The Church of Love Faith Center (COLFC) recently donated $100,000 as a matching grant to The Charles Finney School.
The donation was made through the Church of Love Faith Center Bishop Gregory and Pastor Myra Parris Scholarship Fund in memory of the church’s founders.
Another $140,000 was raised by The Charles Finney School in response to a matching challenge proposed by The Church of Love Faith Center for a total of donation of $240,000.
Largest donation to single organization in Church’s history
“Through these donations, as many as 70 Christian Education scholarships will be made available to aspiring students living within the city of Rochester,” said COLFC is a statement on Friday, July 1.
This is the largest donation to date that the Church of Love Faith Center has made to any local organization.
The COLFC’s $100,000 matching gift for scholarships is prioritized for Rochester students, while the additional $140,000 raised by Finney can be distributed to families in any area code.
The Church of Love presented the check to The Charles Finney School Board Chair Arnold Smeenk and Director of Development Dr. Peter Burch.
About the scholarship
The Church of Love Faith Center Bishop Gregory and Pastor Myra Parris Scholarship Fund is in memory of Church of Love Faith Center Founder Bishop Gregory Parris who served the church until his passing in 2016 and Pastor Myra Parris until her passing in 2021. They firmly believed in pouring gifts of talent, time, and resources into youth and supporting their academic endeavors.
Church leaders and school officials share their thoughts
Church of Love Faith Center Senior Pastor Terrance Youmans stated, “We are honored and thankful to God to be blessed to be able to support a prominent Christian school such as Charles Finney. We look forward to a strong relationship with them for many years to come.”
Church of Love Faith Center Minister Randy Henderson added, “The availability of Christian Education for our Rochester urban population is not always readily accessible. We do not want finances to stand in the way of Christian Education. This is a new partnership between Church of Love Faith Center and The Charles Finney School and we envision a future with growing partnerships between Christian Education, the faith community, and the community at large. These partnerships will provide increased opportunities for diversity, equity, and inclusion on educational boards, within the faculty, and throughout student enrollment. Change has to be deliberate to make this vision a reality.”
The Charles Finney School President/CEO Michael VanLeeuwen said, “The $100,000 matching gift for scholarships from the Church of Love Faith Center will never be forgotten by our leaders and all the students who will receive scholarship support through the Church of Love Faith Center Bishop Gregory and Pastor Myra Parris Memorial Scholarship Fund.”
Learn more
The Charles Finney School is located in Penfield and is a private, PreK-12 Christian school that is dually accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
The Charles Finney School is accepting applications for the 2022/2023 school year. To apply or for more information, please visit their Application webpage. For more information, visit the private school’s website.
To learn more about the Church of Love Faith Center, head to the organization’s website.
