A Shared Commitment to Theological Education

1999 Western Mission Cluster Report to Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Submitted by James L. Boyce
Western Mission Cluster Coordinator
jboyce@luthersem.edu

At its 1993 Assembly the ELCA adopted a set of "11 Imperatives." These imperatives set goals to encourage the development of pastoral and lay leaders with skills in preaching, teaching, stewardship, evangelism, and administration  to assist congregations in their mission in a complex and changing world.

One strategy that accompanied these "Imperatives" was to link the eight ELCA seminaries in three "Clusters" for the sake of cooperative planning for theological education in their respective regions. Through the formation of the Western Mission Cluster, a partnership of Luther Seminary and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary continues to grow. Along with it comes hope for new visions of the ways in which these two seminaries can assist the congregations of Regions I, II, and III in the fulfillment of their mission through the training and continuing education of effective leaders.

THE FISHER'S NET

Luther Seminary and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary have sought to respond to the initiative created by the Western Mission Cluster. Together with other partners in the Western regions --  continuing education centers, synods, teaching congregations, Lutheran Brotherhood, and Augsburg Fortress – they initiated a pilot project called the Fisher's Net (www.fishersnet.net). The Fisher's Net is envisioned to be a Lutheran based network to provide learning opportunities for the training of knowledgeable leaders for the church's needs of mission. It will work with local initiatives in the collaborative development and dissemination of curricular resources through the latest technology.

PLANNING TOGETHER

The faculties, administrations, and boards of directors of the two seminaries continue to plan together as partners in theological education for the sake of the church's mission. Beginning Jan. 1, 1999, the ELCA appropriations for PLTS and Luther are sent to the Western Mission Cluster according to an interim agreement reached by the seminaries. A further significant sign of the developing partnership of the Western Mission Cluster was the adoption in December, 1998, by the Executive Committees of the Boards of Directors of PLTS and Luther Seminary of a strategic planning document to guide this process. This agreement authorized the creation of three Task Forces to work in the areas of program development, governance, and strategic planning to address key issues in our shared mission for theological education in the Western Mission Cluster. A Western Mission Cluster Coordinator was appointed jointly by the seminaries to assist them in the design and implementation of the tasks that have been mutually identified.

A meeting of the Western Mission Cluster Task Forces took place March 13 in St. Paul, and another is set for August 26 in Berkeley. Responsibilities assigned to these Task Forces include the formulation of a "statement of the shared mission of the Western Mission Cluster, coordinated with the mission statements of the two seminaries and focused upon the education of leadership for communities in mission."

COOPERATIVE PLANNING

Other areas noted for cooperative planning are 1) consultation on how the curricular strategies of both seminaries and the Cluster might better serve our common educational mission; 2) a plan for faculty development in the Western Mission Cluster coordinated with the strategic plans of both seminaries; 3) coordinated efforts in learning leadership in congregational and other contexts in Regions I, II, and III; and 4) the development of a plan for cluster governance to be presented to the respective Boards by the spring of 2000.

OUR FOCUS

The focus of the Western Mission Cluster remains our shared commitment as seminaries of the church to support the education of leaders for communities in mission. We ask for your prayers that in continuing partnership these seminaries will together be faithful to the mission to which God calls us.