DAYTON, Ohio – The Foundation for Evangelism has awarded United Theological Seminary (UTS) in Dayton, Ohio, a grant of up to $24,000 for the formation of a Fresh Expressions House of Study over the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years.
This grant will equip UTS to add a certificate program for local church leadership training in the international Fresh Expressions* model. UTS has also received a Lily Endowment grant to support the Fresh Expressions training at the level of a Master’s concentration or Doctor of Ministry. Cohorts for training in a specially tailored Fresh Expressions track will be intentionally formed with students from diverse racial, ethnic, and denominational backgrounds.
According to UTS Vice President for Development, Callie Picardo, this is the only program of its kind in the United States at the seminary level.
Neil Alexander, chair of the Foundation for Evangelism’s Grant Committee stated that, “This grant continues in the spirit of the Foundation’s well-established Professors of Evangelism program to enable our Wesleyan-tradition seminaries to make a strong emphasis on evangelism in the education of future pastors and local church leaders.”
UTS Fresh Expressions House of Study will be led by Rev. Dr. Michael Beck (Director) and Rev. Jorge Acevedo (Graduate Assistant). Acevedo’s connection to The Foundation for Evangelism dates back to 2001 when he received the Harry Denman Evangelism Award from the Florida United Methodist Conference and in 2009 was named a Distinguished Evangelist.
Jane Boatwright Wood, President for The Foundation for Evangelism shared, “We have long been in dialogue and relationship with United Theological Seminary around ways to help provide quality Wesleyan training in evangelism for their students. We are so pleased that our foundation can be a catalyst to begin this new initiative that will make an impact at the local church level.”
The grant term will be for two academic years including 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 with a cohort of approximately 50 students per academic year.
The Foundation for Evangelism works globally to educate and invite people into the Christian faith. Grants to pan-Wesleyan/Methodist leaders, churches, seminaries, and denominations impact Christian leaders in Russia, Europe, several African countries, and the United States. To learn more about our ministry, visit www.FoundationForEvangelism.org.
* Fresh Expressions is an international, multi-denominational movement of missionary disciples cultivating new kinds of church alongside existing congregations to more effectively engage a growing post-Christian society.
