Allison Oster
Senior Public Relations Specialist
(626) 815-4518
Lilly Endowment Grants $500,000 to Sustain APU’s Vocational Ministry
December 11, 2006
AZUSA, Calif. –
Azusa Pacific University received a $500,000 grant to sustain the Vocation as Ministry/Ministry as Vocation Program. The grant, part of an initiative from the Indianapolis, Ind.-based Lilly Endowment Inc. called Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV), helps to support and encourage religiously committed leaders for church and society.
This grant continues the support of the original $50,000 planning grant and $2 million implementation grant provided by the Endowment in 2002 to initiate the Vocation as Ministry/Ministry as Vocation Program. The program aims to support students in examining the relationship between their faith and the vocation they choose and to encourage exploration. The initiative creates opportunities for students to include the concept of ministry into their career choice; allows faculty to mentor and guide students in integrating faith with academics; generates fresh scholarship; and creates opportunities for local church pastors to explore vocational questions with students.
“Our mission at Azusa Pacific is to help develop new generations of Christian leaders, in the church and in the professions, who are prepared to answer the key questions of our generation. The Vocation as Ministry grant assists us in helping emerging leaders understand the range and depth of ministry, and to sense their own passion and giftedness,” said APU President Jon R. Wallace, DBA. “We are deeply indebted to the Lilly Endowment for these grants which multiply the effectiveness of our university.”
“The Endowment’s grant making in religion is focused heavily on attracting a new generation of talented ministers for congregations,” said Craig Dykstra, senior vice president for religion at the Endowment. “Church-related colleges play a big role in this task. They provide the environment in which young people explore future possibilities. These grants will help colleges strengthen this important work.”
Featured in TIME magazine and ranked as one of the nation’s best by U.S.News & World Report and The Princeton Review, Azusa Pacific is a comprehensive, Christian, evangelical university, committed to God First and known for excellence in higher education. Azusa Pacific’s main campus lies just 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, while its seven Southern California regional centers bring convenience and extend quality programming. The university offers more than 50 areas of undergraduate study, 22 master's degrees, and 6 doctorates to a total student population of more than 8,100. For more information, call (800) 825-5278 or visit www.apu.edu.
