Erskine College and Theological Seminary will complete the 2010-11 academic year with several ceremonial events. Details of the events and biographical info on participants and recipients of awards are provided.

A baccalaureate service is planned for Friday, May 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Due West ARP Church. The Rev. Andy Lewis, a 1997 graduate of Erskine College and a 2002 graduate of Erskine Seminary, who serves as pastor of Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Greenville, will give the baccalaureate address.

Erskine College commencement is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, at 10:30 a.m. under the towers of the Erskine Building. Dr. Thomas H. Marshburn, an engineer, physician, pilot and NASA astronaut, will deliver the commencement address.

Erskine Theological Seminary commencement is set for Saturday, May 14, at 4 p.m. in the Due West ARP Church. The commencement speaker is the Rev. Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, senior minister at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, professor of systematic theology at Redeemer Theological Seminary and a member of the faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary for more than 20 years.

Honorary degree recipients this year are Marshburn and former U.S. Rep. J. Gresham Barrett, who will be honored at the college commencement ceremony, and the Rev. Charles Edgar, pastor emeritus of Prosperity ARP Church in Lincoln County, Tenn., who will be honored by the seminary.

Tom Marshburn was born August 29, 1960, in Statesville, North Carolina. He is married to the former Ann M. Sanders. They have one daughter. Tom graduated from Henderson High School, Atlanta, Georgia, in 1978; received a bachelor of science degree in physics from Davidson College, North Carolina in 1982; a masters in engineering physics from the University of Virginia in 1984; a doctorate of medicine degree from Wake Forest University in 1989; and a masters in medical science from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in 1997. He holds membership in the Aerospace Medical Association; American Academy of Emergency Medicine; Aircraft Owners and Pilot’s Association.

After completing medical school, Dr. Marshburn trained in emergency medicine at the St. Vincent Hospitals emergency medicine program in Toledo, Ohio, where he also worked as a Life Flight physician. In 1992, after three years of training, he was certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He then worked as an emergency physician in Seattle, Washington, before being accepted into the first class of the NASA/UTMB Space Medicine Fellowship in Galveston, Texas. After completing the fellowship in 1995, he worked as an emergency physician in area hospitals in Houston, Texas, and at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. During this time he also worked as an attending for the emergency medicine residency for the University of Texas-Houston.

Marshburn came to NASA JSC in November 1994 as a flight surgeon, assigned to Space Shuttle Medical Operations and to the joint US/Russian Space Program. From February 1996 to May 1997 he served as a flight surgeon for NASA personnel deployed to the Cosmonaut Training Center, Star City, Russia, followed by work in the Center for Flight Control in Korolev, Russia in support of the NASA 4 Expedition to the Mir Space Station. From July 1997 to August 1998 he was co-chair of medical operations for the Shuttle/Mir Space Program. From 1998 to 2000, he was deputy flight surgeon for Neuronal (STS-98) and lead flight surgeon for the STS-101 mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

After spending 10 months as a NASA Representative to the Harvard / MIT Smart Medical Systems Team of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, he worked as the lead flight surgeon for Expedition 7 to the ISS in 2003, supporting from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Houston.

During this time until his selection, he served as Medical Operations Lead for the ISS. Activities included development of the biomedical training program for flight surgeons and astronaut crew medical officers, and managing the ISS Health Maintenance System.

Selected by NASA in May 2004. In February 2006, he completed Astronaut Candidate Training that included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training, and was qualified for various technical assignments within the Astronaut Office and future flight assignment as a mission specialist. Dr. Marshburn completed his first spaceflight in July 2009, logging more than 376 hours in space, and 18 hours and 59 minutes of EVA in three spacewalks.

Dr. Marshburn has been assigned to the Expedition 35 crew as a flight engineer and is scheduled to fly to the ISS aboard Soyuz 33 in March 2013. His previous space flight experience includes the STS-127, ISS Assembly Mission 2J/A, Endeavour (July 15-31, 2009) delivered the Japanese-built Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) and the Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section (ELM-ES) to the International Space Station. The crew completed the construction of the KIBO Japanese Experiment Module, installed scientific experiments on its Exposed Facility and delivered critical spare parts and replacement batteries to the orbital complex, in addition to transferring 24,638 pounds of hardware and 1,225 pounds of water to the station. While the Shuttle was docked to the station, the mission featured a record 13 astronauts working aboard the Station representing all five ISS partners — NASA, the Russian Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency and the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA). Marshburn performed three spacewalks for a total of 18 hours and 59 minutes of EVA. The mission was accomplished in 248 orbits of the Earth, traveling 6,547,853 million miles in 15 days, 16 hours, 44 minutes and 58 seconds.

J. Gresham Barrett retired this year from Congress after 15 years public service. While in office he served on the Education and Public Works Committee, Labor Commerce and Industry Committee, Rules Committee, and the School Choice Ad Hoc Committee. He was also the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Urban Growth. During the 2000 Presidential Election, Barrett was a member of the George W. Bush for President South Carolina State Steering Committee.

After graduating from The Citadel, Barrett served four years in the Army. He has served as a member of several boards, including president of the Westminster Rotary Club, Chairman of the Oconee District Boy Scouts, president of the Westminster Chamber of Commerce, board member of the Oconee County Red Cross, member of the Oconee Kids Do Count Board, and coach of the Barrett’s Furniture Pony League baseball team.

Barrett recently received The Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Distinguished Leadership Award from Water Missions International. This award was created to recognize exceptional young leaders 30 to 50 years old, who have been successful in business and have made noteworthy contributions to their communities.

Water Missions International is a nonprofit (501 (c) (3)), Christian engineering organization serving the water and sanitation needs of people in developing countries and disaster areas. Water Missions International uses low-maintenance, appropriate water technologies for drinking water treatment and distribution, wastewater management, and storm water control.

Water Missions International’s mission is to provide sustainable access to safe water and an opportunity to hear the “Living Water” message in developing countries and disaster areas. Water Missions International’s vision is that no person should perish for want of safe drinking water or an opportunity to hear the “Living Water” message.

Charles F. Edgar began preaching on a monthly basis at the Prosperity ARP Church in Taft, Tennessee in 1975. In April of that year the Prosperity pastor had surgery and while he was away several men from the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama (now the Westminster PCA Church) filled the pulpit. One was Elder Charles F. Edgar who was familiar with the Associate Reformed Presbyterians, having been baptized at Unity Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church at Lancaster, South Carolina, when he was an infant and is a descendant of the McCain family at Unity.

He spoke to Mr. McFerrin and offered to help in any capacity he could fill during Mr. McFerrin’s recuperation. In June, 1975, Mr. McFerrin and some elders asked Mr. Edgar to preach once a month at Prosperity as Mr. McFerrin was interested in retiring.

On July 30, 1975, Mr. McFerrin suffered a stroke and the session asked Mr. Edgar to serve as supply. He agreed to serve in this capacity while working toward licensure and ordination under a special clause of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod. He was subsequently ordained April 24, 1976, at the Prosperity Church by the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod and transferred to the Associate Reformed Presbyterian denomination in October of 1976 and installed as pastor at that time. He served full time until 2003, a term of 28 years.

Edgar was honored on June 1, 1991 by Westminster Christian Academy of Huntsville (the school operated by the Westminster PCA congregation) for his faithful years of service to the school. At the school a Charles F. Edgar, Jr. Teacher Endowment Fund was established to which Prosperity ARP has contributed.

Now Pastor Emeritus, Edgar continues to be active in ARP activities.

Andy Lewis holds a B.A. from Erskine College and an M. Div. from Erskine Theological Seminary. He grew up in Rock Hill, SC. He became a believer through the youth ministry of Ebenezer ARP Church. He attended Erskine College where he met his wife, Elizabeth. While studying theology and philosophy he felt the initial call to full time ministry.

The Lord confirmed this inclination through internships at several churches. He began ministry at MRPC in 1997 as the Associate Youth Director. He and his wife, Elizabeth, married in May of 1998. In 2000, Andy and Elizabeth began seminary. They attended Erskine Seminary so they could stay active at Mitchell Road. In 2002, Andy graduated from seminary and joined the Mitchell Road staff as a Pastor of Christian Education and Discipleship.

In addition, he has served as Interim Youth Director and Manager of Children’s and Youth ministries. He was in charge of curriculum, teaching, Sunday school and Wednesday evenings. He became the Senior Pastor of Mitchell Road in January of 2008.

During the years at Mitchell Road, Andy has continued to work in outside ministry. He is the founder and director of Crieff Fellowship in America, a national conference for youth workers that was patterned after the Crieff Brotherhood in Scotland. It continued to increase in numbers and depth. He has spoken at many conferences and camps, chapels and seminars.

The Lord has also provided opportunities to study overseas. In Scotland he studied at the Rutherford house on the Trinitarian Nature of John Owen’s work, Communion with God. In Israel he did an independent study on the relation of the geographical and agricultural settings in the Gospel of Luke. He has also participated in short-term missions. This has confirmed his desire to continue advancing the Kingdom, in hearts and minds, throughout Greenville and around the world. Andy and Elizabeth’s goal and joy is to faithfully live out God’s grace in all areas of their lives.

Andy enjoys spending time with his family and playing golf, guitar, and piano. Andy and Elizabeth have been blessed with three children: Kate (8), Maggie (7) and Daniel (5).