Georgia Harkness Scholarship

The Georgia Harkness Scholarship is available from the General Board of Higher Education & Ministry of the Division of Ordained Ministry of The United Methodist Church to women over 35 who are certified candidates (or will be certified by May of 2008) and who are currently attending seminary. The program grants a $5,000 award to those who are chosen as Georgia Harkness Scholars. This funding can be applied to tuition, fees, and room and board for the basic seminary degree leading to elder’s ordination. Applications and required documents must be received by March 1, 2008. The award is not available for undergraduate, D.Min., or Ph.D. work.

A prospective candidate must be enrolled full-time in the fall semester for 2008 to receive this award. The eligible candidate will be a woman over 35 who has received a bachelor of arts or equivalent degree, is enrolled full-time in a University Senate approved school of theology in the master of divinity degree program and who is a CERTIFED CANDIDATE for ordained ministry as an elder in The United Methodist Church. She must be a certified candidate by May of 2008 to be eligible for this award. If a student’s district committee will be meeting after the application deadline of March 1st, she should have the committee chairperson indicate on their required reference letter the date the student is expected to receive candidacy status.

All United Methodist women students who meet the guidelines are equally considered for this award. Recipients are women who exhibit the qualities of Georgia Harkness: scholarship, spirituality, and social justice. The scholarship program has a new emphasis on global leadership by women as related to global justice issues. Beginning 2007, recipients are invited to take part in immersion experiences in other countries to learn about different women’s leadership styles and to share their determination to respond to God’s call to ordained ministyr. Georgia Harkness scholars will be an inspiration to many women in countries where women’s ordination is still a foreign concept. This year they are traveling to El Salvador and Honduras.

More information about scholarships can be found at http://www.gbhem.org/clergywomen/ghscholarship.asp . Students many also send their applications by e-mail to the e-mail address below. Contact the General Board of Higher Education & Ministry at 615-340-7409 and by e-mail to the Director of Continuing Formation for Ministry, the Rev. Dr. HiRho Park, at rstephens@gbhem.org.