Ocracoke Assembly of God Church hopes to increase their annual Founders Scholarship awarded to an Ocracoke School graduating senior.

Each year, the small congregation donates enough money to grant $1000 to a deserving student. The scholarship is open to all graduates, regardless of church affiliation or attendance, and is a gift from the church back to the community.

“Being a small community and a small school, we can do this,” Pastor Ivey Belch said. “We feel like it’s a good outreach for the church.”

The Founders Scholarship was started as a one-time event, but the church family has committed to providing the gift every year.

“Donations come from the congregation,” Ivey said. “The money always comes in so we can give $1000. Even if it looks like we’ll be short, the money comes in.”

The scholarship main criterion is “basically, whoever needs it.”

“We like to support students who’ve been volunteers in the community, someone who’s a good student and outstanding in their personal life,” said Ivey. The church lets Ocracoke School know that they have the funds available each year, and the school scholarship committee does the choosing. (Past recipients are: Jetta Bamford, Yeager St. John, Dylan Bennink, Katelyn Gaskill, Michelle Frye, Samantha Vander Myde, Chante Mason, and Virginia Downes.)

Most recipients have come by to the parsonage to thank Ivey or the former pastors in person. Ocracoke School graduates also understand the importance of a well-written thank you note.

The Ocracoke Assembly of God Church was founded in 1938 by a small handful of Ocracoke residents including Liz Styron, Eliza Ella O’Neal, Ruth Gaskins, Emma Williams, Zelphia Williams, Caswell Williams, Levicy Tolson and Ivey’s grandfather, John T O’Neal, Sr. It began as a Holiness Pentecostal Church, though most islanders referred to it simply as “the church down the road,” and became part of Assembly of God fellowship (the largest Pentecostal fellowship in the world) in 1942 or ‘43.

“I think about all those early church members. Most never finished school, but they wished they could’ve,” said Ivey. “Grandad never particularly liked school – he’d let anybody know it – but he wanted to make sure that his kids and grandkids finished.”

Ivey would like to see the Founders Scholarship fund grow so the church could increase the scholarship or give out multiple gifts each year.

“We feel like the church needs to constantly have fundraisers for our building fund and other expenses,” he said. “This is a way for the church to give back to the community that supports us.”

If you feel moved by the Spirit to add to the Founders Scholarship fund, send a check to the church (P.O. Box 68) any time of year, and designate it for the scholarship. Ocracoke Assembly welcomes support from their off-island friends. All the donations will go to help a deserving young person on Ocracoke as he or she pursues the wisdom and knowledge of a higher education, which, according to Proverbs, is better than gold or silver.

Ocracoke Assembly invites everyone to Sunday School at 10am, followed by worship services at 11am and 7pm on Sunday. The congregation also meets Wednesday evenings at 7pm. Pastor Ivey and his worship team share the gift of music, and the church band loves to make a joyful noise. Singers Jamie Carter, Michelle Robinson, Brenda Lee, Rita Hahn, Laura Belch, and Hannah Belch are accompanied by Jean Robinson on piano, Hunter Belch on bass, Jason Daniels on drums, and Ivey on guitar. 

On Sunday, May 18th, the Ocracoke Assembly of God is joining with the Ocracoke United Methodist Church for a “Church Family Day” on the lawn at Books to Be Red. From 4 –5pm, there’ll be singing with the OAG worship team and OUMC choir, followed by a church picnic potluck at 5pm. All are welcome, of course!

For more about the church's history, read Philip Howard’s Ocracoke newsletter here.