We recently checked in with Alison Fields, a student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and a 2025-2026 Foundation Seminary Scholarship recipient. Here’s her favorite memory from the school year:
My senior colloquy project, Embodied Love: Cultivating Spirit-Rooted Self-Love in Congregational Life, grew out of something I’ve carried for a long time, a deep call to ministry and a longing to create space where people know they belong at God’s table. Through this project, I explored how Webster Hills UMC can intentionally cultivate practices that help people receive God’s love rather than feel they must earn it.
Drawing on Scripture, Wesleyan theology, and Womanist voices, I examined how historical and cultural messages have caused so many of us to distrust our own worth, and how the church can become a place of genuine healing. The project became a kind of discipleship journey for me personally, too, giving me language and grounding for the call I’ve felt since the beginning: to walk alongside people into wholeness, belonging, and the embodied grace that is already theirs.
Way to go, Alison!
Seminary education requires a serious commitment of time, talent, and treasure from each student. Likewise, the Church is committed to providing significant financial support to ensure that qualified students have adequate resources to answer the call to ministry.
For United Methodists in Missouri, there are a number of grants and scholarships available from several different sources. Learn more about these opportunities here.