Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
Elkhart, Indiana | Anabaptist
HC: 116, Faculty FTE: 11

Title: CHANGE (Configuring Higher Education Administration for Next Generation Excellence)
Amount: $5 million
Partners: There are seven partners. The group is recruiting more members.

The project: AMBS and its partners have an ambitious proposal to create a nonprofit organization that would run administrative services for theological schools. Areas for initial exploration include financial aid, registrar, human resources, IT, library services, Title IX, and business office support. Schools would subscribe to the services, and the initiative intends that, if it meets expectations, it could reduce the costs of early adopters by 50% and 45% for those who join later.

Why it’s important: The initiative is focused on scaling services, thus freeing up significant portions of school budgets. The result could ease financial pressures and redirect money to help further a school’s mission.

In the news: 
Seminary receives grant to develop shared services across theological schools

Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
Springfield, Missouri | Evangelical Denominational
HC: 298, Faculty FTE: 8

Title: Ministry Leaders for Tomorrow
Amount: $5 million
Partners: Denomination and church-planting network

The project: Seeking to develop more ministers, the project is working with denomination officials in the Assemblies of God to identify and encourage high school and college students who feel called into ministry and help them discern and fulfill their calling. The plan includes the creation of a summer camp to help students discern a calling and would help bring students both to and through an undergraduate degree to a seminary degree. It would also create opportunities for employment, including in church planting.

Why it’s important: The proposal outlines a strong partnership among the school, its denomination, and denominational agencies, and it would create a pathway toward employment for students. Such a model could be a good roadmap for others.

In the news:
- Evangel University receives $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment to support a large-scale partnership with the Assemblies of God

- Evangel receives $5M grant for seminary, partnership with AG national office

Azusa Pacific Seminary at Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California | Evangelical Independent
HC: 293, Faculty FTE: 12

Title: Transformational Training Pathways for Hispanic Leaders
Amount: $4,999,904
Partners: Latin American Bible Institute and Life Pacific University

The project: The project brings together three schools with differing missions and accreditations to create a unified program that will offer students access to theological education, from a certificate to a doctorate, all in Spanish. It will develop (not translate) a contextual curriculum in Spanish and also provides coaching and support for students.

Why it’s important: The project creates entry points for people of any educational background in Spanish, while providing support. It also should create strong bonds among three schools that serve distinct student groups.

In the news:
- APU Receives $5 Million Lilly Endowment Grant in Partnership with LPU and LABI

- LABI College Teams Up, Receives $5 Million Lilly Endowment Grant

- Christian Schools Building ‘Consortium’ for Hispanic Theology Education

Candler School of Theology of Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia | Mainline Denominational
HC: 417, Faculty FTE: 62

Title: None
Amount: $5 million
Partners: AETH (La Asociación para la Educación Teológical Hispaña) and others

The project: Candler and its partners are reaching out in a number of ways to make ministerial education more accessible, including through a new school of ministry and certificate-level education for ministerial credentials in denominations that don’t require a degree. As well, a new center will help support Bible institutes and certificate programs. AETH will also provide affiliated Bible institutes with increased library access. And, there’s the creation of a summer institute for global Charismatic and Pentecostal studies.

Why it’s important: From providing digital library access to helping support Bible institutes, the proposal is a response to previous Pathways work on the diversity of theological education. It should bolster those in non-credentialed programs while also providing a way to seminary education for several groups that might not otherwise have access.

In the news:
- Five Million Dollar Lilly Endowment Grant to Shape 'Continuum of Offerings' at Candler

Eden Theological Seminary
St. Louis, Missouri | Mainline Denominational
HC: 93, Faculty FTE: 9

Title: Navigating the Shift: A Network Model for Theological Education
Amount: $4,999,995
Partners: Eden has more than a dozen partners.

The project: The project will create a network of progressive schools, undergraduate schools, and ecclesial judicatories. The network will increase the breadth of theological education and take advantage of distance and contextual education programs.

Why it’s important: The network will create new capacity for the schools through course and faculty sharing and will increase demand for and access to theological education for students in undergraduate programs and for those seeking ministerial authorization through their ecclesial bodies.

In the news:
- Eden Theological Seminary Receives Major Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. for Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative

- Amid ‘major cultural shifts,’ millions from Lilly will help seminaries innovate, collaborate

Kairos University
Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Evangelical Denominational
HC: 872, Faculty FTE: 16

Title: Working Together in the Vineyard: Expanding Kairos University and Extending the Kairos Project to Underserved Groups
Amount: $5 million
Partners: Multiple schools, including those schools that formed Kairos University

The project: Sioux Falls Seminary has innovated and experimented with competency based theological education for several years and formed Kairos University with several other schools. The new project will help integrate the schools that formed Kairos and build out systems, while inviting others into the effort to equip more pastoral leaders.

Why it’s important: Kairos’ leadership has always been willing to work with others and this will expand that, not only helping build out its distributed system of collaboration but also offering other schools a way to consider partnering, innovating, and exploring.

In the news:
- Lilly Endowment Awards Kairos $5 Million Grant for Theological Innovation

- Sioux Falls-based university receives $5M grant to expand its innovative approach

NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community
Montague, Prince Edward’s Island, Canada | Evangelical Independent
HC: 41, Faculty FTE: 8

Title: Canadian Learning Community for Decolonization and Innovation in Theological Education
Amount: $5 million
Partners: Acadia Divinity College, Ambrose Seminary, and Tyndale Seminary

The project: Focused on decolonizing theological education in Canada, the proposal will create an inter-institutional learning community that crosses many denominational lines and promises a robust effort to develop curriculum and pedagogies to address decolonization, contextualization, and indigenization including addressing the needs of diasporic ethnic communities. It plans to include churches and pastors in discussion and offers research and other substantial steps to implement and track progress.

Why it’s important: This initiative is poised to not only help theological schools in Canada make thoughtful changes to address a difficult issue, but it could also demonstrate how others can approach similar work in their own contexts. In a time of disruption in theological higher education, the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative is providing schools the opportunity to experiment and create new ways forward.

In the news:
- At Indigenous Seminary, Students Learn the Power of Faith Embedded in Identity

- Pathways for Tomorrow Grant Builds on NAIITS’ Strengths!

- American endowment injects millions into Canadian theological education

Northern Baptist Theological Seminary
Lisle, Illinois | Evangelical Denominational
HC: 325, Faculty FTE: 9

Title: Seminary Now 3.0
Amount: $4,999,792
Partners: Starting with four ATS-accredited schools

The project: Seminary Now is a subscription-based, streaming platform that offers church leaders video courses. This proposal would expand that with for-credit courses for pre-seminary students and build out the infrastructure in the program. It would create a pipeline from people taking exploratory courses to a seminary degree.

Why it’s important: The initiative creates a funnel for students to go from not-for-credit courses to the seminary, and it provides a strong push to educate the church.

In the news:
- Northern Seminary Receives $5 Million Grant to Create Pathways for Church Leaders to Receive Seminary-Level Education  

Pacific School of Religion
Berkeley, California | Mainline Independent
HC: 122, Faculty FTE: 9

Title: Ignite: A New Educational Ecosystem for Diverse Christian Leaders
Amount: $5 million
Partners: Several schools (including unaccredited schools), networks, and congregations

The project: Ignite has several ways to create entry points and help students, including a plan for affordability, a focus on people of color, and a new learning platform that will open doors to a variety of students. The platform will have an affordable membership plan to allow wide access. The project also includes a “stackable” curriculum for the master’s degrees that is expected to open up access and affordability.

Why it’s important: The use of a variety of tools, including creating a new platform, shows a holistic view of how students may access theological education. The different levels of education also provide multiple entry points.

In the news:
- PSR Receives $5M Grant From Lilly Endowment Inc. To Build Innovative Educational Ecosystem

- Pacific School of Religion Receives $5M Grant From Lilly Endowment Inc. To Build Innovative Educational Ecosystem

- Amid ‘major cultural shifts,’ millions from Lilly will help seminaries innovate, collaborate

- Pacific School of Religion continues rising enrollment trend while maintaining diversity