The Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment has announced more than $95 million in grants to 81 organizations to help strengthen Christian pastors’ ability to preach.

Awarded through the foundation’s Compelling Preaching Initiative, the grants range from $275,400 to $1.25 million. Launched in December 2022, the initiative is focused on mainline Protestant, evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, Anabaptist, and Pentecostal faith communities. Many recipients are rooted in Black churches and in Hispanic and Asian American Christian traditions, and the funding will help preachers reach and engage increasingly diverse audiences both within and beyond congregations. To that end, the grants include support for efforts to host educational opportunities for preachers to learn and share best practices for effective communication, assist pastors and lay leaders as they preach about issues of growing importance to younger generations, and invite young people into experiences of preaching that may help them discern potential callings to ministry.

“Since the earliest days of Christianity, preaching has played a key role in communicating the good news of God’s love and nourishing the spiritual lives of Christians and their communities,” said Lilly Endowment vice president for religion Christopher L. Coble. “Throughout history, preachers often have needed to adapt their preaching practices to engage new generations of hearers more effectively. We are pleased that the organizations receiving grants in this initiative will help pastors and others in ministry engage in the kinds of preaching needed today to ensure that the gospel message is heard and accessible for all audiences.”

For a complete list of recipients, see the Lilly Endowment website.

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Martine Severin)