CHICAGO (ELCA) - At least 135 new mission personnel with the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are being deployed
through August 2005, the highest number of new missionaries in
recent years.
From September to December, additional new mission personnel
will be deployed, said Sonya Lindquist, associate director for
international personnel, ELCA Division for Global Mission.
"The number of people interested in mission service is
overwhelming," said Lindquist. Currently there are 281 ELCA
missionaries serving throughout the world.
There are four newly ordained pastors and one person soon to
be consecrated as a deaconess who have accepted their first calls
to serve abroad through the ELCA's Global Mission program. The
Rev. Brian Konkol, the Rev. Dirk Stadtlander, the Rev. Stephanie
Quick, the Rev. Shelly Satran and Sylvia Countess will be serving
their first calls in Guyana, Senegal, Costa Rica, Haiti and in
the West Bank of Israel, respectively.
Konkol served his internship in South America, at Ebenezer
Lutheran Parish, a three-point parish, in New Amsterdam, Guyana,
from August of 2003 to July 2004.
"Realizing how connected we all are ... to people all over
the world" greatly impressed Konkol while in Guyana, he said.
It's important to remember "that when going to these
different countries our role isn't really giver and teacher, but
receiving and learning from them," Konkol said. Halfway through
his internship Konkol said he knew global mission work was
something he wanted to continue doing.
In August Konkol will return to Guyana to serve his first
call as pastor at Emmanuel Parish, a four-point parish, in
Skeldon. He is also serving as the director of a Lutheran camp
and retreat center that hosts mission trips from the U.S. Konkol
said he is looking forward to talking with young people about
ordained ministry and sharing with them that God empowers all
people and that they have the ability to use their gifts to serve
God.
There are several types of service opportunities available
through the ELCA Division for Global Mission: Global Mission Two-
Year Personnel, Long-Term Personnel, Global Mission Volunteers,
Young Adults in Global Mission and Horizon Seminary Interns.
Currently there are 40 Two-Year mission personnel, 114 Long-Term
Personnel, 50 Volunteers, 39 Young Adults in Global Mission and 5
Horizon Seminary Interns, said Lindquist. There are also 33
people serving in other various patterns of service, she said.
Thirty percent of the ELCA mission personnel are clergy and
70 percent are laypeople. Mission personnel serve in a variety
of roles such as administrators, doctors, nurses, pastors,
program assistants and teachers.
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Information about missionary opportunities is at
http://www.ELCA.org/globalmission/ on the ELCA Web site.
* Kirsten H. Boettner is a senior communication major at Luther
College, Decorah, Iowa. This summer she is an intern with the
ELCA News Service.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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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
