Hartford Seminary wins Lilly Endowment $700,000 grant to study congregations
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On November 30, 2011, Hartford Seminary announced they had won a $700,000 Lilly Endowment Inc., grant to study congregations. The Congressional Studies Project Team will utilize the grant through their Engaged Scholars program under the leadership of Hartford Seminary’s Academic Dean and Professor of Practical Theology James Nieman. The grant will fund the project “New Circles of Learning for Engaged Scholars Studying Congregations” that is slated to run from January 2012 until December 2015. The project will expand upon previous studies that examined the nature of congregational life.
Hartford Seminary President Heidi Hadsell released a statement to the press regarding the announcement, “Hartford Seminary is a leader in the study of congregations, which promotes the well-being of communities of faith. Our Hartford Institute for Religion Research provides nationally recognized reports on the health of congregations and religious leadership. We are deeply appreciative of the support of Lilly Endowment for this new project, which will allow the project team to engage diverse ethnic and religious groups, institutions and faith communities in congregational studies and to share the information globally.”
Boston University Professor of Sociology of Religion Nancy Ammerman will oversee a team that will develop a website specifically for the project. The website will enable team members to expand their scholarly reach and include more congressional leaders for the study. The website will consist of three types of media used for the study: written articles and audio podcasts, case studies, and stories from study leaders.
Lilly Endowment Inc, is a private foundation located in Indianapolis, Indiana and is one of the nation’s largest philanthropic foundations. Started in 1937, the Endowment has continued to give millions to religious organizations.
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