Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded a $10 million grant to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis for work in collaboration with Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., to establish The Timothy Project.

The Timothy Project is a large-scale initiative to strengthen the recruitment, formation and long-term support of pastors and deaconesses in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. The project has three primary objectives:

• Recruitment of future pastors and deaconesses
• Enhanced pre-seminary, seminary and post-seminary education
• Expanded multiethnic and deaconess ministry

Ultimately, The Timothy Project seeks to strengthen the future of the church as these objectives are implemented.  

Half of the grant award is restricted for establishing an endowment to sustain the goals of The Timothy Project and is contingent upon dollar-for-dollar matching funds being raised within the next two years by the two seminaries. Friends and supporters interested in learning more about this opportunity are invited to contact Seminary Advancement at Concordia Seminary or Advancement at Concordia Theological Seminary

The Timothy Project is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. This initiative is designed to help theological schools across the United States and Canada as they prioritize and respond to the most pressing challenges they face as they prepare pastoral leaders for Christian congregations both now and into the future. The grant to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis is one of 45 that was approved in this competitive round of funding to support theological schools as they lead large-scale collaborations with other seminaries, colleges and universities, and other church-related organizations.

“We are grateful to Lilly Endowment for this generous grant, and we look forward to using it to prepare pastors and deaconesses for the Lord’s church,” said Dr. Ronald Mudge, provost and who will oversee activities related to the grant. “This grant will help Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne expand our collaboration, especially in the areas of recruiting, preparing our students for evangelism, church planting, church revitalization and cross-cultural outreach, and continuing education to give our graduates the tools they need to serve our Lord in this changing world. We will recruit students from a wide variety of backgrounds, using generous financial aid from both seminaries and added funds from the endowment to help them afford a seminary education. The Lord will use our graduates to take the Good News of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus to people in the U.S. and around the world.”

Dr. Jon S. Bruss, president of Concordia Theological Seminary, expressed his appreciation for this opportunity to expand recruitment efforts. “We are grateful for our partner seminary in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and for our coordinated efforts to recruit more and more qualified pastors and to shape our curricula to equip our graduates to take advantage of opportunities to spread the Gospel through evangelism and church planting, to the glory of our redeeming God and the building up of the church.”

Lilly Endowment launched the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative in 2021. Since then, it has provided grants totaling more than $700 million to support 163 theological schools in efforts to strengthen their own educational and financial capacities and to assist 61 schools in developing large-scale collaborative endeavors.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his 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, it 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 and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding about religion and lift up in fair, accurate and balanced ways the roles that people of all faiths and various religious communities play in the United States and around the globe.

About Concordia Theological Seminary

Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne is an institution of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) committed to the Holy Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions and the liturgical life of the church, forming servants in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost and care for all. To learn more, visit ctsfw.edu.

About Concordia Seminary

Concordia Seminary serves church and world by providing theological education and leadership centered in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for the formation of pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit csl.edu.