Lilly Endowment awards $10 million to Union Presbyterian Seminary for new pastoral leadership initiative

Union Presbyterian Seminary has received a $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to launch Seminary Extended: Strengthening Pastoral Leadership, a major initiative aimed at expanding how pastors are trained for today’s ministry challenges. The Richmond-based seminary will lead the collaboration with Eastern Mennonite Seminary and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Funded through Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, the project will develop a joint Doctor of Ministry in Adaptive Leadership taught by faculty from all three schools. Participating pastors will take part in short in-person intensives, coaching, and peer-learning cohorts. Congregations connected to the program will join year-long learning groups focused on Bible study, community engagement, trauma-aware care, and future ministry planning.

Union Presbyterian Seminary President Jacqueline E. Lapsley said the grant significantly expands the seminary’s ability to support pastors and congregations. She highlighted the strengths of the partner institutions and the role the collaboration could play in meeting the needs of churches navigating rapid cultural and organizational shifts.

The Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, launched in 2021, supports theological schools working to strengthen their educational and financial capacity and encourages collaborative efforts across institutions. Since its start, Lilly Endowment has awarded more than $700 million to 163 schools.

More information about Union Presbyterian Seminary is available at upsem.edu.