On April 30, 2026, Betsy Armerding and her four children—Calvin, Jennifer, Geoff, and Elizabeth—hosted their family and friends in Regent’s Armerding-Gasque Atrium for a celebration of Carl’s ninetieth birthday. For Carl, however, this was not a traditional birthday party, but rather an event he called “Celebrating Ninety Years of God’s Faithfulness.” For more than sixty of those ninety years, beginning in 1964 when Marshall Sheppard invited him to join a planning committee, Regent College has been a central part of Carl’s life.
During his welcoming remarks at the party, President Paul Spilsbury reviewed the many contributions that both Carl and Betsy have made to the Regent community since its inception.
“In so many ways, Carl and Betsy helped to set the course for future directions and developments at Regent, not least in their practice of hospitality and person-to-person engagement with students—practices that have become hallmarks of Regent College.” He also highlighted the creation of the Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees, the achievement of accredited membership in the Association of Theological Schools, the establishment of the Regent-Carey library, and the inauguration of Regent’s Chinese Studies program.
Research Professor of Theology and Ethics Jeff Greenman shared about Carl’s impact on his personal and professional life.
“It’s a privilege to express my heartfelt appreciation to Carl for his role in my life as a mentor and exemplar. I was his TA during my last two years as a student, which were also Carl’s final two years as Principal/President. He brought me alongside, trusted me to support him and assist his work in all sorts of ways, and opened my eyes to the strategic importance of wise, thoughtful leadership in theological schools. I saw firsthand the challenges and joys of such a multifaceted responsibility. Through that experience I discovered my own vocation to serve the Lord through administrative leadership. I never dreamed that I would return to Regent to serve as Academic Dean and then as President, but surely I would never have been able to do so without Carl’s mentoring. He has been a friend, cheerleader, and encourager ever since those days, and I am deeply grateful for all that he has given me and shown me.”
The Carl & Betsy Armerding Fund
To mark the occasion of Carl’s ninetieth birthday, Carl and Betsy generously inaugurated the brand new Carl & Betsy Armerding Fund. This fund will support a variety of Old Testament initiatives at Regent under the direction of professors Matthew Lynch and Brittany Melton. While Carl is best known at Regent for serving as its second Principal (1978–1988), he stated that his most joyful Regent experiences involved teaching the Old Testament and making the Hebrew scriptures come alive for a generation of students. In lieu of birthday gifts for Carl, the Armerdings invited their guests to make their own donations to the fund.
Earlier in the year, Director of Advancement Richard Thompson had the pleasure of hosting a lunch for Carl and Betsy to introduce them to Matthew Lynch and Brittany Melton.
“It was such a delight to see Carl's joyful and enthusiastic response to meeting Matt and Brittany,” Richard said. “Not only was he impressed by their character and credentials, he was deeply encouraged that the ministry of Old Testament Studies at Regent College was in very good hands. As Carl put it, ‘the torch has been successfully passed from me, to Bruce Waltke, to Iain Provan and Phil Long, and now to Matt and Brittany!’”
If you would like to contribute to the Carl & Betsy Armerding Fund, please contact Director of Advancement Richard Thompson at [email protected].
