Scholarships
Joseph R. Jordan Scholarship Fund for Doctoral and Master's Students
Rev. Dr. Joseph R. Jordan (1936-2014) served as the senior pastor of Corinthian Baptist Church in Hamtramck, Michigan, for over 40 years. In 2015, the ministry sons of Pastor Jordan, Drs. Tony Curtis Henderson, Oscar King III, and Edward Knox, along with a major gift from the Henry Ford Health System, established a scholarship for students at Ecumenical Theological Seminary.
Two awards will be made each year from the Joseph R. Jordan Scholarship Fund for Doctoral and Master’s Students: one to a student in good standing currently enrolled in a doctoral program, and one to a student in good standing currently enrolled in a master’s-level program. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Applicants must submit:
- Online application form
- An essay of 300-500 words to demonstrate how their ministry advocates social justice and demonstrates concern for the welfare of others
- A financial plan for completing the current program of study
APPLICATION
Grosse Pointe Memorial Church Scholarship
Grosse Pointe Memorial Church is a 1,200 member congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Started in 1985 as the Grosse Pointe Evangelical Protestant Association, our long history is a rich one. The greatest treasures we have are our members. As a Presbyterian Church, we are a congregation where every member is a minister.
While Grosse Pointe Memorial Church is served as an outstanding staff of ministers and lay people, we are all called to do God's work in the world, not just our pastors. In light of that commitment, the following mission and vision statement was adopted in March of 2012.
Sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ's own forever, Grosse Pointe Memorial Church is created by God to worship the Lord and serve His peple. Sharing God's love and caring for God's people, we call disciples of all ages to put faith into action by worshipping God joyfully, welcoming others graciously, supporting one another lovingly and serving all faithfully.
The Grosse Pointe Memorial Church Scholarship is open to ETS students in good standing who are currently enrolled in a master’s-level program with a minimum GPA of 3.25, and must reside in the greater Detroit Metro Area. Applicants must be fully engaged in ministry/community work for the past three (3) years, and demonstrate financial need.
Applicants must submit:
- Online application form
- The names and contact information for three (3) references
- A one-page essay regarding, “What I will do to benefit my community when I complete my master’s degree from the Ecumenical Theological Seminary
- A financial plan for completing the current program of study
Recipients will be required to meet with the GPMC Mission Committee periodically to discuss their progress.
APPLICATION
Rev. Marilyn DeGraw Scholarship (Open to female masters' and doctoral students.)
Rev. Marilyn DeGraw loved God, her family, nature, music, learning about and experiencing other cultures and serving others. She was compassionate, adventurous, funny and had an innate ability to relate to and engage peple of various ages and backgrounds which served her well in her careers as teacher and pastor.
Rev. Marilyn DeGraw was born in Yale, Michigan in 1940 and began her career working at a bank. She then decided she wanted to explore beyond Michigan and applied for a church secretary position in Evanston, Illinois. Not knowing anyone in that area in a time when it was discouraged for single women to move beyond where their families lived, Marilyn packed up and moved to Chicago. While there, she met and married Rev. Alan DeGraw who was in seminary and later served as a Methodist Minister in Michigan.
Balancing the life of a student while also being a mother to two daughters and a pastor's wife, Marilyn graduated with her B.A. from Saginaw Valley University in music education. Rev. DeGraw had a love of music that she shared through serving as a music and piano teacher and church choir director. She also loved working with the youth and exploring the world and other cultures which she combined by bringing a youth choir and adult choirs on tour in Europe and bringing her family to share in the adventures.
Rev. DeGraw would say that she felt called to the ministry early in her life, but "she did not know women could be ministers," Marilyn said. "I began to see women in ministry and the call came back." After her daughters were out of the house and she was in her late 40s, Marilyn decided to pursue her calling through seminary education. She aid, "I was not sure I had the capability," so she took one class, a survey of ministry, at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Detroit. She then took a full load and loved the diversity and varied faith perspectives present at ETS. She later graduated from Garrett Evangelical Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree by commuting to Chicago and was ordained in the Detroit Annual Conference.
Rev. DeGraw served at Waterman-Preston United Methodist Church in Detroit where she was active in racial reconciliation and interfaith dialogue with the African-American, Hispanic and Muslim neighboring communities. She then pastored Byron UMC where her career was cut short at age 59 due to death by pancreatic cancer.
Rev. DeGraw asked before her death that an option for memorial donations be to a Seminary Scholarship fund. Her family added to those funds and created a scholarship of ETS in her name. We hope this will honor her love of ETS as well as her hard work and dedication to pursue her education and ordination. We also hope it will provide encouragement to students coming after her as they work toward their goal sand calling.
CRITERIA
The Rev. Marilyn DeGraw Scholarship is open to female students in good standing who are enrolled in either a master’s-level or doctoral program with a minimum GPA of 3.0 who demonstrate financial need.
Applicants must submit:
- Online application form
- A pastoral or professional letter of recommendation
- A short essay describing the ministry work in which you are currently engaged. Please share specifics. You should ensure that your letter is well written and properly dated. Reviewers may include members of the DeGraw family
- A financial plan for completing the current program of study
APPLICATION
Patricia Ann McCallum Pickens Scholarship (Open to all Masters' and Doctoral students)
Patricia (Pat) Ann McCallum was born on August 19, 1941 to the union of Mary Jane McCallum and Garland McCallum in Baltimore, MD. She was the youngest of three children. She accepted Christ at the age of twelve and was baptized at Faith Baptist Church in Balitmore, MD. Pat always excelled academically. She graduated from Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School in 1959 with a variety of interests, awards and a multitude of friends. She filled her youthful days with Girl Scout and Sunday School activities. A lover of music, she received advanced piano training at Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. Pat attended Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 1963. She taught elementary school in Baltimore Public School System for two years before continuing her education at Kent State University in Ohio where she earned a Master of Education in 1966.
After graduation, she worked in Ohio for a short time before moving to Detroit where she worked for the State of Michigan as a vocational rehab counselor. In Detroit, Pat joined New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church. Many of her most valued activities took focus there. She taught Sunday School at New Prospect for more than thirty years and was an active member of the Trustee Ministry for more than twenty years. In 1968, Pat met Alex Pickens, Jr at a friend's party. That initial meeting led to a wonderful relationship that would blossom into their marriage on September 12, 1970. In 1974, they began a family with the birth of their first son Alex III (Trei). In 1978, they welcomed another son, Seth Watson. Above all, Pat was a devoted mother, giving her children firm foundations of faith, love, and family values. Both of her sons are now pastors. You should ensure that your letter is well written and properly dated.
(Remember that others may be reading this essay, including members of the Pickens family).
Alex and Pat were also business partners. They purchased Brightmoor General Medical Center in 1983, where she served as Chief Operating Officer until her death. Her contribution to medical care in the community did not go unnoticed. She was named Phenomenal Partner of Medicine in 2005 by the Southfield Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Pat served on the Board of the Haiti Outreach Mission. She was former commissioner to the Detroit Historical Commission, a NAACP lifetime member and was active in Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Pat was a recipient of countless awards and citations for her dedicated service, philanthropy, and desire to
"leave things better than she found them." Consider that she helped children on five continents while teaching Sunday School in a church basement.
Pat and Alex were inveterate travelers. They journeyed together to all corners of the world; from Vienna to Vietnam; from Acapulco to Abidjan; from Machu Picchu to Macau and from Kathmandu to Timbuktu. They both valued these traveling experiences and often shared their adventures through stories, pictures and gifts to family and friends.
Patricia M. Pickens was a wife, nana, sister, daughter, friend, manager, teacher, scholar, soror and amazing citizen of the world. Above all, she was truly the example of a Christian. She loved deeply and was deeply loved. Her counsel to all was to
"walk with kings while never losing the common touch" and to
"get something (education) that no one can take away." Her students were reminded:
Happiness keeps you sweet
Trials keep you strong
Sorrows keep you human
Failures keep you humble
Success keeps you glowing
But only God keeps you going
CRITERIA
The Patricia Ann McCallum Pickens Scholarship is open to students in good standing who are enrolled in either a master’s-level or doctoral program with a minimum GPA of 3.0 who demonstrate financial need.
Applicants must submit:
- A pastoral or professional letter of recommendation
- A short essay describing the ministry work in which you are currently engaged. Please share specifics. You should ensure that your letter is well written and properly dated. Reviewers may include members of the Pickens family.
- A financial plan for completing the current program of study.
AVAILABILITY
$1,000 scholarship offered at the beginning of academic year.
APPLICATION
The Ruthie May Harris Scholarship for Women in Theological Studies
The Ruthie May Harris Scholarship for Women in Theological Studies is funded by the family of Rev. Dr. Kenneth E. Harris, President of Ecumenical Theological Seminary. Dr. Harris and Ruthie were married for fifty years before her death in April of 2020. Both of their living daughters are ministers of the gospel. Kenita (B.A., MDIV., MACD) is an ordained pastor in the Reformed Church of America and a graduate of Western Theological Seminary. She now works as the Operations Manager of Jefferson East in Detrot. Karisa Harris-Turner (B.A., MSW, MACE) is a social worker/therapist and a graduate of Ashland Theological Seminary. Both daughters now serve with their dad at Detroit Bible Tabernacle.
Ruthie was born in Estelle, Mississippi in 1948. She grew up on a cotton plantation in the Delta region. Her father was an accomplished furniture maker and produced church and home furnishings. Her mom died when she was about twelve years old, and she came to Detroit to live with her aunt Bessie and uncle Plase Adams. She graduated from Mumford High Shool and worked for Detroit Memorial Hospital. She later became the office manager for a well-known Detroit law firm. She worked there until she expressed a desire to become a full-time homemaker and give care to her daughters. Ken and Ruthie agreed, and she never worked outside of the home until she became Administrator of the Detroit Baptist Temple Christian Academy. Their daughters attended DBTCA, and Ruthie was content to work to make their school the best it could be. DBTCA graduates went on to attend magnet High Schools and schools like U of M, Marygrove, Hope College, Western and Ashland seminaries, WSU and other fine schools.
Ruthie supported Dr. Harris and their daughters as they engaged their educational pursuits. She had a great love for the Holy Scriptures, which she diligently studied every day. She looked forward to Sunday and Wednesday Bible studies, and Dr. Harris' home library became her library. She was a partner in ministry and led the Women's Ministry at DBT until her passing.
Ruthie strongly believed in educational opportunities for men and women, but she especially encouraged her daughters to pursue theological and ministry training. Ruthie would be especially proud of this initiative.
The Ruthie May Harris Scholarship for Women in Theological Studies is open to female students in good standing currently enrolled in a master’s-level program. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and demonstrate financial need.
Applicants must submit:
- Online application form
- A pastoral or professional letter of recommendation
- A short essay describing the ministry work in which you are currently engaged (minimum of one page and no more than two, double-spaced). Please share specifics. You should ensure that your essay meets seminary standards and is properly dated. Reviewers will include the Harris family
- A financial plan for completing the current program of study
THE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded for five consecutive years beginning in the 2021-22 academic year.
APPLICATION
