On June 8, 48 United Methodist students from across Michigan were awarded Centennial Scholarships at Metropolitan UMC in Detroit.
JEANETTE HARRIS
Detroit: Metropolitan UMC
These words were spoken by the late Rev. Dr. William K. Quick as he spoke about the Centennial Scholarship program he started in 1985. As the pastor of Metropolitan UMC in Detroit, Rev. Quick encouraged the congregation to make bequests and gifts to create a lasting memorial to the importance of education. He recognized that this obsession would not only be his legacy but also become the legacy of the Greater Detroit District church at 8000 Woodward Avenue. Fast forward forty years. More than $2.1 million has been awarded to Methodist students since its inception.
On June 8, 2025, Scholarship Sunday was joyously celebrated at Metropolitan. Centennial Scholarships were awarded to 48 students, including the first father-daughter awards to Rev. Anthony Ballah of Detroit: Grace Community UMC and his daughter, the talented violinist Antoina Ballah. In addition to the Centennial Scholarships, two other scholarships were awarded by United Women in Faith to honor the memory of former senior pastor Rev. Chester A. McPheeters.
The worship service was blessed by the appearance of Rev. Faith Green Timmons as the guest preacher. Rev. Timmons has been away from the pulpit due to a devastating automobile accident ten years ago. Rev. Timmons remarked how her life has come full circle. Click to read more about her story. She started her ministry as the youth pastor at Metropolitan UMC. Faith’s son, Gregory Timmons II, was awarded the Centennial Scholarship that bears Dr. Quick’s name.
Sharing in this lasting legacy is a long list of United Methodist clergy, including, but certainly not limited to, Paul Perez, Tara Sutton Gay, Audrey Mangum, Beatrice Alghali, Jeremy Africa, Ray Mondragon, and Ava Euper.
Metropolitan UMC offers Centennial Scholarships to assist full-time students in attending college, university, or graduate school. The scholarship amount varies yearly, but recent recipients received $2,000 each. All students who are active members of a United Methodist church in Michigan are eligible to apply. Students can reapply each year if they continue a full-time schedule.
The next round of applications will start in January 2026. Make sure you bookmark www.metroumc.org and check back in early spring.
Be a part of this legacy and the United Methodist obsession with education.
Last Updated on June 23, 2025