The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina is one of five partner organizations collaborating with Campbell University in a $10 million grant-funded “Cultivating Cultures of Calling” initiative from Lilly Endowment Inc. The grant will support Campbell University Divinity School’s (CUDS) efforts to prepare and support pastoral leaders now and in the future, renewing the communal practices and relationships that help Christians discern and respond to God’s call.
The Divinity School will use the grant in collaboration with Campbell’s Office of Spiritual Life and five partner organizations: the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Baptist Women in Ministry, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina and Passport Camps.
The collaborative initiative intends to establish a new academic center, the Center for Calling and Ministry, to develop programs that strengthen cultures of calling within churches, schools, and denominational organizations. The Center will coordinate shared learning, messaging and resources across partners, providing the structural backbone for an enduring network that identifies, prepares and supports pastoral leaders for the church’s current and future needs.
As part of its role in this initiative, CBFNC will seek to orient its overall ministry focus on helping people of all ages discern and respond to God’s call, including but not limited to the call to pastoral ministry. A particular emphasis will be on students and young adults through CBFNC’s extensive youth and campus ministries. Working with CUDS and the other partners, CBFNC will seek to realign its ministry portfolio around the concept of God’s callings for all people.
“CBFNC is honored to be invited into this exciting collaboration. Calling is at the heart of who we are and this initiative will help us deepen our work of nurturing God’s call among the people and churches of our fellowship. We are thankful for the opportunity to work with CUDS and all the partners who are coming together for this transformative effort, “ said Larry Hovis, CBFNC executive coordinator.
Campbell is one of 45 theological schools across the country to receive the grant—which ranges from $2.5 million to $10 million—as part of Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Large-Scale Collaboration Initiative. Schools receiving the grants represent a broad range of church traditions and denominations. Collectively, the schools will work collaboratively with nearly 400 other theological schools, colleges and universities, congregations, church agencies, denominations and other religious organizations to educate and support more effectively both aspiring and current pastoral leaders of churches.
The Endowment launched the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative in 2021. Since then, it has provided grants totaling more than $700 million to support 163 theological schools in efforts to strengthen their own educational and financial capacities and to support 61 schools in developing large-scale collaborative endeavors.
View Campbell’s full press release at:
https://news.campbell.edu/articles/campbell-to-receive-10m-grant-to-support-theological-education/
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