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	October 29, 2003 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 122

	Seminary program for immigrants enrolls 66

	By Paula Schlueter Ross

	Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, this fall welcomed 43 new
students to its Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology (EIIT), a
distance-education, pastor-training program for immigrants.

	The seminary brought those students -- and 23 others who
enrolled in February -- to its campus earlier this month for orientation
and classes.

	Although the program is open to any immigrant who is serving in
a pastoral role, the vast majority of students are from Africa,
according to Rev. Yohannes Mengsteab, director of the program. Mengsteab
also serves as facilitator for new African-immigrant and urban missions
with LCMS World Mission.

	About two-thirds of the first EIIT class are African, and all
but three in the new class are from African countries, Mengsteab said.
Others in the program are Asian, Hispanic and Native American. And, two
women -- an Asian and an African -- are taking EIIT courses to prepare
them for service as deaconesses.

	Mengsteab, who is from Eritrea, East Africa, helped start the
EIIT program, which was originally conceived for African immigrants
because of the need for theological training among them. While the Synod
has more than 70 African-immigrant ministries, the vast majority of them
are led by laymen -- fewer than a dozen African-immigrant leaders are
ordained, according to Mengsteab.

	"There is a need in the church," he said. "If we want to be
engaged in a missionary-training movement, then an alternate training
program is a must."

	Most of those enrolled in the program are working full time in
secular jobs while they serve as pastors to groups of immigrants like
themselves. They preach sermons, lead Bible studies and perform
baptisms, among other duties. Most of the students gave up a week's
salary to attend the weeklong EIIT training and orientation in St.
Louis.

	"These are very highly committed people who are sacrificing a
lot to be in ministry with us," Mengsteab said. Noting that EIIT
training costs about $5,000 per student per year, Mengsteab encouraged
LCMS members, congregations and districts to "help support [EIIT
students'] training as they do church planting on our behalf."

	Most of the students have financial sponsors, such as
congregations or districts, but some don't.

	"We are not going to turn anyone away for lack of tuition,"
Mengsteab said. "We will raise the funds, if necessary, to support those
who don't have support."

	Ascension Lutheran Church in Landover Hills, Md., is helping pay
tuition for five Liberians enrolled in the program. All are serving as
pastors and church planters in the Washington, D.C., area, where
Africans are considered the "fastest-growing population segment,"
according to Ascension Pastor Fred Hedt.

	Hedt, who also serves as a "mentor-coach" to the EIIT students,
says about 50 of Ascension's 500 members are African, and about 40 of
the 170 students at its day school are from Africa.

	The congregation is sponsoring so many EIIT students because
there is a need for African pastors in the area, Hedt says.

	"I didn't go out and recruit five guys -- God put five guys on
our doorstep," he said. The Africans "have a passion for sharing the
Gospel, and out of this, five congregations will grow," Hedt said.

	Referring to "Ablaze!," the Synod's initiative to reach 100
million people with the Gospel by 2017, Hedt joked that the Africans are
such enthusiastic evangelizers they "are likely to reach 100 million all
by themselves."

	EIIT student Suah Deddeh works full time at an exotic plant
company and helps lead the 100-member African congregation that worships
at Ascension. EIIT "is a good program that will empower us to do more on
the mission field," he said.

	The first class of EIIT students is expected to graduate in
2005, and Mengsteab believes the innovative training program will serve
a valuable niche for many years to come.

	"As long as we have immigrants coming and we have ethnic
minorities that we have not touched with the Gospel, there will always
be a need for a pastoral leadership program like this," he said.

	For information about the EIIT program, or about ministries with
Africans or other immigrants, contact Mengsteab at (800) 433-3954, Ext.
1336, or yohannes.mengsteab@lcms.org .

	****************************************

	If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release,
contact Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org or (314) 996-1231,
or Paula Schlueter Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org or (314) 996-1230.

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