The Compelling Preaching Initiative—funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.—is designed to foster more compelling preaching by cultivating practices among aspiring and active preachers that would help them to proclaim the Christian gospel to diverse audiences in more engaging and effective ways.
The initiative launched in 2022 with an invitational round of grants to over 30 institutions. It later expanded with a national competition resulting in 81 additional grants in 2023 and 29 additional grants in 2024. The 142 grantees in the initiative represent the following types of organizations:
- Seminaries, divinity schools, Bible colleges/institutes
- Denominations, judicatories, religious orders
- Colleges, universities
- Parachurch organizations, other religious agencies/nonprofits
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at Calvin University is supporting the initiative through the Compelling Preaching Coordination Program. Funded by Lilly Endowment, the coordination program nurtures a culture of mutual learning among grantees, supports grantees in finding expertise needed for the flourishing of their programs, convenes grantees for mutually beneficial learning, and articulates learning emerging out of participating organizations for dissemination to wider audiences.