Title: ELCA Fund for Leaders in Mission Awards 37 Scholarships ELCA NEWS SERVICE
November 29, 2006
ELCA Fund for Leaders in Mission Awards 37 Scholarships 06-188-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Twenty-three first-year students at the eight seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) began the 2006-2007 academic term with full-tuition scholarships, and another 14 students had partial-tuition scholarships through the ELCA Fund for Leaders in Mission. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, presented the full-tuition scholarships in a ceremony here Nov. 10.
"One of the greatest evenings of the year is when generous donors meet an amazing group of Fund for Leaders in Mission scholars. Among this group of recipients are seminarians who have been active in youth ministry, who have been immersed in cross-cultural and global experiences, who hold Ph.D.s, and who give witness to their faith and their passion for a more just world. This church and our eight seminaries are blessed by these scholars and the gifts they bring to us," said Hanson.
The Fund for Leaders in Mission is an ELCA initiative to build an endowed scholarship resource that provides tuition assistance to qualified candidates studying at the church's seminaries. When fully endowed the Fund's goal is to support full-tuition assistance for every student at ELCA seminaries who is committed to a future in parish ministry.
Partial scholarships of $3,000 a year and full-tuition scholarships are provided for three academic years, according to Cynthia Halverson, director, ELCA Fund for Leaders in Mission. The scholarships "are a commitment from the church. Both full- time and partial scholarships are a three-year commitment," she said. The student's internship year is not funded through the ELCA Fund for Leaders in Mission.
Partial scholarships are awarded because "we wanted to be able to give something to every candidate nominated," said Halverson. "The fact that you're nominated says that you have been recognized by the church, and the church wants to acknowledge your commitment and gifts for ministry."
The Fund for Leaders in Mission has awarded $2.2 million in 200 scholarships. It awarded its first eight scholarships in 2000. The Fund has received more than $28 million in gifts and documented deferred gift commitments in the six years since it was formed.
"Increasingly the Fund is becoming an integral part of how (the church) raises and forms leaders," said Halverson.
With seminary tuition now averaging $10,000 a year, the Fund "is a statement from the church to its future leaders that says yes, your decision to prepare for leadership in the church through seminary education is important, and we want to back you up," she said. Seminaries, as well as students, face financial challenges, and "our seminaries do marvelous work. There is also a need for more people to respond to the call as we see a significant number of our current rostered leaders moving toward retirement by 2012. We need to be about this work," she said.
Eighteen of the ELCA's 65 synods have created partnerships to award scholarships with a combined endowment balance of more than $2 million.
"We've partnered with a growing number of synods to create a synod-name Fund for Leaders in Mission within the umbrella of the churchwide program," said Halverson. "This year we gave nearly $100,000 through synod scholarships to (approximately) 37 students," she said.
This year 122 students at ELCA seminaries receive tuition support through the Fund and related partnerships. More than 200 students have received tuition support through the Fund and other partnerships. Thirty past recipients are now serving ELCA congregations as pastors or professional lay leaders.
The 23 new students, who were selected for full-tuition scholarships are listed by name, home town, degree program and seminary:
+ Jason Chesnut, San Antonio, Texas
M.Div., Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
+ Ramon Collazo, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
+ John Cummings, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
M.Div., Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.
+ Lauren Dow, Austin, Texas
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.
+ Willbert Fletcher III, Durham, N.C.
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.
+ Bethany Hager, Westerville, Ohio M.Div., Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
+ Jocelyn Johnston, Kittanning, Pa.
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
+ Sarah Klauck, North Conway, N.H.
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa.
+ Kimberly Knowle, Northwood, Ohio
M.Div., Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio
+ Stephanie McCarthy, Greenville, Wis.
M.Div., Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa
+ Margaret Monroe, Cleveland, Ohio
M.Div., Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.
+ Elizabeth Nees, Chicago
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
+ Seth Novak, Great Falls, Mont.
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa.
+ Jerome O'Neal, Asheville, N.C.
M.Div., Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio
+ Rick Reiten, Rice Lake, Wis.
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.
+ Sumie Song, Chicago
M.Div., Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
+ Rebecca Sorensen, Racine, Wis. M.A., Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
+ Renee Splichal, Garrison, N.D.
M.Div., Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa
+ Alexis Twito, Glendale, Wis.
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
+ Nicholas Weber, Maple Valley, Wash. M.Div., Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
+ Lauren Wendt, Troy, Mich. M.A., Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
+ Linda Wimmer, Edmonton, Alberta
M.Div., Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
+ Emily Wineland, Chelsea, Mich.
M.Div., Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.
Fourteen new students received partial-tuition scholarships:
+ Teal Anderson, Baltimore, Md.
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
+ Andrew Behrendt, Green Bay, Wis. M.Div., Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
+ JonPaul Dragseth, Eau Claire, Wis.
M.Div., Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa
+ Daniel Durbin, Gladston, Mich.
M.Div., Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
+ Ellery Dykeman, Lebanon, Ore.
M.Div., Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa
+ Scott Egbers, Hooper, Neb. M.Div., Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
+ Rheanna Goodrich, East Lansing, Mich.
M.Div., Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio
+ Anne Haugen, Salem, Ore.
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa.
+ Peter Johanson, Stevens Point, Wis.
M.Div., Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio
+ Emily Matthews, Simpsonville, S.C.
M.A., Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.
+ Hans Knut Petersen, Colfax, Wash.
M.Div., Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.
+ Mark Peterson, Lauderdale, Minn.
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.
+ Breonna Tavenner, Tucson, Ariz.
M.Div., Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.
+ Nicole Wachter, Middletown, Md.
M.A., Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa. - - -
Audio comments from Halverson related to this story are at http://media.elca.org/audionews/061129.mp3 on the ELCA Web site.
Information about the Fund for Leaders in Mission is at http://www.ELCA.org/fo/FundforLeaders on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog