David P. King, a nationally acclaimed religious scholar, has been selected to lead Lake Institute on Faith + Giving at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Founding Dean Gene Tempel announced today.
Currently assistant professor of church history at Memphis Theological Seminary, King will become the institute’s Karen Lake Buttrey Director, succeeding William G. Enright, an integral leader of Lake Institute since its inception. Enright co-authored the concept, direction and methodology for Lake Institute’s work and has been its first full-time director since 2004.
Enright will become Senior Fellow at Lake Institute on Faith + Giving and will play a central role in building its rapidly expanding Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising (ECRF) program. Both appointments will be effective July 1, 2014.
“We are delighted that an outstanding scholar of David’s caliber will lead Lake Institute into the next phase of its future, helping congregations, clergy and laity enrich their understanding of the relationships among faith, philanthropy and fundraising,” Tempel said. “David is one of the brightest young minds in this field, and he brings a mix of scholarly and hands-on expertise that is uniquely suited to advance and enhance the mission of Lake Institute on Faith and Giving.”
“I’m confident David will build on Bill’s remarkable accomplishments and legacy of leadership,” Tempel continued. “Bill has brought Lake Institute’s vision to life and has an enormous impact. He has changed the way many clergy, lay leaders and congregants across the country think about religion, money and giving. We are indebted to Bill for all he has accomplished on behalf of the institute and our school, and I’m pleased he will continue to share his expertise with us.”
Lake Institute on Faith + Giving’s mission is to foster a greater understanding of the ways in which faith both inspires and informs giving by providing knowledge, education, and training. It encourages people of all religious orientations and spiritual practices to become more thoughtful in their philanthropic efforts. It pairs on-the-ground knowledge of religious traditions with the school’s research and scholarship from across the country to translate information into practical tools and strategies for use by faith communities.
As an ordained pastor who has worked at the local church level, King’s experience includes both research and practice in faith and philanthropy. In 2011, King was awarded Lake Institute’s Lake Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, to help support work on his dissertation, a study of the largest Christian humanitarian agency, World Vision.
“I am honored to join Lake Institute and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the pioneers in this field,” King said. “Very rarely does an institution have the ability to influence both the study and the practice of its subject in the ways Lake Institute does. It has earned a reputation as a leading voice for the study of religious giving and a trusted resource in teaching philanthropists, faith leaders, and fundraisers about how faith informs giving.”
Under Enright’s leadership, Lake Institute has offered seminal courses and workshops in faith and giving. The ECRF helps clergy gain fundraising expertise and trains development personnel for faith-based organizations. The Faith and Fundraising course developed in partnership with The Fund Raising School focuses on opportunities and challenges facing faith-based organizations as well as pastoral leadership in securing resources needed to sustain the work of faith. A signature course, Creating Congregational Cultures of Generosity, helps clergy and ministry leaders energize congregational generosity, while Spiritual Values and Philanthropic Discernment lets donors explore their spirituality as an integral part of their personal giving.
Core programs developed during Enright’s tenure include the Thomas H. Lake Lecture, a public address on faith and giving, and the Lake Distinguished Visitor program through which philanthropy professionals and scholars share research, insights and stories with community constituents to spark transformational giving and foster the imagination of civic leaders.
“It has been an honor to be part of the world’s first school of philanthropy, to help implement Karen Lake Buttrey’s vision for increasing understanding and conversation around faith and giving and to work with the Lake Institute’s outstanding board of advisors to carry out it’s important mission,” Enright said. “David is a terrific scholar who will do a great job in moving the mission forward, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with him.”
A key goal of the institute is to establish the study of faith and giving as an area of serious academic inquiry and attract talented researchers to the field. During Enright’s tenure, the institute and the school’s researchers have created and disseminated groundbreaking research studies on religion and philanthropy. It has awarded six emerging scholars funding for doctoral dissertations in the field, with a seventh to be named this year. It has appointed three Thomas H. Lake Scholars who each teach, conduct research and write a book in the field.
“Bill Enright has provided tremendous leadership, and I’m glad he will continue to help us advance the Lake Institute’s mission through one of its most valuable initiatives,” King continued. “Thanks to the impressive foundation laid by the Lake family and Bill, as well as the institute’s fabulous staff and advisory board, the Lake Institute on Faith + Giving is well positioned to grow and to continue to have a significant impact in the future.”
King’s research earned him the American Society of Church History’s 2010 Sydney E. Mead Prize, and he was named to the current class (2013-15) of Young Scholars in American Religion, a select group of scholars chosen by the Center for the Study of American Religion and Culture at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IU Indianapolis) to engage in research and teaching collaborations. His research interests include exploring how American religious communities encounter and engage increasingly global contexts as well as how the religious identity of faith-based nonprofits shapes their motivations, rhetoric and work.
About Lake Institute on Faith + Giving
A groundbreaking program, Lake Institute on Faith + Giving at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy fosters greater understanding of the ways in which faith inspires and informs giving within the major religious traditions. It does so through educational forums, research into the dynamic relationships between faith and giving, assistance to donors and thoughtful conversations among individuals, families and faith communities on issues related to faith, money and giving as a way to nurture cultures of generosity. Follow us on Twitter @LakeInstitute and “Like” us on Facebook.
About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The nation’s first school of philanthropy, the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change in the world. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its academic, research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith + Giving and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Follow us on Twitter @IUPhilanthropy and “Like” us on Facebook.