October Special Offering: Seminary Scholarships and Ministerial Relief

“Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land… He went without knowing where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8 (NLT)

Often when a person responds to God’s call to ministry and starts a seminary education, well-meaning church folks compare the fledgling minister’s call to that of Abraham. There is a big difference, however, that often gets overlooked—Abraham didn’t have to worry about paying back student loans on a pastor’s salary.

All kidding aside, educational indebtedness can be a very real hindrance to the work of ministry. For many new ministers, the inability to meet higher education debt adds strain to their new vocation and leads many to exit ministry altogether. In fact, according to one survey, almost half of all young ministers leave ministry within the first five years, many citing financial insecurity as a principal reason.

Brite Divinity School is committed to lightening the financial load of our graduates as much as possible so they can focus more on where God is calling them rather than on the debt they are dragging behind. Brite believes all students should have an equal chance to follow their call regardless of financial ability. To this end, every Brite student receives a need-based tuition grant of approximately 70% of their total tuition. Brite’s goal is to build our endowment so that a 70% grant could become 80% or more in the future. In addition, Brite awards merit scholarships and stipends for living expenses.

When you give to ministerial education, you are empowering Brite graduates to follow their call focused on the needs in front of them instead of debt from the past. Thank you.

Rev. Dr. Kevin Henson,

Director of Development

Brite Divinity School

In addition to providing seminary scholarships, the October Special Offering also benefits retired clergy through the Pension Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Thank you for giving generously!