GAC09018
June 15, 2009

2009 Walton Award winners announced

Eight New Church Developments (NCD’s) to receive $50,000 to further mission                              

Contact:
Paul Seebeck, (502) 569-5221

LOUISVILLE, Ky – Eight Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) new church developments have been named winners of the 2009 Sam & Helen R. Walton Awards. Each congregation was selected for its imaginative, skillful approach to new church ministry by the Mission Development Resources Committee (MDRC) and will receive $50,000 for assistance in site acquisition and capital improvement. Two of the churches are in California, two in Florida. The other four are in Kansas, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas. The NCD’s are diverse — congregations are Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian-American, English-Swahili speaking and Multi-Cultural. The Walton Awards were established in 1991 as part of a $6 million gift from the late Sam and Helen Walton — founders of Wal-Mart — through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation. Half of the gift created an endowment, the interest on which funds the awards.

The 2009 Walton Award winners are:

• Highlands Presbyterian Church, Paso Robles, Ca, Synod of Southern California & Hawaii, Santa Barbara Presbytery: 1,000 people attend four worship services at this three year old new NCD, whose ministry is primarily to the non-churched.  Highlands has reached out to the vineyard worker, blue-collar, Harley-Davidson rider and cowboy-rancher communities in their region. The church will use the Walton award to finish their educational/office wing, finish city-mandated landscaping, complete their nature/bike trails and begin funding construction of their sanctuary.
• Santa Maria (Ca) Presbyterian Church, Synod of Southern California & Hawaii, Santa Barbara Presbytery: New Covenant NCD and First Presbyterian Church, Santa Maria faced declining membership and internal strife after losing pastors. In 2007, they became a new multi-cultural church. New ministries like Monday Night Football half-time Bible Studies reach younger men and Teenage MOPS is a safe place for teenage mothers to bring their children. The new congregation has successfully trained English and Spanish-speaking lay-leadership in a Presbytery program. They will use the Walton award to renovate their sanctuary and improve their education and fellowship ministry.
• Iglesia Presbiteriana Monte Sinai’, Apopka, Fl, Synod of South Atlantic, Central Florida Presbytery: 80 percent of the members of this five year-old NCD were previously un-churched. The Hispanic congregation will use Walton award for the construction, repair and expansion of the main building on their property, to renovate another building, prepare the site for expansion, resurface and enlarge their parking lot.
• Peace Presbyterian NCD, Lakewood Ranch, Fl, Synod of South Atlantic, Peace River Presbytery: This 118-member congregation whose desire is to make God known by growing disciples of Jesus Christ, plans to charter in 2009. The Walton award will help them purchase property and build their ministry.
• Neema Community Fellowship, Overland Park, Ks Synod of Mid-America, Heartland Presbytery: The goal of this developing church is to serve immigrants who come to the US, especially from Africa. They plan to become a chartered Swahili & English speaking congregation and hope to purchase a church building within the next two years.
• Top Stone Church, Englewood, NJ, Synod of the Northeast, Eastern Korean Presbytery: This Korean church, devoted to God through service to each other and their community, grew 38 percent last year. The Walton award will help them purchase a building and expand their outreach through more ministries and service programs.
• New Kirk Presbyterian Church, Blythewood, SC, Synod of South Atlantic, Trinity Presbytery: In March, this NCD that started with just 20 people broke ground on their first building to the delight of 183 adult and 90 children. The Walton award will allow them to provide more paved parking or build a welcoming and inviting space that would include a coffee bar, fireplace and comfortable seating.
• Biyaya Community Church, Missouri City, TX, Synod of the Sun, New Covenant Presbytery: Chartered in May of 2008, this Asian American church started with 14 adults and one child on Easter of 1999. Now 75 active members, including children, hope to buy property with an existing building that can accommodate a congregation of their size, to allow for a broader variety of church and social functions.

Since 1993, there have been 92 Walton Awards totaling $3.7 million presented to exemplary new church developments from 63 presbyteries in all 16 synods.