Financial Aid

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    Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
    Financial Aid Office
    130 Essex Street
    South Hamilton, MA 01982
    (978) 646-4058
    finaid@gcts.edu
    Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-F

    Student Accounts Office
    130 Essex St.
    South Hamilton, MA 01982
    (978) 646-4049
    Fax: (978) 646-4601
    finserv@gordonconwell.edu
    Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

    Cashier Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
    (Wednesdays: 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.)

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Where are you? Home | Financial Aid | Hamilton | Scholarships and Grants

Kern Pastor-Scholars Program

The Kern Pastor-Scholars Program is a full-tuition scholarship with a stipend (worth more than $20,000 per year) for our most qualified incoming M.Div. students. This program is generously funded by the Kern Family Foundation in order to develop the next generation of exceptional, innovative pastors. This program will equip students for a lifetime of effective pastoral ministry while keeping them free from the burden of educational debt. Click here if you are an alum or pastor that would like to recommend a student for the Kern Pastor-Scholars Program.

Applicant Criteria

Each applicant must be:

  • A U.S. citizen
  • Age 27 years or under (as of January 1 in the year applying)
  • A good student with an undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or higher
  • Willing to pursue a Master of Divinity at the Hamilton campus, full-time (complete the M.Div. in three years)
  • Recommended by a Gordon-Conwell alum with pastoral ministry experience
  • Firmly committed to full-time, lifelong pastoral ministry in the United States as an eventual senior pastor with pulpit responsibilities

Each applicant must also demonstrate that they are:

  • A Leader
  • A Skilled Communicator
  • A Change Agent
  • Maturing in Character
  • Creative
  • Relational
  • Culturally Engaged
  • Persistent

Kern Pastor-­Scholars Program Specifics

Each Kern Pastor-Scholar receives:

  • Full-tuition scholarship
  • Annual stipend for living expenses
  • Specialized participation in the school’s Partnership Program. Through this Program students will obtain valuable fundraising experience and stewardship training that will equip them to build a support network that will encourage them for a lifetime. Students will be responsible for obtaining a sponsoring church and monthly donors and participating in educational components.
  • Focused mentorship through Mentored Ministry internships tailored to their goal of pastoral ministry. These students will be given access to top-tier churches within Mentored Ministry that can provide the student with pulpit opportunities and feedback after sermons.
  • A small group consisting of the year’s cohort of scholarship recipients, who will meet to pray, fellowship, discuss and grow together
  • Annual retreats and other Kern Pastor-Scholars events intended to further nurture students’ growth as exceptional pastors

To request an application for the Kern Pastor-Scholars Program, please complete the form below.

Recommend a Student

Once you have identified the student(s) you would like to recommend, please contact the student(s). To aid you in this process, we have created a document that outlines this unique opportunity in letter format. Feel free to use this text in the body of an email. We have also created a PDF document that outlines this program and its requirements. It can be used as a guide when talking to the potential student(s). If the student(s) chooses to move forward in the application process, please complete the recommendation form found below.