New Grant to Fund Shared Administrative Services

Bethany Theological Seminary is among a group of 10 freestanding seminaries that will benefit from a $10 million grant entitled “Strengthening Seminaries Through Shared Services: Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative 2025,” funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc. The grant was made to New Brunswick Theological Seminary on behalf of AdminWise Shared Services, a nonprofit organization that was created to provide efficient and cost-effective services and consulting expertise to theological schools. 

The new grant will allow AdminWise to expand its services to include expertise in admissions, advancement, marketing and communications, and enhance information technology managed services. The grant will also allow the organization to offer its employee health care initiative to additional schools. AdminWise was created with funding from a previous Lilly Endowment grant to Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. 

The new grant will foster collaboration between ten seminaries: Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Aquinas Institute of Theology, Bethany Theological Seminary, Eden Theological Seminary, Gammon School of Theology, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, Nazarene Theological Seminary,  New Brunswick Theological Seminary, Turner Theological Seminary, and Western Theological Seminary. The group represents an ecumenical range of Christian denominations and serves diverse populations of students.

Bethany has been collaborating with AdminWise since its founding 2021, and has benefitted, in particular, from its IT managed services. AdminWise also offers institutions expertise in financial aid, financial management, human resources, and Title IX compliance.

“We are delighted to be a partner with AdminWise and this exceptional group of peer institutions,” says President Jeff Carter. “This incredibly generous grant from Lilly Endowment will foster much-needed collaboration between institutions who are thinking expansively and focused on mission and organizational need. We look forward to forging a partnership that will strengthen all of the participating seminaries.

Dr. Steve Schweitzer, academic dean, is chair of the AdminWise Board of Directors. He notes that AdminWise has been extremely effective in providing member organizations with the expertise they need in critical administrative areas.

“Smaller standalone seminaries like Bethany sometimes struggle to recruit and retain experts in key areas of administration,” notes Schweitzer. “Our work with AdminWise from its beginning has been extremely beneficial, and we look forward to seeing what new opportunities will emerge because of this new grant.”

The Lilly Endowment — a private foundation based in Indianapolis, Indiana — supports the causes of community development, education, and religion. The Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, launched in 2021, has provided more than $700 million to 163 theological schools.

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