Five students from Presbytery of Lake Michigan congregations were among 56 individuals who received 2021-22 Higher Education Scholarships for Christian Leaders from the Synod of the Covenant.

The scholarship winners – announced on July 1, 2021 – come from 10 presbyteries and 29 churches within the Synod. Each winner received between $500 and $1,000 to continue their work towards bachelor, associate and theology degrees.

Click below for the full list of scholarship winners that includes:

The scholarships are funded, in part, by per capita payments from nearly 700 congregations and more than 100,000 members in the Synod of the Covenant, which includes 11 presbyteries located mostly in the states of Ohio and Michigan.

Scholarship applicants were asked to articulate their career goals and reflect about how they work toward building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and/or eradicating systemic poverty. These ministry areas characterize the Matthew 25 movement within the PC(USA), of which the Synod of the Covenant is a part.

Later this summer, the Synod will begin accepting applications for the Matthew 25 grants to help congregations, institutions and organizations within the Synod boundaries work towards the Matthew 25 ministry area goals. Preference will be given to applicants which are primarily black, indigenous, people of color, and focused on their local neighborhood. Applications will be available by August 1, 2021 and are due by September 30, 2021.