Roger Lyman, President of the Home Mission Foundation, announced the Mary Ona Wolf and Home Mission Foundation Seminarian Scholarships awarded for 2021. In December, a total of $123,536.50 was mailed to the recipients for their training and education as new pastors.
Terry Edwards, Scholarship Committee Chairperson, describes the program, “The Scholarship Fund receives large amounts annually with individual amounts being distributed to many seminarians each year. Scholarships are supported by two Home Mission Foundation Funds: the Mary Ona Wolf Scholarship Fund and the Home Mission Fund.
“The Mary Ona Wolf Scholarship Fund was created by Ms. Mary Ona Wolf for the education and training of pastors for the NC and SC Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Her estate provided over a half million dollars to form the Fund’s corpus, whose income provides support to seminarians from North and South Carolina seeking a Master of Divinity Degree.
“The Fund provides financial support for each North and South Carolina Seminary Student. The Fund recognizes achievement and merit through a First Year Merit Award, an Internship Award and an award for all Newly-Ordained Pastors in the Synod.
“The Home Mission Fund of the Home Mission Foundation provides additional support to seminarians from the North Carolina Synod, ELCA and the NALC (North) Carolinas Mission District, seeking a seminary degree. The Fund gives an equal amount to each of these students. The cost of a seminary education continues to rise each year. Men and women who receive the Call to Ministry should not be discouraged by the necessary cost of such education to achieve God’s goal before them. Seminarians are very thankful for this support which is expressed in the many thank-you notes received each year. The Home Mission Foundation remains passionately committed to Scholarship as one of its major programs.”
The following are a sample of the thank you notes from some of the seminarians who received Home Mission Foundation scholarships.
I have received the very generous gift from the Home Mission Foundation. Please accept and communicate my gratitude to the board.
Respectfully,
CC
I wanted to reach out and let you know that I received the scholarship letter and check. Thank you for this gracious gift! This money will help greatly with my studies. I pray that you and the committee members had a wonderful Christmas and that you all have a blessed New Year.
Blessings,
JA
I am emailing you to let you know that I have received the generous scholarship check from the Home Mission Foundation.
Peace,
Thank you so very much! With this scholarship I will be able to complete my first year of classes without taking out student loans. I am extremely grateful for this assistance in funding my seminary education. Thank you again
BP
I received the amazing and generous scholarship gift. Thank you and Mary Ona Wolf for your incredible generosity. I pray that I will be a worthy recipient.
Thank you, Merry Christmas, Joyful Advent and Christ’s Peace to you,
KB
My name is TJ, and I am a candidate for Word and Sacrament for the North Carolina Synod. I received the check, and I want to thank you for continuing to support candidates for ministry in the North Carolina synod.
Grace & Peace,
TJ
Thank you so much for the generous scholarships that the Home Mission Foundation has given me this year. I am graduating with my Master of Divinity from Duke in May, and this fall I will begin studying at Luther Seminary to complete my Lutheran requirements and prepare for an internship!
Thanks be to God for the work of the HMF!
The HMF scholarships are not only helping me pay my tuition at Duke this year, they are also supporting my financial stability as I plan to move to the Twin Cities to continue my education at an ELCA seminary.
KE