CreatureKind Fellowship Program

The CreatureKind Fellowship Program is an intensive and selective program for those seeking to care for the well-being of farmed animals, those yearning to participate in practical ways of ushering the peace of the Creator to all of God’s beloved creation.

Program Highlights

CreatureKind Fellows serve for nine months and are compensated for their service (approximately 150 hours) with stipends of $2,250. The Fellowship program helps participants develop leadership skills and deepen their theological understanding of Christianity and farmed animals. As a cohort, Fellows consider the ways that farmed animal issues intersect with other faith and theological concerns, including: environmental racism, ecowomanism, decolonial/decolonized Christianity and theology, disability and animal liberation, anti-speciesism, and climate change. We center and lift the voices of Black, Brown, and Indigenous People of Color on the frontlines of food and creation justice while being mindful of CreatureKind’s mission and strategies to raise awareness, change faith-community food practices and policies, and strengthen Christian animal advocates.

About the Program

We help Fellows sharpen their skills and deepen their theologies by connecting them with a mentor and a coach, and by providing opportunities for discernment and reflection on their vocation and call to ministry. We offer a supportive environment for Fellows to explore questions and to find direction and strength as they discern their vocation both now and in the future. One guiding question throughout the Fellowship is, “What does it mean for me, as a part of the Church-at-large, to be in ministry centering the welfare of farmed animals?”

The CreatureKind Fellowship Program will commence with a two-day Orientation at the end August of 2021*, which will be taught by members of the CreatureKind staff and board. To further deepen their theological understanding, Fellows will undertake monthly reading and reflection assignments, and will be invited to  craft a statement of faith and purpose. CreatureKind will increase Fellows’ leadership skills by helping them to develop and execute a project of their choosing, relevant to their context and CreatureKind’s mission. CreatureKind will provide opportunities to explore or deepen skills related to ministry and management. Fellows will connect with one another and with CreatureKind mentors through cohort calls, retreats, and other meeting opportunities, and through a virtual classroom (Canvas). All events and gatherings, unless otherwise noted, will be held virtually. Due to the uncertainty and the rapidly changing situation in relation to COVID-19, CreatureKind will be flexible and may need to alter some details related to the Fellowship. We are committed to hosting this program as safely as possible. All changes made to the program will be communicated to Fellows as quickly as a decision is made.  

Learn more about our previous Fellows.

CreatureKind co-director for Community Development, Rev. Aline Silva, will lead the CreatureKind Fellows Program. Contact her with any questions via our website or email her here.

*After the new cohort of Fellows is selected, they will be surveyed for availability prior to a final schedule. This is true for all gatherings, including the initial Orientation.

Who Should Apply?

• Environmentalists, Christian animal advocates, food/seed/land sovereignty activists, students (undergraduate or graduate) 

• CreatureKind welcomes, affirms, and encourages all BIPOC folks, GNC folks, LGBTQIA+ folks to apply.

• Applications are due June 1, 2021. Selection interviews will be conducted June 15-25, 2021 and final selections will be made by June 30, 2021.

• Download a PDF of the application questions (for planning purposes only) here.

Expectations

• Have a strong connection to the Christian tradition and to the mission of CreatureKind.

• Work with CreatureKind staff, coach, and assigned mentor to develop and approve a plan, goals, and timeline for engaging your campus/church/community with Christian concerns about farmed animals. Develop this plan during the Orientation. The project should center on awareness/educational and advocacy components.

• Identify a faculty member at your institution, a clergy person, or a ministry leader who will serve as a local advisor for your project and will provide support as needed (especially necessary if using the Fellowship to fulfill academic internship requirements).

• Participate in the Orientation, Mid-Winter, and Final Presentation Retreats. Meet regularly with CreatureKind staff, coach, assigned mentors, and the Fellows’ cohort (via monthly video calls). Connect regularly through the virtual classroom and with your campus/church/community advisor (if applicable). 

• Invest approximately 5 hours every week on Fellowship-related work. Some weeks may require more time, depending on the nature and flow of your project. Over the course of the Fellowship year, you should expect to put in about 150 hours. 

• Develop a personal prayer network of friends, families, and other supporters, and keep them regularly updated.

• Submit both a mid-year and a final report/evaluation—specifications will be provided by CreatureKind prior to the end of the Fellowship in conjunction with any academic credit requirements from respective academic institutions.

About CreatureKind

CreatureKind’s broad goals are: 

• to equip Christians with a theo-ethical framework from which to discuss animal issues in the church and the place of animals in Christian life; 

• to provide education and support to Christian leaders on the importance and validity of including animals and animal issues in Christian life and practice in order to change the way that animals are viewed by Christians; 

• to seek commitments from churches, other institutions, and individuals to a new approach regarding their sourcing and consumption of animal products; 

• and to strengthen the church by affirming the call and by meeting the spiritual needs of individuals working in animal protection, while providing a community in which they can express their experience, strength, and hope among like-minded Christians. 

Our work helps Christians recognize that we have strong faith-based reasons for caring about the wellbeing of farmed animals, and we empower individuals and communities to take practical action in response. Our work is communal and contextual.