The Fund for

Theological Education
www.thefund.org Supporting the next generation of leaders for the church.
404-727-1450
825 Houston Mill Road
Suite 250
Atlanta, Georgia 30329-4211 Key Facts
MISSION FTE is a leading advocate for excellence and diversity in Christian ministry and
theological scholarship. Its work supports the next generation of leaders among
pastors and scholars, providing fellowships and a network of support to gifted young
people from all denominations and racial/ethnic backgrounds. FTE is also a resource
for educational and faith communities, offering programs to help encourage highly
capable candidates to explore vocations in ministry and teaching. Since 1954,
the Atlanta-based Fund has awarded more than 5,500 fellowships in partnership
with others committed to quality leadership for the church. The Fund provides
more than $1.2 million annually in fellowships and other support to students.

ISSUE: Most major Christian denominations face a potential shortage of ordained clergy
A NATIONAL to serve congregations as today’s pastors near retirement.
SHORTAGE Fewer than seven percent of clergy in mainline denominations today are under
OF CLERGY the age of 35.
Compared with previous generations, fewer seminary students today (about
60 percent) plan to be ordained; only one-third plan to serve a congregation.
FTE works to increase the number of high-quality candidates for ministry. It offers
fellowships, conferences and networking tools to help high school, undergraduate
and seminary students consider pastoral leadership as their life’s work.

ISSUE: Studies by the Alban Institute and the Auburn Center for the Study of Theological
THE NEED FOR Education cite concerns about the ability of churches and seminaries to attract
HIGH-QUALITY high-quality candidates to theological study and ministry.
CANDIDATES Concern centers on whether students will have the professional and personal skills
needed to be effective pastoral leaders.
A new generation of pastors with exceptional skills is needed in both urban and
rural communities across North America.
FTE offers a broad range of programs and services to help identify and cultivate
young people who demonstrate exceptional intellectual, interpersonal and leadership
skills for ministry and theological scholarship.

ISSUE: African Americans and Hispanics are significantly underrepresented among

DIVERSITY FAILS the faculties of the nation’s theological schools.
TO KEEP PACE More than 60 percent of seminaries report that racial/ethnic faculty are under-
WITH SOCIETY represented or not represented at all.
Seminaries, churches and communities need leaders who reflect the diversity
of those they serve—and who can build understanding between groups in our
multicultural society.
FTE leads initiatives to increase the number of African-American students pursuing
doctoral degrees in religion or theology. Nearly two-thirds of the African-American
scholars serving in theological education today are FTE Fellows. The Fund also
provides support for students from other underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.
UNDERGRADUATE FTE assists more than 100 gifted undergraduate and seminary students
AND MINISTRY each year who are exploring or preparing for ministry.
FELLOWSHIPS Undergraduate Fellows (juniors/seniors) attend a Summer Conference on
Excellence in Ministry, receive a $1,500 stipend for exploration of ministry
or educational expenses and funds to support a mentoring relationship.
Ministry Fellows (M.Div. graduate students) receive a $5,000 stipend for a
self-designed ministry project, attend the conference and receive other enrichment
opportunities.

DOCTORAL The Fund assists more than 40 gifted racial/ethnic doctoral students
FELLOWSHIPS each year who are preparing to teach in seminaries.
African-American Doctoral Fellows attend FTE’s Expanding Horizons Summer
Conference and receive a stipend of up to $15,000, renewable for an additional year.
African-American Dissertation Fellows attend the conference and receive a stipend
of up to $15,000 during the writing stage of their dissertation.
North American Doctoral Fellows—racial/ethnic students enrolled full-time in
a Ph.D. or Th.D. program in religion or theology at an accredited institution—
receive a stipend of up to $10,000 for one year.

INITIATIVES TO FTE leads coordination of major grassroots initiatives funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.
STRENGTHEN to strengthen congregations and support theological education:
CONGREGATIONS The Pastoral Leadership Search Effort (PLSE) assists congregations with ways
AND THEOLOGICAL to identify and nurture faithful young people with gifts for leadership and ministry.
EDUCATION Currently, PLSE partners with four major denominations: the Episcopal Church, the
Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist
Church.
The Congregation-Based Recruitment Program encourages and equips congregations
to be proactive in identifying and nurturing young people with gifts for pastoral
ministry. It offers workshops and conferences; consultations and technical assistance;
and matching funds for a fellowship that enables congregations to provide support
toward tuition and living expenses for the first year of seminary for a young church
member. To date, 29 young people have received FTE Congregational Fellowships.
FTE also coordinates several national Lilly Endowment initiatives serving high school
youth, college and seminary students, and new pastors: Programs for the Theological
Exploration of Vocation; Theological Programs for High School Youth; Programs to
Enhance Theological Schools’ Capacities to Prepare Congregational Leadership; and
the Transition-into-Ministry program.

DISTINGUISHED FTE Fellows and Trustees are contemporary leaders in congregations, theological schools
FTE FELLOWS and civic life throughout North America. FTE’s more than 5,500 Fellows include well-
known pastors and scholars, among them: Frederick Buechner, Walter Brueggeman,
Patricia Ferris, James Forbes, Robert Franklin Jr., William Gray, Peter Gomes,
Jacquelyn Grant, Mark Hanson, Dwight Hopkins, Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, Jesse Jackson,
John Kuykendall, Gary Simpson, Linda Thomas, Emilie Townes, Jeremiah Wright
and many others.

ABOUT FTE The Fund was created in 1954 by leading educators, clergy and philanthropists—
including The Rockefeller Brothers Fund—to address a perceived crisis in theological
education. They were convinced that the quality of those entering the ministry had
declined and that many of the best and brightest students were choosing other careers.
Under the leadership of such distinguished trustees as Harvard University President
Nathan Pusey, Morehouse College President Benjamin E. Mays, historian and theologian
Martin Marty and others, FTE has supported promising candidates for vocations in
ministry and theological scholarship.