Project Directory

The Episcopal Diocese of Spokane, affiliated with the Episcopal Church, requests five-year grant to support its Flourishing Pastors: A Wholistic Systems Approach program, an effort that seeks to provide for the flourishing of newly ordained clergy serving in rural, small congregations in the diocese.  The program will provide individual mentors for all newly ordained clergy and those new to the diocese, host monthly regional clergy groups for spiritual formation and support, organize diocesan clergy retreats and conferences to sharpen leadership skills, encourage and support spiritual direction and coaching for clergy, and conduct regular leadership development programs for teams of parish clergy and lay leaders.  To sustain this effort, the diocese will incorporate the program into its operating budget and raise funds from new donors.

Texas Methodist Foundation (TMF) seeks a five-year grant for partial funding to launch its Courageous Leadership Imperative (CLI) project, an effort to equip pastors to address adaptive challenges and authentically exercise courageous leadership in their ministries. The CLI will simultaneously run two tracks of cohorts with 15 pastors each through an intensive three-year program; one track will focus on midcareer clergy and the second one will be composed of clergy who are innovators and leading nontraditional congregation-based faith communities. The two cohorts will connect as well. CLI will give participants opportunities for reading, writing and conversation with worship, spiritual reflection, peer group conversations, plenary content and active learning engagement. To sustain this project, TMF will establish a permanent endowment to provide resources for high potential clergy and lay leaders as well as broaden and deepen its donor base to identify, cultivate and solicit new major and planned gift prospects.

Ashland University seeks a five-year grant for partial support to establish the Thriving in Church Ministry project.  The primary focus of the project is to empower pastors to thrive in ministry through learning activities that strengthen pastoral identity, promote long term sustainability in ministry, facilitates significant relationships with peers and fosters a professional learning community. The Thriving in Church Ministry project will gather new, assistant, associate, early career, bi-vocational and co-pastors in metropolitan and economically distressed church communities for project-based learning, Ministry Exchange Workshops and seminars.  The advanced Thriving in Church Ministry certificate will include personal assessment, leadership development, case studies, peer education, mentoring, and the development of practices designed to foster healthy relationships. To sustain this project, Ashland will offer an advanced Certificate of Thriving in Church Ministry and assess the needs of laity and clergy for the development of additional certificate offerings in theological education.

International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC), a denomination of more than 1,700 churches in the United States, seeks a five-year grant for partial support for its Thriving Throughout the Seasons of Pastoral Ministry program.  Through this program, 180 to 200 pastoral leaders — women, men, pastors serving multiethnic/multilingual congregations, church planters, and those in transition from rural to urban ministry settings and vice versa — will engage in multiple-year peer learning and mentoring communities with pastors serving similar size congregations so they might build a peer network and explore together leadership challenges posed by their settings.  To sustain this effort, IPHC will launch a deferred giving and capital campaign effort dedicated to this program and will incorporate elements into its operating budget.

The Second Episcopal District African Methodist Episcopal comprises 360 rural, suburban, and urban churches located in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, and North Carolina serving primarily Black congregations and communities. The Wounded Healers Pastoral Support Program (WHPSP) is designed specifically to promote holistic wellbeing among all clergy in the Second District, including new/early/mid/late-career and retired pastors. WHPSP has five goals that will help pastors thrive: 1. improve self-care, 2. engage spiritual formation practices, 3. maintain healthy boundaries, 4. cultivate authentic voices, and 5. establish meaningful collegial relationships. Pastors can take advantage of the program components, which are support groups, mentoring, retreat, or online web to increase their well-being. Resulting from discussions at clergy town hall meetings and feedback from online webinars, WHPSP partners with Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary and Chaney Coaching Group. Through this collaborative, clergy may receive training as mentors or the prerequisite preparation required to become a certified coach. The program also offers pastors the opportunity to participate in support groups, mentoring, retreats, and/or online Q&A website and webinars.

Central Baptist Theological Seminary, an American Baptist school, seeks a five-year grant for partial support for its Formed for Flourishing: Mentoring Toward Effective and Healthy Leadership program.  This endeavor seeks to connect experienced pastors with new clergy and those transitioning to new ministry settings to help them understand their congregational contexts more deeply and strengthen their leadership skills.  The pastors will engage in mentoring for a two-year period to build relationships and sharpen each other’s pastoral skills: the first year in groups and the second year one on one. Beyond the grant cycle, Central will launch Formed for Flourishing into regional denominational partners utilizing program participants as leaders within their own congregational networks for both multiplication and sustainability.