The Institute for Black Church Studies at BSK Seminary has received a new round of funding from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation that will continue and expand the work begun in 2021.
The new $100,000 grant for 2026 follows a $750,000 multi-year grant from the Baugh Foundation that launched the Institute for Black Church Studies in Louisville, Ky. This grant will support the seminary’s Cosby Scholars Program and expand academic offerings that empower leaders through Black church studies.
Through Black Church Studies, BSK provides tuition-free theological education to Cosby Scholars, with numerous graduates now serving in ministry. The funding also supports global racial justice initiatives and educational events for pastors.
“In a time when diversity is undervalued and Black history faces erasure, the work of BSK’s Institute for Black Church Studies is vital for forming leaders in both Black and white churches,” said BSK President David Cassady. “This grant demonstrates the Baugh Foundation’s deep commitment to the Black church and to diversity in theological education.”
BSK, formerly known as Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, is one of a small group of new seminaries birthed in the schism with the Southern Baptist Convention near the turn of this century. The seminary also has a partnership with Simmons College of Kentucky, an HBCU.
BSK provides theological education through graduate degree programs and noncredit educational experiences.