Grant Offers Scholarship for Bilingual Students

By Laura Lehman Amstutz

A new grant for Eastern Mennonite Seminary will allow English/Spanish several bi-lingual students to study tuition free. The Bridge-builders grant is intended to help train bilingual leaders in the Mennonite Church.

The Bridge-builders program will offer up to three full tuition scholarships for students who qualify. (Living expenses are not covered in the scholarship.) In addition to meeting regular admissions standards, students will need to demonstrate fluency in English as measured by the TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language and Spanish as measured by the DELE, Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera language exams.

Students must also be willing to serve in both English and Spanish-speaking settings during seminary and following seminary, which might include working with EMU campus ministries, in a local congregation or in another ministry setting such as a chaplain in a hospital.

Training Leaders for the Future of the Church

“We want to help train leaders who will serve the Mennonite Church and its growing Hispanic population,” said seminary dean Ervin R. Stutzman. “In the long term we’re hoping this program, and ones like it, will produce candidates for advanced theological study who could teach in our seminaries.”

“The purpose of this program is to prepare students for long-term bilingual ministries, such as preaching, teaching and writing,” he stated.

The seminary will provide several kinds of support for students in this program, including: tutoring for papers written in English and Spanish, a bilingual gathering for prayer and reflection, and connections to Hispanic educators through Mennonite Education Agency (MEA).

Students could become connected to the Mennonite Hispanic Initiative, a project sponsored by several districts of the Virginia Mennonite Conference to provide community and ministry settings for Hispanic leaders who move into Harrisonburg and the surrounding area.

“We are looking for students who will make deliberate and significant contributions to the church in both English and Spanish,” said Don A. Yoder, director of seminary admissions.

This grant is similar to the ministry leadership grant the seminary has offered in previous years, with the exception that students are required to be bilingual. The seminary is currently seeking grant applicants for the up-coming school year. To learn more contact Yoder in the office of seminary admissions, 540-432-4257 or email semadmiss@emu.edu or visit www.emu.edu/seminary/bridgebuilders.

posted 05/28/09