In a grant landscape that can be challenging for faith-based organizations, Lilly Endowment stands out as a funder that provides some opportunities specifically for churches. One such grant is The Lilly Endowment National Clergy Renewal Program at Christian Theological Seminary, designed to strengthen congregations by providing a guided sabbatical for their pastor. These clergy renewal periods are not meant to be vacations, but rather times for renewal and reflection filled with purposeful activities.

The Endowment considers the diverse needs of each pastor and congregation, not stipulating how the renewal period must look or what activities the pastor should engage in. The flexibility of the program and lack of a one size fits all approach is a key to its effectiveness.

The grant program guide states:

Renewal leaves allow for times of intentional exploration, and reflection, and regaining enthusiasm and creativity for ministry. Life-giving experiences—strengthening relationships, renewing a sense of call, meeting and serving the neighbor in a new way, finding joy and purpose in a simplified life, traveling to new lands and unfamiliar territories, creating opportunities where members of the congregation can exercise their gifts for ministry—are common themes of these renewal times.

The Endowment recognizes that the family members of pastors are subject to the stress and demands of pastoral leadership as well and encourages pastors to involve their families in renewal activities. 

The Clergy Renewal grant is competitive in nature. They receive many more applications than they can fund. It is open to Christian churches in the U.S. and Puerto Rico that have an ordained pastor. Last year, CTS awarded grants to 229 churches, which was 32 more than the previous year.

Who Should Apply?

This program is designed for congregations and pastors who are in a healthy state, already have mutual trust and respect, and are looking forward to even more effective ministry and stronger relationships as a result of a renewal leave.

These eligibility requirements are taken directly from the program guide:

Christian congregations that meet the following criteria are eligible to submit proposals for a clergy renewal leave for their pastors:

    • Christian congregations must be in one of the 49 states (other than Indiana, which has its own Clergy Renewal Program and does not have to compete on the national level) or Puerto Rico.
    • Clergy must be serving as pastoral leaders in congregational ministry, whether part-time, full-time, or bi-vocational.
    • Clergy must hold ordination and be a member in good standing with their denomination or, for congregations independent of denominational affiliation, their ordaining ecclesial network.
    • Clergy must hold Master of Divinity degrees or equivalents or, clergy without Master of Divinity degrees must be in good standing with their ordaining body and demonstrate a strong record of congregational service and commitment to ongoing education/professional development.

The grant application process is meant to be engaged in by congregational leaders together with the pastor as they decide on the structure the renewal leave should take, the pastor’s activities during the leave, and how the results and insights will be shared once the leave is over. 

Who Should Not Apply?

Churches wanting to give a pastor a “vacation” before he transitions out or retires. 

Churches dealing with high levels of conflict and unhealthy relationships between congregational leaders, board, and pastoral staff. 

Churches without an ordained pastor.

Clergy who do not lead a local church but rather work in other settings (hospital, military base, etc.)

How Much Will the Endowment Pay?

Congregations may request up to $60,000 for the Clergy Renewal Grant Program. $20,000 of that may be allocated to the church budget for costs associated with fulfilling the pastor’s duties during the renewal leave. Churches can also choose to allocate the entire $60,000 for the pastor’s renewal leave activities if desired. 

The suggested amount of time for a renewal leave is at least 3 months, which can be continuous or broken up into shorter leaves, as long as they are at least two weeks each. During that time, the church must continue the pastor’s salary and benefits and the church and pastor must affirm that they intend for the pastor to continue serving the church for at least another year after the grant program ends. 

If your church has applied for and won this grant in the past, it can still apply in future grant cycles for a different pastor on staff as long as all reporting requirements have been met on the previous grant. A pastor may only benefit from this grant once in their lifetime. 

Strategies For a Successful Application

A strong proposal will keep the stated selection criteria in mind:

  • Clearly articulated vision for what will make the pastor’s heart sing, which is the theme for the 2024 grant—check the website for the current theme.
  • Leave-taking pastor’s program balances time for rest and reflection with travel, activities, and time spent connecting with others.
  • Budgets are realistic and well-researched.
  • Evidence of broad congregational awareness of and support for submitting the proposal. Congregational approval must be confirmed before submitting the proposal. Such approval may take different forms depending on the congregation’s polity, size, etc. The goal is to ensure that, if the proposal is selected, the grant will be accepted and well-received by the congregation.
  • Proposals will be evaluated in terms of the renewal program’s feasibility, coherence, creativity, and potential benefits to the congregation and pastor.

The National Clergy Renewal Program Info document is available on their website. It provides step-by-step instructions for filling out the application and plenty of helpful tips including the document, What Makes a High-Quality Proposal? and an application checklist. The website also includes several video and podcast interviews of past recipients. 

Applications for a renewal leave are normally due in Q1 of the year before the leave will take place. Planning should start months in advance, so it’s probably a good idea to check the website in Q3 of the year before the application is due. For example, if the deadline is January of 2025 for a leave in 2026, check the website around October of 2024 for specific deadline information.

The Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program is a wonderful opportunity for the pastors and churches who are awarded funding and can be well worth the time spent planning and preparing the application.