Presbyterian Historical Society launches #GivingTuesday campaign to support Research Fellowship Program

Global day of giving on Dec. 3 will again celebrate the collective power of Presbyterian generosity

by Emily Enders Odom | Presbyterian News Service

PHILADELPHIA — #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving which this year falls on Dec. 3, is not only a day when Presbyterians are invited to be radically generous on behalf of a world in need, but it is also an ideal time for the PC(USA) to step back in time to learn about the past toward securing a more hopeful future.

Because history matters, the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS) is dedicating its #GivingTuesday campaign this year to helping researchers and scholars.

Toward that end, PHS’s Research Fellowship Program awards annual research and travel grants to eligible scholars, students and independent researchers who wish to use PHS’s rich holdings. Since 2004, the program has supported scholarships in a range of fields including mission history, social justice movements and ecumenism. Fellows submit reports to PHS and are encouraged to publish their work in the Journal of Presbyterian History.

“We set a goal to raise money to support four Research Fellowships in 2025,” said Luci Duckson-Bramble, PHS’s director of development. “Thanks to a generous challenge gift from an anonymous donor, all donations up to $5,000 will be doubled.”

According to Nancy J. Taylor, PHS’s executive director, the significance of scholarships and access to research materials has never been more important. Each grant of $2,500 is awarded through a competitive application process and can be used to cover travel, lodging, and other research expenses. Consideration is given to those whose primary residence is more than 75 miles from Philadelphia.

“The Presbyterian Historical Society has had a research fellowship program for 20 years,” said Taylor. “Over that time, we have hosted 55 Research Fellows, thanks in part to generous donations from our supporters.”

Luca Azuma

Because the history of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is deep, rich and important, PHS retains a devoted staff of archivists, communicators, administrators, and fundraisers to ensure its collections are cared for and accessible.

One grateful recipient of both financial and research assistance was Luca Azuma, a Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who was awarded a PHS research grant this year to work on his project “Upon a Rainbow Cross: a History of LGBTQ+ Christianity in North America.”

“The support offered by the PHS Research Fellowship was crucial in making this research a possibility, without which my dissertation would be severely lacking in a very important part of LGBTQ+ Christian history,” said Azuma. “I would be remiss if I did not thank the staff of the PHS for their hard work and initiative on my behalf.”

Click here to give now in support of the PHS’s #GivingTuesday effort to fund its Research Fellowship program! To watch an interview with 2024 Research Fellow Luca Azuma, click here.