November 15, 2001

Undergraduate or incoming first-year students who demonstrate potential and promise for church leadership are invited to apply for the 2002-2003 Division of Higher Education Leadership Fellows programs.

Originally, DHE had planned to accept applications from incoming freshmen only. However, several factors led to the change allowing any undergraduate student to apply.

"We are enlarging the program for two reasons: the church's call to nurture transforming leaders and the large number of gifted and committed Disciples young adults on our campuses," explained DHE President Dennis Landon.

"Half of our current group is comprised of first-year students, but college is often a place where students hear a call to leadership. In addition, our Leadership Scholars urged us to accept applications from current college students," Landon said. "We hope to raise more funding in support of this scholarship and dedicate more of DHE's operating budget toward scholarships, allowing us to include more students in our efforts to provide leadership for the church."

Scholarship recipients work with ministers or other mentors on or near their campuses and participate in special programs to develop their leadership abilities. In November, the inaugural Leadership Fellows Conference brought 21 students to St. Louis, Mo., where they met with mentors from across the whole church who helped them examine their potential leadership roles in the church.

Students can download an application for the DHE Leadership Fellows application at www.disciplesscholarships.org. The $2,000 scholarship can be renewed for recipients who meet the program requirements. Recipients are not required to attend Disciples-related colleges or universities. Applications and related materials must be received by February 16, 2002.

Fourteen universities and seven theological institutions in 12 states are in covenant with the Christian Church, serving 24,000 students. In addition, three schools and three theological institutions maintain historical ties with the denomination. Also, DHE is affiliated with more than 80 campus ministries programs across the country.

• List of current DHE Leadership Fellows