News T
9 New wine, new wineskins
he ELCA sponsored a first- ever gathering of leaders from
Lutheran churches, seminaries and other higher education institu- tions across Latin America and the Caribbean Aug. 7-11 in Bogota, Colombia. Under the theme, “Vino Nuevo, Odres Nuevos” (New wine, new wineskins) the leaders explored models of leadership development. “This is the first gathering of its kind,” said Raquel Rodriguez, ELCA Global Mission area pro- gram director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Before churches stuck with churches and seminaries stuck with seminaries. They did not have a place to talk together about leadership formation. This has been eye-opening since many seminaries in the region are ecumenical, rather than Lutheran.
“The church bodies are consid- ering what they can ask seminar- ies to do, and what they must do themselves to help form leaders’ Lutheran identity.”
Following the event, leaders will convene a group to consider basic, online or in-person theological
training, as well as continuing edu- cation in areas such as trauma heal- ing and disaster mitigation, she said. “Some churches can’t use stan- dardized theological education pro- grams because not everyone has the same access to education,” Rodri- guez explained. “Some must begin by first teaching those called by God to serve [how] to read and write.” Several ELCA churchwide and seminary leaders were also pres- ent to share their perspectives and opportunities for collaboration. One such effort takes place this fall, Rodriguez said. “An online Lutheran confessions course for the ELCA’s Theological Educa- tion for Emerging Ministries (see page 46) includes seven students in El Salvador,” she said. “And it is being taught by a professor from the Higher Education Institute of Evan- gelical Theological Studies.” The institute is an ecumenical
seminary in Buenos Aires, Argen- tina, formed by nine Protestant churches, including the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Argentina and Uruguay.
COURTESY OF ELCA GLOBAL MISSION
Update: refugees in Dadaab Conditions at the Dadaab refugee camp in northeastern Kenya have improved, reports the Lutheran World Federation, which manages the complex. It is home to more than 450,000 refugees from Soma- lia. Since fall 2011, a few scattered tented roofs that housed the primary school are now serving more than 2,000 children with the addition of walled classrooms, play equipment and water from taps supplied by bore- holes. Where a year ago as many as 40 children shared one textbook and many sat on the floor, today they sit at desks reading their own textbooks. The LWF runs six schools at Dadaab and employs more than 500 teachers, but thousands of children still don’t attend school.
Amish guilty of hate crimes Samuel Mullet was convicted in September of federal hate crimes and conspiracy for exhorting his Amish followers to forcibly shear the hair and beards of those who opposed his Ohio sect. Fifteen other family members and followers from his ultra-strict Amish order 100 miles southeast of Cleveland also were convicted of conspiracy and hate crimes after a trial that attracted international attention. Sentencing will be in January.
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This animosity against Christians is so rampant that it now has a name: Christophobia.
In August 2012, the ELCA sponsored a first-ever gathering in Bogota, Colom- bia, of leaders from Lutheran churches, seminaries and other higher education institutions across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, presi- dent of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bish- ops, speaking at a conference on religious
freedom in which he described the persecu- tion of Christians abroad as “epidemic.”
10 The Lutheran •
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