Personal Giving Stories

The Rev. and Mrs. Allen Lewis T’83 have made a bequest of $500,000 to the Sewanee Call Campaign that will create the Allen and Brenda Lewis Scholarship Endowment.

This endowment is the first established for a new incentive scholarship program in the School of Theology. While the School of Theology has long provided generous financial aid based on students’ need, it has not had a way to provide scholarships that recognize special gifts the applicant may bring to the ministry.

“We are committed to the School of Theology and have wanted to make a gift for years,” the Lewises noted. “The scholarship program is a priority need, and we are delighted to help.”

The Rev. Canon Lewis retired after eighteen years in mission work in South Dakota. Both Brenda and Allen are graduates of Augustana College. Brenda Lewis was a mentor with Sewanee’s Education for Ministry (EfM) program during the early 1980s and sang in the Sewanee Chorale.

Dean Stafford was also instrumental in working with the Lewises to determine the best way to help the University through a gift to The Sewanee Call campaign.

“We are honored that Allen and Brenda Lewis have the confidence in the School of Theology to establish this new scholarship program. Incentive scholarships are one of the emerging priority needs for the School of Theology as we adapt to a changing landscape in seminary education.”

Incentive scholarships will allow the School of Theology to offer a more attractive financial package to applicants who bring attributes particularly needed in the Church. Traditionally, Sewanee has recruited very well with second-career students, and the School of Theology’s student services support this kind of student. Sewanee has done less well recruiting students just out of college, however, and students from diverse cultural backgrounds. In order to serve the broad whole of the Episcopal Church, it is necessary for Sewanee to have students who represent that broad whole, and incentive scholarships will provide a way of attracting students to the Mountain who might choose to attend a seminary with more attractive financial aid programs.

Incentive scholarships will give the School of Theology flexibility to recruit students who help meet goals that respond to the Church’s mission, even as conditions change. Sewanee believes everyone could consider a bequest gift. Please call Nanette Rudolf in the Office of Gift Planning for a confidential discussion of how you might help Sewanee meet the future needs of its students and faculty.