BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A group of researchers, including Brad Fulton, an associate professor at the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, has been awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to support the IU Center for Rural Engagement and other university partners in creating a suite of mental well-being resources that address needs expressed by rural congregations and their communities.
The grant was awarded to the Indiana University Foundation as part of the Lilly Endowment’s Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns Initiative. The initiative aims to provide resources to help congregations in rural areas and small towns enhance the vitality of their ministries and strengthen the leadership of the pastors and lay leaders who guide them.
Fulton and his team of data scientists will use network analysis and mapping tools to analyze the service-providing ecosystem of nonprofits and congregations in rural communities. The analysis will help rural congregations connect with community partners, referral resources, and existing infrastructure.
“The tremendous amounts of data on congregations and the nonprofit sector give us an unprecedented opportunity to identify gaps in services and find organizations that can help fill those gaps,” said Fulton.
Other resources being developed from partners at the School of Social Work, the School of Public Health-Bloomington, and the IU Southeast Applied Research and Education Center will include a training certificate program, postpartum well-being workshops and resources, arts-based wellness guides, parenting resources, and workshops for faith-affiliated colleges and universities.
Rural America is facing a mental health crisis, with a suicide rate nearly double that of urban communities. A provider shortage places congregations and their leaders on the front lines of mental health needs while those leaders face burnout and their own mental health concerns.
The IU Foundation is one of 20 organizations from across the United States receiving grants through the Lilly Endowment initiative, including colleges and universities, denominational agencies, church networks, and parachurch organizations.
“Our hope is that these grants will provide much needed resources and support to rural and small-town churches to help them address their challenges and enhance and extend the many ways that they serve their communities,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion.
