Illustration by Tim lahan
The depth and breadth of creativity and innovation sparked by The Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow initiative can be hard to grasp in its entirety. But, as progress and innovation emerge from the grant projects, partners in the sector are providing a range of communications to help spread the word.
The Association of Theological Schools, for example, provides regular news and resources on its website and in its programming. And the In Trust Center has provided dedicated space in each issue of this magazine to chronicle Pathways’ progress, while also utilizing its podcast and webinars to add context and depth.
The In Trust Center has a dedicated page on its website that aggregates multimedia resources to chronicle grant recipients’ experiences, and promotes ways for the schools to strengthen storytelling.
The numbers emerging from Pathways tell one story: Lilly support for an effort to “help theological schools strengthen and sustain their capacity to prepare and support pastoral leaders for Christian churches” has reached more than 200 schools since the initiative was announced in January 2021, with total funding near $200 million.
The impact of the three-phased program on schools, churches, and denominations provides an even more compelling narrative. With a primary focus on creative solutions to some of the significant issues in theological education, Pathways is covering a waterfront that includes declining enrollments, changing financial models, perceptions of ministry, diversity and inclusion, and the emotional and psychological well-being of students, among others.
The In Trust Center’s website (see box) provides a wealth of resources to help schools and their leaders communicate the scope of initiatives at their schools, and includes a comprehensive video about storytelling that sets out a framework for school communicators to effectively share their institution’s stories around the implementation of their grants.
“By having a central site for resources where Pathways recipients share their stories, we hope to bring energy, encouragement, and enthusiasm to the entire theological education community for practices and programs that will guide and inform them,” said Amy Kardash, president of the In Trust Center. “The lessons learned and told by grantees can inspire and strengthen other schools as to the possibilities of their institutions, and the vision and mission of their ministries.”
The Pathways website can be found at intrust.org