Emerging Leaders Cohort
Contact
Alexzandria Sanchez
Director of Scholarships, Ministerial Grants & Emerging Leaders Initiatives
Phone
Discern your calling. Develop your leadership. Serve with purpose.
ABHMS invites emerging leaders to explore their calling through the Emerging Leaders Cohort (ELC), a yearlong leadership formation experience for young adults seeking to grow in faith, purpose, and service.
This immersive program brings together college and seminary students from across the United States and Puerto Rico for a shared journey of vocational discernment, leadership development, and community engagement. Through virtual learning, mentorship, retreats, and hands-on ministry experiences, participants develop the skills, relationships, and spiritual foundation needed to lead with courage and compassion.
Members of the cohort become part of a community of peers who ask important questions about their future and their faith: Who is God calling me to become? What is God calling me to do? Together, they explore how faith-based leadership can help transform communities and serve the common good.
A year of leadership formation
The ELC program unfolds across 12 months, guiding participants through learning, reflection, and real-world ministry engagement.
Throughout the academic year, cohort members participate in virtual learning sessions and guided reflection, developing skills in:
Advocacy and community engagement
Leadership and organizing
Faith-rooted storytelling
Networking and relationship-building
Vocational discernment
Participants then gather for a national retreat to strengthen relationships and prepare for summer placements. The program concludes with mission-centered internships with churches, community ministries, and nonprofit partners across the United States and Puerto Rico.
These experiences enable participants to use their gifts in real-world settings while exploring how their calling can help bring healing and transformation to their communities.
Program benefits
Participants chosen for the ELC cohort receive valuable support for their leadership journey:
A summer internship placement with an ABHMS partner organization
A summer stipend through the Summer Passionary Institute
A scholarship award from the ABHMS Scholarship Department upon completion of the program
Mentorship from experienced ministry leaders
Opportunities to build a national network of faith-rooted peers
Eligibility
Applicants must:
Be 18–24 years old
Be enrolled in an accredited college, university or seminary
Be an active member of an American Baptist church
Reside in the United States or Puerto Rico
Have a minimum 2.5 GPA
Provide a recommendation from a teacher, mentor or church leader
Meet ABHMS scholarship eligibility requirements
Participants must also commit to scheduled cohort meetings during the academic year, orientation and retreat travel, and a summer internship from June through August.
Begin your journey
The ELC program is more than an internship or leadership workshop. It is a community of discernment where young leaders discover how their gifts can serve God’s work of healing and transformation in the church and the wider world. If you feel a call to explore your gifts and grow as a leader, we invite you to apply. ABHMS accepts applications from January 30 through March 30 each year.
“This program is a sacred invitation for young adults to grow deeply, serve faithfully, and discern their vocational calling at a critical time in their lives.”
Alexzandria Sanchez, Director of Scholarships, Ministerial Grants & Emerging Leaders Initiatives
Where is God calling you next?
The Emerging Leaders Cohort invites you into a year of growth, discernment, and purpose. Whether you are ready to apply, still exploring your path, or looking to support the next generation of leaders, there is a place for you here.
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Step into Your Calling
Apply to join a yearlong journey of discernment, leadership development, and hands-on ministry experience.
The 2026 application period has ended.
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Connect with Our Team
Ask questions and learn whether the Emerging Leaders Cohort is the right next step for your journey.
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Support Emerging Leaders
Invest in young leaders discerning their call to serve communities with courage and compassion.