Wondering about what’s next for you in your faith and leadership journey? Maybe you’ve been learning and growing, and you still are sensing a desire to do more to learn how God might use you. Could attending seminary be the next step?
Here’s a glance at what seminary looks like for a West Virginia Conference student. The West Virginia Conference currently supports 18 seminary students:
- These students attend 6 seminaries, including Candler, Duke, Kairos, MTSO, United, and Wesley.
- Most are appointed as pastors in the WV Conference. Three students are “residential” students, living near their seminaries. All benefit from flexible in-person and distance learning formats.
- These students avoid debt from seminary, because of the generous financial support found through our United Methodist connection in the West Virginia Conference.
- Our students are all ages, ranging from early 20’s to 60’s.
If you have felt a desire to increase your knowledge and training for spiritual leadership through seminary, there are options for you, no matter what your life situation. Whether living on campus is your thing, or you’d rather learn in a hybrid or fully online format, seminaries are creatively offering courses that meet United Methodist requirements.
How does the West Virginia Conference support seminary students financially?
Seminary students benefit greatly from the United Methodist connection. Together, the West Virginia Conference and the United Methodist Foundation of West Virginia have created a system of scholarships that meets the needs of students and helps them prevent educational debt as they pursue their learning goals. Many additional grant resources are available to students as well.
This is good news! $68,807 has just been awarded in scholarships to the 18 WVUMC students currently attending seminary:
- $35,157 was awarded from scholarships through the UM Foundation of West Virginia.
- $33,650 was awarded from the Ministerial Education Fund of the West Virginia Conference for the 2023 summer and fall term.
- Students will benefit from additional grant opportunities throughout the year.
If you are wondering about how to make seminary education happen for you, contact Rev. Bonnie MacDonald, or talk with your superintendent. God may be calling you to this next step!