The Oikonomia Network and the Acton Institute are proud to announce a new level of partnership through the Oikonomia Fellows Program. Since 2009, this program has provided full support for a limited number of evangelical theological educators to attend the annual Acton University conference. Starting with next year’s conference, the Oikonomia Network will take primary responsibility for recruiting and designating the Oikonomia Fellows.
Registration for the next Acton University, June 14-17 in Grand Rapids, is now open; when registering for the conference, you will be offered an opportunity to indicate that you are interested in the Oikonomia Fellowship. The fellowship pays for travel, hotel, meals, conference registration, and other benefits; newcomers to the conference also receive a stipend. The ON will once again host our annual workshop during the conference, featuring TED style talks on theology and economics from leading figures, and meaty discussions of curricular integration with colleagues in your specific theological discipline. Plus there will be all the learning and networking opportunities we’ve come to expect from AU, so don’t wait to register!
Right from our beginning, Acton University has been critically important to the Oikonomia Network. The very genesis of our network was when Acton brought the first class of fellows in this program to AU in 2009. The enthusiasm of many of the participants for connecting theological education to work and economics led directly to the creation of the Kern Family Foundation’s first grant program supporting such initiatives in January 2010. As the Oikonomia Network grew from that small seed (ten grants of $5,000 each) into the much larger work it is today, annual convening at AU for learning and networking has always been one of our most important areas of community-building.
Those who have attended AU in the past through this fellowship program, and those who are active in any Oikonomia Network programming on any of our partner campuses, should not hesitate to apply for the fellowship – and tell your peers about it! Others who are interested in this fellowship, or anyone with questions, can contact the national office of the Oikonomia Network at info@oikonomianetwork.org.
