New York Theological Seminary Receives Lilly Endowment Grant to Improve the Economic Well-Being of Future Ministers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 2, 2013

Contact: Courtney Wiley-Harris, MDiv. 212-870-1253 | cwiley@nyts.edu

NEW YORK CITY – New York Theological Seminary has received a $250,000 grant as part of Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Theological School Initiative to Address Economic Issues Facing Future Ministers. It is one of 67 theological schools across the country to receive this funding.

Personal financial pressures are severely limiting the ability of seminary graduates to accept calls to Christian ministry and undermining the effectiveness of too many pastoral leaders. To help address this issue, Lilly Endowment created the Theological School Initiative to Address Economic Issues Facing Future Ministers. The initiative’s aim is to encourage theological schools to examine and strengthen their financial and educational practices to improve the economic well-being of future pastors.

All theological schools fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada were invited to submit grant proposals. New York Theological Seminary will use its funding to support research into: (1) the debt and employment of students and alumni/ae; (2) personal-financial management skills; (3) financial health of constituency churches; and (4) pilot programs of technical assistance.

“If we can combine these initiatives, all of the participants in the financial ecology – students, alumni/ae, churches and the Seminary itself, will be empowered to address their own financial challenges more effectively,” said NYTS President, Dr. Dale T. Irvin. “Student debt is one part of a larger financial problem. The financial situation of churches is another. If we can put the parts together, we can better solve the problem of the whole.”

“Pastors are indispensable spiritual leaders and guides, and the quality of pastoral leadership is critical to the health and vitality of congregations,” said Christopher L. Coble, vice president for religion at the Endowment.

“Theological schools play a critical role in preparing pastors and are uniquely positioned to address some of the economic challenges they face,” Coble said. “The Endowment hopes that these grants will support broad efforts to improve the financial circumstances facing pastoral leaders so that pastors can serve their congregations more joyfully and effectively,” said Coble.