Rural Challenge
Leaders of rural Christian ministries in Mississippi generally do not have the training that would empower them to know where and how to pursue major gifts. In many cases, it also takes money to build the relationships and systems needed to secure major gifts, whether that means hiring development support, investing in strategy, or taking time away from other responsibilities or paid employment. Most leaders do not have the financial resources to do that work. The desire to serve is there, but the ability is not.
REAL Solution
Our main way of providing a solution to the challenge of resources is through our endowed accounts from which we give a major gift and scholarships. We award a major gift at least once a year, usually in the spring, to support new and ongoing programs (General Endowment Fund). We award scholarships to college and boarding high school students every summer (Reginald D. Weary Memorial Scholarship Fund), we award stipends to private Christian school students at a partner school in Simpson County every fall (Dr. Kathryn B. Weathersby Memorial Fund), and we award leadership development scholarships as needed to community leaders (Lois M. Ottaway Memorial Fund) who want to enter programs so they can gain additional leadership training and/or exposure. The (Dolphus and Rosie Weary Administrative Endowment Fund) is a perpetual fund established for staff support only. We also give non-financial resources, as the non-profit ministries have need and we have opportunity to do so, in the form of equipment, supplies, and consultants.
Rural Challenge
Leaders of rural Christian ministries in Mississippi generally do not have the training that would empower them to know where and how to pursue major gifts. In many cases, it also takes money to build the relationships and systems needed to secure major gifts, whether that means hiring development support, investing in strategy, or taking time away from other responsibilities or paid employment. Most leaders do not have the financial resources to do that work. The desire to serve is there, but the ability is not.
REAL Solution
Our main way of providing a solution to the challenge of resources is throgugh our endowed accounts from which we give a major gift and scholarships. We award a major gift at least once a year, usually in the spring, to support new and ongoing programs (General Endowment Fund). We award scholarships to college and boarding high school students every summer (Reginald D. Weary Memorial Scholarship Fund), we award stipends to private Christian school students at a partner school in Simpson County every fall (Dr. Kathryn B. Weathersby Memorial Fund), and we award leadership development scholarships as needed to community leaders (Lois M. Ottaway Memorial Fund) who want to enter programs so they can gain additional leadership training and/or exposure. We also give non-financial resources, as the non-profit ministries have need and we have opportunity to do so, in the form of equipment, supplies, and consultants.
REAL FUNDS
GENERAL ENDOWMENT FUND
This fund is strictly dedicated to the advancement of rural, Christian ministries in the state of Mississippi. A major gift to those ministries are given from this fund.
REGINALD D. WEARY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP (RDW) FUND
REAL Christian Foundation established the RDW Fund after REAL Co-Founders Dolphus and Rosie Weary’s son’s untimely death in 2004. As a part of their healing process, they prayerfully considered ways to bless other youth from rural Mississippi. The interest from this fund is used to provide partial scholarships to students in rural Mississippi who are connected to community-based Christian ministries REAL supports. Students can use these scholarships to cover costs associated with attending boarding high schools, colleges or universities, technical schools, and graduate seminaries. The scholarships usually range from $1,000 - $2,000 per student. The RDW Fund was designed to help rural Christian ministries develop leaders. The hope is these leaders would have a heart to come back, give back, or serve back in their communities. As of today, REAL has provided over 50 scholarships to students associated with the rural, community-based Christian ministries supported by REAL.
DR. KATHRYN B. WEATHERSBY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP (KBW) FUND
Dr. Kathryn Black Weathersby was a friend and mentor to Dolphus and Rosie Weary, REAL’s co-founders. On its board since 1970, she had a deep commitment to Genesis One Christian School (GOCS). She was killed in an automobile accident on September 5, 2002, and in honor of her deep commitment, REAL established the KBW Fund to be dedicated to and used by GOCS, an outreach of The Mendenhall Ministries in Mendenhall, Mississippi, to provide partial tuition scholarships for needy students. These major gifts are generally a minimum of $200 and a maximum of $500 per child. Since the fund has been established, more than 40 students from rural Simpson and surrounding counties in Mississippi have benefited in getting an educational boost in a Christian-based atmosphere.
LOIS M. OTTAWAY MEMORIAL FUND
REAL Co-Founders Dolphus and Rosie Weary knew Lois M. Ottaway personally for over 30 years as a mentor and prayer warrior who had a passion to see African-American Christian leaders succeed. Over the years, along with the Wearys, she encouraged people like Bill Parnell (professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, pastor), John Perkins (American Christian minister, civil rights activist), and the late Tom Skinner (evangelist and activist who once led a street gang in New York). In 2007, Mrs. Ottaway gave REAL a gift of $15,000 to help establish a scholarship fund, which together with an additional monetary gift she bequeathed to REAL after she died in 2013 became a memorial fund in her memory, designated for indigenous leaders affiliated with the community-based Christian ministries REAL supports. Scholarships from this fund give these leaders an opportunity to get greater exposure in ministry and/or training programs outside of their communities.
DOLPHUS AND ROSIE WEARY
ADMINISTRATIVE ENDOWMENT (DRW) FUND
The purpose of the fund is to establish a perpetual resource to support REAL’s staff (ONLY) so that REAL’s staff can concentrate more on the mission of serving the supported ministries and less on the urgent need to cover basic operating expenses such as employee compensation.
REAL FUNDS
GENERAL ENDOWMENT FUND
This fund is strictly dedicated to the advancement of rural, Christian ministries in the state of Mississippi. Major gifts to those ministries are given from this fund.
REGINALD D. WEARY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP (RDW) FUND
REAL Christian Foundation established the RDW Fund after REAL Co-Founders Dolphus and Rosie Weary’s son’s untimely death in 2004. As a part of their healing process, they prayerfully considered ways to bless other youth from rural Mississippi. The interest from this fund is used to provide partial scholarships to students in rural Mississippi who are connected to community-based Christian ministries REAL supports. Students can use these scholarships to cover costs associated with attending boarding high schools, colleges or universities, technical schools, and graduate seminaries. The scholarships usually range from $1,000 - $2,000 per student. The RDW Fund was designed to help rural Christian ministries develop leaders. The hope is these leaders would have a heart to come back, give back, or serve back in their communities. As of today, REAL has provided over 50 scholarships to students associated with the rural, community-based Christian ministries supported by REAL.
DR. KATHRYN B. WEATHERSBY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP (KBW) FUND
Dr. Kathryn Black Weathersby was a friend and mentor to Dolphus and Rosie Weary, REAL’s co-founders. On its board since 1970, she had a deep commitment to Genesis One Christian School (GOCS). She was killed in an automobile accident on September 5, 2002, and in honor of her deep commitment, REAL established the KBW Fund to be dedicated to and used by GOCS, an outreach of The Mendenhall Ministries in Mendenhall, Mississippi, to provide partial tuition scholarships for needy students. These major gifts are generally a minimum of $200 and a maximum of $500 per child. Since the fund has been established, more than 40 students from rural Simpson and surrounding counties in Mississippi have benefited in getting an educational boost in a Christian-based atmosphere.
LOIS M. OTTAWAY
MEMORIAL FUND
REAL Co-Founders Dolphus and Rosie Weary knew Lois M. Ottaway personally for over 30 years as a mentor and prayer warrior who had a passion to see African-American Christian leaders succeed. Over the years, along with the Wearys, she encouraged people like Bill Parnell (professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, pastor), John Perkins (American Christian minister, civil rights activist), and the late Tom Skinner (evangelist and activist who once led a street gang in New York). In 2007, Mrs. Ottaway gave REAL a gift of $15,000 to help establish a scholarship fund, which together with an additional monetary gift she bequeathed to REAL after she died in 2013 became a memorial fund in her memory, designated for indigenous leaders affiliated with the community-based Christian ministries REAL supports. Scholarships from this fund give these leaders an opportunity to get greater exposure in ministry and/or training programs outside of their communities.
DOLPHUS AND ROSIE WEARY
ADMINISTRATIVE ENDOWMENT (DRW) FUND
The purpose of the fund is to establish a perpetual resource to support REAL’s staff (ONLY) so that REAL’s staff can concentrate more on the mission of serving the supported ministries and less on the urgent need to cover basic operating expenses such as employee compensation.
Ministries Supported in 2026
REAL’s 2026 Service Area
In 2026, REAL’s plan is to support 11 rural community-based Christian ministries across 10 counties in MS, with additional prospective out-of-network ministries.
Since 1998, REAL has given over $3 million dollars to rural community organizations both present and past.
In 2026, REAL’s plan is to support 11 rural community-based Christian ministries across 10 counties in MS (See below), in addition to some out-of-network ministries.
1. Bolivar County
− Mound Bayou, MS (C2K)
2. Covington County
− Mount Olive, MS (Mount Olive Ministries)
3. Holmes County
− Lexington, MS (Do All Things Children’s Circle, Inc.)
− Lexington, MS (Lexington Colts)
4. Jefferson Davis County
− Prentiss, MS (Jefferson Davis Outreach Ministries)
5. Quitman County
− Marks, MS (Quitman County Development Organization)
6. Rankin County
− Pearl, MS (Pioneer Ministries, Inc. (Home of Camp Pioneer)
7. Sharkey County
− Cary, MS (Cary Christian Center, Inc.)
8. Simpson, County
− Mendenhall, MS (The Mendenhall Ministries, Inc (Home of Genesis One Christian School))
9. Walthall County
− Tylertown, MS (Jayess Christian Community Development Association- reopening)
10. Washington County
− Greenville, MS (Promise Christian Dance Academy)
Ministries Supported in 2026
In 2026, REAL’s plan is to support 11 rural community-based Christian ministries across 10 counties in MS, with additional prospective out-of-network ministries.
Since 1998, REAL has given over $3 million dollars to rural community organizations both present and past.
In 2026, REAL’s plan is to support 11 rural community-based Christian ministries across 10 counties in MS (See below), in addition to some out-of-network ministries.
1. Bolivar County
− Mound Bayou, MS (C2K)
2. Covington County
− Mount Olive, MS (Mount Olive Ministries)
3. Holmes County
− Lexington, MS (Do All Things Children’s Circle, Inc.)
− Lexington, MS (Lexington Colts)
4. Jefferson Davis County
− Prentiss, MS (Jefferson Davis Outreach Ministries)
5. Quitman County
− Marks, MS (Quitman County Development Organization)
6. Rankin County
− Pearl, MS (Pioneer Ministries, Inc. (Home of Camp Pioneer))
7. Sharkey County
− Cary, MS (Cary Christian Center, Inc.)
8. Simpson, County
− Mendenhall, MS (The Mendenhall Ministries, Inc.)
9. Walthall County
− Tylertown, MS (Jayess Christian Community Development Association- reopening)
10. Washington County
− Greenville, MS (Promise Christian Dance Academy)
*Wesley Youth Foundation (Holmes County, Tchula, MS), Leaders, Dr. Lorenzo and Mrs. Blanche Wesley are retiring and closing their ministry as of June 2026.
P. O. Box 180059, Richland, MS 39218
© 2019-2025. Rural Education and Leadership Christian Foundation, Inc. (REAL)...A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization. All rights reserved.
*Wesley Youth Foundation (Holmes County, Tchula, MS), Leaders, Dr. Lorenzo and Mrs. Blanche Wesley are retiring and closing their ministry as of June 2026.
© 2019-2025. Rural Education and Leadership Christian Foundation, Inc. (REAL)...A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization. All rights reserved.