Denmark, S.C. – In the spirit of giving this holiday season, Trinity Church Wall Street recently donated $250,000 to Voorhees University. The gift will be used to provide scholarships to students. Voorhees offers academic, athletic and need-based scholarships.
“Our mission is to produce highly qualified graduates who coalesce intellect and faith in pursuit of life-long learning, healthy living, the betterment of society, and an abiding faith in God,” said Voorhees University President Ronnie Hopkins. “This support from Trinity Church Wall Street helps us to achieve that mission. We are grateful.”
Trinity Church Wall Street is a growing and inclusive Episcopal parish in New York City guided by the core values of faith, integrity, inclusiveness, compassion, social justice and stewardship.
The Rev. Phillip A. Jackson, Rector of Trinity Church Wall Street, visited Voorhees in March when he shared a vision of the church helping students by providing them with opportunities, such as internships, mentors and studying abroad.
Jackson was joined on the visit by the Rev. Jamie Callaway and Scott Evenbeck, a member of Trinity’s Vestry.
In 2024, the university will celebrate its 100-year relationship with the Episcopal Church. In 1922, Voorhees Normal School President Joshua Blanton initiated the relationship. In 1924, the Voorhees Normal School became affiliated with the Episcopal Church through the endorsement of the two Dioceses of South Carolina.
The original partnership between the church and Voorhees was based on the fact that the church alone cannot nourish and strengthen people without the help of Christian institutions of learning, and at the same time, the university cannot effectively guide, educate and shape young minds without the spiritual influence of the church. Those long-held values set the standard by which the university judges its teaching, scholarship and service programs today. For the church, Voorhees is both a ministry and an investment, as well as a huge benefit to society.
Voorhees University and Saint Augustine’s University are the only two remaining Episcopal HBCUs in the nation.