The Patrick Henry Community College Foundation and Mt. Sinai Apostle Church of Christ in God are partnering on a scholarship to help students from Mt. Sinai Church attend PHCC.
The church raised $2,165.60, which was matched by a generous donation from Barry Nelson and the PHCC Foundation. Dr. Angeline Godwin, PHCC president, spoke during a scholarship service at Mt. Sinai on March 30.
Mary Mason, church secretary, said Mt. Sinai Church has a long history of serving students. She said her father, J.C. Richardson Sr., was always a strong advocate for education.
“Since I’ve been back in the area,” Mason said, “I’ve worked to establish the Bishop J.C. Richardson Sr. memorial fund, which is a way to keep the memory of our pastor alive because he worked so hard for our young people to pursue an education beyond high school.”
Barry Nelson, who provided funding to match the church’s donations, said he was “happy to do it.”
“I’m glad to support education for our young people throughout the community,” he said. “This award will give students from Mt. Sinai a chance to further their education at PHCC.”
Bishop J.C. Richardson Jr., Mason’s brother, is the current pastor for Mt. Sinai. Mason said education remains a top priority for him and the church family. The first scholarship fundraising service was held at Mt. Sinai Church in 2003, and the church awarded its first scholarship in August 2003. Since its inception, the church has awarded $10,900 in scholarship funds to students.
Christopher Parker, executive director of the PHCC Foundation, said the “foundation looks forward to a great partnership with the church family and helping recipients of the Bishop J.C. Richardson Sr. Scholarship achieve their educational goals at PHCC.”
