Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science’s (ECLAS) Scientists in Congregations programme will award grants of up to £10,000 each to eight churches who will run a science project which benefits their congregation and the wider community. Until 30 th April, applications are open to churches across the UK and Republic of Ireland of any Christian denomination, and ECLAS welcomes applications from a wide range of theological perspectives and scientific fields.
The Revd Prof David Wilkinson, ECLAS Project Director, said: “Scientists in Congregations is
so important as it recognises the importance of churches valuing and working with scientists
in their communities. We have seen over a number of years in this programme that this
interaction of church leaders and scientists in local churches leads to imaginative and fruitful
mission and ministry – in ways that go well beyond our expectations.”
This is the sixth round of Scientists Congregations funding and is made possible by a
generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Churches will partner with a
professional scientist already known to the congregation or church leaders: previous
projects have ranged in topic from environmental engagement to mental health awareness,
and forensic archaeology to artificial intelligence. They have taken the form of plays, art
installations, workshops and more. Some are ongoing projects over a year or more, such as
Believe In Science’s Wonder Days for children, run by Holy Trinity and Christchurch,
Stalybridge, and some are a one-off, like the Does God Want Me to Take the Vaccine?
webinar led by Pastor Alton Bell at Wembley Family Church. The Scientists in Congregations
programme seeks strategic churches that have strong ties with local communities.
ECLAS Co-Director for Global Engagement, the Revd Steve Muneza, said, “Science and Faith
have often, and wrongly so, been presented as mutually exclusive, or competing ways of
knowing. Through its multiple programmes, ECLAS aims to provide Church leaders with
appropriate skills and tools to navigate such tensions and the questions they raise for their
own benefit, and that of those they serve.”
The ECLAS Project looks forward to seeing a range of creative submissions that seek to
deepen the conversation around science and faith. Applications are open from 4 th March
until 30 th April 2024. For further details on eligibility and criteria, please visit
https://www.eclasproject.org/congregations/.
