Free to Minister

Wesleyan Ministerial Education Grant strengthens the bridge between education and ministry

In The Wesleyan Church, preparing pastors has always meant more than providing a credential. The process is about shaping people for a lifetime of faithful service. Higher education plays a vital role in this journey, forming both the theological imagination and the practical skills that ministry requires.

Recognizing that preparation for ministry involves both the classroom and the local church, the Education and Clergy Development division (ECD) is broadening a pathway to help students complete that journey well. The long-standing Wesleyan Ministerial Education Loan has been renewed and re-envisioned as the Wesleyan Ministerial Education Grant—an initiative made possible through local church partnership and the ordination process guided by District Boards of Ministerial Development (DBMD).

“Our goal,” shares Rev. Dan VanDunye, “is for students to feel both supported in ministry and education by The Wesleyan Church.”

This grant represents a growing commitment by Wesleyan congregations: to invest directly in students who are pursuing ordination-track ministry degrees at Wesleyan universities and approved seminaries. By aligning educational preparation with active ministry engagement, the grant helps students deepen their discernment and sharpen their gifts during the critical years of pastoral formation.

Eligibility requires both academic progress and ministerial involvement. Students must:

• Express and live out a call to ministry within a Wesleyan church context, holding membership and actively participating.
• Submit a letter of intent to serve in The Wesleyan Church, alongside a recommendation from a District Superintendent or DBMD chair.
• Be in the final stretch of their studies—having completed 90 credit hours in undergraduate ordination-track degrees, or half of their graduate-level program (e.g., 20 of 45 credit hours in an MDiv).

This intentional timing ensures support arrives when perseverance is most vital—helping students finish strong and step confidently into ministry.

• Undergraduates who meet the requirements may receive up to $8,000 in their final year, split between fall and spring semesters.
• Graduate students in MDiv or DMin programs receive grant support on a per-credit-hour basis, with rates set for each seminary.

The impact extends beyond finances, and is a tangible demonstration of how the Church values the calling of its next generation of pastors.

The Wesleyan Church is committed to walking alongside its pastors from their first call through a lifetime of ministry. Beyond this grant, initiatives such as the Faculty Development Loan Grant also affirm the importance of academic and ministerial excellence at every stage.

For details on eligibility, participating institutions, and application steps, visit wesleyan.org/ecd.