Flint’s faith community joins forces to fund Berston Field House renovation

FLINT, Mich. — A community-wide effort to expand and improve a crucial Flint community center has so far brought together more than 20 local churches — and has brought in more than $23 million. 

The Berston Blessing Faith Initiative aims to fund a large-scale project to renovate and expand Flint’s historic Berston Field House. The project is organized by the Friends of Berston, a nonprofit organization that programs, operates and manages the iconic building, initiative officials said in a press release. 

“Berston Field House is more than a building – it is a cornerstone of hope, opportunity, and unity in Flint,” Pastor Allen C. Overton Sr. of the Christ Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, said in the release.  “Continued investment in Berston Field House is an investment in our future. (The building) is a beacon of resilience, pride and possibility. Supporting Berston means supporting the heart of Flint.”

The Friends of Berston have raised about $23.6 million for the renovation, with $17.4 million still needed to complete the project, officials said. 

The Berston Field House and Playground was opened in 1923. During the mid-1930s, Berston became the first community center in Flint to admit Black residents living in the surrounding neighborhood, according to the City’s website.

Once complete, the recreation and community center will triple its size and significantly expand access to athletics, health and wellness, arts and culture and education programs for Flint citizens and families, officials said. Among the improvements will be a 57,000-square-foot addition to the building featuring basketball courts and an elevated track. The center served more than 42,000 visitors in 2025, and the Friends of Berston hope the expanded campus will more than double its impact and capacity to serve the community. 

“Berston Field House is a space that represents a promise to our young people that they are seen, supported, and safe,” said Flint Community Schools Superintendent Kevelin B. Jones II. “I know that our responsibility does not end when the school bell rings. Our students need places that nurture their potential, build their confidence, and keep them connected to positive pathways.” 

So far, 23 churches throughout Genesee County have committed to supporting the project through the Berston Blessing Faith Initiative.

Faith communities and their members can support the initiative in several ways, including taking up special offerings, making collective donations on behalf of their congregation and sharing the Berston Blessing Faith Initiative message with others, officials said. 

The initiative will culminate in a community-wide celebration recognizing the collective impact of the Berston Blessing and honoring each participating faith community, officials said.

The Berston Blessing Community Celebration will take place at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 26, 2026.

To ensure all contributions are recognized as part of this collective effort, donations should be mailed or delivered to Friends of Berston at 3300 N. Saginaw St., by Monday, April 20. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, and checks should be made payable to Friends of Berston. 

Officials anticipate the full project to be completed by early 2027.