Lilly Endowment awards Harding University $1 million to train church leaders

SEARCY, Ark. –– Harding University announced that it has secured a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Christian Workers Institute.

According to a spokesperson, the program is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, which helps theological schools strengthen education and financial support for pastors and lay leaders.

Harding School of Theology will direct the institute, offering not-for-credit courses to train leaders in spiritual growth, community engagement and congregational unity, with funding supporting the program for five years as it becomes self-sustaining, officials said.

“The Christian Workers Institute is an exciting initiative that will empower HST to do even better what it has done so well for more than seven decades: To serve and equip the church,” said Dr. Peter Rice, dean of Harding School of Theology.

Harding is among 163 schools funded through the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative since 2021, supporting a wide range of Christian traditions in the U.S. and Canada, officials said.

Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion, said the grants help schools adapt programs and build financial capacity to prepare pastors and lay ministers to lead congregations effectively now and in the future.