Department: Pre-Seminary Program
Description:
The pre-seminary program will be instating a required program of early ministry experience starting in the 2023-24 academic year. One part of that program will require pre-seminary students (preferably freshmen) to spend 15+ hours with a parish pastor (preferably not his father) to learn about being a pastor, to experience pastoral work in that location, and to participate in pastoral work in a way that is appropriate for a student at that level of ministry training. Among the pastors we want to connect students with are our home mission pastors. This will enable students who have never experienced a home mission start before to talk with a pastor and people who are doing it right now. We pray this will excite students for this work in particular, as a way for MLC’s pre-seminary program to support our WELS 100 Missions in 10 Years effort. The course proposal offers this explanation for the way in which the course prepares young men for pastoral ministry: The course intends to … 1. offer encouragement to students to continue in their training for pastoral ministry by having them spend time with a parish pastor who is well-respected and joyful in his ministry. That is the primary goal. 2. Equip students with skills and attitudes needed for pastoral ministry. 3. Expose students to pastoral ministry in settings different from those they know. 4. Provide pre-seminary advisors with insight into how a student functions outside of a classroom setting. During the 2022-23 school year we would like to conduct a pilot program before the requirement takes effect the following school year. It is for this pilot program that we are making our request. Estimated cost: airline tickets for students @ $500 each, incidental travel costs (meals, gas) @ $50-100 per student.
Cost: $2,000 – FUNDED
Submitted by: Dean Jim Danell
