Spelman College News January 14, 2019 Spelman Receives $900K From Lilly Endowment For Black Millennial Woman Minister Sisterhood Development Spelman College has received a $900,000 grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its Thriving in Ministry initiative. The funds will be used to establish a fellowship and programming that provides leadership development, mentoring and relationship building among Black millennial women ministers. Spelman's WISDOM (Women in Spiritual Discernment of Ministry) Center and Sisters Chapel were among 78 organizations across the country to receive nearly $70 million in grants through Thriving in Ministry. The grants will help the organizations create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with other clergy who can serve as role models and mentors and guide them through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry. Spelman's plans include establishing a WISDOM Center Fellowship, as well as hosting two Sisterhood Summits, said Neichelle Guidry, Ph.D., dean of Sisters Chapel and director of the WISDOM Center. "Spelman's WISDOM Center has made an indelible mark on the Spelman legacy and the presence of Black women in ministry," said Dr. Guidry. "Our goal with the Thriving in Ministry grant is to build upon that leadership and history while also subverting traditional models of leadership. You do not have to be in a church or pulpit to do ministry. We want to shift the definitions and traditional approach to ministry leadership." African-American women comprise more than 70 percent of church memberships in the nation. According to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted in 2007 by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life<http://www.pewforum.org/2008/06/01/u-s-religious-landscape-survey-religious-beliefs-and-practices/>, African-American women are among the most religiously committed with eight in 10 reporting that religion is important to them. "For the past 15 years, the WISDOM Center has enabled Spelman to nurture the intellect of our students, while also caring for their spiritual and emotional well-being as they develop into confident, accomplished women," said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman. "Through this gift, Spelman will increase our ability to address some of the challenges African-American women millennials face and provide support and training for them to be nurtured as they contemplate their next steps in ministry. We appreciate the Lilly Endowment for their commitment in supporting Spelman's mission to provide unique and exceptional experiences." The Foundation's Commitment to Pastors Lilly Endowment's Thriving in Ministry initiative builds upon research that has examined the importance of colleagues and mentors who help pastors face and overcome common professional and personal challenges. These studies include results from the Lilly Endowment-funded Flourishing in Ministry project, directed by Matt Bloom at the University of Notre Dame. "Leading a congregation today is multi-faceted and exceptionally demanding," said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment's vice president for religion. "Pastors have shared with us that they often find themselves isolated from colleagues and sometimes struggle to keep up with new challenges posed by today's rapid pace of change. When pastors have opportunities to build relationships with experienced colleagues, they are able to understand and negotiate new challenges and their leadership thrives. These promising programs will help pastors develop these kinds of relationships, especially when they are in the midst of significant professional transitions." Outcomes and Goals of Spelman's Thriving Initiative Through the establishment of the WISDOM Center Fellowship, Spelman's Thriving in Ministry program intends to identify cohorts of six Black millennial women (ages 19-34) theologians, pastors, and activists and pair them with WISDOM Scholars who desire mentors in professional ministry, theological academy and activism for one year. Scholars and fellows will engage one another each quarter through retreats and professional development activities. In addition, the initiative will host two national Sisterhood Summits to address issues that are relevant to African-American women in their respective years, from a theological, ethical and moral point of departure through TED-style talks and small-group conversations. Themes for the summits will reflect contemporary trends affecting Black women at the time of the event and include intensive dialogues and idea exchange between participants. Expected outcomes of Spelman's initiative include: * Address the challenge of adequate mentorship by experimenting with a three-tiered approach to mentoring women at various stages of ministry: sage-to-fellows, fellows-to-fellows and fellows-to-scholars. * Pilot new models for relationship building across denominations and generations and offer early career pastors lifestyle tools to promote their flourishing. * Produce research data on the vocational experiences of Black millennial women in ministry and college students who are in the throes of discerning their life's work. * Establish a national network of Spelman alumnae in ministry to galvanize this network around the College's work, and to utilize it for future works of mentorship, ministry partnership and WISDOM Center collaboration. The program's goals to increase collaboration, facilitate mentorship and leadership development, and bolster the participants' career and ministerial preparedness directly support all four themes of College's Strategic Plan 2022<https://www.spelman.edu/about-us/office-of-the-president/strategic-planning/strategic-plan-2022>. "In addition to sharpening our programming, we expect this program will help Black millennial women in ministry develop practices and lifestyles of thriving," said Dr. Guidry. "We want to spring forth a well of wellness, developing not only values of collegiality and sisterhood, but personal health practices. We can't serve others if we do not know how to serve ourselves first." Lilly Endowment has a history of supporting Spelman's WISDOM Center. In 2002, Lilly Endowment awarded Spelman a five-year, $2 million grant<https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/spelman-college-receives-2-million-from-lilly-endowment>, which led to the development of the WISDOM Center. In 2016, Spelman received a $1.25 million grant from UNCF through its Career Pathways Initiative <https://www.spelman.edu/about-us/news-and-events/news-releases/2016/12/05/spelman-receives-grant-from-uncf-to-improve-career-outcomes-of-graduates> to improve employment outcomes for graduates. Career Pathways Initiative is funded by Lilly Endowment. About Lilly Endowment Inc. Lilly Endowment Inc. is a national, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family - J.K. Lilly Sr., and sons Eli and J.K. Jr. - through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders' wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. Its grant making in religion focuses on supporting efforts to strengthen the leadership and vitality of Christian congregations throughout the country and to increase the public's understanding of the role of religion in public life. About the WISDOM Center Established under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Lisa Rhodes, the WISDOM (Women in Spiritual Discernment of Ministry) Center is a yearlong residential program for Spelman students who are seeking to discern their vocation through theological and social justice lenses. By utilizing womanist strategies and resources, the Center endeavors to provide 10 scholars per year with professional development and community service opportunities that are aimed at clarifying vocational goals and interests. About Spelman College Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College's picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Spelman is the country's leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The College's status is confirmed by U.S. News and World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 51 among all liberal arts colleges and No. 1 among historically Black colleges and universities. The Wall Street Journal ranked the College No. 3, nationally, in terms of student satisfaction. Outstanding alumnae include Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman<https://www.spelman.edu/about-us/news-and-events/our-stories/stories/2016/01/29/marian-wright-edelman>, Starbucks Group President and COO Rosalind Brewer<https://www.spelman.edu/about-us/office-of-the-president/board-of-trustees/rosalind-brewer>, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman's first alumna President Audrey Forbes Manley<https://www.spelman.edu/about-us/office-of-the-president/past-presidents/audrey-manley>, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff<https://www.spelman.edu/about-us/news-and-events/our-stories/stories/2017/05/19/janina-m.-jeff> and authors Pearl Cleage<https://www.spelman.edu/about-us/news-and-events/our-stories/stories/2016/02/29/pearl-cleage> and Tayari Jones<https://www.spelman.edu/about-us/news-and-events/our-stories/stories/2018/02/09/tayari-jones>. For more information, visit www.spelman.edu<https://www.spelman.edu/>. SANDRA M. 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