Written By Simone Boyd
Howard University’s School of Divinity (HUSD) has been awarded a $1.25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. to develop a comprehensive set of resources aimed at supporting clergy, lay leaders, seminarians, and theological educators. The grant will also assist Black congregations in implementing effective practices and establish a repository of research-based resources focused on preaching, congregational care, and social justice advocacy.
The resource, initially housed online through the School of Divinity’s website will provide a valuable hub for congregations to learn, grow, and collaborate. In the future, plans are underway to establish a physical space where the community can access these resources. This initiative aims to empower African American preachers and congregations locally and nationally by equipping them with the necessary tools to address social justice issues, enhance congregational care, and deliver impactful sermons.`
The initiative, funded through Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative, seeks to foster and support preaching that inspires, encourages, and guides individuals to deepen their relationship with God and live out their Christian faith more fully. The Howard University School of Divinity is one of 142 organizations receiving grants through this initiative, reflecting the diversity of Christianity in the United States including mainline Protestant, evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Pentecostal faith communities. Notably, many of these organizations are rooted in Black church, Hispanic, and Asian Christian traditions.
“Preaching, by all accounts, is the foremost venerated and formative practice of the Church. African American preaching in North America, historically and contemporarily, has been esteemed for its aesthetic richness, persistent calls for justice, ecclesiastical reform, moral and ethical responsibility, spiritual redemption, and transformation. It is one means God uses to inject hope in a society of chaos and confusion,” said Kenyatta R. Gilbert, Ph.D., Dean of the Howard University School of Divinity.
The grant will enable the School of Divinity to launch a national podcast dedicated to African American preaching, with a specific focus on social justice, congregational care, and preaching. Additionally, the initiative will establish an annual preaching symposium, providing mentoring opportunities for prospective graduates who will be paired with experienced clergy members. The program will also offer an opportunity for alumni to return to campus and mentor current students. Furthermore, the School of Divinity plans to develop two non-degree certificate programs in African American preaching. One centering a homiletical concentration tailored for HUSD’s current Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degree-seeking students and the other will offer a pathway for non-degree seeking students to access a comprehensive curriculum covering the fundamentals and critical understanding of preaching.
These efforts will involve establishing partnerships with other churches to enhance the program’s impact and reach. Lastly, the School of Divinity aims to develop a teaching curriculum for its Doctor of Ministry program, which will be offered fully online.
The $1.25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. will support Howard University’s School of Divinity’s commitment to equipping individuals with the necessary tools and knowledge to engage in transformative preaching, congregational care, and social justice advocacy. Through these initiatives, the School of Divinity will continue to play a vital role in empowering African American clergy and lay leaders, while also enriching the broader Christian community.
