Each year FLBC awards scholarships to students who have demonstrated achievement in music and academics. Additionally, the Thorpe Scholarship seeks to reward and develop returning students with demonstrated leadership potential. The half-tuition scholarship, established in 2022, is endowed by Rev. Gordon Thorpe. Thorpe was the high school pastor of longtime AFLC leader Rev. Robert L. Lee.

As inaugural recipients of the award, Malena Twedt, Victor Hembree, Reise Stromstad, and Luke Dryburgh met weekly with President Mobley and other FLBC staff. Throughout the year they read together through J. Oswald Sanders’ book Spiritual Leadership. Cohort meetings included discussion on how a secular philosophy of leadership may differ from biblical servant leadership.

At the end of the year each student completed a capstone reflection paper. Victor Hembree noted, “This past year, I have seen that leadership is not for selfish gain or even influence, it is a selfless act of giving in order to benefit a group of people.” Hembree added, “Leadership is not something that I can conjure out of my own spirit. It is not something that makes sense to my flesh. But I thank God for his consistent spirit which sanctifies us and allows us to do good which we could never come to on our own.”

FLBC administration has recently named five returning students as recipients of the 2023-24 Thorpe Scholarship for Leadership Development: Jakob Rolf, Anna Renn, Ryan Erickson, Olivia Underwood, and Caden Larson.

All 9 Thorpe Scholars met with Rev. Thorpe over lunch the final week of the school year to hear his heart for students. Rev. Thorpe noted, “My passion is discovering and equipping devout leaders capable of coping with and overcoming the enormous cultural and political challenges of our era, which are threatening our very existence.” Rev. Thorpe said he was blessed to be able to meet those who have already benefited from this new award. “What a pleasure it is to meet these young scholars and hear the dreams of how they hope to use their gifts to serve the Lord.”