News
By the staff of The Lutheran, ELCA News Service and Religion News Service
New theology school
The boards of the Lutheran Theo- logical Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.) and the Lutheran Theological Semi- nary at Philadelphia adopted identi- cal resolutions calling for “the cre- ation of a new school of theology and leadership formation.” The boards’ unanimous actions, taken during simultaneous meetings Jan. 12-13, authorize the schools’ presidents and other officers to take all necessary steps required prior to their April 2016 board meetings that would launch the process of creating a uni- fied Lutheran seminary. “Changes in both society and the church call for new experiments in theological edu- cation,” said Jonathan P. Strandjord, ELCA program director for seminar- ies. “The move by Gettysburg and Philadelphia toward forming a new school opens the door to a wide range of very promising experiments.”
College closing
Trinity Lutheran College in Everett, Wash., announced at the beginning of its spring semester that it will cease all academic instruction in May with no intention of resuming classes in the fall. Jim Lindus, executive direc- tor of Trinity, said the school’s busi- ness model is no longer sustainable with only 166 students currently enrolled. There will be a graduation ceremony in May for 55 seniors, and the school is working to find arrange- ments for other colleges and univer- sities to receive its undergraduate students. Trinity was founded in 1944 as an arm of the Minneapolis-based Lutheran Bible Institute.
Edward Osborn, a member of Salem Lutheran Church, Flint, Mich., gets help collecting water donated by Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Livonia, Mich., from Ahmya Miller, 7; Qua’Nyra Page, 10; and Demoni Goddard, 3.
ELCA members respond to Flint water crisis
M
embers of Salem Lutheran Church, Flint, Mich., have reached out to their com-
munity amid the water crisis there by participating in rallies, providing spiritual care and serving as a dona- tion center for bottled water. “People from all over the com-
munity come to this church to find hope, healing, peace—and now we see families coming here in search of life in the form of water,” said Monica Villarreal, pastor of Salem. “I can’t help but think about the call we have in our baptism—the waters of Christ that flow over us in our baptism and call us to work for justice and peace throughout the world. There are no zip codes, racial or economic bar- riers. Every resident of this city has drunk this water and we stand side- by-side as a community raising our voices for justice and for help.” In 2014 the city of Flint changed
its water sources from Lake Huron to the Flint River, which was corro- sive and caused lead from old pipes to leak into the water supply. The state and federal governments have
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www.thelutheran.org
declared a state of emergency in Flint. Salem has received donations from
25 Michigan ELCA congregations, including Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Livonia, which collected and donated more than 3,000 gallons of water to Salem after hosting a drive Jan. 31. Members of Salem distribute the majority of the donated water to residents in the nearby community. ELCA World Hunger disbursed
$5,000 to the Southeast Michigan Synod to help support the immediate need for water and a food pantry at Salem. Villarreal said the pantry will use the funds to purchase food that meets the new nutritional needs of children and adults who have been exposed to lead poisoning, as recom- mended by the Michigan Depart- ment of Health and Human Services. “Certainly across the whole ELCA
prayers are much appreciated and supported,” Villarreal said. “The faith community is what is holding this community together still because it’s all that we have left.” To help, visit
www.semisynod.
com. 8
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