Campbell Divinity’s WRGCC Founder Leads Visit, Marking 20 Years of Friendship
- Apr 4, 2025
- 3 min read
[Reported by Yu Chuan, North Carolina, USA]
Dr. George W. Braswell, Professor Emeritus of Missions and World Religions at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Retired Professor of World Religions and Founding Director of World Religions Center and Global Cultures Center (WRGCC) at Campbell University Divinity School, once again led a delegation to visit Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina on April 4, 2025. This visit continued a nearly two-decade-long friendship between Dr. Braswell and Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina. In the past, Dr. Braswell had regularly brought students from the Department of World Religions and local church members each semester to engage in interfaith exchanges. This time, he brought a group of thirty seniors from Brookridge Retirement Community in Winston-Salem to visit the temple.
The visit featured a rich program, including a screening of the animated film The Life of the Buddha, a vegetarian lunch, a tea meditation session, and an interactive discussion. During the tea meditation, Venerable Zhi San guided guests to observe the tea practitioner’s brewing process and learn to be mindful in the present moment while appreciating the causes and conditions behind each cup of tea.
During the discussion, Dr. Braswell asked, “Why did you choose to become a monastic?” Venerable Miao Jou, the temple’s superintendent, responded personally by sharing her journey of encountering the Dharma and the reasons behind choosing monastic life. Dr. Braswell also emotionally recalled being hospitalized in the past, during which time the venerable and Jill Chen, advisor of BLIA North Carolina Chapter, visited him with flowers and a music CD. They encouraged him to find healing through music and meditation—a gesture of kindness he still remembers deeply.
Lisa Grissom, Dr. Braswell’s former assistant, read aloud a passage from the WRGCC’s historical records that mentioned Fo Guang Shan: “During the first few months of 2011, several world religion leaders traveled to Campbell University's main campus for the first time. The Venerable Nuns and Staff from the Buddhist Temple in Raleigh visited the campus on February 15, 2011 and graciously presented books for inclusion in the growing WRGCC library. To show its appreciation for this literary gift, the WRGCC sponsored a reception in their honor during which Dean Wakefield and Dr. Braswell offered words of thanks. Upon the conclusion of this reception the guests were given a tour of Butler Chape.”
Dr. Braswell then personally handed this historical record to Venerable Miao Jou as a testament to the enduring friendship between both institutions.
At the end of the event, the seniors enthusiastically shared their reflections. One participant said they particularly enjoyed the tea meditation experience—because while they had eaten before, they had never truly tasted their food. This realization was deeply inspiring, and they vowed to continue practicing mindful eating. Another senior praised the Buddha’s progressive thinking in challenging the caste system and found the “farm-to-table” philosophy both refreshing and moving. A Christian elder shared how enriching the experience was and expressed a desire to bring church friends in the future to explore the beauty and depth of Buddhist culture.
