In the spring of 2005 a new faculty grant program began at Loma Linda University. This program, called Faculty Faith in Action, awards grants to faculty for projects designed to integrate faith and their academic discipline, or in some other way encourage practical application of the university mission of furthering the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

Carlos Fayard, Ph.D., of the LLU department of psychiatry is the recipient of the first of these grants. His proposal was titled “Development and Implementation of a Fellowship in Psychotherapy and Religion at River Platte Adventist University and Hospital, Argentina.”

Fayard is initiating the program at the request of River Platte Adventist University. This project will establish a training program to provide spiritually sensitive psychotherapists for South America. This type of training program in whole-person care has not been previously available in Argentina. Faculty from LLU will assist River Platte Adventist University in setting up the fellowship program, and then provide technical assistance and visiting faculty after the program has begun.

While Fayard is in Argentina consulting on the development of the clinical training program in psychotherapy and religion, he will also be presenting at the World Psychotherapy Congress in Buenos Aires on the issue of Christianity and psychotherapy, and lecturing at River Platte Adventist University on several topics on the integration of religion and psychotherapy.

Fayard’s proposal was also awarded funds by Adventus Fund, a foundation which has been set up to foster scholarly activities that are based on the biblical worldview and advance the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Adventus Fund award was matched by Fayard’s department, to fully finance the fellowship program in Argentina.

The Faculty Faith in Action grant program is an outgrowth of the third Thursday faculty discussions on integration of faith and learning, sponsored by the Inter Faculty Advisory Council and the vice chancellor for academic affairs, and directed by the faith in action planning committee. Grant proposals received from faculty are submitted to other faculty reviewers, and funding is sought from various sources.

The Faculty Faith in Action grant program provides direct support for faculty projects motivated by the university mission statement. It is hoped that initial success of the program will encourage donors to provide funds to be awarded directly by LLU to strengthen this grant program and LLU’s ability to accomplish its mission.