Samuel McDonald, Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Director of Mission for the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, has announced that 19 grants totaling $149,047.80 have been allocated through the Conant Grants for 2015.

Conant Grant funds are provided for the improvement of seminary-based theological education. Specifically, the grants are directed for the support of research, writing and course development undertaken by faculty members at the recognized Episcopal seminaries in the United States.

The following grants were approved:

Dean Thomas Ferguson; Bexley-Seabury; $5,837.00

Dr. Gale A. Yee; Episcopal Divinity School; $5,028.96

Dr. Andrew J. M. Irving; The General Theological Seminary; $7,494.00

Dr. Andrew Thompson; The School of Theology at Sewanee; $4,638.84

Dr. Hannah Matis Perett; Virginia Theological Seminary; $7,000.00

Dr. Jason A Fout; Bexley-Seabury; $7,972.00

Dr. Mitzi Budde; Virginia Theological Seminary; $7,445.00

Dr. Paul Holloway; The School of Theology at Sewanee; $1,460.00

Dr. Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook; The Episcopal Theological School at Claremont; $5,000.00

Professor Bryan Spinks; Berkeley Divinity School; $15,000.00

Professor John Solomon; The School of Theology at Sewanee; $6,000.00

Professor William Brosend; The School of Theology at Sewanee; $10,400.00

The Rev. A. Katherine Grieb, Ph.D.; Virginia Theological Seminary; $12,260.00

The Rev. Dr Kathleen Russell; Seminary of the Southwest; $6,680.00

The Rev. John Y.H. Yieh, Ph.D.; Virginia Theological Seminary; $15,000.00

The Rev. Judy Fentress-Williams; Virginia Theological Seminary; $5,375.00

The Rev. Melody D. Knowles, Ph.D.; Virginia Theological Seminary; $3,582.00

The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham; Virginia Theological Seminary; $7,875.00

The Rev. Dr. Peter Walker; Trinity School for Ministry; $15,000.00

The funds are derived from a trust fund established by William S. and Mary M. Conant in 1953.  Applications are reviewed by a subcommittee of the members of the Standing Commission for Ministry Development.

Bishop Brian Thom of Idaho, chair of the subcommittee noted:  “It is inspiring to learn about and support the many types of continuing education and development that the professors are seeking.  They use Conant grants to work on manuscripts, better their language skills, participate in archeological digs, and collaborate with other seminary educators around the world.  All this in order to bring greater depth into our seminary classrooms. The Conant family gave quite a blessing to the Church when it established this fund for faculty development.”

The next cycle of grants will be awarded in 2016.

For more information contact McDonald.

The Episcopal Church: www.episcopalchurch.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/episcopalian

Twitter: www.twitter.com/iamepiscopalian