Six graduate theological students have been for their leadership, scholastic, and ministerial promise with scholarships for the 2004-2005 academic year.

Candidates for the Dewitt and Othel Brown Ministerial Scholarships are nominated by their institutions for outstanding leadership and ministerial potential. This year's recipients are:

· Joseph D. Blosser. A student at the Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, Blosser is a member of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Jefferson City, Mo. He currently serves as the interim minister at Bellevue Christian Church in Bellevue, Tenn., after interning at Nashville's Vine Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The 24-year-old earned his bachelor's degree at Texas Christian University.

· Sandhya Rani Jha. A student at the Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago, Jha is a member of National City Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Washington, D.C. The 28-year-old recently served as an intern at All People's Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Los Angeles, co-moderator of the Anti-Racism Commission, and as co-coordinator of young adult programming at the 2003 General Assembly in Charlotte. She earned her bachelor's degree at Johns Hopkins University.

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.

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 to Guatemala, Sparks has served as an intern at Chicago's University church and expects complete his doctoral studies in June 2007.

This summer five Leadership Fellows offered a glimpse into their summer activities: Three students interned with congregations, another at the HELM office, and a fifth attended the Fund for Theological Education Undergraduate Fellows Conference in Pasadena, Calif.