Eastern University has received a grant of $1.25 million from the Lilly Endowment — a private philanthropic foundation that supports the causes of religion, education, and community development — to help Palmer Theological Seminary establish the project, “Compelling Preaching for the 21st Century: Whole Gospel. Whole World. Whole Persons.”

This project is being funded through the Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative. The primary aim of this initiative is to cultivate and to strengthen practices of today’s Christian preachers to share the good news of the gospel in more engaging and effective ways, prompting people to know and love God, and inspiring their daily lived Christian faith.

“Palmer is grateful to Lilly Endowment for this continued investment,” said Rev. Dr. Kimberlee A. Johnson, Dean of Palmer Seminary and College. “This support demonstrates a missional
alignment with Lilly Endowment over the course of its rich history: upholding tradition while pursuing innovation, nurturing the human spirit, and working toward the flourishing of all creation.”

Palmer Theological Seminary understands the challenge for today’s preachers and hearers given the pressing issues of a post-pandemic world, of ever-increasing awareness of societal injustice and discord, and of the accelerating reformation of the United States Church. This project aims to cultivate healthy and prepared preachers to share the gospel in compelling ways inspiring personal and global transformation. The primary area of funding will support the new Kerygma Initiative in three key areas: exploring, learning, and equipping. Kerygma is a Greek word meaning proclamation.

“The seminary has a nearly 100-year history of being present with communities and being a leading voice for human flourishing, from its founding as an alternative option for graduate-level theological education that acknowledged women in ministry and a concern for social justice, to its commitment to offering access to theological education in innovative ways to vulnerable and seeking populations, and to its emphasis on the spiritual health and wholeness of those Christian leaders it equips,” said Rev. Christen Blore, Alumni Chaplain and Director of Palmer’s Center for Alumni Care and Seminary Engagement (CARES). “Palmer’s very character is one of meeting the needs of the Church and her leaders of the time. This resource gift from the Lilly Endowment allows us to continue animating our mission more nimbly and sustainably.”

Palmer is one of 81 eligible public charity organizations in the United States receiving a total of $95 million in grants through Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative. These organizations include theological schools, colleges and universities, church resourcing organizations, publishing houses, national and regional denominational organizations, and church-related camps and retreat centers.

“At many points in history, Christian preachers have needed to adapt their preaching practices to engage new generations of hearers more effectively,” said Christopher L. Coble, the Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “They have taken the gospel message into fields and homes, and used print, radio, television, and other new technologies and media to expand the reach of their ministries. Many religious leaders believe that churches may now be at another inflection point when preachers may again need to adapt to changing communication practices and forms of media to ensure that the gospel message is accessible for all audiences.”

Learn more about Eastern University and its Palmer Theological Seminary, one of the most diverse seminaries in North America that boasts a creative, caring, and experienced faculty.