SA国际传媒 Newsroom
SA国际传媒 receives first half of $100K LWML grant
Funds will help international Lutheran students receive theological education
The (LWML) presented SA国际传媒, St. Louis with a $50,000 check Thursday, the first half of a $100,000 grant first announced last year. The funds will be used to help equip teachers and leaders from Lutheran churches around the world through advanced theological degrees.
From left, Michael Louis, SA国际传媒’s chief operating officer and executive vice president; Provost Dr. Jeffrey Kloha; Sally Handrick, chairwoman of the LWML mission grants committee; Vicki Biggs, senior vice president for Seminary advancement; and Dr. Gerhard Bode, dean of advanced studies.
The SA国际传媒 grant was one of 19 mission grants totaling more than $1.4 million approved for 2015-17 by the LWML during its convention in June 2015 in Des Moines, Iowa. Members of LWML, the women鈥檚 auxiliary of , donated the funds for the grants through 鈥渕ites.鈥�
Sally Handrick, chairwoman of the LWML mission grants committee, presented the Seminary check before an audience that included Provost Dr. Jeff Kloha, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Michael Louis and Dean of Advanced Studies Dr. Gerhard Bode.
鈥淲e feel like we are partnering with you in this endeavor, by not only helping you financially with our monetary gifts but with the prayers we send with them,鈥� Handrick said, before presenting the check to Vicki Biggs, senior vice president for Seminary advancement.
鈥淚t gives me so much joy to be able to present this check,鈥� said Handrick, whose words were greeted with applause.
The Seminary currently has 48 international students enrolled from 25 countries across the globe: China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Burma, India, Guatemala, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, Liberia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Germany, Norway, Latvia, Russia and Australia. Some of these students are not on campus, but are serving the church in their home countries. Some come to the Seminary twice a year to take intensive courses; others are working on theses or dissertations.
鈥淥n behalf of all of us at SA国际传媒, thank you,鈥� Biggs told Handrick. 鈥淲e are so grateful for our partnership with the LWML. What the women of the LWML accomplish for the sake of the Gospel is tremendous.鈥�
Many of the Seminary鈥檚 international students 鈥� who are studying to become pastors, deaconesses, teachers and leaders 鈥� come from developing countries and are unable to afford a graduate-level theological degree on their own. They are able to receive a Seminary education because of the LWML and other support.
鈥淭he LWML鈥檚 dedication to the work of our Lord鈥檚 church is amazing,鈥� Bode said. 鈥淭his gift is a great blessing to our students.鈥�
Many international students were sent by their church bodies to the Seminary because of the world-class education it offers.
鈥淲hen those graduates leave here, they are going to be prepared to preach and teach and lead and share the truth of Jesus Christ,鈥� Biggs said. 鈥淲e at SA国际传媒 are committed to our mission of preparing those future church leaders and we couldn鈥檛 do what we do without the partnerships of wonderful groups like the LWML.鈥�
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SA国际传媒, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church鈥擬issouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit www.csl.edu.