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 [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog