wfn.org | UCC Genereal Synod endorses support for seminarians

[powellb@ucc.org]

United Church of Christ
General Synod Newsroom
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
newsroom@ucc.org
http://www.ucc.org

By Tim Kershner

MINNEAPOLIS?Delegates to the United Church of Christ's General Synod called
on the denomination's 6,000 congregations to take greater responsibility
for the education and preparation of future ordained leaders.

In a unanimous vote, delegates urged congregations to address the crisis of
mounting debt among its seminary students. Possible action includes
increasing the funds available for financial assistance and requiring
financial planning as a condition of enrollment.

"The educational debt faced by many seminary graduates represents not only
individual hardship but theological crisis," they noted. In addition to
highlighting the need to assist current students, the resolution calls for
a feasibility study to determine the ability to establish an endowment for
all UCC seminary students. The goal is for each student to graduate free of
seminary debt.

The move to explore raising scholarship funds comes during a meeting in
which the financial health of the denomination was very much debated.
Church General Minister and President John H. Thomas called for a
$1-billion campaign to support the denomination's ministry in local,
national and global settings. Proponents for a seminarian scholarship fund
suggest a $60-million fund devoted to tuition support. Jean Alexander,
Conference Minister with the Maine Conference, says this issue concerns all
levels of the church. "Every setting has a responsibility to deal with this
problem."

According to Steve Johnson, Minister for Higher and Theological Education
in Local Church Ministries, several seminarians are fortunate to receive
scholarship assistance from their churches, conferences and other sources.
Yet the average seminarian today graduates with approximately $33,000 in
debt. The total debt for all current UCC seminarians is close to $3
million.

While supporting the spirit of the resolution, several delegates expressed
concern for provisions reserving tuition support to students who are "in
care" of a local Association and to students attending approved seminaries.
Jerry Lawritson, of San Diego, Calif., noted that many accredited
seminaries are opposed to some tenets of UCC theology. He also asked if a
student is taken into the care of his or her Association during his or her
seminary education, would tuition support be retroactive.

A motion to impose a ceiling on financial support to the average tuition of
the UCC-related Chicago, Union and Eden seminaries failed. Also failing was
a motion to remove a provision requesting reimbursement if the student does
not enter the ministry. John Gage, New Haven, Conn., noted that several
groups of people, including minorities, openly gay and older women
graduates often wait longer than other groups to receive a call to the
ministry.

Also affecting the growth of seminarian debt is the changing face of the
typical seminarian. Students are increasingly entering divinity schools
later in life, bringing with them a multitude of household financial
responsibilities, including housing and car payments, child care expenses
and other costs. And those issues only affect individuals who choose to
change careers and enter seminary.

"We need to understand that the prospect of great debt is a hindrance from
entering seminary," Alexander noted, suggesting a potential loss of
talented individuals at all levels of the church.

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