Long-Lost Pancake Money Miraculously Discovered Behind 1 Corinthians Commentary (of All Places!)

There are miracles—and then there are seminary miracles.

Last week, as Dr. Roy Beacham, Senior Professor of Old Testament, was packing boxes of books to donate to the mission field, the long-lost envelope of proceeds from the 2005 Professors’ Pancake Palace was discovered deep in his bookshelves.

Yes, THE envelope—the one that mysteriously vanished twenty years ago after the December faculty flapjack extravaganza known far and wide (or at least as far as the break room) for Aunt Hazel’s Secret Recipe Famous Flapjacks.

For years, legends swirled. Did the envelope walk away? Was it eaten by a hungry seminary student? Did it ascend? Until now, no one knew.

But last week, while packing up books to send to Haven of Grace Seminary in the Philippines, Dr. Beacham and his wife, Jan, unearthed the mystery during a quiet afternoon of literary excavation. Roy, who has faithfully served at Central for nearly 50 years, was sorting and packing books with missionary Dr. Curt Lamansky of Pacific Rim Missions when history was made.

And where do you think the missing envelope was hiding?

It was nestled on the New Testament shelf—behind a commentary on 1 Corinthians, of all places.

We’re not saying it’s ironic that an Old Testament professor hid an envelope behind a New Testament commentary… but we’re also not not saying it.

The Beachams fondly recalled their plans to head to Kansas right after the 2005 Pancake Palace, so Roy had decided to store the money somewhere safe over Christmas vacation.

“I set it on my desk,” Roy remembered, “but I was like, ‘No, I can’t leave it there.’ So I put it in an Old Testament book near my desk … then I moved it from there to an even safer spot — but by the time we returned from Kansas, I totally forgot where I hid it!” As it turned out, it ended up behind the New Testament books.

Jan added, “I pulled the books off the shelf to box them, and something went clunk.”

The clunk heard ’round the seminary caused a stir in the hallway, as Dr. Brett Williams and Dr. Jon Pratt came rushing to investigate.

And yes, the envelope did indeed contain real, actual cash—with prices unchanged from 2005. Apparently, inflation hasn’t touched the economy of the Pancake Palace. It’s comforting to know that even after two decades, flapjacks at Central still cost less than a cup of gas station coffee.

So, what’s next?

Stay tuned for the annual Professors’ Pancake Palace during finals week every December. Who knows what other treasures might be hiding behind Dr. Beacham’s rare book collection?

Where Are Dr. Beacham’s Books Going?

Over 70 boxes of Dr. Beacham’s books are being donated to Pacific Rim Missions. They are designated for use by Haven of Grace Seminary and numerous Baptist churches and pastors on Negros Island in the Philippines.

The library will be located in Bacolod, a city of 600,000 and home to around 250 Baptist and Bible churches. Maranatha Baptist Church, the northernmost of the seminary’s four sites on the island, is a strategic location where these resources will benefit many churches.

Dr. Curt Lamansky shared:

“We at Pacific Rim Missions want to thank Dr. Roy Beacham for this amazing gift! We have about eighty men working on Master of Arts or Master of Divinity degrees on Negros Island. And, since there are approximately 1,000 conservative Baptist or Bible churches just on the western half of the island, there are many people who will be able to access this library regularly or occasionally.”

Plans are in place to build bookshelves at Maranatha Baptist Church, a large facility with an average attendance of 500. Dr. Lamansky and Pastor Jun Oguilla are evaluating two potential locations in the church building to house the library.

Dr. Lamansky concluded:

“As far as we know, there is no other theological library even approaching this size anywhere on Negros Island.”

And to make this donation even more amazing, Hazel’s 2005 proceeds were unearthed! The greatest seminary miracle of all time!

Looking to take a class with Dr. Beacham?

Sign up for the Kingdom of God course during the fall semester module, November 10-14, 2025.