2022 Fellowship Partners Program Updates
Since 1964, the Episcopal Church Foundation has supported over 200 incredible scholars and ministry leaders across the Episcopal Church through the Fellowship Partners Program. This program perpetually invigorates the Church by identifying and supporting innovative and emerging thought leaders, both lay and ordained, at the beginning of their ministry.
As one of ECF’s longstanding programs, the goals of the Fellowship Partners Program have shifted in tandem with the changing needs of the Church: from supporting future seminary professors’ academic programs, the introduction of the Ministry Track, to supporting academic research into novel and practical subjects. And now, our goals must shift again.
ECF’s vision continues to be the interdependent existence of the Fellowship Partners Program and the Episcopal Church –influencing each other and growing together. Today, we find ourselves at an inflection point. Evolving ECF focuses on issues of racial justice, creation care and inclusive leadership, signal our need to similarly evolve and ensure our Fellowship Partners Program reflects modern multi-faceted missions. To this end, ECF will pause the Academic Track for one year to review goals of the program and needs of the Church.
During this year-long pause, ECF will not seek Academic Track applicants. Under Kjerstin Besser’s leadership, ECF will convene stakeholders in the Fellowship Partners program, leaders throughout the Church and past Fellows to map out next steps for the Academic Track. Any changes made to the program will be reported on in the fall of 2023 and will be reflected in the 2023 application cycle.
The 2022 application cycle will still seek Ministry Track applicants. Applications for the 2022 Ministry Track will be made available in March 2022 and will be due June 10, 2022.
Questions and comments can be addressed to Kjerstin Besser, Associate Program Director at fellows@ecf.org.