Advent 2021
Sisters and Brothers of the Virginia Conference,
Never underestimate your ability to influence! As followers of the Son of Mary, you bear witness to the power of women to embody and carry the Gospel to the world.
Work began to establish The Servant Sister Scholarship Endowment to honor and celebrate the ministries of women in the Virginia Conference by financially supporting the theological training of future clergy sisters in 2019. All women committed to ministries of Word, Worship and Witness, who are candidates for ministry in the Virginia Conference, and who demonstrate potential for developing creative ministries for a more just world are eligible to benefit from this endowment.
Thanks to the generosity of over 50 contributors from across the Conference to date, the first two Servant Sister Scholarships were awarded for the fall 2021 semester. Talina Beck and Alyssa Densham, both students at Wesley Theological Seminary, received grants of $1,000 towards tuition. One expressed her gratitude saying, “This scholarship made the impossible possible.”
Now, we look to the future with hope to be able to continue this level of support going forward. Here is where your influence matters. Your gift will aid more next generation leaders with their seminary education. Please consider a gift of $500 or $1000, but no gift is too small. This could be an alternative Christmas gift to a loved one, or given in honor or memory of a clergywoman who has served you, or simply an outright gift, an expression of your own gratitude for the sacrifice someone made on your behalf.
If you have already donated, thank you! And know that you can continue to support this work. If you have been meaning to, but have not yet contributed, checks should be written to VA UM Foundation, with Servant Sister Scholarship in the memo line. Mail to The VA UM Foundation 10330 Staples Mill Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060.
On behalf of the clergywomen yet to come, we thank you.
Advent Peace from The Servant Sister Scholarship Board of Directors:
Jan Rivero, Convener
Lindsey Baynham Freeman
Margaret Kutz
Joanna Dietz
Joanna Paysour
Cheryl Harrison-Davidson
Seunghae Yoo-Hess
Karla Kincannon