The sun rises over the Sea of Galilee. You stop and gaze across the shoreline, where Jesus cooked a breakfast of salty fish over a crackling fire.
Moments later, you’re walking the dusty roads of Bethlehem. Following the path of Joseph and Mary as they fled to Egypt.
Imagine seeing the stories of the Bible come alive.
What if you could walk where Jesus walked, without leaving your living room?
What if pastoral training could meet you early in the morning, or late at night, exactly when and where you’re ready to learn?
That’s the future Northeastern Seminary is building.
Thanks to a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative 2025, Northeastern Seminary will launch Immersive Formation: Equipping for the Future, a project designed to make these “what ifs” a reality.
Northeastern Seminary remains grounded in enduring practices of spiritual formation while exploring new ways for students to learn and lead. The funds from this generous grant will help create formational spaces where faith, learning, and ministry meet, strengthening and expanding the Seminary’s online theological education for Christ-centered women and men called to serve the church and the world.
Through this grant, the Seminary will undertake a comprehensive redesign of its online programs, allowing students to step into a reimagined seminary experience: one where they can walk through virtual ministry settings, visit biblical sites in 360°, and practice real-world pastoral care in safe, guided spaces that connect them to mentors and peers around the world.
Northeastern Seminary is one of 58 theological schools being supported through the latest round of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, which seeks to strengthen the educational and leadership capacities of theological schools across North America. The grant will be implemented in collaboration with Campus XR and Leadership Center. CampusXR’s expertise in immersive reality training tools will complement our team’s track record in online theological education.
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Northeastern Seminary
Northeastern Seminary is a private Wesleyan seminary located on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, New York. Rooted in biblical and historic Christian faith, its mission is to prepare Christ-centered women and men for faithful and effective service to the church and the world. With over thirty denominations and faith groups represented, Northeastern Seminary fosters a vibrant, ecumenical learning community dedicated to deep theological understanding, spiritual formation, and service. For more information, visit nes.edu
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Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with its own governing board, staff, and location. The Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen pastoral and lay leadership. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe. https://lillyendowment.org
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CampusXR
CampusXR is the first company to offer a full suite of immersive reality technologies to education institutions in a way that is easy-to-use, affordable, and revolutionizes how you engage digital and camera-native Gen Z students. A digital media agency dedicated to providing educational institutions with the VR and AR products that brings campuses and student experiences to life, CampusXR is uniquely positioned to help institutions navigate the intersection of XR technology and educational multimedia. https://campus-xr.org
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Leadership Center
Leadership Center is a woman-owned leadership development firm. Founded by Dr. Trisha Welstad in 2012, Leadership Center partners with leaders, teams, and institutions to grow love, creativity, and risk-taking in the world through leadership development and activation. Its work spans higher education, nonprofit, corporate, and faith-based sectors, equipping individuals and organizations to lead with courage, clarity, and purpose. For more information, visit leadershipcenter.co.