Northwest Nazarene University has been awarded two grants totaling $11.25 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. to strengthen the preparation, formation and support of future pastors through expanded collaboration, theological education and ministry-based training.
The awards include a nearly $10 million Nazarene Collaboration Grant that brings together Northwest Nazarene Divinity School, Nazarene Theological Seminary and six sister Nazarene universities across the United States, as well as a second $1.25 million grant that will expand and enhance NNU’s two-year ministry residency program. This grant seeks to establish the Flourishing Pastor’s Network, along with Grand Canyon University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Made to Flourish and other institutions. Together, the grants represent a significant investment in collaborative approaches to pastoral education that integrate academic rigor with practical ministry experience in local churches.
“We are humbled and so grateful to receive these two grants from the Lilly Foundation,” said Dr. Brent Peterson, Ph.D., dean of the College of Theology and Christian Ministries at Northwest Nazarene University. “These grants are all about collaboration and recognizing that we are stronger together. We are thrilled with our Nazarene Collaboration Lilly Grant of nearly $10 million, which will unite our Northwest Nazarene Divinity School with Nazarene Theological Seminary and partner with our sister Nazarene universities across the country.”
The Nazarene Collaboration Grant creates a new framework for shared theological education among participating institutions, including MidAmerica Nazarene University, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Olivet Nazarene University, Point Loma Nazarene University, Southern Nazarene University and Trevecca Nazarene University. The partnership is designed to draw upon theological and pastoral leaders across the United States while strengthening the connection between graduate theological education and the life of local congregations.
“We truly believe this work reflects God’s promise in Isaiah 43:19, that He is doing something new among us,” said NNU President Mark DeMichael. “Bringing together NNU’s Northwest Nazarene Divinity School, Nazarene Theological Seminary and our sister Nazarene universities will allow us to strengthen the preparation of future pastors in new and meaningful ways. These awards reflect the power of partnership, and I am deeply grateful for the leadership and vision that made this possible.”
In addition to the collaborative grant, NNU received a $1.25 million Lilly Endowment grant in partnership with Grand Canyon University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Made to Flourish and other institutions. For NNU, this funding will support the growth and enhancement of its two-year ministry residency program, which places graduate theology students in strategic local churches for immersive ministry experience, mentoring and leadership development.
“This residency program provides broad exposure to local church ministry while helping students develop and refine key pastoral skills and sensibilities,” Peterson said. “It is our hope that this program will be utilized within the broader Nazarene graduate theological collaboration and expanded across the United States and beyond. We believe deeply in partnering with local churches and pastors as they participate in the formation of pastors in their early ministry journeys. To God be the glory for the great things He has done! We are excited for the Spirit’s blessings and to see how these resources can be used by God for the further in-breaking of God’s kingdom.”
The Lilly Endowment grants are part of a broader national effort to strengthen theological education and support pathways that prepare pastors for long-term, effective ministry. Through these initiatives, NNU and its partners seek to foster sustainable models of pastoral formation that are deeply connected to both academic study and the lived realities of church leadership.
