The winning churches in California, North Carolina and Georgia initially received $40,000 each when the awards were announced April 4.
The Walton Awards were established in 1991 as part of a $6 million dollar gift from the late Sam and Helen R. Walton through the Presbyterian Foundation. This gift included an endowment of $3 million and it stipulated that the earned interest be used by outstanding new church developments for capital acquisitions.
Tim McCallister, associate for mission program grants for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), said more money from earned interest was available in the budget than had been estimated when the winning churches were selected by the church’s mission development resource committee.
Since 1993, there have been 101 Walton Awards totaling $4.11 million presented to exemplary new church developments across 66 presbyteries in all 16 PC(USA) synods.
Mission program grants is a ministry of Evangelism and Church Growth in PC(USA)’s General Assembly Mission Council.
