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Partnership Program

Serve the Church, Not Your Debt

You have been called to ministry, not to the burden of debt. The Partnership Program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is designed to equip students for Kingdom work without accruing educational debt.

The program provides a number of co-curricular activities and resources in biblical stewardship, as well as a full-tuition Scholarship that is renewable every year.

As a part of the curriculum, you will gain practical ministry skills, receive education and experience in applying biblical stewardship principles and participate in one-on-one and small group discipleship training. The program will help you build these important skills and gain experience which will be useful in future church service, parachurch and evangelistic ministries, on the mission field, and in Christian leadership.

Don’t Come to Seminary Alone; Come With a Team

Through the Partnership Program, you will bring a team of prayer and financial support with you. Our hope is that you will emerge from the program prepared for a lifetime of fruitful ministry, surrounded by a network of support, equipped with fundraising and stewardship skills and free from unnecessary debt.

How does it work?

  1. Interested individuals should apply.
  2. Gordon-Conwell provides the student with a Full-Tuition Scholarship.
  3. During their time at Gordon-Conwell, the student receives focused biblical, theological and historical training in stewardship.
    • Seminars and discussions, teach principles of stewardship, the biblical foundations of ministry support, and principles of fundraising and support maintenance.
    • Topics include personal budgeting and finances, discussions with pastors about church-related stewardship issues, and workplace related forums.
  4. Identify, through your network of family and friends, approximately 13 donors who will each give $75/month to the Partnership Program Scholarship Fund and support you in prayer. Contributions are tax-deductible.
  5. Make a good faith effort to come to seminary with a sending church that has confirmed your call to ministry, has agreed to pray for you regularly, and give $2,000 per year to the Partnership Program Scholarship Fund.

Raising support is unique to each student. Several sample scenarios include:

Full-Time Partnership Program (13 or more credit hours/year):

  • 13 supporters at $75/month with a $2,000 commitment from a sending church.
  • 5 supporters at $100/month, 2 supporters at $500/year, 7 supporters at $50/month, and a $2500/year commitment from a sending church.
  • 14 supporters at $50/month, 7 supporters at $30/month, 4 supporters at $500/year, and a $1,000/year commitment from a sending church.

Part-Time Partnership Program (12 or less credit hours/year):

  • 5 supporters at $75/month and a $1,000/year commitment from a sending church.
  • 3 supporters at $100/month, 1 supporter at $50/year, and a $2,000/year commitment from a sending church.
  • 2 supporters at $100/month, 4 supporters at $50/month, 1 supporters at $25/month, and a $500/year commitment from a sending church.

Possibilities abound. Please contact the Director of the Partnership Program for more information and to explore your flexible options.

What are the criteria for selection?

Primary criteria for selection are:

  • Commitment to the local church
  • Academic excellence
  • Strong sense of calling
  • Proven leadership in ministry
  • U.S. citizen or green card holder
  • All Master’s degree programs and Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.) can apply, excluding Master of Theology (Th.M.)

What are the benefits of the program?

  • An emphasis on learning biblical principles of stewardship. These lessons will continue to bear fruit long after students have left seminary.
  • Continuing opportunities to strengthen ties with sending church, family and friends.
  • A full-tuition, renewable scholarship.
  • Focused training in stewardship.
  • Practical ministry skills and experience.
  • Practical fundraising training.

Application Deadlines

Candidates may submit an application to the Partnership Program after they have been accepted into a degree program and have paid the non-refundable matriculation deposit. Applications must arrive prior to the published deadline and may not be made retroactive for any semester.  The deadlines for each semester are:

Entry Point for Scholarship: Deadline:
Fall Semester April 15
Spring Semester September 15
Summer Semester January 15

Partnership Program Forms

Applicant Forms:

Sponsor Forms:

Completed forms can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to the following address:

Partnership Program
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
130 Essex Street
Hamilton, MA 01982

For more information, contact Joseph Kim, Partnership Program Director at (978) 646-4151, or complete the form below.

Serve the Church,
Not Your Debt

Ready to get started? Apply for the Partnership Program.

Apply Online