MLC task force to explore new programs
Filed Under: Congregational Assistant Program, Mandarin, martin luther college, Ministerial Education
The governing board of Martin Luther College (MLC), New Ulm, Minn., at its meeting Sept. 24-26, resolved to create a task force "to study new programs within the mission of MLC that prepare individuals for congregational service."
According to Prof. Philip Leyrer, vice president for enrollment management at MLC, the synod's college of ministry, this means the college will be exploring how to provide training for individuals who do not want to become full-time called workers but still want to be equipped to serve the church part time. He says the task force will be looking at a wide range of offerings from undergraduate degrees to certificate programs.
Part of the task force's work, says Leyrer, will be exploring how the existing Congregational Assistance Program (CAP) fits into the picture. CAP, a program of the Board for Ministerial Education (BME) located at MLC, is designed to help congregations train their own members for local ministry and evangelism.
The task force, which will be appointed by the MLC administration, will include members on and off campus. It will report its findings to the governing board in September 2010.
Another priority established at the meeting was the building of a new early childhood education learning center at the college. According to Leyrer, with the number of early childhood centers increasing in WELS, there haven't been enough early childhood education graduates to fill the requests. "MLC wants to increase the number of early childhood education grads," he says. Leyrer says a new building would allow MLC to train more students than it does now, "and we could give them all of the training instead of having to outsource some of it."
In response to a 2009 synod convention resolution, the governing board also directed MLC to begin exploring how to deliver Mandarin instruction. Leyrer says options could include classes on campus or sending students overseas for language training.
