SANTA BARBARA, CA (May 1, 2012) ‐ The Beatitudes Society has announced that John Helmiere, Yale Divinity School, ‘10, has been awarded a $10,000 Beatitudes Fellowship.

He is one of eight emerging faith leaders from across the United States selected for the annual award.

“We are delighted that John is one of our game‐changing new leaders,” said The Rev. Anne Howard, Executive Director of The Beatitudes Society. “We are working toward the day when we will see a thriving nationwide web of courageous, authentic, innovative faith leaders and their communities who are engaged in the public square on behalf of inclusion, compassion, and the common good, and John will be a vital part of that network.”

The Beatitudes Fellowship equips a select group of new entrepreneurial faith leaders with the resources and relationships that empower them to create new models for church and the pursuit of social justice. This Fellowship is focused on building Progressive Christian congregations.

During the yearlong Fellowship, each Fellow develops their own project, working in their faith community, and gathers four times each year in a retreat setting in Berkeley, CA for customized leadership training workshops that include evaluation and strategic planning: how to figure out what each Fellow needs in their ministry project, from the tangible (people, money, time) to the intangible (faith, hope, courage.)

Fellows were nominated by professional colleagues and completed an application process that included a description of their project idea. Candidates for this Fellowship have demonstrated:

  • a commitment to the intersection of faith and social justice
  • a commitment to interfaith and multi‐faith collaborations
  • a proven track record of leadership
  • a willingness to take risks
  • intellectual capacity and curiosity
  • a willingness to collaborate with others
  • potential to be game‐changers
  • a call to match up their deep gladness with the world’s great need.

To find out more, please visit: www.BeatitudesSociety.org

Contact:
Anne Howard, Executive Director
805.729.5898
Anne@BeatitudesSociety.org

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