Program Director, Testify! Grant

Position Title: Program Director, Testify! Grant

Department: Testify! Initiative

Reports to: Grant Director

Classification: On-site; Full-time, Salary, Exempt, 37.5-hour workweek

Anticipated Start Date: March 1, 2026

Help Revitalize a Sacred Tradition – At a National Scale

What if your leadership could help restore one of the most powerful spiritual practices in the Black church-testimony-for generations to come?

Christian Theological Seminary invites applications for Program Director of Testify!, a landmark Lilly Endowment–funded initiative designed to reclaim and revitalize testimony as a living, formative practice in Black churches nationwide. This is more than a program management role-it is a vocation at the intersection of faith, culture, leadership, and large-scale impact.

JOB SUMMARY

The Program Director serves as the operational heart of Testify!, translating bold theological vision into day-to-day execution. Working closely with the Grant Director, you will steward 250 national church partnerships, oversee staff and budgets, and bring multi-city gatherings, digital campaigns, and creative resources to life-while honoring testimony not simply as content, but as sacred practice requiring care, credibility, and cultural fluency. The ideal candidate brings exceptional organizational capacity and is equally comfortable negotiating venue contracts and engaging pastors in theological conversation about formation. Can also discern when the Spirit disrupts your timeline.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Manage daily implementation of Testify! ecosystem: Toolkit, Live Events, Digital Campaigns, and Convention Booth
• Recruit and maintain relationships with 250 covenant church partnerships over five years
• Oversee event planning and logistics for five major city-wide gatherings (2,400+ attendees each)
• Supervise the Administrative Assistant and Digital Media Manager
• Prepare quarterly reports for the Grant Director, Lilly Endowment, and external evaluator
• Manage a $5 million project budget, ensuring grant compliance
• Coordinate artist-lay retreats and convention booth presence at 8 annual gatherings
• Serve as primary liaison with church leaders, denominational partners, and community stakeholders
• Facilitate peer learning networks across participating churches
• Represent Testify! at conferences and denominational gatherings

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate will report to the grant director and should possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to fulfill the essential functions of the position and demonstrate successful experience and proficiency in the following:

• Master's degree in theology, ministry, nonprofit management, or related field
• Minimum 3 years of program management experience in religious or nonprofit contexts
• Cultural fluency in Black church traditions across denominational lines
• Strong project management and budget oversight skills
• Experience supervising staff and coordinating multi-stakeholder projects
• Excellent communication skills for diverse audiences
• Proficiency with project management software and Microsoft Office
• Ability to travel (25-30%)

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS

• Experience with Lilly Endowment or foundation-funded initiatives
• Existing relationships within Black church networks
• Background in arts ministry or worship planning
• Familiarity with CTS programs (Compelling Preaching Initiative, PhD in African American Preaching)

APPLICATION PROCESS

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, CV/resume, names of three professional references, and a brief statement (500 words or less) on testimony as spiritual formation in Black church contexts. Apply via the application link. Questions about the position: Dr. Nick Peterson, npeterson@cts.edu.

ABOUT CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) is a fully accredited ecumenical graduate school in Indianapolis, IN, related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and serving the whole people of God. We welcome all faiths to explore/ engage in an intellectually rigorous, spiritually formative, and emotionally supportive education that equips our students to go out into the world and serve-whether in the church or the community. CTS also offers a robust counseling program that provides professional counseling preparation and spiritual/theological integration for those training to become mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, pastoral psychotherapists, and spiritual care specialists.

MORE ABOUT CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

CTS equips leaders to embody God's liberative, restorative, and life-affirming message. As a national leader in training practitioner-scholars, CTS pioneered the nation's first PhD program in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric. CTS is a fully accredited ecumenical academic learning community offering graduate programs through its School of Theology and School of Counseling, as well as accessible mental health services through the Counseling Center. Learn more at https://www.cts.edu/academics/school-of-theology/phd-in-african-american-preaching-and-sacred-rhetoric/.

ABOUT TESTIFY!

Testify! is a five-year initiative addressing the spiritual formation crisis where Black churches risk losing testimony traditions. Through Toolkit resources, city-wide events, digital campaigns, and testimony collection, the project empowers 250 churches to reclaim testimony as a vital spiritual practice while reaching 5 million digital impressions.

CTS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate with respect to recruitment, hiring, or any other status of employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other category protected by law.