Wartburg Theological Seminary is excited to announce the first cohort of grant recipients for The CaSTLE Project: Country and Small Town Lived Ecclesiology, a five-year initiative focused on renewing life in small town and rural communities by emphasizing baptismal identity and Spirit-led ministry.

Following a competitive application process, 18 synods across the United States have been selected to receive sub-grants that will support innovative, contextually grounded approaches to congregational vitality. These initiatives will center on equipping lay and clergy leaders, fostering ecumenical collaboration, and experimenting with new models of ministry in often under-resourced or overlooked settings.

“We are thrilled to support and accompany this remarkable group of leaders and communities,” said Rev. Ramie Bakken, Director for The CaSTLE Project. “This first cohort represents a hopeful and Spirit-filled response to the unique challenges and opportunities facing small-town and rural churches today.”

She added: “It is a happy coincidence that we’re announcing these grants as the Church begins the season of Pentecost. Like in Acts 2, The CaSTLE Project is about the Spirit stirring hearts to share and receive the good news—in the language of rural and small-town life, in everyday encounters, right now.”

2025 Grant Recipients

Grants for Training and Coaching of Mentor Pastors and Lay Leaders

  • Eastern North Dakota Synod

  • South Dakota Synod

  • Southwestern Minnesota Synod

  • Northwest Synod of Wisconsin

  • Indiana-Kentucky Synod

  • Northwestern Ohio Synod

  • Upper Susquehanna Synod

  • Virginia Synod

  • Southeastern Iowa Synod

  • Western Iowa Synod

  • Northeastern Iowa Synod

  • South-Central Synod of Wisconsin

Grants for Ecumenical Experiments

  • Northwest Intermountain Synod

  • Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod

2025–2029 Grants for Congregational Transformation

  • Northwestern Minnesota Synod

  • Nebraska Synod

  • Central/Southern Illinois Synod

  • Northeastern Ohio Synod

All grant recipients will participate in a dynamic learning community that includes coaching, collaborative research, and an annual conference. The first CaSTLE Project conference will take place August 11–13, 2025, at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.

The CaSTLE Project is made possible through a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., as part of its Thriving Congregations Initiative.

The next round of subgrant applications will open in October 2025.

Learn more about The CaSTLE Project: wartburgseminary.edu/castle-project
Contact: Rev. Ramie Bakken, Director – castle@wartburgseminary.edu | (563) 589-0214