The Association of Related Churches Honors Legacy with Billy Hornsby Memorial Scholarship Awarded at GrowLeader Conference

At GrowLeader Conference, the Billy Hornsby Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Selina Zdrojowy, a church planter’s daughter now headed to Highlands College.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At this year’s GrowLeader Conference, hosted by Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, more than 3,700 pastors and leaders gathered for three days of vision, training, and encouragement. Among the most memorable moments was the presentation of the Billy Hornsby Memorial Scholarship, awarded to Selina Zdrojowy of Awaken Church in Port Charlotte, Florida.

Selina, the child of an Association of Related Churches (ARC) church-planting family, received the scholarship in honor of ARC’s late founder, Billy Hornsby. This annual award recognizes students from church-planting families who embody a passion for ministry and a commitment to building life-giving local churches.

For Selina, the honor was the fulfillment of a long-awaited dream. She has aspired to attend Highlands College for the past four years, and this fall she will begin pursuing her Bachelor’s in Worship Ministry. Highlands College, known for equipping the next generation of ministry leaders through academic excellence and practical ministry training, partners closely with ARC and GrowLeader to invest in future pastors, worship leaders, and missionaries.

“This scholarship is an incredible way to honor the legacy of Billy Hornsby,” said Dino Rizzo, President of the Association of Related Churches. “ARC exists so no one has to plant a church alone, and the fact that Selina—raised in an ARC church—will now be trained at Highlands College is a powerful picture of legacy multiplying into the next generation.”

The GrowLeader Conference, an annual event designed to equip pastors and church leaders with practical strategies to strengthen their churches, provided the perfect setting for this milestone. Leaders from around the globe gathered in Birmingham to learn, connect, and be inspired, with every session pointing to one core truth: when the local church is strengthened, communities are transformed.

As Selina steps into her calling at Highlands College, her journey stands as a reminder of how the Association of Related Churches continues to empower generations. From planting churches to raising up future leaders, the impact of ARC and its partners is ensuring that the Gospel goes forward with strength and vision.

For more information about the Association of Related Churches, visit www.arcchurches.com.

About the Association of Related Churches (ARC):

The Association of Related Churches (ARC) is a global network of independent congregations committed to planting and building life-giving churches. Since its founding in 2000, ARC has helped launch over 1,160 churches worldwide by offering coaching, resources, funding, and ongoing relational support. At its heart, ARC exists to see a thriving church in every community—and no leader walking alone. Learn more at arcchurches.com.