Saturday Jan 21, 2023 we celebrated six new graduates from our NT-NL Synod, ELCA Parish Lay Minster Academy. These graduates were split 50/50 between our English language track and our Spanish language track. The celebration was joyful and worshipful as Emanuel Lutheran Church; Iglesia Luterana Emanuel, Dallas welcomed us.
These six graduates from from the Metroplex as well as the Concho Valley. They will serve in congregations, assisting their rostered leaders with their new knowledge and skills. Some also potentially as Synodically Authorized Worship Leaders as the need arises. In this ministry we acknowledge the church is the baptized people of God and ministry is the ministry of the baptized. That said, we also as Lutherans uphold the importance of education and right practice. Our PLMA helps us do that. This was also the first graduation with our new Dean, Ms. Madeline Richard, herself a graduate of the PLMA.
Emanuel is a member congregation of both our Eastern Conference and our Conferencia Latina NT-NL ELCA. A parish founded by Swedish (Augustana) Lutherans over a century ago in what is now “Old East Dallas” they have been doing bi-lingual ministry for almost 50 years when they realized their neighborhood was quickly becoming part of “el barrio.” Now as their neighborhood, living in the shadow of the skyscrapers of Big D, is changing again they are actively discerning how they respond to this new opportunity and challenge of gentrification.