PHILADELPHIA (ELCA) Going to college for 90 percent of youth from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America means going to a non-ELCA college or university. But it need not mean losing contact with their church.
Nearly all ELCA college students today have a Lutheran Campus Ministry available to them. The 90th anniversary of campus work, which began at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, was marked with a celebration at ELCA Churchwide Assembly held here, Aug 14-20.
"Campus ministry is a key ministry in this church ... for producing the next generation of leaders for the 21st century," said the Rev. W. Robert Sorensen, executive director of the ELCA's Division for Higher Education and Schools.
The ELCA honored Lutheran Campus Ministry by reviewing its history during a program at the Heritage and Hope Village in the Pennsylvania Convention Center and by presenting a plaque to the Rev. James R. Carr, ELCA's director for campus ministry.
Also honored during the program was the Lutheran Student Movement-U.S.A., a pan-Lutheran organization for college students that is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Sorensen also cited LSM-USA as a key component for producing church leaders.
Sorensen said the celebration recognized both Lutheran Campus Ministry and the Lutheran Student Movement "for the thousands upon thousands of leaders, both clergy and lay, who have come through these ministries into the church for these many, many years."
Lutheran Campus Ministry is staffed by 144 pastors and lay professionals. More than 800 parishes also work with LSM to provide ministry to college communities that are without campus-ministry staff.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities 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:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
