Higher Education and Leadership Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has recognized four students pursuing doctoral degrees for their leadership, scholastic, and ministerial promise with scholarships for the 2004-2005 academic year.

The William Gilbert and Florence Leonard Jones Scholarship is given annually to a full-time student pursuing the degree of Doctor of Philosophy who is either preparing for ordination in, or already ordained in, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and intends to provide leadership to a congregation or other agency of the church.

This year's recipient is Garry G. Sparks, a student at the Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago.

Sparks, 34, is currently a member of Midway Hills Christian Church in Dallas. He earned his bachelor's degree at Austin College and his Master of Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. A veteran of overseas missions in to Guatemala, Sparks has served as an intern at Chicago's University church and expects complete his doctoral studies in June 2007.

Established through an endowment gift by an anonymous donor, this award provides a scholarship of $2,000.

The Ann E. Dickerson Scholarships are for female members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) working toward the Ph.D. degree in religion studies. All three of this year's recipients are students at the Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago:

• Kristel A. Clayville. A member of Bridgeport Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Frankfort, Ky., she is focusing on Biblical studies with aspirations of teaching in a seminary and plans to graduate in 2010. Clayville, 26, earned her undergraduate degree from Centre College.

• Patricia "Tish" Duncan. A member of Rock Bridge Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Columbia, Mo., she is focusing on Biblical Students, specifically the New Testament, and plans to graduate in 2008. Duncan, 29, has earned degrees from the University of Missouri and the University of Chicago.

• Kristin D. Van Heyningen. A member of Fox Valley Area Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Aurora, Ill., she is studying Religious Ethics and plans to graduate in 2004. Van Heyningen, 35, has earned degrees from Texas Christian University and the University of Chicago.

HELM helps students discover how they will change the world in partnership with Disciples congregations, higher education institutions, and campus ministry programs. Including cooperative efforts with local congregations, HELM helped distribute more than $270,000 in scholarships to 141 recipients in 2003.