Back in the 1960s, Presbyterian congregations financially supported our Presbyterian seminaries at 23-45% of their operating budgets. Prior to the reunion the source was a portion of the General Assembly General Mission Giving from the United Presbyterian Church U.S. A. (UPCUSA) and synod budget allocations and periodic capital campaigns from the Presbyterian U.S. (PCUS). As congregations set aside more and more money for local mission, the respective General Assembly and Synod mission money declined until, by the time of the reunion in 1983, denominational giving to our theological schools had decreased, on average, to about 4%.

After reunion the Theological Education Fund was approved at General Assembly in 1986 to help reverse the decline in financial support with a plan to ask each congregation to consider giving annually an amount equivalent to 1% of its operating budget. While financial support has steadily risen, on average it is now about 3% of the operating budgets of our 10 Presbyterian seminaries. The notable exceptions are our racial ethnic school, Johnson C. Smith Seminary in Atlanta, that receives 17% of its operating budget from the TEF and Princeton that receives about 1%.

The Presbyterian Church has always demanded highly educated leadership, and today is no exception. Congregations need to identify and invite promising women and men to consider ministry as a first vocation or a new vocation.

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