Syracuse University Receives $1 Million from Lilly Endowment to Develop Faith Leaders for the Contemporary Era

Syracuse University has received a five-year, $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry. The program is a collaboration with Le Moyne College and is part of Lilly Endowment’s Thriving in Ministry Initiative. Additional information for the program, including application for potential participants, can be found at parttime.syr.edu/fellowship-for-emerging-leaders-in-ministry/.

The Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry program will be led by the Rev. Brian E. Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University, and the Rev. David McCallum, S.J., vice president for mission integration and development at Le Moyne College. The program will strive to spark innovation and transformation through a diversity of mission-driven faith communities in Central New York and beyond by helping leaders—both clergy and lay—to have a greater impact.

The goals of the program are to provide knowledge and skills for innovative leadership, entrepreneurial thinking, team building and community building; to nurture self-awareness and ongoing spiritual development; to increase effectiveness and a sense of accomplishment; to share educational and other relevant resources; and to raise the level of vocational fulfillment.

“Emerging leaders from an assortment of denominations are often filled with energy and excitement, yet later find themselves at a difficult crossroads, and in turn seek clarity around their personal and professional trajectory,” Konkol says. “This fellowship program will not only bring together a diverse collection of ministry leaders, but as an expression of our mission at Syracuse University, our collective intention is to cultivate innovation and transform the communities in which these leaders serve.”

Lilly Endowment is making more than $70 million in grants through its Thriving in Ministry Initiative. Syracuse University is one of 78 organizations nationwide to receive a grant through the initiative. “Syracuse University and Le Moyne College are uniquely positioned to support the ministry of emerging faith leaders,” says McCallum. “This program speaks directly to Le Moyne’s vision of enhancing its service to the wider community and represents yet another strong and meaningful collaborative partnership between the two institutions.”

Through a variety of settings, such as classroom learning and personal coaching, fellows will delve into subject areas that are intended to sustain innovative and transformational mission and ministry in the contemporary era. In addition to learning within their cohort and coaches, fellows will also engage in a process of personal discovery and design projects to be implemented in their ministry context.

The program will be administered by University College, the college of continuing education and professional studies at Syracuse University. The Le Moyne Institute of Le Moyne College will provide support surrounding program design and assessment.

For those interested in the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry program, including potential participants, contact FELM@syr.edu