Women in Ministry Support Scheme
Do you have an idea that could strengthen your ministry, but not the funding to make it happen? WIMSS grants can help turn faithful ideas into practical support, training and resources. If your ministry could benefit from a small grant, we want to hear from you.
WIMSS provides small grants of up to $2000 to support women in ministry.
Applications are open 1 October to 30 November 2026
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Applications are open 1 October to 30 November 2026 •••
WIMSS is for Christian women of all ages, stages, and backgrounds serving Jesus in a diverse range of church communities, ministries, and Christian organisations across Australia.
Whether you’re paid or volunteer, studying, leading, caring, teaching, organising, or serving behind the scenes, we’d love to hear from you.
“This funding recognises the immense value, opportunities and gifts that God has given women to serve him and those around them.”
Naomi de Vries, WIMSS grantee
“The support I had from ADM really encouraged and facilitated me to serve in my ministry in a more thorough and rigorous way.”
Nicole Murray, WIMSS grantee
“I have felt seen and valued as a woman in ministry from receiving this grant, especially in this season of life.”
Amy Footson, WIMSS grantee
What is WIMSS?
Across Australia, Christian women are making an extraordinary impact as they faithfully serve Jesus in a variety of ways – whether discipling the next generation, evangelising in their communities, being involved in church governance, leading Bible studies, providing pastoral care, preaching, serving the most vulnerable in our communities – and much more.
ADM has been coming alongside women, theologically resourcing and raising them up to proclaim the love of Jesus since 1891. The Women in Ministry Support Scheme (WIMSS) was created to continue this legacy of supporting Christian women today.
Through WIMSS, we provide grants of up to $2,000 to support women faithfully serving Jesus in ministries across Australia, with up to $30,000 awarded annually.
We have funded women to enable them to purchase a portable barbecue and Bible commentaries, host movement classes for women who have experienced trauma, pay for printing costs, and purchase supplies for a Christmas lunch for women from diverse backgrounds who have never experienced a Christmas celebration. If you have dreamed up a way to see people reached with the love of Jesus, or are longing to improve your existing ministry, we want to hear about it!
Funding Categories
We award funding in four categories:
Professional development and ministry training
We want to encourage women to pursue growth and further development in their ministry capabilities. Mary Andrews College is running Professional Development sessions in 2027, or you might like to look at courses and programs run by City to City, Arrow Leadership, Reach Australia or the Centre for Ministry Development at Moore College. Many other theological colleges also offer Professional Development opportunities, or you might know of courses that relate more specifically to your area of ministry.
Theological education
(up to a maximum of $1000)
These grants don’t need to be used for a particular purpose, but recognise the financial cost of pursuing theological education.
Resources
This category can include any resources that will help you in your ministry. Some examples of resources we have funded include:
Teaching ministry: books, commentaries, digital resources and subscriptions
Children’s and youth ministry: toys, equipment, teaching material
Women’s ministry: event promotion, catering, equipment and supplies
Outreach ministry: a branded marquee and portable barbecue, Bibles to distribute
Compassion ministry: movement classes for survivors of trauma
Maternity leave
Contribution to lost income during a period of maternity leave from a paid, continuing ministry position.
Applications for this category must have matched funding (50-50) from the church or parachurch organisation where they are employed, i.e., evidence of a commitment for the same amount to be provided by your employer/supporters as is being requested from ADM.
How to apply
Read through the Information Pack
It will answer many of your questions and guide you through the application in detail.
Have questions?
We can help
Register for our Information Session on Tue 13 Oct, at 12:00pm – 1:00pm AEST. We’d love to help answer your questions.
Can’t make the Session? Book a call with program manager, Naomi Escott, who would love to speak with you and answer your questions.
Gather your 2 supporting documents *
A statement of support from your minister or supervisor
A copy or link to the statement of faith of the church or parachurch organisation which your ministry is connected to.
* If you’re applying for maternity leave support from an ongoing paid ministry role, please also include evidence of your continued employment and lost income, as well as any other income you’ll receive, such as government paid parental leave.
Apply Online
Write three to four short written answers, plus a simple mini-budget. In your answers, you will be asked to share about your ministry, your Christian faith, and your funding support needs.
Bridget’s Story
“Operating in a low socioeconomic area means that our church budget is limited and outside support is required to keep the lights on. As such, gaining new resources such as Bibles and barbecues can be difficult… WIMSS funding allowed me to better resource my work of teaching the Bible and reaching out to the community.”
– Bridget Allen, Living Water Church, Redfern
In 2023, Bridget was told of the ADM Women in Ministry Support Scheme, and decided to apply for a grant. She applied for funding to purchase a portable barbecue to make cooking after church in the park easier, as well as for new Bibles and other books and resources to have at church and share with the women she ministers to.
Who can apply?
Christian women who are:
Serving in churches and ministries across Australia in paid or unpaid ministry roles
Completing theological education and training for ministry and mission
See complete eligibility criteria below
Key Dates
Thursday, 1 October: Applications open
Tuesday, 13 October, 12:00pm – 1:00pm AEST: Online information session
Monday, 30 November, 5pm AEST: Applications close
Tuesday, 17 December 2026: Notification of outcome of applications
What do we mean by “women in ministry”?
“Ministry” includes evangelism, bible teaching, discipleship, pastoral care and compassionate ministries. For the WIMSS program, “women in ministry” are based at a church or parachurch organisation. You might be starting women’s ministry at your church, serving on the board or parish council, leading a team that reaches out to international students, organising a food pantry, or responsible for writing Bible studies for your church or parachurch organisation, or one of the many, many other ways that women serve their church and community.
“Women in ministry” can refer to women in ordained or lay ministry and mission work, both paid and unpaid. It also includes women who are completing theological education and training for ministry and mission.
Eligibility
Keen to apply? You must:
be 18 years or older
be female
be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or refugee
have a firm personal Christian belief consistent with ADM’s theological principles (This is a broad, mainstream evangelical statement of faith. Most Bible-believing Protestant churches and ministries meet this.)
be serving in ministry at a church or parachurch organisation in Australia that is aligned with ADM’s theological principles
Not be a current or past (last 5 years) employee, consultant or board member of ADM
Not have received funding from ADM in the last 5 years.
Funding priority
All eligible applications will be considered.
WIMSS gives priority to applicants serving in communities and churches with limited financial resources. This includes:
· churches or organisations ministering in areas of disadvantage
· low-income parishes, defined as churches with total annual income of less than $150,000
If you’re unsure whether your ministry context is considered an area of disadvantage, the Information Pack explains how this is assessed
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No. Our grants are intended to expand ministry opportunities beyond what is already provided for through a church or organisation's regular budget. Rather than covering ongoing wages or operational costs, our grants provide additional support for activities such as professional development or resources to enable ministry and development that might not otherwise be possible.
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WIMSS grants are intended to support women serving in connection with a church, ministry, or Christian organisation.
If your ministry need sits outside that structure, you may not be eligible — but if you’re unsure, we’d be glad to talk it through with you before you apply.
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No. WIMSS is for women serving in both paid and unpaid ministry roles.
That might include women involved in pastoral ministry, Bible teaching, children’s or youth ministry, playgroup, chaplaincy, governance, administration, theological education, community outreach, or compassionate ministry — as well as many other forms of faithful service.
If you are serving Jesus through your church, ministry, or Christian organisation, WIMSS may be for you.
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Definitely not! If you have a need that will help you as you serve Jesus, please apply. WIMSS grants are designed to provide practical support that can make ministry more sustainable, effective, or possible — including things that may seem modest but make a real difference in day-to-day ministry.
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No problem – we've tried to make the application process straightforward. It should take you about 30 minutes to complete
The questions differ slightly according to the category you are applying for, but here are the main short answer question:
• Please share with us about your Christian faith, and about how you align with ADM’s theological principles (300 words).
• Please describe the ministry you are involved in, and what your involvement looks like (300 words). (provide a link to or upload a copy of your church/organisation’s statement of faith if available)
For professional development and resource categories only:
• How will you spend the money? Please provide a simple budget and attach copies of quotes where possible (300 words).
• Please explain how receiving this funding will benefit your ongoing ministry (300 words)
• Please explain the financial needs of your ministry, and how this funding will support those needs.For maternity leave category only:
• Demonstrate evidence of continued employment and income lost during maternity leave (300 words).For theological education category only:
• Please share how you hope your theological education will benefit your ongoing ministry (300 words).You will also need a letter of support from someone with oversight of your ministry.
For some categories, we may also ask for a simple mini-budget, quote, evidence of study, or documentation related to maternity leave.
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That’s completely fine. We suggest gathering a few quotes, looking up current prices, or making a simple estimate based on the likely costs.
Your budget doesn’t need to be complicated — it just needs to show us how you plan to use the funding.
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: Your mini-budget should show how you intend to use the funds. This might include quotes, screenshots of pricing, links to items or courses. This can also include receipts for past purchases, or quotes for proposed purchases (up to 30 December, 2027). This section is not necessary for women applying under the categories of Theological Education and Maternity Leave.
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The letter should come from someone who has oversight of your ministry. For church-based applicants, this would usually be the Senior Minister or Senior Pastor. If you are married to the Senior Minister/Senior Pastor, or if you are the Senior Minister/Senior Pastor yourself, please ask another appropriate leader, such as a Parish Warden, elder or supervising staff member. If you serve with a parachurch or other Christian organisation, please ask your supervisor, team leader, manager, board member or another senior organisational leader.
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The letter does not need to be long. We simply want to know that someone with oversight of your ministry knows about your application and supports it.
It should confirm:
your role or involvement in the ministry
that the person supports your application
how the grant would help you, your ministry, or the people you serve
You could send them a message like this:
Hi! I’m applying for a Women in Ministry Support Scheme grant from ADM for ______________. I’m hoping that this funding will mean I can ______________. They have asked for a letter of support from someone who has oversight of my ministry. Would you be willing to write a short letter to confirm my role here and that you support my application and, if applicable, how it will benefit the church or the organisation?
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If you are applying for maternity leave support, you will need to provide evidence of continued employment and lost income during maternity leave, taking into account any other income sources such as the government’s paid parental leave. You can only apply for an amount equal to or below the amount of lost income.
For example, an Assistant Minister on a salary of $60,000, who while on maternity leave is receiving $10,000 from her church and $18,000 from the government will have an income loss of $32,000. As a result, she could apply for the maximum WIMSS grant of $2,000.
Applications for this category must have matched funding (50-50) from the church or parachurch organisation where you are employed/ supported. I.e., evidence of a commitment for the same amount to be provided by the employer/supporters as is being requested from ADM.
FAQs
Information Session
Date: Tuesday 13 October, 12:00pm – 1:00pm AEST
Location: Online
Information sessions are an opportunity to learn more about the application process for WIMSS, and to ask any questions you may have. If you are not able to attend the session, you can book a call with program manager, Naomi Escott.
Application Process
Applications are currently closed and will re-open 1 October 2026.
To apply, you will need to complete an online application form and provide four short written answers in the form. In your answers, you will be asked to share about your ministry, your Christian faith, and your funding support needs. You will also be asked to provide a statement of support from your minister or supervisor, as well as a mini-budget explaining how you plan to use WIMSS funds.
Applications will also need to state the amount of funding they are applying for (within the range of $200 – 2,000), and how they plan to use these funds in support of their ministries.
WIMSS News
Amy Townsend, the Membership and Ministry Director at Grace City Church, was one of 20 recipients of funding for ADM’s first Women in Ministry Support Scheme (WIMSS) in 2020.