Foundation for Theological Education (A Foundation for Theological Education / AFTE)

A Foundation for Theological Education (AFTE) is a tax-exempt nonprofit founded in 1977 to strengthen theological education in the evangelical Wesleyan tradition, principally within the United Methodist Church. AFTE awards John Wesley Fellowships to doctoral scholars, provides grants for international teaching and collaborative research projects, and publishes resources (including the Catalyst publications) to support seminarians and faculty. In recent years AFTE has continued active fellowship programming: it awarded a new cohort of John Wesley Fellowships in 2025, ran an AFTE Christmas Conference at Duke Divinity School (January 2025), and organized its first international travel experience for fellows. The foundation reports ongoing grantmaking, an active fellowship directory, and open applications for the 2026 John Wesley Fellowship cycle. AFTE maintains an online presence with fellowship resources, publications by fellows, application materials, and a donate page, and files annual Form 990 tax returns confirming ongoing operations and grant activity.