Candler School of Theology Student Receives Prestigious National Fellowship
FTE Award Supports Next Generation of Outstanding Church Leaders
ATLANTA, June 2008 – Diane M. Kenaston, an entering Master of Divinity student at Candler School of Theology, has been recognized as a young leader who demonstrates exceptional gifts for ministry by The Fund for Theological Education (FTE).
As a recipient of a 2008 FTE Congregational Fellowship, Kenaston will receive a $2,000 to $5,000 award from FTE, which matches support from her nominating congregation for seminary tuition and living expenses. The Fund’s Congregational Fellows also attend the 2008 FTE Conference on Excellence in Ministry June 11-15 at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology in Atlanta.
FTE Congregational Fellows are selected competitively from a pool of applicants from across the U.S. and Canada. They must be nominated by a congregation, be preparing for congregational or parish ministry, have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and have intellectual and interpersonal gifts for pastoral leadership. Kenaston was nominated for the fellowship by Lewisburg United Methodist Church, Lewisburg, WV. The 2008 FTE Congregational Fellows were chosen by a national committee of theological educators and church leaders.
The fellowships are awarded annually as part of the Fund’s objective to increase the number of highly capable young people preparing for ordained ministry as a profession.
“The need for qualified, faithful leadership—for the church and for the common good—is a national issue for congregations, communities and everyone who cares about the health and vitality of the church and society,” said the Rev. Ellen Echols Purdum, director of FTE Ministry Fellowships. “The church needs the energy, intellect and idealism that these candidates bring—to be the bright and compassionate leaders our world needs, servant leaders of integrity and character.”
The Fund for Theological Education is a leading ecumenical advocate for excellence and diversity in Christian ministry and theological scholarship. It supports the next generation of leaders among pastors and scholars, annually providing $1.5 million in fellowships and support to gifted young people from all denominations and racial/ethnic backgrounds. Since 1954, FTE has awarded nearly 6,000 fellowships in partnership with those committed to the future of quality leadership for the church. For more information visit www.thefund.org.