Financial Assistance for Pastors

The Ministry Excellence Project is pleased to offer pastors in the Northern Indiana District and the South/Central Indiana District the opportunity to apply for financial assistance. If you want to apply for assistance, please go to the bottom of the page to download the application.

The next deadline for this application is December 1, 2022. The mailing address is on the application form.

The goal of the Ministry Excellence Project is to provide assistance to pastors when their resources are not enough to cover their financial needs. The general categories for assistance are medical & dental costs, inadequate funding for retirement, low salaries & benefits, and educational loans for the pastor and/or spouse that have become a long- term burden. Assistance can help the pastor, spouse, and dependent children.

We hope that you will take the time to think about your finances and consider whether you need help beyond your resources. Please consider dental needs, medical needs, eye glasses, or debt issues that you are putting off. Pastors often assume that the call to ministry service includes ignoring some of the issues that impact their well being (and/or the well being of their family). Most of us are better at taking care of the needs of others than we are at addressing our own needs. We are glad to talk with you confidentially by phone if you are not sure about your situation. We can help you determine whether you should apply.

The Lilly Endowment specifies that eligibility be limited to installed full- and part-time pastors within the two districts. Submitting an application does not guarantee a grant, as funds designated for awards are limited. A Certified Public Accountant has determined that awards are not generally considered taxable income. Applicants can be assured that all information is confidential. The Board has limited its request for information to what is essential to make the right decisions. A number of the informational questions will enable The Board to better understand the areas where clergy struggle financially. Applications that are incomplete will not be considered.

If we can be of any assistance answering questions you may have about the application, please contact the South/Central Indiana District Office at 260-274-0396 or scindcob@gmail.com, or Torin Eikler at 574-903-3771 or torin.nidcob@gmail.com.

2021 Financial Assistance Application Deadlines

Spring Quarter: April 1, 2022

Summer Quarter: August 1, 2022

Winter Quarter: December 1, 2022

For a copy of the application and instructions please click below.

Application ALL.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [313.0 KB]