ELCA Fund for Leaders Honors 2008 Scholarship Recipients

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), seminary
presidents, churchwide leaders and supporters of the ELCA Fund
for Mission honored 33 first-year seminary students Oct. 3 who
received full- or partial-tuition scholarships for the 2008-2009
academic year through the Fund. Each scholarship recipient is
enrolled in one of the eight ELCA seminaries.
The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the
church that includes the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, presiding
bishop and secretary. It met here Oct. 2-7.
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 ELCA seminaries.
When fully endowed the Fund's goal is to provide full-tuition
assistance for every ELCA seminary student committed to a future
in parish ministry.
The Fund also honored philanthropists who have provided
substantial financial gifts and donated time to support the
initiative.
Honored were Betty Gyllstrom, wife of the late Rev. Lester
Gyllstrom, Chicago, and his mother, Evelyn Gyllstrom, for their
gift of a scholarship in honor of Gyllstrom; Max and the late
Phyllis Krell, Kingsport, Tenn., for their support of a seminary
scholarship; the Rev. Gerald and Marihope Troutman, Newnan, Ga.,
for their gifts and his service to the Fund; and Christine
Mummert, Harrisburg, Pa., who provided a scholarship to honor her
late husband, Earl L. Mummert.
The Rev. Paul N. Hanson, director, ELCA Fund for Leaders,
said 5,657 donors have contributed. "They are deeply committed
not only to the Fund for Leaders, but committed so that those
called into ministry will not have financial debt," he said.
For this academic year the Fund supports 148 future leaders
preparing for ordained and professional lay ministry. It will
distribute nearly $778,000 this academic year, Hanson said.
Since the Fund began awarding scholarships in 2000, 408
students have benefited, he said. The Fund has distributed a
total of more than $4 million in tuition support. Twenty-six of
the ELCA's 65 synods are Fund partners, and about half of the
funds raised have been for synod partner scholarships, Hanson
said.
Students who received full-tuition scholarships for the 2008-
2009 academic year, each studying for a master of divinity
degree, are:
+ Kevin Baker, Freeport, Texas, Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago
+ Megan Eide, Sioux Falls, S.D., Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago
+ Megan Fryling, Holland, Mich., Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Philadelphia
+ Caitlin Glass, Fairfax Station, Va., Lutheran Theological
Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.)
+ Bradley Haugen, St. Paul, Minn., Luther Seminary, St. Paul
+ Holly Johnson, Moorhead, Minn., Pacific Lutheran Theological
Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.
+ Ann Kelly, Boone, N.C., Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary,
Columbia, S.C.
+ Jo Kinnard, Elgin, Ill., Wartburg Theological Seminary,
Dubuque, Iowa
+ Anders Peterson, Minneapolis, Pacific Lutheran Theological
Seminary
+ Cynthia Ritter, Oregon, Ohio, Trinity Lutheran Seminary,
Columbus, Ohio
+ Deanna Scheffel, Warrenton, Va., Lutheran Theological Southern
Seminary
+ Paul Schick, Fullerton, Calif., Wartburg Theological Seminary
+ Rodney Smith, Hampstead, N.H., Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Philadelphia
+ Sarah Timian, Langdon, N.D., Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Gettysburg
+ Rachel Voxland, Moorhead, Minn., Luther Seminary
+ Brett Wilson, Midlothian, Va., Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Philadelphia
+ Jared Witt, Littleton, Colo., Trinity Lutheran Seminary
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Information about the ELCA Fund for Leaders is at
http://www.ELCA.org/fundforleaders on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog