Ministry Bursary Awards
A sacred pause
How staying local led to fresh inspiration for Rev Claire Clarke.
What are the Ecclesiastical Ministry Bursary Awards?
Ecclesiastical’s MBA grants are awarded to individual clergy in the Anglican Church in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Europe. The grants are open to Clergy, Archdeacons, Bishops, Deans and Assistants1.
The MBAs can help you breathe life into your ministerial development in ways that enrich both you and the wider church. The experience of a sabbatical can be life-changing for individual clergy and have a long-lasting impact on your congregation and community.
Since being established in 1987, the Ecclesiastical Ministry Bursary Awards have provided over £1.4 million to help over 1,500 members of the clergy to finance a wide range of extended leave projects and plans.
The application window runs between April and September. During that time all relevant forms and information are available on this page. Applications for 2026 sabbaticals are now open and judging will take place in November 2025 with the awards made in December 2025.
Good luck to all those currently on sabbatical, or planning to next year.
Entry criteria
Entries for an award must fulfil the following criteria:
- Awards are open to individual clergy in the Anglican Church in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Europe
- All clergy must have been in ordained ministry for at least 10 years and not taken a sabbatical in the previous 7 years of applying
- Applications are also open to Archdeacons, Bishops, Deans and Assistants1
- Awards are provided for extended study leave only (fees for a course during the extended study leave may be considered)
- Entries must be made using the forms provided
- Completed forms should be emailed to mba@ecclesiastical.com
- We are particularly keen to see more sabbaticals which aim to support the drive for net zero carbon
Revd Adam Dickens, a recent MBA recipient, found his experience invaluable. He expressed gratitude for the MBA grant, which enabled his sabbatical visit to Kolkata and West Bengal.
Study leave for clergy is an immensely valuable opportunity to re-energise and re-focus their calling.
“It was an extremely rich time as I was offered a window into the joy and despair of life for people living in the city (as well as some of the rural areas in the state of West Bengal) and the creative ways in which church communities were responding.”
How to apply
- Read the terms and conditions and criteria documents
- Complete the ‘Application form'
- Ask your Bishop or Archdeacon to complete the ‘Endorsement form’
- Completed forms should be emailed to mba@ecclesiastical.com by 30 September 2025
- It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the application and endorsement forms are submitted.
1 Assistants are classified as Assistant Curates, Deacons and Licensed Lay Workers including Church Army Evangelists engaged in the parochial ministry. Source: GS Misc 1399 The 52nd Report of the Central Stipends Authority Published by the Archbishops’ Council 2024
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