Higher Education and Ministry Releases 2025 Impact Report, ‘Answering the Call’
By Higher Education and Ministry
NASHVILLE — The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s (GBHEM) 2025 Impact Report highlights how The United Methodist Church continues to strengthen educational institutions, develop transformational leaders, and expand access to theological education amid a rapidly changing world.
Centered on the theme, “Answering the Call,” the report reflects on a year marked by challenges to educational access and evolving ministry needs. GBHEM remained steadfast in supporting students, institutions, and leaders through scholarships, grants, and strategic partnerships.
Reflecting on the agency’s mission, General Secretary Roland Fernandes writes, “Grounded in our Wesleyan conviction that education is a means of grace, GBHEM continues to defend equal access to learning while nurturing leaders and strengthening institutions that will shape the future of the church.”
Among the report’s highlights are:
- Continued investment in United Methodist-related colleges, universities, and seminaries, strengthening their identity, collaboration, and resilience;
- Ongoing support for 11 United Methodist-related Historically Black Colleges and Universities through the Black College Fund;
- Support of the This Moment Matters initiative in partnership with Global Ministries to expand funding opportunities for education, food security, healthcare, migration ministries, and peacebuilding efforts; and
- Progress in shaping the future of ministry through the Study of Ministry Commission and the Course of Study Review Team, both of which began discernment and review processes in 2025.
As educational and ministerial landscapes continue to shift and evolve, the 2025 Impact Report celebrates God’s work through the church today and offers an invitation to join in strengthening leaders for the church’s future.
Related Posts
Rev. Vicki Walker traces her call to ministry to a single, startling moment that would shape the rest of her life. “It was 1980. I was 19 years old,” Walker said. During a quiet retreat, she sat alone in a chapel when she heard a voice she could not ignore. “I sense, I hear this voice that says, ‘I want you to go to seminary, get a master’s in Christian education, and work with youth.’”
Adopting mannerisms, values, and practices is a form of incarnation. Incarnation is being in someone else’s flesh. In the Christian tradition, when we speak of the Incarnation, we speak of the mystery of God becoming like one of us.
The Central Conference Theological Education Fund (CCTEF) awarded $992,594 in grants to support theological education across The United Methodist Church. During its spring 2026 meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, commissioners reviewed $3.9 million in funding requests and made awards from a total allocation of $1.03 million. The final grant list was released in August.




