Contact: Tasha Schroeder

(404) 727-1137

Lilly Endowment Awards Major Grant to FTE

to Support Young “Volunteers Exploring Vocation”
Program expansion supports college graduates
seeking to serve the common good

ATLANTA, August 21, 2006—With a new grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., The Fund for
Theological Education (FTE) will partner with 10 national faith-based young adult
volunteer programs to help recent college graduates embark on a theological
exploration of vocation. The project will help participants explore possible career paths
geared toward serving others, including Christian ministry.

The $498,000 grant will fund a one-year expansion of Volunteers Exploring Vocation, an
FTE pilot project launched in 2005 with five national organizations—the Brethren
Volunteer Service, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, Atlanta
Mission Year and the Presbyterian Church (USA) Young Adult Volunteers. This year,
the program will include five additional partners: Catholic Volunteers in Florida, the
Krista Foundation for Global Citizenship, Mennonite Voluntary Service, the New York
Intern Program, and the US2 program of the United Methodist Church.

Organization representatives and FTE program officers gathered recently in Atlanta to

plan programs that will serve more than 150 recent college graduates across the U.S.

“Young adults need support as they decide what they will do with their lives,” said
Melissa Wiginton, vice president for FTE Ministry Programs and Planning. “Students

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engaged in voluntary year-of-service programs are asking serious questions about how
they can serve the common good. This initiative helps them on that journey. In
particular, it assists young people who want to explore Christian ministry as a profession
that can embody the best of who they want to be.”

FTE’s Volunteers Exploring Vocation program provides structured discussions and

materials that help guide program participants through personal reflection about their
lives and professional goals. It also offers funding to attend a national conference, led
by educators and pastors, for young volunteers interested in exploring theological
education and congregational ministry. In addition, five selected volunteers will each
receive a $2,000 scholarship to pursue a Master of Divinity degree.

The Fund for Theological Education is a leading ecumenical advocate for excellence
and diversity in Christian ministry and theological scholarship. It supports the next
generation of leaders among pastors and scholars, annually providing more than $1.2
million in fellowships and a network of support to gifted young people from all
denominations and racial/ethnic backgrounds.

The Fund is also a resource for educational and faith communities, offering programs
that encourage highly capable candidates to explore vocations in ministry and teaching.
Since 1954, the Atlanta-based Fund has awarded more than 5,700 fellowships in
partnership with others committed to the future of quality leadership for the church.

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