ELCA Leadership Fund Seeks to Pay Seminary Tuition

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The board of the Division for Ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America adopted a plan which could supply well-trained leaders for the church into the indefinite future. Board members approved a design document detailing how the Fund for Leaders in Mission will be implemented. The ELCA Churchwide Assembly approved establishment of the fund in August.
     Meeting Oct. 10-12 in Rosemont, Ill., the board approved a far-reaching plan which seeks "to close the gap" between the cost of seminary tuition and the funds now available to students from ELCA seminaries, synods and congregations. The ultimate goal is "to cover the full cost of tuition for all qualified candidates through the combined ... resources of the seminaries, synods, congregations and the fund."
     ELCA seminaries estimate that their students' tuition and fees will total $12.8 million by the year 2003. They also project they will be able to provide $5.4 million of this in grants and scholarships, 42 percent of the total. The margin, $7.4 million could be covered by the Fund for Leaders in Mission if it had an endowment of $148 million drawing 5 percent interest.
     The immediate goal, says the Rev. Joseph M. Wagner, executive director of the Division for Ministry, is for an initial gift of $1,000,000 from corporate or individual sponsors to put three staff people in place early in 1998. That staff would develop the fund, including interpretive materials to communicate it's purpose and goals to congregations, synods and individual donors.
     They will be governed by a steering committee appointed by the division, which will operate the fund in consultation with the ELCA Foundation and the seminaries.
     The short-term goal is to raise $5.5 million in the first three years of the fund's life.
     The plan, which will focus not on student need but on the church's need for leaders equipped for mission in the new century, will assist students training to be pastors, associates in ministry, deaconal ministers and deaconesses  at ELCA seminaries. A smaller portion of the fund is designated for future teachers and scholars, who are working on doctorates in theological disciplines at accredited graduate schools.
     Grants to students will be distributed, in part, according to financial need until the fund is large enough to meet the full need. Some funds will be reserved for merit scholarships.
     The new fund's implementation plan includes a communication and educational program which will reach all ELCA congregations. It will also identify and contact potential donors of major gifts.
     In other actions, the ministry board re-elected Nelvin Vos, Maxatawny, Pa., as it chairperson.  The board also extended calls to three new staff members:
       Rev. Gregory J. Villalon, Director for Multicultural Leadership Development;
       Rev. Donald A. Stiger, Associate Director for Candidacy and Director for Specialized Pastoral Care and Clinical Education;
       Rev. Richard J. Bruesehoff, Director for Leadership Support.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or
NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html