GNJ celebrates that the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) Office of Loans and Scholarships will be awarding over 2,100 students a total of $5 million in financial assistance for 2021! These future leaders range from first-year Freshmen to Doctorate level students across the denomination.
Several events including United Methodist Student Day, World Communion Sunday, and Native American Sunday helped fund a portion of the scholarships. The remaining funds for these awards come from gifts, annuities, and endowments GBHEM has invested in and administered for decades.
Additionally, GNJ has partnered with GBHEM on the Excellence in Clergy Leadership Scholarship, a debt-avoidance scholarship addresses economic challenges facing pastoral leaders. For 2022/2023, meritorious United Methodist seminarians will be eligible for a $2,500 scholarship from GBHEM, as well as additional support from foundations, annual conferences, and seminaries. GNJ will match these scholarship funds so that the recipient receives a $5,000 scholarship.
The seminarians will also receive intentional opportunities to enhance their personal financial literacy. The purpose of this scholarship program is to create a collaboration across United Methodist organizations in support of future clergy reducing or eliminating educational debt and building upon financial acumen.
Applications for the Excellence in Clergy Leadership Scholarship are accepted online from December 10, 2021 – March 24, 2022 at www.gbhem.org/scholarshipapplication .
Students who are members of The United Methodist Church may apply for a Fall 2022 GBHEM scholarship online between December 15, 2021 – March 24, 2022, at www.gbhem.org/scholarshipapplication.
Congratulations to the following recipients of GBHEM scholarships for Fall 2021:
| First Name | Last Name | Church | Institution Name | Award Name |
| Brittany | Boetticher | UMC of Lake Hopatcong | Drew University | Rev. Dr. Karen Layman Gift of Hope Scholarship |
| Gerald | Cameron | Trinity UMC | Seton Hall University | United Methodist General Scholarship |
| Sheena | Cameron | Magnolia Road UMC | United Theological Seminary | Baxter Roelfson Sands Scholarship |
| Timothy | Conaway | Trinity UMC | Drew University Theological School | United Methodist General Scholarship |
| Emily | Da Silva | Davis Memorial UMC | Kean University | Ethnic Scholarship |
| Daewoung | Jo | Calvary Korean UMC | Drew University Theological School | HANA Scholarship |
| Melissa | Johnson | Bishop Janes UMC | Messiah University | Rev. Dr. Karen Layman Gift of Hope Scholarship |
| Heeyoung | Jung | Omega Mission Korean UMC | Claremont School of Theology | HANA Scholarship |
| Jene | Lee | Arcola Korean UMC | Drew University Theological School | Journey Toward Ordained Ministry Scholarship |
| Meridith | Mandala | Hope UMC | Rowan College of South Jersey | Rev. Dr. Karen Layman Gift of Hope Scholarship |
| Kayleigh | Morpeth | Hackettstown Trinity UMC | William Paterson University of NJ | Miriam Hoffman Scholarship |
| Rachel | Nyantakyi | Ghana Calvary UMC | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | Ethnic Scholarship |
| Roeline | Ramirez | Trinity UMC | Drew University Theological School | E. Craig Brandenburg Scholarship |
| Sarah | Schall | First UMC Avalon | Messiah University | Rev. Dr. Karen Layman Gift of Hope Scholarship |
| Lila | Villasenor | Congers NY UMC | Berklee College of Music | Ethnic Scholarship |
| Sarah | Williams | UMC in Madison | Drew University Theological School | Journey Toward Ordained Ministry Scholarship |
| Benjamin | Wiseman | Centenary UMC | Emory University | Baxter Roelfson Sands Scholarship |
| Dylan | Wyss | Cranford UMC | Rowan University | Rev. Dr. Karen Layman Gift of Hope Scholarship |
| Christabel | Zimbeva | Morrow Memorial UMC | Drew University | United Methodist General Scholarship |