Overview
Scholarships Honor Life of Georgia Harkness
Since 1983, the Division of Ordained Ministry of the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry has awarded annual Georgia Harkness scholarships to women seminarians. The scholarships are intended to encourage women older than 35 to prepare for second-career ordained ministry as elders in The United Methodist Church.
The $5,000 awards honor the life and service of Georgia Harkness (1871-1974), the first woman theologian to teach in a U.S. Protestant seminary. She was instrumental in the 1956 General Conference decision giving women full clergy membership in the Methodist Church and dedicated her life to dismantling race and gender discrimination in The United Methodist Church and the world. She taught at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill.
The endowment for the Georgia Harkness Scholarship Program is now more than $500,000.
The 11 scholars awarded the 2007-08 Georgia Harkness Scholarships visited Honduras and El Salvador to learn about the leadership styles of women around the world and share their own leadership methods in an effort to help develop leaders for global justice. Georgia Harkness scholars have the potential to inspire women in countries where women’s ordination is rare and to share their resolve to respond to God’s call to ordained ministry.
Local churches will have opportunities to invite Georgia Harkness scholars to speak about their faith journey as women leaders of the church.
United Methodist women students with a bachelor of arts or equivalent degree, who are enrolled full time in a University Senate-accredited school of theology in the master of divinity degree program, and who are certified candidates for ordained ministry as an elder in The United Methodist Church are eligible for the awards. Recipients are chosen by a committee of United Methodist elders and GBHEM staff.
The grants are available for the regular academic year, awarded upon certification of fall registration. They may be applied toward tuition, fees, and room-and-board for the basic seminary degree leading to elder’s ordination. They are not available for undergraduate, D.Min., or Ph.D. work, and are not awarded for summer school.
Applications and reference letter forms are available from the GBHEM web site. Application packets are also available from any United Methodist and University Senate-approved seminary financial aid office or from:
Division of Ordained Ministry
Georgia Harkness Scholarship Award
PO Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007
Phone: 615-340-7409
E-mail: gharkness@gbhem.org
Profile
Georgia Harkness Scholarship Offers Validation and More
 Wendy Inman |
For Wendy Inman, the benefits of receiving a Georgia Harkness Scholarship go beyond the award itself. “The biggest difference is the validation of my desire to continue in seminary.”
Notification of her selection arrived at a time when she and her husband were considering whether or not she needed to continue pursuing a seminary education. “It is hard to commit to following God’s call, especially when it requires changing course at a point in your life when you want to maintain stability.”
The scholarship celebrates the life and work of Georgia Harkness, the first woman theologian to teach in a U.S. Protestant seminary. Candidates are women who are 35 years or older and pursuing elder’s ordination in The United Methodist Church as a second career. “I have three children and a husband. My decision to attend seminary affected them as well. We weren’t sure the struggles were worth it after the first year, but the scholarship eased some of those and encouraged me to continue.”
Her greatest challenge has been balancing family and schoolwork. “I really enjoy all of my classes. I have learned so many new and interesting things!” But finding time to get all of her studying done as well as get the kids to school on time has been a balancing act, one that ironically required cutting back her involvement at church. “I think a large part of being in ministry is about balancing, so I am gaining practical knowledge along with theology and my church family has been amazingly supportive!”
In addition to feeling her award validated her choice to attend seminary, Wendy began to see herself in a new way. “Before seminary I worked as a public school teacher, or a stay-at-home mom. I didn’t see myself as a leader at all. I feel like I am redefining myself now.” She is already sharing this new self-understanding. “I have had opportunities to share some of what I’ve learned at seminary to empower other women, and I look forward to more of that!”
Empowering others is an essential part of Wendy’s call to ministry, which started more than three years ago on a Walk to Emmaus. “I wouldn’t say it was a lightning-bolt moment, but I had a sudden understanding that I needed to use my life experiences to help others through ministry.”
Additionally, she believes her own growth is an example of how God desires everyone to be empowered. “I’m just a regular person who is being redefined, and the more I learn, the more I understand there is a need for redefinition in other places.” She is energized by thoughts of a future part in The United Methodist Church’s commitment to social justice issues. “There continues to be a real need for empowering the disadvantaged in our local, national, and global communities, and I look forward to joining those efforts in The United Methodist Church.”
FAQ
What is the Georgia Harkness Scholarship?
Since 1983, the Division of Ordained Ministry of the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry has granted awards annually to a group of women to prepare for second-career ordained ministry as elders in The United Methodist Church. The program is intended to support women’s leadership development in the church.Who was Georgia Harkness?
Georgia Harkness (1871-1974) was the first woman theologian to teach in a U.S. Protestant seminary in the United States: Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill., and Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif. An advocate for inclusiveness, Harkness dedicated her life to dismantling racial and gender discrimination in the church and society. Her emphasis on spirituality and social responsibility encourages a living faith and thoughtful, practical discipleship. Harkness strove tirelessly for wholeness and truth in her long career as a theologian and as a disciple.How much is the award?
Grants of $5,000 each will be awarded each year for the regular academic year, to be awarded upon certification of fall registration. No grants are available for summer school.What are the emphases of the Georgia Harkness Scholarship?
The Georgia Harkness Scholarship emphasizes intellectual and spiritual leadership, and a commitment to social justice, with particular attention to women’s global leadership related to global justice issues.What global opportunities do Harkness scholars have?
Recipients are invited to immersion experiences in other countries to learn about women’s leadership styles and the experience of women there. They will have the opportunity to share their determination to respond to God’s call to ordained ministry and the potential to inspire women who are unfamiliar with women’s ordination. The 11 2007-2008 Harkness scholars visited Honduras and El Salvador.Who is eligible to apply?
Women older than 35 who have received a bachelor of arts or equivalent degree, who are enrolled full-time in a University Senate-accredited school of theology in the Master of Divinity degree program, and are certified candidates for ordained ministry as elders in The United Methodist Church are encouraged to apply.Where can you apply?
Visit our website for an application and letters of reference forms.Challenges
Harkness Scholars Bring Rich Gifts, Face Special Challenges
Georgia Harkness Scholars, who are older than 35 and preparing for ordained ministry as a second career, bring skills and social experiences that make them rich human resources for the church, according to the Rev. HiRho Park.However, those characteristics also mean these women face unique challenges, Park, director of continuing formation for ministry at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, adds. “Most of them are married, meaning they begin their studies with multi-layered roles.”
Psychological issues for married women with children often include a sense of guilt about their call. “They question the wisdom of their decision to go back to school. Is it right for their children and families? If spousal support is lacking, those difficulties sometimes prove to be insurmountable, resulting in divorce,” Park says.
“In many instances, the theological school is remote, meaning that they must divide time between home and seminary. The adjustment of children to these new circumstances of family structure will always be challenging, and child care is always an issue,” she adds.
Second-career issues may also be financial in nature. “Most Harkness Scholars give up jobs — often jobs with salary that is higher than what an ordained clergyperson will earn — to go back to school full time. The Harkness Scholarship program provides some relief to families financially strained by one parent’s leaving the work field, even temporarily,” Park says.
The predominance of the youth culture, particularly in the United States, also poses a challenge. “A culture that prefers youthfulness in every segment of the workforce may question the church’s investment in these women,” according to Park. “We need to remember that women were encouraged to seek ordination only in the recent past. Many garner the courage to respond to their call only in their later years.”
In many parts of the world, women older than 30 experience difficulties in finding work. “Women in these countries are astounded that Georgia Harkness Scholars are still pursuing their elders’ ordination,” Park points out. “Ordained elders of either gender are rare in these countries.”
The Harkness Scholarship program emphasizes global leadership among women. Recipients are invited to immersion experiences in other countries to learn about women’s leadership styles and the experience of women there. There they have the opportunity to share their determination to respond to God’s call to ordained ministry and the potential to inspire women who are unfamiliar with women’s ordination. The 11 2007-2008 Harkness scholars visited Honduras and El Salvador.
