PSR Receives $1.25M Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to Meet Congregations' Needs for a Changing Church

BERKELEY, Calif., Dec. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific School of Religion (PSR) has received a grant of $1.25M from Lilly Endowment Inc. to fund an education and community-building program designed to help congregations adapt to changing social and cultural contexts and to reimagine the church in ways that deepen faith and transform community. The Congregational Renewal Cohorts program is being funded through Lilly Endowment's Thriving Congregations Initiative.

The new program builds on PSR's cutting-edge support for clergy and lay leaders, leveraging relationships with congregations and denominational partners throughout the Western U.S. and Hawaii. Up to 50 congregational cohorts will participate in a year-long journey of leadership formation, strategic planning, and implementation through courses from PSR's graduate school and Theological Education for Leadership (TEL) program. As part of the program, congregations will launch their initiatives and share results and insights with PSR, one another, and their denomination, expanding their impact.

"We are so thankful to Lilly Endowment for its trust and investment in PSR's ability to convene partners and drive leadership formation to transform congregations. This grant will enable us to bring resources and learnings to congregations developed while building the distributed learning and community platform funded by Lilly Endowment's generous $5M grant given to us through their Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative last year. Both grants will help us equip a diverse new generation of Christian leaders with the tools they need to transform their communities," said PSR President David Vásquez-Levy.

Pacific School of Religion is a progressive Christian seminary, graduate school, and center for leadership development and social impact founded in 1866. PSR offers options for anyone looking to build spiritually grounded leadership skills; or learn from wisdom-based traditions. In addition to PSR's doctoral, master's, and certificate programs, we offer courses through Ignite and TEL. PSR is also home to the Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion (CLGS), the first seminary-based LGBTQ+ Center, and the Bade Museum of Biblical Archeology.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. A principal aim of the Endowment's religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities.

CONTACT: Hallie Fryd, hfryd@psr.edu

SOURCE Pacific School of Religion