$10 Million Lilly Endowment Grant will Support Theological Training at Palm Beach Atlantic University

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Monday, December 15, 2025) - Lilly Endowment Inc. recently awarded Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) a grant of $10 million to lead a collaborative effort across all theological schools in South Florida. The grant to PBA is one of 45 that was approved in this competitive round of funding to support theological schools as they lead large-scale collaborations with other seminaries, colleges and universities, and church-related organizations.

The Lilly Endowment Grant, funded as part of its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, is designed to help theological schools across the United States and Canada as they prioritize and respond to the pressing challenges, they face in preparing pastoral leaders for Christian congregations now and into the future.

"I believe this confirms our reputation as a leading interdenominational university with a strong and growing School of Ministry," said Dr. Debra A. Schwinn, president of PBA.

The grant, led by a Steering Committee chaired by Drs. Bryan Froehle and Austin Stevenson of the School of Ministry faculty, is designed around three innovative initiatives to be shared collaboratively with five other partner institutions schools in South Florida:  Knox Theological Training, St. Vincent de Paul Reginal Seminary, Barry University Department of Theology, and the Contextually Engaged Theological Education Foundation. "Houses of Study" will bring together those preparing for ministry within specific Christian traditions for advanced formation. The Boisen Agency for Pastoral Formation will train them in chaplaincy and pastoral care. Faculty across the schools will learn from each other to deepen their effectiveness. Staff will be hired centrally by the cooperative for greater efficiency.

These initiatives are focused on forming the next generation of pastors at the highest possible level. "The grant will ensure our collective capacity to equip the next generation of church leaders. Churches need great pastors. Pastors need great formation. This grant opens up entirely new possibilities," said Dr. Jonathan Grenz, dean of PBA's School of Ministry. He noted that the Houses of Study alone are expected to have 40 students in 2026 and grow to 320 by 2030 at the various schools with PBA leading the way. The impact on enrollment at the participating schools is expected to be greater still, though the focus is not numbers alone but the preparation of highly effective pastors.

The Lilly Endowment launched the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative in 2021. Since then, it has provided grants totaling more than $700 million to support 163 theological schools in efforts to strengthen their own educational and financial capacities and to assist 61 schools in developing large-scale collaborative endeavors.

"Theological schools play a vital role in preparing and supporting pastoral leaders for Christian congregations," said Christopher L. Coble, the Endowment's vice president for religion. "We believe that one of the most promising paths for theological schools to carry forward their important missions and enhance their impact is to work collaboratively."

About Palm Beach Atlantic University

Palm Beach Atlantic University, founded in 1968, is a private, Christian university, offering 100 different programs and pathways, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. The university has a 19-acre campus in West Palm Beach and an Orlando campus, and the 76-acre Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus provides facilities for training and hosting intercollegiate sports. Sailfish athletes compete in 18 NCAA Division II and Sunshine State Conference varsity sports. PBA's mission is to equip students to grow in wisdom, lead with conviction, and serve God boldly. The university affirms the values that have built American society, including religious liberty and the free enterprise system.  Learn more at www.pba.edu.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc.is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders' wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the Endowment's religious grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of religion and lift up in fair, accurate and balanced ways the roles that people of all faiths and various religious communities play in the United States and across the globe.