(Black PR Wire) UNCF is proud to announce that Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley has been presented with the organization’s highest honor for partnerships, The Keeper of the Flame Award.
“Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley is one of our nation’s foremost faith leaders and is a staunch supporter of UNCF and its mission to help underrepresented students to fulfill their dreams of attending college,” said Maurice E. Jenkins, Jr., executive vice president and chief development officer, UNCF.
“We are thrilled to present Rev. Wesley with UNCF’s highest honor for partnerships—The Keeper of the Flame Award—because of his leadership, commitment and vision as a champion for UNCF’s continued success to support our nation’s historically Black colleges and universities and the students they serve.”
For more than 30 years, Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA, where Wesley is the senior pastor, has supported UNCF and raised more than $1 million to assist HBCUs and their students including gifts of $250,000 each of the last two years.
“It is the enduring legacy of scholastic excellence, open access to education for all students, and fostering community leadership that makes the partnership between UNCF and Alfred Street Baptist Church a natural fit. Our organizations are inextricably connected by the shared commitment to spiritual enrichment, financial support, and ongoing mentoring of students. As a father, a pastor, and a champion for higher education, I am grateful to be recognized for something for which I care deeply,” said Wesley.
Wesley serves as chairman of UNCF’s National Faith and Education Initiative Advisory Council, which consists of a broad spectrum of religious leaders who have committed to work in support of educational opportunities for UNCF students.
Since 1944, UNCF and the faith community have invested in each other. Churches and other places of worship around the country have helped HBCUs keep their doors open and their dedication to education strong. And UNCF has reached out around the country to raise the funds their students need to become the next generation of ministers and church-supporting congregants.
Throughout the year, UNCF works with churches and faith groups across the country to implement UNCF Sundays, a day of national support to HBCUs from congregations, culminating on a specific Sunday in February.
The UNCF National Faith and Education Initiative is an effort to broaden awareness of our core vision and mission across denominations, secure unrestricted financial support to help strengthen our member colleges and universities, strengthen student support and development, and through our advocacy platform help ensure the visibility and viability of UNCF-member schools and other HBCUs.
Visit UNCF.org/FaithCampaign for more information.
