News
30 April 2024 |
The Lake Union Conference has dedicated $1 million to a scholarship fund aimed at supporting students at Andrews University who are pursuing careers in teaching and pastoral ministry. According to the Lake Union Herald, the scholarships are set to cover four years of education in either field, starting in the fall of 2024. Ken Denslow, president of the Lake Union Conference, cited a declining number of students entering these vital roles as the impetus for the initiative. “We are seeing a real need to recruit more teachers and pastors,” said Denslow. “As educators move or retire, we notice it is increasingly difficult to fill these roles. There are young people who would be open to the call of being educators and pastors, but cost gets in the way.”
The staffing shortages are looming. Ruth Horton, Lake Union’s education director, reports that the union anticipates numerous teacher vacancies in its Early Childhood through Grade 12 schools by next school year. Similarly, the North American Division expects up to 2,000 pastoral openings in the next five years due to retirements.
In the article, Carmelo Mercado, Lake Union vice president for multicultural ministries, points out that “Many of our youth are interested in serving the church but as first-generation students they don’t have the resources to attend our universities.” With a growing immigrant and refugee population, the goal would also be to include and support students who may be willing to enter the fields, but may not have the financial support to do so.
The fund represents a strategic use of Lake Union’s reserves to invest in the future leadership of the church. A committee composed of leaders from the union, conference, and university is currently setting the criteria for scholarship awards, with further details to be announced soon. Anyone interested in supporting the initiative directly can email lurf@lakeunion.org or call 269-473-8200.
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