Scholarship Recipients
2025-2026 Scholarship Recipient Announced
The Atlas Uriah Fund is excited to give this year’s scholarship to Zachary Jones. Zachary is the son of Dave and Andrea Jones and is from the Millwood Church of Christ, Howard, Ohio. Zachary has been a student at the GAP (Go And Proclaim) Preaching Camp every year since he was thirteen and preached this year at the Hillsboro Family Camp. He currently plans to begin a two semester internship with Paul Ponchot, evangelist in Vineland, New Jersey. He will be getting his education using distance learning from Louisville Bible College.
Atlas’ grandparents, Greg and Lori Strickland, had the opportunity to personally present Zachary with his scholarship while doing a revival meeting near his home.
Scholarships continue for 4th year student Kyle Melton at Summit Theological Seminary, Peru, IN, and 2nd year students Kemper Franke and Bryan Caceres – both at Midwest Ministry Training, Vandalia, MO.
We are excited to announce that former recipient Jonathan Gore finished his two year program at Advance Ministry Training Center, Kissimmee, FL. He is now doing a one year ministry residency at Eagle Christian Church in Boise, ID, before finding his own full-time preaching ministry. We pray for his continued learning and success in bring many to Christ through the preaching of the Word.
Exciting Growth Leads to More Opportunities
When the preaching scholarship was formed in the Fall of 2021 after Atlas’ untimely passing that Summer, the initial goal was long-term. We thought that if we could grow the fund over several years, eventually we would be able to give a modest financial gift to one preaching student each year from the account’s interest. However, we got antsy!
With much prayer, advice, and consideration of the board members, the scholarship fund became The Atlas Uriah Fund (AUF). With the realization that we could help more young men hear God’s call to preach, we began the Enduring Light Preaching Camp (ELPC) to help create a pipeline of men to fill America’s pulpits. There were then two arms of one fund: The AUS Memorial Preaching Scholarship (AUSMPS) and The ELPC.
What was a “small” yearly gift, became a scholarship that follows and grows with each recipient, totaling $7,000 for an education in preaching. What we thought might start “in several years” started in 2022 with our first ELPC and the 2022-2023 school year for our first AUSMPS. Small bonus gifts were set aside for each year any young man completed the preaching camp. As reported earlier (see article below) each year since we have added one new scholar. However, we recently “got antsy” again!
One of our adult camp staff, Bryan Caceres, responded to God’s call and committed his life to preaching at one of our chapel services. Bryan is a native of Columbia, but long-time resident of Riverside, California, where he attends Pathway Christian Church. AUF board member Evan Strickland is the Evangelist at Pathway and has been discipling Bryan. When Evan was approved as a mentor by Mid-West Ministry Training, Bryan immediately enrolled. With the ample means to help, the board members at AUF just couldn’t wait to help. We are proud to announce that Bryan Caceres is an additional recipient of the AUSMPS for the 2024-2025 school year!
(Above: Bryan Caceres (L); Bryan and M-WMT Mentor Evan Strickland plan a sermon series together (R))
God has enabled us to do all these things – beyond what we had planned – through the continued generosity of many individuals, Church congregations, and para-ministry organizations that believe in AUF’s mission. Thank you so much! We pray for your continual prayer and financial support.
If you’ve not yet begun to help us, would you mention us to your congregations missions team? Perhaps this time of year they are considering new missions giving. We have multiple promo videos we’d love to send them, and we would always be willing to meet with them by video or in person if possible.
For the Fall of 2024, The Atlas Uriah Fund is proud to announce three scholarship recipients.
The new recipient of the Atlas Uriah Strickland Memorial Preaching Scholarship for the Fall semester of 2024 is Kemper Franke. Kemper is from Vandalia, MO, and attends the First Christian Church of Vandalia. He will be attending a new preacher training institution, Midwest Ministry Training. Kemper’s dad, Jamie Franke, has been a leader not only in the Church locally, but also throughout the state of Missouri. We’re excited to be able to help facilitate Kemper’s training.
Our other two recipients are continuation scholarships. Our first-ever scholarship recipient, Kyle Melton, is continuing his preaching education at Summit Theological Seminary in Peru, IN. He is entering his third year. Jonathan Gore is beginning his second year of education at Advance Center for Ministry Training in Kissimmee, FL. Both young men report great grades and are excited to continue their learning.
Who is Atlas Uriah?
Atlas Uriah Strickland was the son of Evan and Kourtney Strickland and the brother of Koraline Strickland. His family has served God’s Church evangelizing the lost on the mission field and in both new and well-established congregations. While serving with his parents near Hickory, Mississippi, Atlas was ushered to his heavenly home prematurely in a terrible accident.
The Antioch Christian Church, where his father Evan was the evangelist, desired to create a scholarship in Atlas’ honor. Though he was not quite three, one of the things Atlas aspired to do was to preach the good news about Jesus. It was decided this scholarship would assist men, young and old, who wanted to do what Atlas only dreamed of doing. It was from this the scholarship and the Atlas Uriah Fund (AUF) was born.
Since the scholarship was established in the Fall of 2021, Christians from across the United States and Canada have contributed in a way we never imagined. In 2022, Rock Solid Ministries announced that AUF would receive 5% of their income. Antioch Christian Church (Hickory, MS), Oak Hill Christian Church (Corinth, MS), Burlington Christian Church (Burlington, CO), Pathway Christian Church (Riverside, CA), and ChristView Christian Church (Southaven, MS) have followed suit as regular contributors along with many individuals. Because of this growth, the AUF became a ministry partner of Mid-South Christian College in May of 2023 to enjoy the notoriety, stability, and financial accountability of the school.
The Atlas Uriah Fund 