES LIFE-CHANGING EDUCATION THROUGH GIFT
Like other Wake Forest University college alumni who became ministers before the School of Divinity opened, the Rev. Dr. David Hirano ('57) was thrilled that his alma mater added a professional school that educates religious leaders who dedicate their vocation to social justice.
David says that his undergraduate education at Wake Forest was instrumental in preparing him for leadership roles in the church. He spent decades living out his convictions in a variety of settings, from congregational ministry to four years as the Connecticut conference minister and five years as the executive vice president for the United Church Board for World Ministries (chartered as the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions), the oldest foreign mission agency in North America. He led both these agencies as the first Asian American.
"My wife, Sandra, and I lived far away from the University for most of our lives, but Wake has always been very important to me. Attending class reunions reminded me of my love for the school," David says. "Sandra and I are happy that we retired in North Carolina to be close to our children and to Wake Forest. Because of people like Ed Christman, I'm moved to add to their legacy. The School of Divinity is the place at Wake that most embodies my beliefs about inclusive community and ministry."
From the School's beginning, the Hiranos supported the School of Divinity annual fund. David and Sandra recently named the School as a beneficiary in their estate plans. Their gift will establish the Reverend Dr. David and Sandra Hirano Fund for Intercultural Theological Education, enabling the School to educate leaders who will be agents of justice, reconciliation and compassion in Christian churches and other ministries.
