An eager employer is offering students at Union Adventist University up to $40,000 in scholarships and a guaranteed job after graduation. That employer is the Mid-America Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. This new award will give a total of 10 first-year theology, education, accounting, and IT majors up to $40,000 toward educational expenses over four years on top of the university’s existing need-based and academic merit scholarships — and it comes with a guaranteed career in full-time ministry in the Adventist church after they complete their degree. 

"We know there are young people in our congregations who feel called to further the work of the Gospel," said Gary Thurber, president of the Mid-America Union and chair of Union Adventist University’s Board of Trustees. “Too few of them have the financial freedom to follow their passion for church service.”  

Some students feel caught in a financial trap. If they forgo college, they won’t learn the skills the church needs. If they take out too many student loans, the pressure to repay forces them to enter the corporate world rather than joining a ministry.  

Thurber believes the Seventh-day Adventist Church stands at a crossroads and needs to act now to ensure there are enough pastors, teachers, IT professionals, and accountants ready to serve in the coming years.

"Funding this scholarship is an investment in the future of the Adventist church," he said. 

Up to 10 first-year students will be selected to receive the Mid-America Union Church Employment Scholarship in the fall semester of 2024. Applicants must agree to:

• Actively participate in a program of study leading to a degree in accounting, computer science, education or theology.

• Work on campus and place a portion of earnings toward their school bill.

• Intern at an Adventist organization in Mid-America. 

• Agree to serve for at least four years at a Mid-America Adventist church, school or regional leadership organization.

In all of the fields that qualify for this scholarship, Union Adventist University offers dynamic programs that prioritize real-world experience and service. For example, the university’s pastor preparation program integrates students into the ministry of local churches earlier in their training than most other universities. Each senior also experiences a dedicated semester as an associate pastor under the mentorship of a senior pastor during which they are immersed in every aspect of leading a congregation.  

Education majors have the advantage of learning in George Stone School, an on-campus multi-grade classroom. University students observe and teach in the elementary school beginning their freshman year, ensuring their field experience begins long before their senior student teaching. 

For accounting majors, taking shifts offering free tax preparation assistance at the Good Neighbor Center shows them the value of their academic skills and their potential for use in ministry. 

“It’s exciting to meet with a future student who has a passion for ministry and service,” said Ryan Teller, Union’s vice president for enrollment management. "This scholarship gives us a new way to connect the dots between their finances and their dreams. We are thankful for the Mid-America Union’s leadership as we train the next generation of church workers."

To learn more about the scholarship, visit uau.edu/mid-america-scholarship.

The original article was published on the Mid-America Union news site, Outlook Magazine.