Wesley Scholarship Aims to Develop Church Leaders

COLUMBIA, Ky. -- Lindsey Wilson College has created a new scholarship to encourage the development of future church leaders.

Beginning in fall 2013, the Wesley Scholars Church Leaders Program will award two full scholarships a year to incoming freshmen who are interested in pursuing a career in church leadership. The scholarship will cover tuition, room and board.

Named in honor of Methodism's founder, John Wesley, the purpose of the new scholarship program is to "attract and education future leaders of the church," said LWC Dean of the Chapel Terry Swan.

In less than a decade, LWC's Christian ministries program has grown into one of the top majors among the more than 100 United Methodist-related colleges and universities in the United States, Swan said. LWC was founded in 1903 by the Louisville Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; it is now affiliated with the Kentucky Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

In addition to a bachelor of arts in Christian ministries, LWC offers a minor in Christian ministries.

"Our Christian ministries bachelor's program is already a national model," said Swan, who developed the major.

LWC's Wesley Scholars Program is open to prospective students of all faiths, Swan said.

"Most teenagers and young adults no longer think denominationally," he said. "Lindsey Wilson has a history of true ecumenism and the 'catholic spirit' John Wesley spoke of so often."

To apply for the scholarship, students must be active members of a church, have a minimum cumulative high school grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and letters of reference.

Students selected for the scholarship may choose any LWC major, but they must also concurrently either double major or minor in Christian ministries. Recipients of the scholarship will be required to be involved in community-service initiatives and work with the LWC chaplain's office.

"We think this program will be a great way to draw in the next, exceptional generation of Christian leaders," Swan said.

To Apply ...
To apply for the Wesley Scholarship Program, students should: complete an application to Lindsey Wilson College and the Wesley Scholars Program; complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; submit letters of reference from a pastor and teacher; and attend Wesley Scholars Day on March 23. For more information, about the Wesley Scholarship, click here.