Four seminary students are the latest to receive scholarships from the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas Seminary Scholarship Fund. In return for scholarship assistance, the recipients each pledge to begin their ministries in the Arkansas Conference.

"With a large percentage of Arkansas pastors retiring in the next 10 years, this initiative offers the potential of strengthening every United Methodist local church in Arkansas," said Jim Argue Jr., UMFA president and CEO.

"Ensuring strong pastoral leadership for the future strengthens the church and its ministry."

Recipients Ben Crismon of Little Rock and Adam Watkins of Jonesboro are in their first few months of study at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Jeanne Williams of Dallas is in her last academic year at Perkins and plans to return to Arkansas for an internship in May. Brittany Richardson of Little Rock is a third-year student at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill., on the campus of Northwestern University. She plans to begin her ministry in Arkansas in May.

The United Methodist Foundation Seminary Scholarship program exists to provide financial support for selected seminary students who attend a United Methodist seminary and make a commitment to return to the state for their ministry. UMFA donors fund the scholarships, and recipients are chosen by the Arkansas Conference Board of Ordained Ministry Scholarship Committee.

Established in 2000, the UMFA Seminary Scholarship Fund has as its goal to provide nine full scholarships for Arkansas students in three-year seminary programs. To learn more about the Seminary Scholarship Fund or to make a contribution, contact Janet Marshall, UMFA Vice President of Development, at (501) 664-8632 or toll-free at (866) 281-8914.

UMFA ranks fifth in total assets among the 52 United Methodist Foundations in the country. Founded in 1963, the Foundation is responsible for more than 500 trust accounts that have combined assets in excess of $110 million.