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DEMPSTER GRADUATE
FELLOWSHIPS
Awarded by the Ministerial Education Fund and
the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry • The United Methodist
Church
Origin and Purpose
The fellowship is named for the Rev. John Dempster, a pioneer in United
Methodist theological education. Converted at a Methodist camp meeting
in 1812, he preached in New York, served as a missionary in Argentina,
and founded Boston University School of Theology and Garrett Biblical
Institute (Garrett-Evangelical Seminary) in Evanston, Illinois. The purpose
of this fellowship is to increase the effectiveness of teaching in United
Methodist schools of theology by assisting worthy Ph.D. students who are
committed to serving the church through theological education. The fellowships
are funded by the Ministerial Education Fund through the Division of Ministry,
General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
Basis of Award
The awards are made annually to graduate students selected for their intellectual
excellence, academic achievement, promise of usefulness in teaching careers,
personal qualities, clarity of spiritual purpose, and commitment to Christian
ministry and the preparation of pastoral leadership for the church. The
Committee on Awards will give due regard to the encouragement of students
preparing to teach in United Methodist institutions in fields in which
there is a need for teachers.
Number and Amount of Awards
Fellowships are available each year up to $10,000 for a single person,
$11,000 for a married person, depending upon the applicant’s budget
and study plans. Recipients of the Dempster Fellowship Award are not to
engage in any employment which will interfere with their applying full
time to their academic studies during the period in which they hold the
fellowship. In cases where applicants hold another fellowship for the
same year or are awarded another fellowship or scholarship grant subsequent
to their being awarded the Dempster Graduate Fellowship, the stipend will
be adjusted according to the needs of the recipient.
Additional scholars will be granted $1,000-$5,000 for their doctoral programs,
some of whom may continue to receive Dempster Awards for up to five years,
with a maximum of $30,000 granted during that period of time.
Who May Apply
The fellowships are open only to members of The United Methodist Church
who plan to teach in seminaries, or to teach one of the theological disciplines
(Bible, church history, theology, ethics, and the arts of ministry) in
universities or colleges. The applicant must have received the M.Div.
degree or its equivalent from one of the United Methodist seminaries,
or be in a Ph.D. program or its equivalent at a university affiliated
with a United Methodist seminary at the time the award is granted. Verification
of study toward the Ph.D. or equivalent degree is required prior to the
distribution of the stipend. A person already holding a Ph.D. degree is
not excluded from candidacy. Graduate study by current seminary faculty
to meet changing faculty needs will be considered. Candidacy for ordination
as an elder in an annual conference of The United Methodist Church is
preferred.
Application Procedure
A prospective applicant should (1) make application on the official form
(to be supplied by the executive director of the Dempster Graduate Fellowships);
(2) make available with the application form transcripts of all previous
academic work, graduate and undergraduate; (3) secure letters of reference
regarding his/her personal, religious, and intellectual development; (4)
supply a term paper, or other paper of essay length as an example of the
applicant’s most scholarly work (25 pages or fewer); (5) submit the
results of the Graduate Record Examination; (6) submit a summary statement
of plans for the academic year for which application is made, including
signature of approval and statement of progress by the advisor or major
professor; (7) provide a résumé. Failure to include items
indicated in the application procedure will be regarded as a weakness
in the applicant’s qualifications for the award.
Date of Application -- October 15
All applications properly documented shall be in the hands of the executive
director on or before October 15, for awards for the following academic
year.
Make inquires to:
Rev. Robert F. Kohler
Assistant General Secretary
Division of Ordained Ministry
P. O. Box 340007
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0007
(615)340-7388
Fax: (615)340-7377
E-mail: jknox@gbhem.org
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