Iliff Students Receive Prestigious Fund for Theological Education Fellowships

ILIFF STUDENTS RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS FUND FOR THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION FELLOWSHIPS

DENVER – Iliff School of Theology students, Alwen Bledsoe and Gretchen Haley, were named fellowship recipients by The Fund for Theological Education (FTE).

The FTE is a leading ecumenical advocacy organization for excellence and diversity in Christian ministry and theological scholarship. It supports the next generation of leaders among pastors and scholars annually, providing $1.5 million in fellowships and support to gifted young people from all denominations and racial/ethnic backgrounds.

“The need for qualified, faithful leadership – for the church and for the common good – is a national issue for congregations, communities, and everyone who cares about the health and vitality of the church and society,” said the Rev. Ellen Echols Purdum, director of FTE Ministry Fellowships. “The church needs the energy, intellect and idealism that these candidates bring – to be the bright and compassionate leaders our world needs, servant leaders of integrity and character.”

As fellowship recipients, Bledsoe and Haley will each receive $10,000 for educational expenses and to fund self-designed summer projects that enrich their formation as ministerial leaders. They will also attend a leadership development program and the 2008 FTE Conference on Excellence in Ministry this month at Emory University.

FTE Ministry Fellows are selected competitively from a pool of applicants across the U.S. and Canada. They must be nominated by their seminary dean or president, have a minimum grade point average of 3.3 at the end of their first academic term, and possess intellectual and interpersonal gifts for pastoral leadership. Recipients are chosen by a national committee of theological educators and church leaders. The fellowships are awarded as part of the Fund’s objective to increase the number of highly capable young people preparing for ordained ministry as a profession. Click here for additional information about the Fund.

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The Iliff School of Theology is a graduate theological school of the United Methodist Church, serving more than 38 different faith traditions. Founded in 1892, the seminary provides several degree programs, including a joint Ph.D. program with the University of Denver.