Bursaries from Audrey J. Boyce legacy fuel research and innovation

BY MICHELLE HAUSER

In honour of its “Leave a Legacy” month, the Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC) is celebrating the legacy of Audrey Jacqueline Boyce. Boyce, a lifelong Ottawa resident who passed away on July 26, 2013, provided a sum in her will to be “held upon trust to assist students in advanced theological study.”

“In 2013, the AFC Board agreed to expand bursary awards to include funding for Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) training,” says Dr. Scott Brubacher, AFC executive director. “Since then, a total of $115,000 has been awarded, with $85,500 of that derived from the Boyce Fund. The ongoing impact of Ms. Boyce’s generosity illustrates how legacies grow over time.”

In the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, the Rev. John Stopa— recently inducted as priest-in-charge of St. Paul’s Parish, Renfrew, and Emmanuel Parish, Arnprior—was awarded a bursary from the Boyce Fund for his D.Min. studies at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University, in Atlanta Georgia.

“It’s a really good program,” says

Stopa, “but it is very expensive. It was a real benefit to have the funding from AFC. I did not know until just recently that the bursary had an Ottawa connection.” Stopa has completed 1.5 years of his D.Min. with a focus on effective preaching. Stopa explains that as a parish priest, he wanted to focus his research on how priests effectively use the homily to educate parishioners. “The average Anglican will have Sunday School growing up, sacramental preparation around Communion and confirmation. Your confirmation is your graduation, and you might have youth group but there’s no other education program. The primary thing that is educational is the homily—for most Anglicans that’s where they encounter their educational moment.”

According to the Rev. Dr. Grayhame Bowcott, the research component of D.Min. training is making a big difference for leaders in the broader church today. “The D.Min. is a rare program where clergy can work full-time and do meaningful research that really benefits their local context.”

Bowcott serves as a parish priest in the Diocese of Huron and as Program Director for Huron University College’s Licentiate in Theology Program. He was also awarded AFC bursaries from the Boyce fund for D.Min. training, which enabled him to channel his passion for enabling vocational leadership and increasing access to theological education for clergy in remote areas. “In my case, the D.Min. was the perfect degree for me to do the research that helped me put the Licentiate program together.”

Bowcott points to the exemplary field of leaders across the Anglican Church of Canada who have benefited from an AFC bursary in the pursuit of their doctoral level training. “Mrs. Boyce’s investment is paying great dividends. I don’t know of anyone who has done the program who hasn’t come out of it with new insights and been better equipped to do the ministry they are already doing. If you follow the pathway, you see how Ms. Boyce’s legacy is supporting leaders in the church who are in turn leaving a legacy.”

Anyone interested in pursuing advanced theological training is encouraged to visit AFC’s new grants portal at www. anglicanfoundation.org/ apply or to email foundation@ anglicanfoundation.org

Michelle Hauser is Development & Communications Officer for AFC.