Church Society Grants
Dean Wace Scholarship
Dean Henry Wace (1836-1924) was a Principal of Kings College London, Dean of Canterbury, and Editor of The Churchman (now known as The Global Anglican). He is described in the Dictionary of National Biography as "an effective administrator, a Protestant churchman of deep scholarship, and a stout champion of the Reformation settlement.”
In order to encourage and support those of similar gifts and convictions, Church Society awards a number of scholarships each year to evangelicals within the Church of England who are seeking funding for masters and doctoral level courses (MPhil, ThM, MTh, DMin, PhD etc) in theology and related disciplines (church history, biblical counselling, etc).
Applications are due on 1st May each year, and must include a description of the course of study and its projected benefit to the church, a budget, and the name and email address of an academic reference from the candidate’s educational institution. Applicants should normally be members of Church Society, and are also asked to indicate if they are in general agreement (and note any exceptions) with the Church Society doctrinal statement here. Awards can be up to £1500. Applicants will be notified within 2 months if they have been successful.
It is expected that recipients of the Dean Wace Scholarship would subsequently seek to share some of the fruit of their research with members of the society via the Crossway magazine, The Global Anglican theological journal, or some other means.
Bishop Ryle Bursary
Church Society may also award a number of bursaries, named after Bishop JC Ryle (1816-1900), to ministers seeking funding for specific writing projects, sabbatical training proposals, and such like, as well as ordinands seeking an additional year of study below masters level.
Applications are due on 1st May each year, and must include a description of the proposal, a budget, and the name and email address of a suitable reference (this should be a Bishop, Archdeacon or Churchwarden in the absence of an academic reference). Applicants should normally be members of Church Society, and are also asked to indicate if they are in general agreement (and note any exceptions) with the Church Society doctrinal statement here. Awards can be up to £500. Applicants will be notified within 2 months if they have been successful.
It is expected that recipients of the Bishop Ryle Bursary would subsequently seek to share some of the fruit of their research with members of the society via Crossway magazine, The Global Anglican theological journal or some other means.
Mary Vere Grants
Lady Mary Vere (1581-1671) was renowned for her godliness, and her commitment to theological study and debate. She regularly corresponded with many clergymen, and spent several hours each day in personal study. Lady Mary also used her influence to secure appointments for clergymen in the Churches of England and Ireland.
Even today, many women struggle to access formal theological education but are nonetheless committed to study and to service within the church. In order to support such women, Church Society makes annual grants towards the cost of their training for non-ordained ministry in the Church of England. Women are, of course, also welcome to apply for the Bishop Ryle and Dean Wace awards where eligible.
Applications are due on 1st May each year, and must include a description of the course of study, the intended future ministry, a budget, and the name and email address of an academic reference from the candidate’s educational institution. Applicants should normally be members of Church Society, and are also asked to indicate if they are in general agreement (and note any exceptions) with the Church Society doctrinal statement here. Awards can be up to £500. Applicants will be notified within 2 months if they have been successful.
It is expected that recipients of the Mary Vere Grant would subsequently seek to share some of the fruit of their research with members of the society via Crossway magazine, The Global Anglican theological journal or some other means.
To apply for any of these grants please contact the Church Society office with the information specified above.
Mary Vere Fund
For many years, Church Society has administered the Amalgamated Ordination and Training Fund which is a restricted fund, for the support of ordinands and clergy in the Church of England. We are delighted to announce the new Mary Vere Fund, which will also be a restricted fund, to assist with and promote the educational and training needs of women who are in, or are training for, non-ordained ministry in the established Church of England who subscribe to the conservative, evangelical tradition. We have secured seed funding to allow us to make the first awards, but are seeking to grow the fund to enable us to support more women and make more substantial awards. More details of how you can contribute to the Mary Vere Fund will be coming very soon.
Image of Lady Mary Vere from the University of Leicester used under Creative Commons License 2.0.