Pepperdine University Receives $7.5 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. for “Empower and Equip” Program
MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine University has received a $7.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns Initiative. The grant will support Pepperdine’s “Empower and Equip” program, which aims to strengthen the ministries and leadership of Churches of Christ in rural areas and small towns across the United States.
The “Empower and Equip” program will enhance the vitality of rural ministries by providing encouragement, updated data, leadership training, opportunities for collaboration, and resources to expand ecclesial imaginations. Through sub-granting and partnerships, Pepperdine will collaborate with ministry leaders and organizations at both national and regional levels to support these efforts.
“We are honored to receive support from Lilly Endowment Inc. as it invests in the future of Churches of Christ in rural areas and small towns,” said Mike Cope, Director of Ministry Outreach at Pepperdine University, who will be the Director of the initiative. “We believe our work will help reignite a passion for ministry and bring renewed energy to these vital congregations.”
John Barton, Professor of Religion and Director of Pepperdine’s Center for Faith and Learning, will serve as the Assistant Director of ”Empower and Equip.”
On a national level, Pepperdine will work with the Siburt Institute at Abilene Christian University to conduct and gather fresh research and data, train leaders, and build a publicly accessible library featuring sermons, educational classes, and community engagement guidance. Additionally, Pepperdine will collaborate with the primary newspaper serving Churches of Christ, the Christian Chronicle, to feature regular articles highlighting rural ministries, as well as with two church planting organizations.
Regionally, Pepperdine will establish ten hub partnerships—leveraging the network of heritage universities—to provide targeted training and encouragement for local leaders. These hubs will serve as focal points for equipping ministers and lay leaders within their communities.
A key feature of the program will be an annual conference that brings together leaders from project partners nationwide to share updates, identify community needs, and set goals for the future. This gathering aims to foster collaboration and provide a platform for strategic planning to address the challenges facing rural ministries.
The initiative also includes a research component to investigate the causes of declining church attendance and religious sentiment, not only within Churches of Christ, but across various denominations. This effort, led by Pepperdine’s research team, will commence in January 2025 and contribute valuable insights to the broader conversation about faith and community vitality in the United States.
Pepperdine University is one of 20 organizations from across the United States receiving grants through the initiative, including colleges and universities, denominational agencies, church networks, and parachurch organizations, among others.
“Our hope is that these grants will provide much needed resources and support to
rural and small-town churches to help them address their challenges and enhance and
extend the many ways that they serve their communities, ” said Christopher L. Coble,
Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion.
About Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and
his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business,
Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the
Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board,
staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the
causes of community development, education and religion. Although the Endowment maintains
a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana,
it also funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion.
A 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. The Endowment also seeks to improve public
understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals
of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.
About Pepperdine University
Founded in 1937, Pepperdine University is an independent, Christian university located
30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in scenic Malibu, California. The University
enrolls approximately 10,300 students across its flagship liberal arts school, Seaver College; the College of Health Science, and four graduate schools—the Caruso School of Law; the Graziadio Business School; the Graduate School of Education and Psychology; and the School of Public Policy. Pepperdine is committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian
values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.
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