Title: ELCA Creates Global Sabbatical Awards to Foster Global Relationships ELCA NEWS SERVICE
May 14, 2007
ELCA Creates Global Sabbatical Awards to Foster Global Relationships 07-083-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In an effort to strengthen relationships among Lutheran churches and institutions, scholars and students around the world, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has created the Global Sabbatical Awards Program. Developed as a response to seminaries outside of the United States requesting faculty and administrators from ELCA seminaries to teach and train students, pastors and administrators, the ELCA also seeks to be enriched by international mission stories.
"Our communities and congregations are being challenged and transformed by globalization, by the accelerating migration of people, cultures and ideas. In order for our seminaries to prepare leaders for mission in this time, it is vitally important that the already deep connections among ELCA seminaries and partner schools and churches around the world grow even richer. The new Global Sabbatical Awards program has tremendous promise to spur this growth," said the Rev. Jonathan P. Strandjord, director for theological education, ELCA Vocation and Education.
According to the Rev. Stephen J. Nelson, director for international personnel, ELCA Global Mission, the program "will strengthen the programs and capacity of (Lutheran) companion churches and institutions by providing them with ELCA seminary faculty to teach in positions that cannot be filled locally. We anticipate that following the sabbatical, ELCA seminary faculty will return to share their new insights and experiences with seminarians, which will enrich their education."
The Global Sabbatical Awards Program is a collaboration among ELCA Global Mission, ELCA Vocation and Education and the eight seminaries and two extension centers of the ELCA. The program is in its pilot phase for the 2007-2008 academic year, open to ELCA seminary faculty and administrators who apply through ELCA Global Mission. Types of assignments include teaching in international seminary classrooms and specialized assistance and training of pastors.
Nelson said the program came about because the "number of requests that come to the ELCA from international theological institutions has outstripped our ability to place faculty through our traditional patterns of service. It is hoped that this program will result in more of the requests being filled."
"The program allows us to provide our teaching theologians an opportunity to engage in a cross-cultural theological education setting," said the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director, ELCA Global Mission.
"In this exchange they will assist our companions in training people for mission and ministry and be able to interact with different theological perspectives. The program will help us offer the gift of our teaching theologians and, through them, receive the witness of our companions. The program is a great way to experience and engage in teaching theology from a global, multicultural and multifaceted perspective," he said. - - -
Information about ELCA Global Mission is at http://www.ELCA.org/globalmission on the Web. Information about ELCA Vocation and Education is at http://www.ELCA.org/vocationeducation on the Web.
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