CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the women's organization of the ELCA, has awarded $125,600 in grants to projects and $35,700 in scholarships to women preparing for ordained ministry, academic leadership in higher education institutions and lay leadership development for the 1998-1999 school year.
"Gifts from thousands of faithful women make these scholarships and grants possible," said Catherine I. H. Braasch, executive director. "Whether it is a grant to assist in transforming lives and communities, or a scholarship to prepare women for ministry in many walks of life, Women of the ELCA counts it as a privilege to stand with these recipients."
The Herbert and Corinne Chilstrom Scholarship, established on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of women's ordination in the U.S. Lutheran church, was awarded to a second-career student attending an ELCA seminary to prepare for ordained ministry, said Bonnie Belasic, director for communication.
The Academic Leadership Scholarship was awarded to four women this year. The goal of this scholarship is to assist in the development of senior faculty women or staff leadership at ELCA colleges and seminaries, said Belasic.
Scholarship awards for ELCA laywomen to seek undergraduate, graduate, professional or vocational courses of study were given to 15 women to pursue education in ministry to the aging, arts and sciences, teacher credentialing, nursing, medical services (physician), psychology, secondary education and English as a second language, supervision and administration, accounting, elementary education, business administration, theater education, and biochemistry.
Two scholarships were not awarded in 1998 due to lack of qualified candidates. They were the Prince/Belmer Scholarship to assist women studying for ELCA services abroad, and the Wettstein, Kahler, Vickers/Raup Scholarships to assist women studying for service in health professions connected with ELCA projects abroad.
"The projects funded this year touch on a broad range of issues affecting women and children, including international concerns, child care, literacy, homelessness, domestic abuse, job and skill training, mental health, immigration concerns, parenting, and community organization and development," said Doris E. Strieter, grants program administrator.
Twenty-two of the projects are dedicated to help women and children break the cycles of poverty and injustice, specifically through educational advancement and enrichment, life skills training, income-generating projects, leadership development, public policy advocacy and community organizing projects.
Of the 41 programs funded by grants, more than half are sponsored and run directly by Lutheran congregations, women's units, social service organizations, or they have significant support from coalitions of Lutheran congregations.
Women of the ELCA has members in 8,596 congregations and 64 synodical women's organizations throughout the United States and Caribbean. The grant and scholarship application processes for 1999 opens in fall 1998.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director 1-773-380-2958 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
