Regulations Governing Applications for Grants

  1. The purpose of the fund is to provide financial assistance for continuing education to help professional church workers of The Presbyterian Church in Canada to increase their effectiveness in ministerial service.
  2. Students in the second or third year of doctoral studies (i.e. Ph.D., Th.D. or Ed.D.) should apply first to the Cameron Doctoral Bursary Fund. Only after a decision has been reached by the Cameron Fund Committee, will an application to the Continuing Education Fund be considered.
  3. For continuing education events that are sponsored or recommended by agencies or courts of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, no minimum number of contact hours has been set.
  4. Any other course must have a minimum of 15 contact hours of participation and must be sponsored by a recognized institution of learning or by an institution, organization, or association that, when evaluated, meets the accepted criteria
  5. Professional church workers employed in congregations should CONSULT with the Session and others should CONSULT with their supervising person or group as to the timing and the financial arrangements of study leaves.
  6. In the case of ministers and diaconal ministers in congregations, in presbytery appointments, or on the appendix to the roll, applications must have the APPROVAL of the Presbytery; in other cases, APPROVAL of a church board or agency is required.
  7. The congregation or employer will be expected to contribute a share of the cost of such education. The individual normally will be expected to contribute at least 20% of the total cost. The continuing education allowance provided by the congregation, or employer, including money that has been accumulated, should be applied wholly to the cost of the continuing education for which assistance is being requested from this fund.
  8. An individual may receive one grant, or several grants, in any five-year period up to a maximum total of $1,500. In special circumstances and if funding exists, the maximum grant may be increased to $2,000. At the end of the calendar year, if money is left in the account, the committee will reconsider any requests made during the year from applicants who are in extended study programs.
  9. In any one-year period, if the grant received is $500 or more, a T4-A will be issued for tax purposes. The applicant will be required to provide their Social Insurance Number before the grant will be issued.
  10. Ministry and Church Vocations may refuse any request for assistance if in its judgment the proposed course is not in a field that would fulfill the purpose expressed in (1) above or if funds are low.

These regulations are not intended to define continuing education, but rather to set the necessary limits for administration of this fund.

Applications will be considered three times during the year. The deadlines for receiving applications are:
December 1, April 1, September 1

For more information, contact Liz Brewer at 1-800-619-7301, ext. 248.

Image of arrow pointing downContinuing Education Regulations