George Fox University nets $1.25 million grant to bolster program teaching women to spread the gospel

Published 12:00 am Sunday, December 24, 2023

George Fox University will utilize a hefty grant to strengthen female preachers’ ability to spread the gospel in more engaging and effective ways.

The $1.25 million grant is one of 81 meted to organizations across the country by the Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative, which aims to “foster and support preaching that inspires, encourages and guides people to come to know and love God and to live out their Christian faith more fully,” a release from George Fox said.

The grants from the national organization totaled more than $95 million and ranged from $275,000 to $1.25 million. Locally, they will be administered through George Fox’s Portland Seminary and its partnership with Religion for Her, a female-led online learning community.

The grants were awarded via a competitive process and went to a broad spectrum of Christian traditions in the United States, the release said, including mainline Protestant, Evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, Anabaptist and Pentecostal faith communities.

“Since the earliest days of Christianity, preaching has played a key role in communicating the good news of God’s love and nourishing the spiritual lives of Christians and their communities,” Christopher Coble, the Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion, said. “Throughout history, preachers often have needed to adapt their preaching practices to engage new generations of hearers more effectively.

“We are pleased that the organizations receiving grants in this initiative will help pastors and others in ministry engage in the kinds of preaching needed today to ensure that the gospel message is heard and accessible for all audiences.”

The George Fox seminary, the release continued, will utilize the grant money to provide training in biblical and theological studies, preaching in multicultural contexts, spiritual direction and formation, professional networking and peer mentoring.

Those women who complete the one-year program will emerge with a Certificate of Biblical Foundations for Multicultural Preaching from Religion for Her.

The program is fitting considering that 70% of the seminary’s full-time faculty and more than two-thirds of its student body are women. The seminary offers four master’s degree programs in divinity, spiritual formation, theological studies and leadership and culture, as well as a doctorate in leadership in global perspectives; a doctorate in semiotics, church and culture; and a doctorate of ministry in leadership and spiritual formation.

“Our growing demographic of gifted women called to serve the church — in a season when the need is great for healthy, humble leaders — makes this a timely grant,” said Portland Seminary Dean Tammy Dunahoo. “We are most grateful to the Lilly Foundation for making it possible.”

“We are pleased that the organizations receiving grants in this initiative will help pastors and others in ministry engage in the kinds of preaching needed today to ensure that the gospel message is heard and accessible for all audiences.”

– Christopher Coble, Lilly Endowment vice president for religion