Empowering the Next Generation of Christian Leaders

Dora Maclellan Brown Ministry Scholarship

Eric Youngblood, pastor at Rock Creek Fellowship on Lookout Mountain, has great hope for the future of the Church, despite what some say about the apathies of the next generation. He sits on the Dora Maclellan Brown Ministry Scholarship committee that sifts through numerous scholarship applications each year. Eric reflects, “We (on the committee) regularly find ourselves heartened in the face of all the cultural handwringing about the demise and decline of the younger generations.”

Annually, Eric gets a front row seat to listen to the testimonies and passions of budding pastors, counselors, and theologians. He can’t help but see the handprints of Jesus as he notes that “God has placed [in the applicants] an indomitable and contagious enthusiasm to broker his healing mercies and the glad tidings of his reconciliation through Christ everywhere.”

Eric’s thoughts would bring joy to Dora Maclellan Brown, the founder of Generosity Trust, in whose memory the scholarship program was established in 1972.

Intended for students from the greater Chattanooga area, the Dora Maclellan Brown Ministry Scholarship (DMB Ministry Scholarship) benefits Christian men and women who are seeking to continue their education in Christian service at a theological seminary, Bible college, or graduate school. Since its inception, this scholarship has benefited approximately 580 students! Recipients have attended institutions such as Richmont Graduate University, Pontifical Pope JPII Institute, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Samford University, and Reformed Theological Seminary.

Pascual Thedford, Director of Admissions at Reformed Theological Seminary observes that DMB Ministry Scholarship recipients remind him of Ezra, who “set his heart to study the law of the LORD, to do it, and to teach it” (Ezra 7:10). Students who devote themselves to this kind of vocational Christian service often find the demands of their education to be weighty. It is a journey that requires much grace and a steadfast spirit.

The Generosity Trust is thankful to have the opportunity to be an agent of grace by relieving some of the burdens. Recent DMB Ministry Scholar Colby Brandt, who attended Samford University, felt this grace in the financial assistance provided. He shares that “The Dora Maclellan Brown scholarship made it possible to balance the concerns of life and school—allowing me to commit myself to the study of scripture for the sake of the Church. It has been an invaluable partner in my training for ministry.”

If you are a student like Colby who desires to partner with The Generosity Trust in your call to ministry, click here for more information on the scholarship and application process. Students interested in applying for a DMB Ministry Scholarship must submit their applications by February 17 at 5:00 pm EST