ELCA NEWS SERVICE
October 4, 2011
ELCA Fund for Leaders honors 2011-2012 scholarship recipients
11-126-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) - As part of its commitment to supporting seminary
students preparing for ministry, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) Fund for Leaders honored 19 seminarians with full-tuition
scholarships for the 2011-2012 academic year.
The students were honored Sept. 30 at a banquet attended by ELCA
synod bishops, seminary presidents, churchwide leaders and supporters of
the Fund for Leaders. Each student is enrolled in one of the eight ELCA
seminaries.
At the banquet, ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson offered some
advice to the scholarship recipients. "Maintain high expectations of the
Holy Spirit, and do not lose that unquenchable curiosity of faith," he
said, adding that this church's investment in preparing its leaders "will
yield returns beyond a life time."
Hanson said he remains "hopeful and grateful" for this church more
than he has ever been. "We are a church centered in word and water, bread
and wine. God has called you by name, and there is a place for you in
this church," he said.
Hanson thanked the ELCA seminaries and the 65 synods of this church
for their role in developing new leaders, as well as colleagues at the
churchwide organization and contributors to the ELCA Fund for Leaders.
Individuals contributing significant gifts to ELCA Fund for Leaders
were also recognized at the banquet.
Students who received full-tuition scholarships for the 2011-2012
academic year, each studying for a master of divinity degree, are:
+ Douglas Barclay, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, ELCA
Fund for Leaders and the Irma Lauffer Endowment Scholarship
+ Shawn Brooks, Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, ELCA Fund
for Leaders and the Rev. Eric Wogen Endowment Scholarship
+ McFred Brown, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.), Holpp
Family Endowment Scholarship
+ Deborah Cote, Wartburg Theological Seminary, Astrid V. Wilson Endowment
Scholarship
+Maggie Garberg, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.,
Omer G. & Annabelle K. Voss Endowment Scholarship and the Norman and
Margaret Erckmann Fund
+ Inger Hanson, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, the Rev.
Dr. E. Earl Anderson Endowment Scholarship
+ Brach Jennings, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, John and Sharon
Haugo ELCA Fund for Leaders Endowment Scholarship
+ Lucas Merritt, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, Bethel
Lutheran Church (Chicago) Endowment Scholarship
+ Sarah Milbrodt, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, ELCA Fund for Leaders and
the ELCA Northwestern Ohio Synod Scholarship
+ Brian Rajcok, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., Herlein Family
Endowment Scholarship
+ Sarah Rossing, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, J. Binnie Wolfe
Endowment Scholarship
+ Kyle Severson, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Paul Dauten Jr.
Memorial ELCA Fund for Leaders Scholarship
+ James Smith, Lutheran School of Theology at Gettysburg, ELCA Fund for
Leaders and the Rev. Jeanette Bialas Strandjord Scholarship
+ Samantha Wertz, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.,
the Rev. Olaf A. Berge Endowment Scholarship
+ Anne White, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, L. Travis & Jean M.
Brannon Endowment Scholarship
+ Kristen Wilcox, Luther Seminary, Duane & Phyllis Sander Endowment
Scholarship.
Three of the 19 students received awards from the Mission Developer
Scholarship Fund of the ELCA Mission Investment Fund. Started in 2010,
the Mission Developer Scholarship Fund is designed to support future
pastors called to start new ELCA congregations. This Fund was started
with a $1.5 million matching challenge from the ELCA Mission Investment
Fund.
Students receiving this scholarship are:
+ Daniel Forehand, Trinity Lutheran Seminary
+ Kayla Nelson, Luther Seminary
+ Jocelyn Ranaivoson, Wartburg Theological Seminary.
"The Mission Investment Fund's mission is to help grow the Lutheran
church. What better way to support the growth of this church than by
educating our future leaders?" said Eva Roby, president and CEO of the
Mission Investment Fund.
"The Mission Investment Fund's $1.5 million challenge grant is
providing the seminary with scholarships so vital to the young people who
have made a commitment to serve as mission developers, starting up new
congregations and encouraging our church to flourish," she said.
In addition to the 19 honored at the banquet, another 16 seminary
students were awarded partial-tuition scholarships from the ELCA Fund for
Leaders. Another 94 students were awarded scholarships from the ELCA's 65
synods.
Now in its 11th year, the Fund for Leaders is an ELCA initiative to
build an endowed scholarship resource to provide tuition assistance for
qualified candidates studying at ELCA seminaries. When fully endowed, the
fund's goal is to provide full-tuition assistance for every ELCA seminary
student committed to a future in parish ministry.
According to the Rev. Donald M. Hallberg, interim director for ELCA
Fund for Leaders in Mission, the fund's value today is about $30 million.
Since its inception, the Fund has supported about 800 students and
distributed $7 million in scholarships, he said.
---
Information about the ELCA Fund for Leaders in Mission is available
at http://www.ELCA.org/fundforleaders on the ELCA website.
---
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United
States, with approximately 4.5 million members in more than 10,000
congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as
the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving
grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and
service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German
church reformer, Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Melissa Ramirez Cooper
773-380-2956 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Lutherans
Living Lutheran: http://www.livinglutheran.com
