Lee Receives NetVUE Grant

Pictured here (left to right) are Dr. Lorinda Roberts, Dr. Fijoy Johnson, Amy and Kevin McGlamery, pastors of North Cleveland Church of God, and Wes Lutes.

Lee University has received a two-year NetVUE grant of $32,708 from the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc. to support the Church Leadership Formation Project.

"We are committed to preparing our students for a life of service to God and others," said Dr. Lorinda Roberts, vice president for student success of Lee. "Thus, we are thrilled for this partnership with local churches, which will provide our students with invaluable opportunities to serve alongside their mentors. Through these meaningful experiential learning opportunities, our students will grow in their understanding of their calling and ministry."

The grant will subsidize the creation of a Church Leadership Formation Project at the university. This initiative will seek to expand vocational exploration and leadership opportunities for students across all majors through partnerships with local churches. Experiential learning opportunities that provide hands-on ministry experience, such as a new Faith Leadership Seminar and reestablished Service Practicum, will offer students an opportunity to integrate faith and vocation.

"One of the most personally meaningful aspects of this grant is how it supports students who feel called to ministry-whether in a vocational or lay capacity," said Wes Lutes, campus pastor. "As a former Lee student who sensed that same call, I pursued it through a musical path, often seeking out practicum experiences beyond what was available through the academic program. This grant opens doors for students to engage directly with various local church ministries, offering hands-on learning opportunities they might not otherwise be able to access."

Emphasizing reconciliation, diversity, and justice, the program equips students to navigate multicultural ministry challenges while fostering spiritual growth and leadership development. By bridging theoretical knowledge with practical application, the initiative prepares students to contribute meaningfully to God's redemptive work and supports underserved churches.

The Church Leadership Formation Project has been funded by a grant through Lilly Endowment's Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) "Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith" initiative. A program of the CIC, NetVUE seeks to increase the capacity of independent colleges and universities to support their undergraduate students as they explore and discern their many callings in life. This process of vocational reflection is an interdisciplinary endeavor, bringing together theological, philosophical, ethical, historical, and affective approaches, implementing the theoretical reflections of these fields in vocation-related practices.

The CIC was founded in 1957 and is an association of nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils, and higher education affiliates that works to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education's contributions to society.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. The principal aim of the Endowment's religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities.