The Foundation for Evangelism extended an opportunity to any entity in The United Methodist Church to respond to its Request for Proposals for funding to assist in initiatives that would address the Foundation’s goal “to develop leaders with a passion for evangelism who will have a multiplying impact on The United Methodist Church.”  The Foundation for Evangelism selected four projects to receive funds for the 2009 grant period:

Through the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary, strategically selected groups of pastors and lay leaders will participate in peer learning groups with the specific goal of increasing worship attendance. This initiative will be led by Dr. Lovett Weems, Director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

An initiative of The United Methodist Church, coordinated by the General Board of Discipleship, will train lay missionaries to start new faith communities.  The focus will be in the growth corridors of the nation with a particular emphasis on ethnic and under-served segments of the population. Rev. Tom Butcher, Executive Director of New Church Starts, is leading this initiative.

Under the leadership of Bishop Bruce Ough, a program has been developed to appoint select recent seminary graduates to healthy, growing congregations to work with senior clergy who have demonstrated outstanding leadership abilities. These “residents” will be given specific responsibilities to prepare them to lead similar congregations with their residency is completed.

This initiative, developed by Rev. Adam Hamilton and Rev. Mike Slaughter, pastors of two of  the largest churches in the connection, will train and mentor 50 young pastors nominated by their bishops for having the potential of leading churches with weekly attendance of more than 1,000.