With a $6 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., The Fund for Theological Education (FTE) will expand its work with congregations nationwide as vital partners in identifying and cultivating gifted young candidates for vocations in Christian ministry.
The Endowment grant will fund “Calling Congregations,” a regional FTE initiative involving local churches in grassroots programs to find and support the next generation of outstanding pastoral leaders for Christian denominations.
“We know that congregations are critical to the faith maturation and vocational discernment of young men and women,” said Craig Dykstra, senior vice president for religion at Lilly Endowment Inc. “This grant is an investment in engaging congregations more deeply in this work. Given FTE’s broad expertise, we are confident this can make a significant contribution to developing future leaders for the church.”
Concerns about the need for professional clergy in mainline religious denominations have been growing for some time, as large numbers of “baby boomer” pastors prepare to retire and local congregations seek qualified young ministerial candidates. Statistics by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate clergy vacancies rank among the highest for professions requiring an advanced degree, with many denominations reporting significantly lower numbers of clergy under age 35.
FTE’s program will establish a national network of 500 congregations and church-related institutions from four regions across the U.S. by 2009. These congregations will be members of an ecumenical partnership committed to supporting vocational discernment among their young church members, and the consideration of ordained ministry in particular. At least one-third of the member congregations will be from racially and ethnically diverse and rural communities.
The initiative will also seek to link church-related organizations — such as denominations, campus ministries and seminaries — with churches in the Calling Congregations network to enhance vocational discernment programs for youth.
FTE will provide partner congregations with a portfolio of tools to assist young people with exploring a central question: “What will I do with my life in light of my faith?” These include workshops and conferences, national training for adults mentoring youth, teaching tools, mini-grants for local projects, Web-based resources, youth scholarships to special events, and up to 40 fellowships each year matching a congregation’s financial support toward tuition and living expenses for a young church member’s first year of seminary.
The Calling Congregations program will be launched in 2006 with the establishment of a Midwest region based in Chicago, which will include Northern Indiana and Indianapolis, and other areas. FTE plans to launch additional regions in 2007 and 2008.
“Ministry today has truly become an uncommon calling for youth bombarded with other values in popular culture,” said Ann Svennungsen, president of The Fund for Theological Education. “But there are faithful, aware and gifted students who long for the support of parents, other adults and peers to explore the call to ministry. Without encouragement, many young people defer, deny or hide their interest in serving the church. In today’s environment, we’ve learned that potential pastors need encouragement at an earlier age, for a longer period of time, and from a wider range of institutions and individuals than ever before.”
The Fund for Theological Education annually provides $1.2 million in fellowships and a network of support for gifted young people from all denominations and racial/ethnic backgrounds. It is also a resource for educational and faith communities, offering programs that encourage high-quality candidates to explore vocations in ministry and teaching. Since 1954, the Atlanta-based organization has awarded more than 5,600 fellowships in partnership with others committed to the future of quality leadership for the church.
