Community-Focused Grants and Financial Aid

Apply For a Grant

Wendy  Maxfield will direct you on how to apply for grants from the Charitable Society. Please also contact her if you have questions about the Charitable Society.

The Society aids in the following ways:

• Emergency financial grants to clergy and their families.
• Grants to widows/widowers of TABCOM clergy. Retired single clergy and retired clergy couples may also be considered for annuitant grants if they fall within the Society guidelines as well as financial grants.
• Grants to clergy for repayment of educational loans undertaken in their preparation for ordained ministry.
• Scholarship grants to clergy who are pursuing DMin degrees at recognized educational institutions.
• Assistance to retired TABCOM clergy with non-reimbursed medical and prescription drug expenses. This also includes grants for dental, hearing aids, and prescription glasses.
• Sabbatical grants for MA clergy.
• Grants to children of TABCOM clergy ages 16-24 to participate in a Career Finder program at the Center for Career Development and Ministry.

Sabbatical Grants

The Massachusetts Baptist Charitable Society annually offers three sabbatical grants of up to $2,000 dollars each. There is no formal application form. The criteria for applying for a Sabbatical Grant are as follows:

• Clergy applying must have a recognized ABC ordination and have standing within The American Baptist Churches of MA.
• The clergy must be serving in recognized ministry within MA.
• She/he must have at least seven years of ministry in their current setting.
• The Deacons must have approved the sabbatical, and a letter from the Deacons stating such must accompany the letter requesting to be considered for the Sabbatical Grant.
• The clergy must write a one-page essay describing how he/she will spend the sabbatical time, giving the dates of the sabbatical leave.

Other Sources of Funding

You can find information about other funding sources for American Baptist clergy in Massachusetts at the TABCOM website at (www.tabcom.org), or by e-mailing the following organizations:

• The Northern Baptist Education Society (www.northernbaptisteducation.org)
• The Conference of Baptist Ministers (www.cbmm.org)
• Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board (www.mmbb.org)
• Also, American Baptist Home Mission Societies has continuing education funds available for clergy (abhms.org)

Contact us to apply for a grant or financial aid in paying off your educational loans.