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About Covenant Financial
Leadership Initiative

About

Financial Issues occupying your mind? Let’s change your money story!

Many of us are blessed to enjoy close relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. We experience the ups and downs of life together. We share our lives with each other – the latest news, new questions, and things we are learning. However, there are a few topics that many of us avoid discussing with others. One of those is financial health. Many of us live under the strain of debt, experiencing feelings of shame and even hopelessness. It can be difficult to share the reality of our financial situations, even with those closest to us.

Have you ever felt like you can’t focus on ministry because you are concerned about your own finances? Do you feel like you have lost control of what’s important in your life? We invite you to learn more about the Covenant Financial Leadership Initiative empowered by the Lilly Endowment.

The Covenant Financial Leadership Initiative (CFLI) provides assistance for credentialed Covenant ministers to overcome financial distress. The goal of the CFLI is to cultivate a culture of ministerial excellence by improving ministers’ financial literacy and management skills. This in turn transforms ministers’ fiscal leadership of the churches under their leadership and care.

Download the CFLI Brochure – PDF for more details.

For more information, contact Karen Ingebretson at financialleadership@covchurch.org.

This initiative is a cooperative venture between ECC Finance, Develop Leaders, National Covenant Properties, and Covenant Trust Company empowered by Lilly Endowment.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet all the following stipulations:

  • Currently active in full-time pastoral, chaplaincy, or mission ministry through the Evangelical Covenant Church, with at least two years’ ministry experience. (Those serving in non-Covenant settings must have received Board approval for service location.)
  • Hold a current ECC credential and be in good standing as defined by the Board of the Ordered Ministry for the credential that is held.*
  • Ministerial association dues must be current. (Those who have not paid dues may pay any outstanding dues owed and have their Conference Ministerial Association Treasurer contact the CFLI office to report good standing.)

*Those who are serving with a bi-vocational credential may be eligible if they have completed vocational excellence and serve in ministry as their primary vocation (paid). BVL holders should contact the Director of CFLI to determine eligibility.