Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, this fall welcomed 43 new students to its Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology (EIIT), a distance-education, pastor-training program for immigrants.
The seminary brought those students -- and 23 others who enrolled in February -- to its campus earlier this month for orientation and classes.
Although the program is open to any immigrant who is serving in a pastoral role, the vast majority of students are from Africa, according to Rev. Yohannes Mengsteab, director of the program. Mengsteab also serves as director of multi-ethnic and urban missions with LCMS World Mission.
About two-thirds of the first EIIT class are African, and all but three in the new class are from African countries, Mengsteab said. Others in the program are Asian, Hispanic and Native American. And, two women -- an Asian and an African -- are taking EIIT courses to prepare them for service as deaconesses.
Mengsteab, who is from Eritrea, East Africa, helped start the EIIT program, which was originally conceived for African immigrants because of the need for theological training among them. While the Synod has more than 70 African-immigrant ministries, the vast majority of them are led by laymen -- fewer than a dozen African-immigrant leaders are ordained, according to Mengsteab.
"There is a need in the church," he said. "If we want to be engaged in a missionary-training movement, then an alternate training program is a must."
Most of those enrolled in the program are working full time in secular jobs while they serve as pastors to groups of immigrants like themselves. They preach sermons, lead Bible studies and perform baptisms, among other duties. Most of the students gave up a week's salary to attend the weeklong EIIT training and orientation in St. Louis.
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