In the dark days of January, members of Grace United Methodist Church in Harrisburg, Pa., welcomed visiting music students from Brazil who seemed to bring the sunshine and a big burst of warmth with them all the way from South America.

Julianna Caskie is one of 290 General Board of Higher Education and Ministry scholarship recipients who graduated this spring.

Scholarship recipient Lenah Alghali has set her sights on a future rooted in service and scholarship after graduating from Howard University.

The United Methodist Church’s Central Conference Theological Education Fund (CCTEF) Commission awarded 83 grants from 163 applications, totaling $1.26 million, to advance theological education in all Central Conferences at its first meeting of the quadrennium.

Scholarship recipient Samuel Yu graduated with a master’s in human development and family science from The Ohio State University, specializing in couple and family therapy.

“I want others to know that it’s never too late to answer God’s call. Even after years of waiting, the opportunity came, and I’m ready," said Seini Fine, a 2025 Claremont School of Theology graduate and GBHEM scholarship recipient.

As commencement season unfolds this May, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) celebrates the dreams realized by 290 graduates whose journeys were fueled by GBHEM scholarships.

Roland Fernandes, general secretary of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry and of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, joined more than 500 higher education leaders in signing “A Call for Constructive Engagement,” a statement from the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) defending the essential freedoms of U.S. colleges and universities against political interference and coercive government overreach.

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) approved a one-time Methodist Educational Fund (MEF) subsidy of $400,000 to each of the 13 United Methodist theological schools at its spring 2025 board of directors meeting.

“I am so grateful and humbled. This scholarship helps me fulfill my dream of attending college, and I look forward to continuing to grow my faith within the Methodist Church throughout college and beyond.” — Matthew Mertes, The Ohio State University Matthew Mertes is...