News L
By the staff of The Lutheran, ELCA News Service and Religion News Service Seminary & college to unite
utheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C., plans to become Lenoir-Rhyne University’s school of theology in 2012. Lenoir- Rhyne, Hickory, N.C., will continue to operate the school of theology out of Columbia. Southern will remain one of eight ELCA seminaries, retain- ing its name and identity within the university.
“This opportunity to be part of
Lenoir-Rhyne University enhances the seminary’s ability to fulfill its mission to the church,” said Marcus J. Miller, president of Southern. “The seminary understands that to meet the needs of the church in today’s environment we must create innova- tive solutions that are sustainable and effective. “The partnership will allow the
seminary to develop a new and more effective administrative model, make theological education more accessible for a greater number of people, and will allow the seminary in Columbia to continue its historic tradition of preparing women and men for minis- try in the church.” Wayne Powell, university presi- dent, said, “By joining with [the semi- nary], Lenoir-Rhyne has an excellent opportunity to provide greater service to various constituents, especially those within our church. We are for- tunate that both of these institutions are excelling in their respective areas, and because of this we are able to enter into this agreement to provide theological education to a broader range of people in the South.” Miller said the seminary appre-
ciates the high quality of Lenoir- Rhyne’s educational program. “We believe this alignment will strengthen the mission of both schools,” he said. Trustees at both institutions decided to merge based on a partner-
8 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
ship feasibility study authorized in fall 2010. Those conversations, Miller said, were “rich and fruitful.” Lenoir-Rhyne, established in
1891, offers various professional programs and nine master’s degree programs. Southern Seminary, founded in 1830, offers three theo- logical master’s degrees and many contextual learning experiences that teach, form and nurture future ministers. Not only will the schools be able to strengthen their offer- ings, but Powell envisions expand- ing seminary programs by placing relevant graduate programs on the Columbia campus.
Much work remains, Miller said. “We are diligently study- ing every aspect of the seminary, from budget and personnel needs, to accreditation and ecclesiastical requirements,” he said. “From what we know right now, we believe we can work through all of the details and be prepared to move forward by this time next year.” Trustees approved a prelimi- nary time line for the merger, with both schools beginning in summer 2011 to combine some operations, including administrative respon- sibilities and operations in enroll- ment management, financial aid and advancement. The merger could become offi-
cial as early as summer 2012. Throughout the merger process, the schools will continue to consult with accrediting bodies (the Asso- ciation of Theological Schools and the Southern Association of Col- leges and Schools), as well as the ELCA churchwide organization and supporting synods in Region 9 (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Southeastern, Florida- Bahamas and Caribbean).
Pa. Lutherans reach out
St. Paul Lutheran Church, Loysville, Pa., ministered to the Perry County family that lost seven children in a farmhouse fire in March by gathering goods and money. The Clouse family are members of Church of the Living Christ, which in March was receiving 500 checks a day in the mail for the family. Leah, 3, is the only surviving child. In a one-day fundraiser, St. Paul raised “tens of thousands of dollars for the family” by putting buckets on the street and serving a meal, reported
Pennlive.com. The church also filled a tractor trailer with donated items, such as clothing and furniture, to fur- nish a residence under construction across the street from the burned-out house.
Help for Libyan refugees As fighting continued between the forces of Muammar Gaddafi and rebels, the Lutheran World Federa- tion sent staff from member churches to assess and prepare for a possible humanitarian effort. The team is working out of the Sousha Refugee Camp, which serves about 15,000 people on the Tunisian side of the border. Fearing camps could be over- whelmed by people fleeing Libya, LWF staff is expanding facilities to make room for up to 100,000 refu- gees. To help, pray and give at www.
elca.org/disaster; 800-638-3522; or by mail to ELCA International Disas- ter Response, 39330 Treasury Center, Chicago, IL 60694-9300.
Don’t blame God Most Americans don’t believe natu- ral disasters are divine punishment, a test of faith or some other sign from God, according to a Public Religion Research Institute and Religion News Service poll taken after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan. But six in 10 evangelicals believe God can use natural disasters to send mes-
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52