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Pepperdine University will extend its relationship with the Lilly Endowment Foundation as the Pepperdine Voyage program receives restructuring and new leadership.
The Lilly Endowment Inc., is a private philanthropic foundation that was created in Indiana in 1937 by three members of the Lilly Family. The Foundation is primarily focused on Indiana institutions, but approximately 20 percent of their funds go to organizations nationwide. The Foundation has a stated interest in the development of churches and ministers and helping Christian universities teach the concept of vocation, working mostly with Protestant denominations.
The close of 2005 heralded the end of Pepperdine’s four-year, $2 million grant from the Lilly Foundation. The grant was funded through the Pepperdine Voyage and was responsible for the spiritual discernment retreat that took place in March.
Now it appears that Lilly funds are returning to the University with the revamping of the Pepperdine Voyage.
Todd Bouldin, a visiting professor in the religion and social science divisions, is the new head of the Voyage, which was recently renamed The Pepperdine Voyage: A Lilly Endowment Program on Vocation. Accompanying the name change is a new perspective on use of the grant.
“I was very aware of the Lilly Endowment when I first came to Pepperdine but all I kept seeing was the Pepperdine Voyage,” Bouldin said. “Being that vocation is a very unique thing to Pepperdine’s heritage and the Church of Christ I thought we should highlight our work on vocation and help people better define what exactly vocation is.”
With approximately $100,000 remaining from the first grant, the Pepperdine Voyage is working on sustaining the original programs. Some of the programs they plan on funding are an accapella conference which will take place at Pepperdine in May, and the Student Service Learning grant which will supply students $24,000 to perform service opportunities throughout the country. Also, the Pepperdine Voyage will sponsor a regional conference for ministers regarding the importance of vocation and churches.
The Voyage is also involved in a program called Pepperdine’s Show on the Road, where they replicate what they do on campus and tour throughout the community in order to impart the value of vocation.
One of the main events that the Pepperdine Voyage will be sponsoring this year is an entertainment ethic forum at the Directors Guild of America Oct. 19, where a speaker from Hollywood will discuss ethics in the entertainment industry.
The Pepperdine Voyage’s main goal is to sustain the programs that were important in the first grant and work on transitions toward sustaining these programs as part of the university after the grant is gone.
“Sustaining the grant is the bridge to hopefully gaining commitments by the university to fund these programs in the long haul,” Bouldin said. “Many of the programs will be part of the Center for Faith and Learning when the grant goes away.”
Submitted 09-14-2006
MALIBU, CA
