Bethany Fellows

First funded in 1999 as part of the Endowment's transition-into-ministry program, the Bethany Fellowships provide support for ministers in their first four years of congregational leadership. Fellows participate in a pair of five-day retreats each year to learn classical spiritual disciplines, visit exceptional congregations, exchange ideas with national church leaders from many backgrounds, and study recent scholarship. They work together to be accountable in their ministries, both with the other Fellows and in monthly conferences with gifted, established Disciple pastors who serve as their leaders and mentors.

The Bethany Fellowships is an outgrowth of the Bethany Project of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and began six years ago with a grant to the Office of the General Minister and President. Former General Minister and President Dick Hamm and Gay Reese were the architects of the initial project. Kim Gage Ryan, Bob Hill and Kris Tenny-Brittian, Disciples pastors from Columbia, Mo., Kansas City, Mo., and Seattle, Wash., join Don Schutt in leading the project.

As grantee for the project, HELM manages finances and oversees financial and program reporting.

The Indianapolis-based Endowment supports a variety of initiatives, but recently its religion grant making has been focused on major, interlocking efforts aimed at enhancing and sustaining the quality of ministry in American congregations and parishes.

For more information on the Bethany Project, including information applying to be a Bethany Fellow, visit www.bethanyfellowships.org/.