July 9, 2014, Wilmore, KY – Asbury Theological Seminary is pleased to announce a grant of $204,170 awarded by the Kern Family Foundation, the second grant in as many years awarded to support the integration of faith, work, and economics into the Seminary curriculum and culture. 

This grant will continue funding the Office of Faith, Work, and Economics (OFWE) at Asbury Theological Seminary, which seeks to equip pastors to integrate the witness of the Christian faith into the marketplace.  The OFWE strives to accomplish this by educating pastors in four areas: business ethics, biblical views of poverty and wealth, social entrepreneurship, and theology of work and vocation. 

With the support of OFWE, students are engaging issues related to work, economics and culture through mentored field placements, coursework, research, and seminars.  Scholarly work on relevant marketplace topics such as John Wesley and economics, economic development as a means of empowerment and evangelization, and moral leadership will result.  Research will be disseminated on topics such as religiously influenced leadership ethics, and learning opportunities will be created for parish-based clergy, marketplace leaders, and academicians to explore the connection of faith, work, and economics.  Multimedia resources are being developed to capture and distribute the resulting work of the project to new constituencies. 

The combination of research, publication, education, and collaboration will produce the following: a Doctor of Ministry degree cohort focused on faith, work, and economics; campus-wide learning events; faculty development; and the hosting of regional OFWE seminars for pastors, laypersons, and students. 

Established in 1999, the Kern Family Foundation of Waukesha, Wis., invests in the future through support of programs that promote values, education and innovation.  The Foundation aims to effect systemic change through broad-impact, long-term initiatives.

About Asbury Theological Seminary:

With multiple campuses, Asbury Theological Seminary is an interdenominational graduate school of theology committed to teaching the unchanging truth of historic Wesleyan Christianity through the most dynamic means available.  Asbury Seminary offers a variety of academic degrees, including the master of arts, master of divinity, master of theology, doctor of ministry and doctor of philosophy in intercultural studies and biblical studies.  Total current enrollment nears 1,500 students, representing 91 denominations and 44 countries.  For more information, please visit asburyseminary.edu.

Contact: Dr. W. Jay Moon, Director of Office of Faith, Work, and Economics at Asbury Theological Seminary

Email: ofwe@asburyseminary.edu