The Iona Collaborative at Seminary of the Southwest is thrilled to announce the recipients of micro-grants through its Locally Grown Leaders program, made possible by the generosity of Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns Initiative.
Through Locally Grown Leaders, 19 grantees from 21 Episcopal dioceses will receive grants of up to $25,000 per year for the next five years, along with site visits and personalized support from the Locally Grown Leaders staff team. Areas of focus include curriculum design, diocesan school planning and evaluation, and student assessment protocols—all aimed at fostering local formation, student success, and the vitality of small congregations.
The following dioceses have been selected as grant recipients:
- Episcopal Diocese of Albany
- The Episcopal Church in Arkansas
- The Episcopal Church in Colorado
- Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes
- Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i
- The Episcopal Church in Idaho
- Episcopal Diocese of Michigan
- Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi
- Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire
- Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
- Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
- Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande
- The Episcopal Church in Southeast Florida
- Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida
- Episcopal Diocese of Spokane
- Episcopal Diocese of Texas
- Episcopal Diocese of West Texas
- Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina
- West Coast Collaborative: Episcopal Dioceses of San Diego, El Camino Real, and Northern California
Micro-grant projects reflect the unique needs and gifts of each diocese, ranging from lay preaching programs and local school curriculum development to spiritual direction training and innovative pathways for Spanish-speaking diaconal students.
The Rt. Rev. Douglas F. Scharf, Sixth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, shared:
“This grant will allow us to develop a sustainable program for forming local spiritual directors—an essential investment in the spiritual health and vitality of our diocese. By increasing access to spiritual direction, particularly for those in discernment, and for our rural and smaller worshiping communities, we are living into our mission to equip and empower both our lay and clergy leaders. This initiative directly supports our diocesan vision of forming disciples and developing leaders for the future of the Church.”
The Rt. Rev. Lucinda Beth Ashby, Fourth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real, added:
“The West Coast Collaborative is honored to be the recipient of a Locally Grown Leaders micro-grant. In particular, the Diocese of El Camino Real will be able to experience the success of creating and implementing an innovative model for our Spanish-speaking diaconal students that uses apprenticeship as a way to provide practical training grounded in theological awareness and meaning. We are very excited to have this opportunity!”
Supporting over 30 dioceses across the Episcopal Church, the Iona Collaborative is a learning community of educators working together to equip local leaders and strengthen small congregations. This ministry reflects Seminary of the Southwest’s commitment to being a seminary for the whole Church, forming disciples of every order who are grounded in the Anglican tradition, dedicated to their communities, and prepared to lead the Church into a changing world.
“This generous grant from Lilly Endowment will help Southwest to expand our work of creating and sustaining vitality in small churches,” said Dr. Scott Bader-Saye, dean and president of Seminary of the Southwest. “The majority of congregations in The Episcopal Church have fewer than 50 people worshiping on a Sunday morning, yet these congregations have a significant impact on their rural and small town communities. The Iona Collaborative is helping the Episcopal Church imagine and resource the future of these congregations. We are deeply grateful for the commitment Lilly Endowment has made to our work.”
As the Rev. Nandra Perry, Director of the Iona Collaborative and bi-vocational priest at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Hearne, Texas, said:
“Locally Grown Leaders is a game-changing investment in our core vocation of supporting diocesan schools in forming lay and ordained leaders. Local formation is already a vital part of the Church’s future. This program will help us learn more—what’s working, what needs refining, and how we can grow together into best practices for this transformational work.”
