February invites us to pause and remember. During Black History Month, we honor the lives, leadership, and faithful witness of Black individuals and congregations whose courage, perseverance, and commitment to justice have shaped the Church and the communities it serves.
Many of these legacies were built quietly and faithfully over time — through worship, education, advocacy, and service rooted deeply in faith. They remind us that the work of the Church is often carried forward not by single moments, but by generations who choose to live out their convictions with consistency and hope.
At the Oklahoma Disciples Foundation, we are grateful to steward gifts that help ensure these legacies continue. Among them are endowments created specifically to support traditionally Black ministries and leaders within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
The Minority Convocation Endowment provides ongoing support to the leadership of the Oklahoma Convocation of Christian Churches, helping fund fellowship gatherings that strengthen relationships among Oklahoma’s African American congregations and nurture connection, shared identity, and mutual encouragement.
We also steward the Frazier Scholarship / Jarvis Christian College endowment, which provides scholarship support for Disciple ministerial students enrolled at Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas. Jarvis Christian College is a fully accredited, co-educational institution with a historically African American heritage and a long-standing relationship with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Through this endowment, future leaders are equipped for ministry grounded in faith, education, and service.
These funds are living examples of how generosity becomes legacy — how faith expressed in one generation continues to shape leadership, fellowship, and ministry in the next.
Black History Month reminds us that honoring the past is also about shaping the future. As we give thanks for those who have gone before us, we are invited to consider how the values we hold today might continue to bless others in the years ahead.
If you would like to learn more about these endowments, support their ongoing impact, or explore ways to help ensure faithful ministry continues for future generations, we would be honored to start that conversation with you.
Together, we give thanks for legacies that continue to shape faith, justice, and community.