Global Initiative to Strengthen Theological Education Worldwide
The Endowment for Theological Education in Africa, Europe and the Philippines
PRESS RELEASE | February 4, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bishop Patrick Streiff
The Endowment for Theological Education in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines
Subject: Call to Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, Lead Courageously – Miracle Sunday Initiative
United Methodist Leaders Launch Global Initiative to Strengthen Theological Education Worldwide
The Endowment for Theological Education in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines, initiated by the Council of Bishops, is pleased to announce the launch of the “Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, Lead Courageously – Miracle Sunday” Initiative. The initiative, which has been approved by the Council of Bishops, the Connectional Table, and the General Council on Finance and Administration, calls The United Methodist Church into an unprecedented, God‑led, Holy Spirit‑empowered season of worship, learning, and generosity. Read more at https://www.endowftecc.org/
From April 12 through May 17, 2026, 30,000 United Methodist congregations and their pastors worldwide will join in a six‑week emphasis culminating in Miracle Sunday. This global effort seeks to deepen discipleship and raise a special offering to fund theological education, ultimately preparing 500 students annually for pastoral ministry across Africa, Europe, and the Philippines.
A Global Call to Love, Serve, and Lead
This six‑week church-wide emphasis invites United Methodists to embody the denomination’s vision:
To form disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in the community and the world.
Through a worship and small‑group series, congregations will unite in prayer, explore core scriptural themes, and engage in acts of generosity that directly support theological education outside the United States.
The Miracle We Seek
“Our bold goal is to endow 500 scholarships in perpetuity, ensuring that courageous, well‑prepared leaders can serve in some of the most challenging missional communities around the world. This will require prayer, faith, and a miracle—but we trust the Holy Spirit to multiply our gifts beyond what we can imagine,” said Bishop Patrick Streiff, President of the Endowment.
The Challenge: A Global Leadership Gap
United Methodists worldwide have weathered a global pandemic, navigated disaffiliations, and responded with compassion amid conflict and natural disaster. Yet a persistent challenge remains:
A deep inequity in access to theological education.
71% of U.S. clergy hold a master’s degree in theology.
Less than 5% of clergy outside the United States have the same level of preparation.
U.S. seminaries benefit from strong denominational funding, stable enrollment, and healthy endowments.
More than 20 theological schools in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines receive limited support and have little or no endowment.
The Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, Lead Courageously – Miracle Sunday Initiative aims to address this disparity by strengthening the Endowment for Theological Education outside the U.S.—securing support for the formation of pastoral leaders for generations to come.
About the Endowment for Theological Education outside the United States
Launched by the Council of Bishops in 2014, the Endowment serves as a permanently invested fund to provide sustainable, reliable, and long‑term financial support to theological institutions outside the U.S.
Why Endowments Matter:
Sustainable: Long‑term funding beyond short‑term campaigns
Reliable: Stable support year after year
Impactful: A legacy that forms leaders for decades
“An endowment is like a tree whose roots run deep—nourishing the future church with strong, faithful leadership,” said Bishop Bruce Ough, Regional Initiative Director for the United States.
Three Key Principles of the Initiative
1. Unite in Love Boldly and Miracle Sunday
Congregations worldwide will begin the initiative immediately after Easter, culminating in Miracle Sunday during week six (or one week earlier if necessary). Unified participation strengthens global connection.
2. Model Generosity
Drawing on 1 Chronicles 29, bishops, conference leaders, pastors, and lay leaders will give first, setting the pace for generous participation throughout the connection.
3. Educate on Vision and Theological Education
Through worship resources, small‑group guides, videos, and printed curriculum, congregations will deepen their understanding of the church’s mission and the vital importance of theological education.
Initiative Methodology: A Biblical Path to Generosity
The structure of the initiative follows the flow of generosity modeled in 1 Chronicles 29, when the people of Israel gave joyfully to build the temple:
King David Led: His personal gifts set the example.
Commitments: Bishops and Endowment Board – Late OctoberLeaders Followed: Family heads, officials, and commanders gave generously.
Commitments: Conference Leadership – January
Pastors – Two weeks before Miracle Sunday
Congregational Leadership – One week before Miracle SundayThe People Responded: Witnessing the leadership’s generosity, the people gave with joy.
Commitments: Worshipers – Miracle Sunday
Leadership Modeling + Congregational Participation = Abundant Generosity
Values Grounding the Initiative
Guided by Scripture, the initiative affirms:
Funds are raised biblically (1 Chronicles 29).
Not equal gifts but equal sacrifice (Luke 21:1‑4).
No gift is too large or too small (Luke 21:1‑4).
Leaders set the pace (1 Chronicles 29:9).
God provides the miracle (Luke 18:27).
God exceeds expectations (Ephesians 3:20).
This effort unifies the Church and affirms a future with hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
A Call to the Worldwide Church
United Methodist congregations everywhere are invited to:
Pray for God’s miraculous provision
Engage in the six‑week emphasis using the worship and small group materials
Give generously on Miracle Sunday
Support the formation of pastors who will love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously
Together, God is ready to work a miracle through us.
Co-Chairs Announced for Miracle Sunday Initiative
The Endowment for Theological Education in Africa, Europe and the Philippines
PRESS RELEASE | January 28, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bishop Patrick Streiff
Press Release Link: Read more from UM News
The Endowment for Theological Education in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines
Subject: Co‑Chairs Announced for Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, Lead Courageously – Miracle Sunday Initiative
United Methodist Leaders Launch Global Six‑Week Emphasis to Strengthen Theological Education Worldwide
The Endowment for Theological Education in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines, initiated by the Council of Bishops, is pleased to announce Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa and Barbara Boigegrain as Co‑Chairs for the Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, Lead Courageously – Miracle Sunday Initiative.
“We are deeply grateful to Bishop Nhiwatiwa and Ms. Boigegrain for their willingness to co-chair such an important mission initiative,” said Bishop Patrick Streiff, the President of The Endowment for Theological Education in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines. Bishop Streiff added, “Bishop Nhiwatiwa of Zimbabwe has provided regional and global leadership for the church, and Ms. Boigegrain, the former General Secretary for Wespath, the United Methodist Board of Pensions, was instrumental in raising more than $20 million for the Central Conference Pension Fund and contributed with her experience to the Endowment Board as a founding member.”
Approved by the Council of Bishops, the Connectional Table, and the General Council on Finance and Administration, this denomination‑wide effort will engage 30,000 United Methodist congregations across the globe in a six‑week season of worship, learning, service, and generosity, culminating in a Miracle Sunday offering on May 17, 2026.
From April 12 to May 17, 2026, congregations will participate in a churchwide emphasis designed to deepen discipleship and strengthen leadership for the future of the denomination. Worship resources, small‑group materials, and mission opportunities will guide United Methodists in exploring what it means to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in communities across the world.
The Miracle Sunday offering will support a bold goal: endowing 500 theological scholarships in perpetuity for emerging clergy leaders in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines. Today, fewer than 5% of pastors outside the United States hold a master’s degree in theology, compared to more than 71% within the U.S. The scholarships supported through this campaign will equip a new generation of women and men for pastoral ministry in some of the most challenging missional contexts.
Message from the Co‑Chairs:
Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa and Barbara Boigegrain, Co‑Chairpersons, offered the following message to United Methodists worldwide:
In December 2024, when three United Methodists were killed in Munga Dosa, Nigeria, Bishop Ande Emmanuel and Rev. Eli Sule Yakku, together with other local leaders, stepped forward to comfort grieving families and steady their community. Their calm, courageous leadership kept the church united in a moment of deep pain.
Both leaders were formed at the United Methodist Banyam Theological Seminary in Bambur, Nigeria, where rigorous theological study is paired with practical leadership training. Their preparation made a profound difference when their community needed them most.
Our Shared Vision
Through this initiative, we have the opportunity to extend the vision of the United Methodist Church: To form disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in the community and the world.
The Opportunity Before Us
From April 12 to May 17, 2026, millions of United Methodists will join in a six‑week journey of prayer, learning, and generosity—inviting our whole connection to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.
On Miracle Sunday, May 17, 2026, we are honored to serve as co‑chairs of a worldwide offering that will help raise up a new generation of outstanding clergy leaders outside the United States.
The Miracle We Seek
Our goal is bold: to endow 500 scholarships in perpetuity, ensuring that courageous, well‑prepared leaders can serve in some of the most challenging missional communities around the world. Achieving this in a single Sunday will require prayer, faith, and a miracle. Yet we trust the Holy Spirit to multiply our gifts beyond what we can imagine.
A New Generation of Leaders
In Ukraine, United Methodist pastors continue to offer worship, sacraments, and pastoral care amid war. Around the world, our seminaries prepare leaders who stand firm in hardship and hope. This appeal will equip more than 500 such leaders every year, women and men ready to serve where the need is greatest.
Join Us in the Miracle
We invite you and your congregation to join us:
Pray for God’s miracle to be fulfilled in and through our church.
Use the Miracle Sunday resources to guide worship, learning, and giving.
Together, God is ready to work a miracle through us.
With you in prayer and service toward the miracle,
Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa and Barbara Boigegrain, Co‑Chairpersons
About the Endowment
The Endowment for Theological Education in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines exists to strengthen the formation of emerging clergy leaders across the global connection. By ensuring long‑term support for theological education, the Endowment empowers pastors to lead communities with wisdom, courage, and faithfulness.