Grove City College has received a $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support the Center for Rural Ministry (CRM) as it helps rural pastors, congregations and communities. 

Dr. Charles Cotherman, executive director of the Center, says the funding will be a "game changer" and that he hopes it will strengthen partnerships between the college, the church and the community. 

"This funding will enable the CRM to expand our core programs to rural and small town churches in the region and beyond and extend the impact of our work by creating a hub for other colleges and universities to share and scale up programs and initiatives we develop with pastors, CRM staff, faculty, students, and communities," Cotherman said.

The CRM was established in 2023 after the success of the College's Project for Rural Ministry, which was a five-year initiative that marked the beginning of the College's regional outreach to help pastors serving rural, rust belt and Appalachian communities. 

The grant will support local congregations and the leaders, connect students and faculty to rural and small town churches, while connecting with other Christian colleges and universities in rural areas on how thriving churches impact small-towns. 

"Our hope is that these grants will provide much needed resources and support to rural and small-town churches to help them address their challenges and enhance and extend the many ways that they serve their communities," said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment's vice president for religion.

According to a press release, the Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns Initiative grant is the latest and largest investment the Lilly Endowment has made in the College's rural ministry program.

A Lilly Endowment grant of nearly $1 million funded the Project on Rural Ministry and a second $400,000 grant helped finance the start-up of the CRM.