Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee, has confirmed that the Whosoever Will Ministry Bridge Program—a collaborative initiative between Bethel University and Memphis Theological Seminary that provided financial assistance to new Cumberland Presbyterian pastors—has been discontinued.
According to an October 17, 2025, email from Bethel University’s Chaplain & Director of Community Engagement, Garrett Burns, the program’s sponsors informed the university they could no longer continue the effort due to personal and business circumstances. Existing participants will continue to receive support through their promised 60 monthly payments, but no new applicants will be accepted.
The Whosoever Will program, launched as part of the Ministry Bridge partnership, offered up to $1,000 per month for Bethel and Memphis Theological Seminary graduates who became pastors of Cumberland Presbyterian congregations. The initiative aimed to ease the financial burden of entering ministry and to strengthen leadership within the denomination.
Both Bethel University and Memphis Theological Seminary expressed gratitude for the generosity that made the program possible and affirmed their ongoing commitment to preparing future Cumberland Presbyterian leaders.



