The members of St. John/St. James in Reedsville, Wisconsin, have huge hearts for ministerial education.
Like many congregations, they provide Congregational Partner Grants to the sons and daughters of their congregation enrolled at MLC every year, knowing that MLC matches those grants up to a certain amount.
It’s been a huge blessing to know that my church family is supporting me in my efforts here.
But St. John/St. James has gone above and beyond in their grant giving. In 2022, when they had four students here, they needed a congregational gift of $4,800 to reap MLC’s $1,200/per student “match max.” The congregation gave more than $10,000—making a substantial dent in these students’ tuition bills . . . and a significant difference in their lives.
One recipient in 2022 was Joshua Aden (pictured), now a fifth-year senior. Over the course of Josh’s college career, his church has designated $11,235 to Josh’s tuition, and MLC has matched $5,650. These grants—totaling almost $17,000—have been, in Josh’s words, “huge.”
“Finances can be a significant burden when attending MLC,” Josh says. “It’s been a huge blessing to know that my church family is supporting me in my efforts here. Thank you so much to all of the members at St. John-St. James, who have given to the Congregational Partner Grant over the years and have voiced their support and encouragement whenever I’m able to worship with them in the summer and over breaks. Thank you!”
Reducing student debt is a major focus of Pursuing Excellence Under the Cross, and CPGP is a very effective tool. We are continuing to boost our “match max” by 10 percent every year through 2028.
