© 2024 WVIK
Listen at 90.3 FM and 98.3 FM in the Quad Cities, 95.9 FM in Dubuque, or on the WVIK app!
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

University of Dubuque Receives Grant to Help Clergy

The University of Dubuque wants to help the memebrs of the clergy do a better job. It's received a 936,000 dollar grant from the Lilly Endownment program called Thriving in Ministry. 

President Jeffery Bullock says the grant will support the university's Theological Seminary as it helps older clergy members mentor younger ones, and make the newer ones better leaders of their congregations. 

About 20 years ago the university received a Lily Endowment grant to start its online program. 
"Now we're working more intensely with pastors in kind of a coaching format. Which isn't happening a lot across the country, but it's something that we're pretty interested in and think it's going to be pretty helpful for a lot of local congregations and their pastors."

The University of Dubuque was first founded as a theological seminary. And later it became a seminary and a college. But the religious aspect is still very important to the university. 
"We're one of ten Presbyterian Theological Seminaries in the country and we feel very strongly that one of our key features of our misisons is to prepare men and women for pastoral ministry, and non-traditional forms of ministry, in America and around the world."

The universty's seminary is one of 78 organizations in 29 states that are participating in the Thriving in Ministry initiative including Evangelical, Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox congregations.