Author

G. Jeffrey MacDonald

Journalist and UCC minister

G. Jeffrey MacDonald is a journalist focusing on religion, ethics and social responsibility. His stories have appeared in TIME magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Boston Globe and The Christian Science Monitor, among other outlets. He is the author of "Thieves in the Temple: The Christian Church and the Selling of the American Soul," and most recently “Part-Time Is Plenty: Thriving Without Full-Time Clergy.”

A former newspaper reporter, MacDonald earned a Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School and is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.

He was awarded a 2015 Wilbur Award from the Religion Communicators Council for three stories about non-profits published in Faith & Leadership: “From funding loss to sustainability,” “A Texas nonprofit becomes a hub for addressing the border crisis,” “School brings life to empty buildings."

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Apply for a Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant 

Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship are designed for worshiping communities. These grants allow a wide range of Christian worshiping communities to focus on projects that connect public worship with Christian discipleship and faith formation. Funding awards range from $8,000 to $25,000. 

The grants support year-long projects that show promise in fostering renewed or strengthened worship practices within worshiping communities in the United States or Canada. Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants for teacher-scholars are also available. Applications for the October 15 deadline will open on July 15, 2026.

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