The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology has received a 5-year, $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. The purpose of this initiative is to help theological schools strengthen their educational and financial capacities to prepare and support pastors and congregational lay ministers for the long term.
Lilly Endowment has awarded 84 grants in 28 states and 7 Canadian provinces for its second phase of the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. Awards ranged from $500,000 to $1 million and totaled more than $82 million. The Seattle School is honored to be among the 84 schools developing and implementing a variety of strategies to support the next generation of ministry leaders.
“Those who lead faith communities are in a season of significant transition and strain as they face rapidly changing contexts. At The Seattle School, we are actively assessing and exploring opportunities to enhance and sustain our ability and capacity to fulfill our mission to train these leaders,” said J. Derek McNeil, President and Provost. “This grant gives us the opportunity to weave together our internal processes, strengthen our relationships with regional churches and our partners, and widen our access to the next generation of leaders.”
Coordination of the grant builds upon the school’s strategic priorities and mission by deepening and expanding our efforts as it invites us to greater partnerships and learning. The Seattle School will strengthen our institutional capacity as we plan and implement new models for identifying, preparing, and supporting a diverse body of learners seeking to become effective pastors and ministry leaders for the faith communities of tomorrow. Our goals for this project include:
- Developing compelling tiered learning pathways that invite learners through multiple entry points into certificates and degrees redesigned to better prepare ministry leaders for the ethnically and culturally complex congregations of the future.
- Deepening existing and developing new mutually beneficial partnerships focused on diverse congregations and their pastors, and using our listening and learning to help refine our educational models and offerings.
- Strengthening institutional structures, shared governance, departmental communication, and financial processes to sustain operations.
With this support from the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, The Seattle School continues and expands ongoing efforts to strengthen and sustain our unique capacities to prepare and support pastoral leaders for the culturally complex congregations and innovative expressions of Christian faith into the future.
A full list of the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grantees can be found on Lilly Endowment’s website.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.