Young Clergy Fellowship offers scholarship, exploration of calling

Are you or someone you know exploring a call to ordained ministry? The Young Clergy Fellowship is designed to create experiences that assist college students in discerning their sense of calling to full-time ministry or missions, gaining broad experiences in a local ministry, and experiencing intentional discipleship through one-on-one mentoring. 
 
"The Young Clergy Academy  provided me with a sanctuary to explore my calling to ministry,” said Sarah Hazelrig, Associate Director at the Wesley Foundation of Macon, as she reflects on her own experience. “Through my placement at the Wesley Foundation of Macon, coupled with mentorship, networking, and training, my time in the Fellowship was an invaluable period of growth, learning, and discernment."
 
This 9-month Fellowship – running August 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025 – will allow selected fellows to be immersed in a vocational ministry setting with intentional opportunities to deeply discern their call to clergy as a vocation with their specifically assigned mentor. The Fellowship is designed for each ministry fellow to develop leadership skills for effective ministry as they partner with clergy and laity in a local church or ministry.
 
The Young Clergy Fellowship is funded by the James Leon and Myrtice Peed Scholarship Fund and administered by the United Methodist Commission on Higher Education and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. 
 
The Peed YCF Scholarship includes 25 hours per week working in a UM-related church or ministry setting, a fellowship orientation retreat, a mid-year gathering, and a fellowship debriefing retreat and includes a $9,000 scholarship ($4,500 paid directly to the school each semester).
 
Applicants must be enrolled at least half-time at an accredited college or university, maintain at least a 2.75 GPA, and be connected to a South Georgia United Methodist Church, Wesley, or Chaplaincy. Two recommendations from a chaplain, District Superintendent, pastor, or Wesley Director are required. Candidates should possess a willingness to grow in areas of leadership, spiritual disciplines, self-awareness, and understanding of ordained ministry, coupled with a commitment to representing Christ in daily life. 
 
“The cohort prepared me emotionally and spiritually to faithfully step into a Masters of Divinity program and a full-time Associate Director position within the Wesley Foundation,” says Hazelrig. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to grow as a part of the Young Clergy community!”
 
For more information and to access the application, visit Young Clergy Fellowship Application.