The Center has three primary purposes:

To encourage scholarship in the study of the history and nature of African American preaching, including the development of dissertations and scholarly articles on the topic.

To develop a publicly-available resource library of digital recordings of well-known African American preachers, for use for both study and inspiration.

To endow scholarships and fellowship opportunities for African-American pastors and leaders seeking to enhance the scholarly knowledge and resources in African-American preaching.

The Five-Year Financial Goal for the Center

The five-year goal of $200,000 will provide funds to establish the Center and launch the various elements of its mission, including preservation, publicity, acquisition of African-American scholarly resources, and the development of a bi-annual journal on the legacy of African-American preaching.

Fellows of the Center will contribute $5,000 or more (within a five-year period) for the work of the Center.

A gift of $500,000 or more will allow for the naming and perpetual endowment of the Center.