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The
Center for Ministry, a shared work of Millsaps College and the
Mississippi United Methodist Conference, has been awarded a $2 million
grant from the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment, Inc., to participate
in a national program called "Sustaining Pastoral Excellence."
The program
is a new initiative by the Lilly Endowment to focus on maintaining
a high caliber of pastoral leadership in the United States. Overall,
47 grants totaling $57.9 million were awarded in October to U.S.
organizations with religious affiliations. More than 700 institutions
submitted proposals.
"We are
deeply honored that the Lilly Endowment has recognized the Center
for Ministry as an extraordinary resource for pastoral education,"
stated Millsaps President Frances Lucas-Tauchar. "The College
exists today because of the vision and faith of our Methodist founders,
and this cornerstone gift will further strengthen our historic bond
with the Mississippi Conference."
One of the largest
grants given, the five-year, $2 million award will allow the Center
for Ministry to establish a Pastoral Excellence Project. The project,
which will begin in January, will host interdenominational clergy
and laity assembled to assess pastoral ministry in Mississippi.
The project will also offer pastoral seminars, provide grants for
education of the clergy, develop models of evaluation and support
for United Methodist ministers and create a scholar-in-residence
program.
"The Center
for Ministry Pastoral Excellence Project will open the doors to
high-quality resources and life-changing experiences for many pastors
in Mississippi," said Rev. Andy Johnson, Center for Ministry
executive director. "Our goal is to honor God's call and to
offer support as pastors seek to nurture that call over a lifetime
of ministry."
The Center for Ministry was founded in 1999 as a partnership between
Millsaps College and the Mississippi United Methodist Conference.
The center's mission is to foster leadership for effective ministry
in the church, college and community.
"Calling
forth, forming and supporting strong pastoral leaders are critical
needs confronting the church. The grant from the Lilly Endowment
provides resources to address many of the systemic needs confronting
churches in the Mississippi Conference," said Bishop Kenneth
Carder. "I look forward to working with the Center for Ministry
and the pastors and laity of the conference in being good stewards
of the gift that has been made available to us."
In recent years,
the Lilly Endowment has established several programs to encourage
pastors in their work. Other pastoral excellence grant recipients
include theological schools, regional and national judicatories
from large and small denominations, church-related colleges and
universities, ecumenical organizations, retreat centers and congregations
from nearly every major Christian faith tradition.
"We will
be most interested in following these projects over the next few
years," said Craig Dykstra, Lilly Endowment vice president
for religion. "They offer the promise of meaningful renewal
for many pastors in this country. The Endowment's current religion
grant-making revolves around two major and interlocking considerations:
identifying, nurturing and educating a talented new generation of
pastors and, second, recognizing and supporting the excellent ones
we have. Not surprisingly, we know that healthy, engaged, thoughtful,
dedicated ministers usually go hand in hand with healthy, vibrant
and effective congregations."
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