ELCA NEWS SERVICE
September 27, 2004
More Lutherans Saying 'Yes' To Global Service
04-182-MR
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutherans from the United States have been
serving around the world for more than 160 years. Global mission
continues to be essential for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) today, as the number of new missionaries is on the
rise.
"We're very grateful that, in the past two years, we've seen
an increase in the number of people who have responded to the
call to serve in global mission. In the time period from January
to August 2002, we placed 98 new mission personnel in service.
From January to August 2004, we placed 141" new mission
personnel, said the Rev. Stephen J. Nelson, director for
international personnel, ELCA Division for Global Mission. The
total number of ELCA mission personnel is about 320, he said.
Nelson said one reason for the increase may be that "all
Americans are much more world-aware" since Sept. 11, 2001. "That
awareness has translated into people who realize that life is too
short to put off doing important things," according to a member
of the ELCA currently in service, Nelson said.
"Of the 141 [Lutherans] that began service the first eight
months of this year, 79 were under the age of 30," Nelson said.
Of the 79, "41 of them are currently serving in the church's
Young Adults in Global Mission program," he said.
Established in 1999 with 10 participants, Young Adults in
Global Mission is a one-year international service opportunity
organized by the ELCA. This year 41 young adults are
volunteering in Argentina, Egypt, Germany, Kenya, Thailand and
the United Kingdom. Service in each area is designed to build
leadership skills, spiritual growth, global awareness and
understanding.
"This is a program we're quite excited about," said Nelson.
"The church needs leaders who are globally formed and informed,
and who are adept and at ease in other cultures and languages.
The church is providing young adults with a significant cross-
cultural experience in a formative time in their lives. Their
faith is tested in an interfaith context, and they mature in
their understanding of God and God's place for them in the
world."
Nelson attributes some of the interest among young adults
engaged in global mission to school. "Colleges are placing
greater emphasis on international experiences within the college
curriculum. There's also a larger service element not only in
colleges and universities but in high schools. I think people are
growing up with a service attitude," he said.
According to Elizabeth Nees, recruitment assistant, Young
Adults in Global Mission, there are some "young adults who feel
that there's not a place for them in the church. We've seen a
decrease in the number of young adults in worship and in
congregations."
"At a time when the budget is really tight at the [ELCA]
churchwide office and in the church as a whole, it's extremely
reaffirming to me that, within all these budget cuts, every year
the budget for this program for young adults increases. To me
that says something about this church and its investment among
young adults, [particularly those] with a global perspective.
That's something that I'm really proud of," she said.
Under the young adult program, Nees served for one year in
Cairo, Egypt, from 2003 to 2004. She worked at St. Andrew's
Refugee Ministry, which serves refugees from Sudan and other
parts of Africa. Nees directed the children's part of the
ministry. She said her experience there "changed her life
spiritually and personally."
On the other end of the spectrum, said Nelson, Lutherans in
early retirement are also considering global mission work.
"After six months of golf they wonder what's next. They want to
continue to make a contribution, and they see that mission
service is an option for them and a way to live out a vital role
in life."
Nelson also noted that 70 percent of ELCA mission personnel
are lay people.
"I think the percentage of lay people has always been larger
than clergy," he said. "Traditionally, the three pillars of
mission were church, school and hospital, and two of those were
in the domain of laity. Today a large number of our missionaries
are serving in teaching capacities -- English as a second
language, high school or college instructors of various subjects.
We still have a number of health care professionals,
administrators and the like -- all lay professionals," he said.
The large percentage of young adults serving in mission is
another factor for the higher number of lay people, Nelson said.
A trend for mission personnel to serve shorter terms has
"opened the door to more lay people in teaching, health and
administration positions. Pastors traditionally have been more
prevalent in the long-term career positions, but the number of
those positions has decreased as more and more locally-trained
pastors and leaders have assumed positions formerly held by
American pastors," he said.
Changing Role of the Missionary
In the "early days of American mission work outside the
territory of the United States, [missionaries] were going to
areas where, for lack of better words, the gospel had not been
heard. Those early pioneer missionaries did a wonderful job of
preaching, teaching and leading small groups of Christians in
various countries. The gospel took root and a church developed.
They began training their own pastors, teachers and so forth. As
the church matured, the kind of mission personnel needed also
changed," Nelson said.
"Although we still need pastors to serve in Africa, for
example, the number is not as high as before, because Africans
now serve as pastors in their own congregations," he said. "Our
role now is more in leadership development, teaching at
seminaries, finance management, and responding to other needs as
expressed by" the ELCA's companion churches around the world,
Nelson said.
Another aspect about the changing role of the missionary is
"that we talk about mutuality in mission, and the terminology we
use is 'accompaniment.' We accompany our partners or companions
around the world. We don't sit in Chicago deciding what the
church in Zimbabwe needs or the church in Indonesia needs. We
listen to what their needs are, and we also learn from them
because, in other parts of the world, the church is growing. In
the United States we have a slight decline in our membership, so
we have much to learn. We're very serious about mutuality in
mission," Nelson said.
Current openings for long-term and short-term international
mission appointments and self-support volunteer positions are
posted at www.elca.org/globalserve on the ELCA's Web site.
The ELCA Division for Global Mission manages the process of
promoting opportunities for service, recruiting, screening and
appointing of candidates. Lutherans serving in international
settings with the ELCA are considered missionaries regardless of
the length or type of service.
ELCA Missionary Sponsorship
Individual members and congregations of the ELCA sponsor
mission personnel by providing "new money," versus using the
church's currently-committed funds for general mission support.
A congregation or individual sponsorship can be arranged for any
amount through a variety of options. One option is the
"Missionary Covenant Program," in which an individual and/or
congregation provides annual contributions of $1,000 or more. A
missionary will be matched to a congregation, one of the 65
synods of the ELCA or an individual, and the ELCA Division for
Global Mission will provide information to the missionary about
the sponsor and to the sponsor about the missionary. Sponsors
are expected to correspond with the missionary and to pray for
them in worship and informal settings. Missionaries are also
expected to maintain regular contact with sponsors.
Another option is the "Missionary-for-a-Day" program. Under
this program, any amount can be contributed and the sponsor is
not specifically matched with a missionary; gifts are applied to
the support of the missionaries that the Division for Global
Mission chooses to be the recipients.
-- -- --
Information about global mission service of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America is available at
http://www.elca.org/globalserve/ on the Internet.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
