Scholarship Endowments: Foundation Helps Students Answer "The Call"

Rev. Lee Peyton, a retired engineering professor turned Episcopal priest, has a special appreciation for academic excellence. He's a preacher's kid from Louisiana, worked 25 years in engineering at the University of Missouri and is now pursuing research at Union Theological Seminary of New York, N.Y.

With his background, it makes sense that he established an endowment at the United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana for a scholarship to two world-class seminaries.

Named for his parents, the Rev. Robert L. and Elizabeth Peyton Memorial Scholarship Fund provides a $2,500 scholarship annually to any student who has been approved for seminary study by the Board of Ordained Ministry in the Louisiana Annual Conference, to attend either Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta or Union Theological Seminary.

"As a lifetime professor and researcher, I really appreciate and value a school with the academic excellence that these two seminaries provide," Lee said. "Not only were they my father's and my alma mater, but they are also highly recognized internationally, and I want to incentivize future pastors from Louisiana to enroll there."

Lee's father, Rev. Robert L. Peyton, Sr., was a beloved Methodist minister known as "Brother Bob" to his friends and congregants. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Candler in 1943. For 68 years he served churches first in Mississippi and Texas, and then in the Louisiana Annual Conference. He continued active ministry in many capacities well into his 90s. He died in 2011 at the age of 95.

Elizabeth Peyton, Lee's mother, taught elementary school and worked closely with her husband in ministry. She and Robert were married for 68 years and lived in retirement in Arcadia, La., for 28 years. Elizabeth passed in 2013 at the age of 91.

This year, Elise Burchof Monroe received the scholarship. She is a lifelong member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church of Monroe and a 2022 honor graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She says that mission work truly warms her heart, and she has served on a multitude of missions, from Mexico to Guatemala, to the Ozark Mountains. Most recently, she was serving as Congregational Care Coordinator at St. Paul's, visiting homebound and hospitalized members and assisting with worship services.

Burch will begin work toward her Master of Divinity at Candler this fall. She plans to become an ordained minister and help others find their calling, the same way that her church and mission work have helped her find hers.

"I have always felt a call to the ministry," she says. "I believe being ordained will allow me to bring others closer to God through mission. I want to do for others what the church has done for me."

Setting up an endowment at the United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana is easy. The staff handles all the paperwork and filing, and there is no cost to the donor, other than the initial gift.

There are a few things to consider before contacting the Foundation to set up an endowment. First, donors must decide how much money they want to donate. Anyone may add to the endowment at any time.

Next, donors must decide how they want the income to be used. They can choose a specific school, area of study, where the recipient is from and other criteria. However, the more specific the donor is with the criteria, the narrower the pool of qualified students becomes.

Peyton has periodically added to his endowment to help it grow more quickly. As assets grow, the income from the fund will be used to either provide multiple scholarships or increase the scholarship stipend. He hopes to increase the award amount in the future to provide more incentive for students to enroll. He says, "It's rewarding to me to know I'm helping make a little difference in a student's life."

Meanwhile, Burch is excited to begin classes at Candler in August. "This scholarship will really help me afford the cost of living in Atlanta and the tuition, so I am thankful for your willingness to help students!" she claimed.

A scholarship endowment at the Foundation is a lasting gift that will benefit a student committed to the Methodist faith, who may need help answering God's call. For more information on scholarship endowments, please contact us at [email protected] or 225.346.1535.

To learn more about applying for a Foundation scholarship, go to umf.org/scholarships.